The Daily Beacon

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Issue 60 , Volume 122

Thursday, April 11, 2013

UT microbiologist tackles science in Antarctica Blair Kuykendall Editor-in-Chief Students often shy away from the hard sciences, fearing life spent as a cloistered lab rat. Professor Jill Mikucki shattered that stereotype, venturing onto the ice sheets of Antarctica to study microbiology. She says she loves her work, but it can get a bit chilly. “The extreme weather presents a variety of safety concerns and so we must take special training on how to survive in the cold,” Mikucki wrote to the Daily Beacon. “There is also the challenge of being so far away from family and friends for long periods of time. A typical field season is about three months.” Practicing microbiology is no small feat stateside, and Antarctica adds its own complications. “There is the challenge of fieldwork — while we may be doing something fairly

straightforward like collecting a water sample, when you add the half a mile of glacier ice that covers your sample … well, that’s a whole different game,” Mikucki said. Mikucki works cooperatively with other specialists in her field to better understand the microorganisms of frigid climates. “I study sub-glacial ecosystems,” she said. “I am interested in how microorganisms survive and thrive in icy environments … It also allows me to place my work in a broader framework; there are many scientist studying glacial systems from various perspectives — for example there are glaciologists, chemists, climatologists, etc. (Collaborating) makes you think more broadly about your problem, it can lead to new insights.” Michelle Chua, a graduate student in microbiology, said that when Mikucki talks about the research, her eyes light up. See ANTARCTICA on Page 3

Around Rocky Top

‘Good Samaritan’ policy continues quest for amnesty David Cobb Assistant News Editor

Justin Ruffin • The Daily Beacon

Megan Andelloux, a Certified Sexuality Educator, discusses various techniques during the ‘How Many Licks Does it Take...’ open discussion on Monday.

In the Bible, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, a traveler who stopped to help an injured stranger without seeking personal benefit. A policy referencing that deed could find its way to UT in the upcoming year, although state laws won’t be changing anytime soon. All three of the recent Student Government Association campaigns pitched an idea – or at least a variation of it – during the recent campaign season that would grant amnesty to students who seek medical help for dangerously intoxicated peers, even if they themselves have been drinking alcohol. The idea has already landed on the desk of Vice Chancellor for Student Life Timothy Rogers after the recent Greek

Life Task Force recommended the adoption of the policy in its final report. The task force included students, alumni and UTPD Chief Troy Lane, among others. Lane clarified in a statement on Monday that if a “Good Samaritan” policy came to fruition, it would only apply to disciplinary action handed out by the university. “UT simply cannot pass an internal policy that changes criminal law in the state,” Lane said. “Therefore, any amnesty would relate only to student judicial sanctions and not criminal charges, which are separate. “However, this has never stopped the police from exercising discretion when necessary or prudent in dealing with a situation. In these cases our first priority and concern is with the safety and physical well-being of the student, despite their age.” Though such a policy would

reach beyond the Greek community, it would only apply to on-campus incidents, in which students are subjected to university-based sanctions beyond public law. Numerous other universities have adopted a policy that pardons students of such additional punishment in the event they are seeking help for a peer in danger. “That is definitely a policy that we care deeply about,” said newly elected SGA president Jake Baker. Baker’s term in office hasn’t begun yet, but he’s optimistic for the future of a “Good Samaritan” policy, at least within the SGA realm. “All three campaigns agree on that point,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we disagree on. But all three of us agree on that.” Though a statute protecting “Good Samaritans” would likely meet the approval of the SGA Senate, no guarantee

exists that it would be implemented, even with the backing of the Greek Task Force. “I will mention that we (the Greek Task Force) were asked to recommend changes to address issues,” Lane said. “This was only one of many changes we proposed. Also, keep in mind that we had no authority to say that any of these changes had to be made. We were simply proposing ideas that might have an effect.” Baker said the current campus climate and unison within SGA makes it a proposal that students seem to be squarely behind. “I think it is definitely relevant to the student body,” he said. “I know several people that have gotten in trouble for trying to do the right thing, and that’s unacceptable. Because what example is that setting? Do you not want students to seek help for their friends?”

Religion, sex panel pushes past stereotypes Claire Dodson Copy Editor In a culture where religion is either too vocal about sex or too silent, the students and faculty that filled up the UC Auditorium on Tuesday night for the “Sex Week” Religion and Sexuality panel wanted more than answers — they wanted discussion. “They just want to see you all talking about these things,” professor Tina Shepardson, moderator of the panel, said as questions flooded in via text message from students in the UC Auditorium.

The panel was comprised of six representative members of various religions and denominations — James Conant, UT math professor and Buddhist; Father Charlie Donahue, Catholic priest at Blessed John XXIII; Abdel Rahman Murphy, Muslim representative; Heather Godsey, pastor at Wesley Foundation and representative of mainline Christianity; Rabbi Alon Ferency, rabbi at Heska Amuna; and Britton Sharp, Director of CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ). Together, these panelists took on a wide array of questions: at what point does your religion say that sex happens?

What is you religion’s perspective on LGBTQ marriage and relationships? What kinds of sex are permissible within a marriage? In their answers, the panelists referenced their scripture and tradition as well as talked on a more personal level about these issues. Father Donahue discussed the LGBTQ topic from a Catholic perspective but included a personal example from his own life. “My sister and her partner wanted me to be the godfather of their child,” Donahue said. “I was in Rome studying at the time, and I was like ‘yeah, but

let me kind of check.’ So I consulted a cardinal about the situation. He said, ‘Of course you can’t, but of course you must.’ “So I have great pictures of myself at the christening, and it’s awesome … and it’s wonderful because it’s who we are and how we support each other.” As the night went on, the questions and panelists continued to reflect the complexity of the relationship between sex and religion. The panelists were asked questions about the authority of their scripture and how religion adapts to culture over time. For these questions, the answers were less clear-cut and more interpretive.

Rabbi Ferency emphasized that he is not comfortable with everything in his religious tradition and encouraged the audience to struggle with their beliefs. “It’s good to flinch at it,” Ferency said. “Be challenged by it, grapple with what your tradition says and then reinterpret and reject. Say it with gritted teeth. Always find something to wrestle with.” At the end of the panel, each person was allowed to address one misconception they thought others had about their religion or denomination. The responses provided insight into the contrast between the

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reality of these ideas and the stereotypes people project onto religions. From the Islamic perspective, Murphy’s misconception dealt with tradition and gender roles. “People think that a man and a woman have relative value,” Murphy said. “I’ll ask my congregation, ‘What’s a man’s job?’ and they’ll say, ‘to earn a living, to be a man.” So I’ll ask what a woman’s job is and they’ll say, ‘to make children and food.’ “And it’s sad, because our job is to serve God and serve humanity.” See ‘SEX WEEK’ on Page 3

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