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Monday, April 9, 2012
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Issue 56
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Behind the wheel: Boys vs. Girls
Emily DeLanzo Design Editor On campus, battle of the sexes rages on the roadways. Men constantly claim that hormones hinder females’ driving while women say men feel the need to prove their masculinity in the driver’s seat. Who really are the better drivers: men or women? “I definitely don’t think the female drivers I ride with are better than men,” said Daniel Morrell, junior in kinesiology. “I have one that is particularly bad. In fact, I feel like I’m on some freaky deathcoaster when I’m in the car with her.” Even some women believe men are better drivers. “Honestly, I think men are better drivers,” said Sabrina Rhodes, a senior in ecology and evolutionary biology. “I think I am an ‘OK’ driver, but I can’t tell you how many times I have seen girls texting, putting on makeup, and looking in the mirror. The only time I have almost wrecked, a crazy woman was the cause.”
Club discusses debt Andrea Overby Staff Writer The UT Economics Club will host its second Debt Event lecture on Wednesday, April 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the Haslam Business Building. The event will examine U.S. national debt, which currently totals $15.6 trillion. Club members will discuss the distribution of government spending, tax revenues and possible solutions that would reduce the national debt. Economics professor Donald Bruce from the UT Center for Business and Economic Research will be the guest speaker at this year’s event. His lecture will be followed by a question-andanswer session where attendees will have the opportunity to comment on the discussion. Lecture and faculty adviser Ken Baker said students especially should be concerned with U.S. debt. “We believe that the current U.S. debt and deficit situation is unsustainable, and the problems it will cause for future generations will only become worse if nothing is done,” Baker said. “We hope that this event will help the UT community become more informed about this issue and that is a first step to a viable solution.” Baker also hopes students will gain knowledge about other economic issues outside the national debt. “That is the purpose of our
second annual debt and deficit forum next Wednesday,” Baker said. “One of the main, overriding goals of the club is to help spread awareness around campus and the community about economic issues and events, and their impact upon everyone. We like to show how you can use economic tools and concepts to help untangle seemingly complicated and confusing news events.” Club president Thea Aub said the club also provides benefits for students who are not economics majors. “The fact that we can educate our students and allow them to absorb that and use it later in life makes this club very beneficial,” Thea Aub, junior in public administration, said. Aub said her involvement with the club has given her leadership experience and has allowed her to network with economics professors. Club member Zach Brurnett said, in addition to networking, the club also allows students who share similar interests to come together and meet with faculty from the economics department. This semester, the club created a blog to focus on U.S. debt. Articles include reports on the Republican candidates’ projected budgets for the future and how to avert a financial crisis. The blog can be accessed at utkeconomicsclub.wordpress.com. See ECONOMICS on Page 3
UT has a split enrollment of about 11,000 male undergraduate students versus 10,200 female students, according to Tennessee Office of Institutional Research and Assessment in 2010 (OIRA). Through commuter, non-commuter and staff/faculty, the university sees heavy traffic daily. The Daily Beacon could not retrieve specific data on the number of female versus male drivers with parking passes on campus or accidents. CJ Tate, a sophomore in biochemistry and molecular biology, believes that men are overall better drivers, but men are also more likely to partake in risky behavior. “I think women are more likely to get distracted while driving, but men are more likely to do reckless things like speed,” Tate said. In 2010, 13 male students were cited for driving under the influence compared to only six females according to the University of Tennessee Police Department (UTPD). For 2011, the number of male students issued DUIs jumped up to 27 while female students remained steady at
six. Guys who drive on campus are more likely to do risky behavior behind the wheel. Men are also more likely to speed on campus. Several major roads, including Cumberland Avenue, run through the middle of campus. According to numbers from UTPD, men and women run 13 male and 11 female students were issued citations for speeding on campus by UTPD. The difference increased significantly in 2011 when 12 males and only five females were issued. See DRIVING on Page 3
• Statistics courtesy of UTPD Knoxville as of April 2012
Health fair held on campus Caroline Reinwald Staff Writer As part of national “Public Health Week,” UT’s College of Nursing teamed up with the Student Health Center and the UT Medical Center to host “Health Beat,” a free health fair for UT students and faculty on Wednesday. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the UC Ballroom, the health fair offered free services such as testing blood type, HIV, bone density, allergies and hearing. Information booths educated people on the dangers of dipping, unhealthy eating, tanning beds and diabetes. Student Health Services and nursing students worked at the various booths and educated people on healthy living. “We want to involve the community (with what we are doing) and make the university aware of what is happening outside (campus),” Dr. Mary Sue Hodges, clinical instructor in the College of Nursing, said.
One popular booth, Dipper Dan, taught people on the dangers of chewing tobacco by showing a face mold of a real person who died of cancer of the throat and mouth. Knoxville and campus police officers were at the health fair to educate students and faculty on the effects of alcohol when doing everyday activities such as walking and driving. People were able to try walking a straight line and driving a car on a Wii video game while wearing “drunk goggles.” “We are just trying to give students a chance to make an informed choice (about alcohol),” UTPD Sgt. Donnie Ross said. The skin care booth showed people the dangers of unprotected sun exposure and tanning beds. Nursing students talked about how cancerous melanomas used to only be found on people older than 50, but now doctors are finding melanomas on 20- to 30-yearolds due to tanning beds. Free gifts were also distributed at the fair, such as toothbrushes, shampoo, candy and restaurant food vouchers.
“I think it’s great, health awareness is wonderful,” Jordan Sigler, undecided freshman with a pre-med interest, said. When asked what she thought of the fair, Sigler said she wished it had been better advertised to students, but otherwise it seemed like a great success. UT Medical had a Healthy Living Kitchen booth with cookbooks showing popular home recipes and modifications that can be done to make them healthier. There was also a display showing what five pounds of fat looks like and how much salt and sugar is in our everyday food and drink. “I thought the elderly information table was really interesting,” Jenna Frazier, sophomore in nursing, said. “I am excited (to) learn about opportunities in Knoxville to help with the elderly.” For more information about the health fair and tips to leading a healthy lifestyle, visit UT’s Medical Center at http://www.utmedicalcenter.org/.
George Richardson • The Daily Beacon
Students, faculty and staff members crowd into the new Student Health Center after the building’s grand opening on Friday, Jan 20. The center collaborated with the College of Nursing to help inform students on healthy living on Wednesday at the “Health Beat” fair.