Thursday, April 24, 2014
Issue 69, Volume 125
Student coalitions unite to protest tuition increases Bradi Musil Staff Writer Money doesn’t grow on trees, even in Big Orange Country. On Tuesday, Robert Naylor, representing the Progressive Student Alliance, and Nickie Hackenbrack, representing the Tennessee Student Union, met in the HSS building to discuss a potential rise in tuition cost and implore their fellow students to
take a stand. “Since 1985, tuition has increased nationally over 500 percent,” Hackenbrack, junior in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology, said. “That’s absurd.” Naylor’s and Hackenbrack’s ultimate goal is to create a multi-student organization and administrative coalition against raised tuition prices, a group they hope could halt budget
cuts at the university and the state level that cause tuition increases. “This issue affects everyone,” Hackenbrack said. UT has experienced an average annual tuition and mandatory fees increase of 8.3 percent, according to the 2012 Tennessee Higher Education Commission Fact Book. Tuition increased from $8,396 to $9,092 in 2012-2013. UT has experi-
enced an average increase of 124.2 percent during the past 10 years. UT may see a 4-6 percent tuition increase for 2015, to be voted on at the June meeting of the Board of Trustees. Hackenbrack credited tuition increases to budgeting issues which plague Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam annually. State revenue from the corporate franchise and excise tax
fell by $215 million this year. In order to support the cost of Tennessee higher education, the burden was placed on the students, Hackenbrack said. “We don’t think that’s fair,” she said. “We think that education should be the No. 1 priority of any state, especially Tennessee.” Haslam amended his fiscal year 2015 budget to cut all new funding to public post-second-
SEE
Mandatory meal plans expected for fall 2015 INSIDE
Grab your broom it’s Quidditch time in Tennessee NEWS >>pg. 2
Who will win a spot in Band Eat Band finals? You decide.
ARTS & CULTURE >>pg. 5
All undergraduate students will have a meal plan.* Here’s the plan: “All the things that students told us they wanted to see changed, we’ve changed. We listened, and here’s the result of that listening.” - Jeff Maples
On-campus first year students will be required to purchase a meal plan. Non first-year students will be required to purchase at least $300 Dining Dollars.
Changes aimed to support future dining facilities improvements With two new dining locations opening in fall 2014 and three more upgrades planned during the next five years, the UT administration knew it needed more students to buy more meal plans. But after students protested a proposed mandatory meal plan last fall, Dining Services and University Housing went back to the cutting board. Using the same student feedback that effectively killed the original plan, UT now hopes to enact a new meal policy proposal in Fall 2015 – and the mandatory $300 Dining Dollars remain a factor.
This last component was the cause of student chagrin in November, when the Coalition Against Mandatory Meal Plans gained more than 1,500 Facebook likes and an entire website was devoted to amplifying student feedback. Using the slogan “#DontForceFeedUS,” students expressed concerns over the proposal’s burden on non-traditional students, lack of flexibility and financial cost. But Jeff Maples, vice chancellor for finance and administration, and Frank Cuevas, executive director of university housing, think they’ve met student concerns in the new plan, which, pending Board of Trustees approval, will take effect in fall 2015.
Each semester, any unused Dining Dollars will roll into students’ All-Star accounts, where the money can then be either refunded or used on campus.
“All the things that students told us they wanted to see changed, we’ve changed,” Maples said. “We listened, and here’s the result of that listening.” The current policy requires all Presidential Courtyard residents to buy a meal plan; all other students are free to choose. In 2015, the new policy will require all first year undergraduates who live on campus to purchase a meal plan. “That’s really not much of a change,” Cuevas said. “Over 95 percent of on-campus freshman were living in those mandatory halls anyway.” For non-first year students enrolled in at least six credit hours, the policy requires the purchase of $300 Dining Dollars. UT will offer a meal plan that meets the bare minimum, but more expansive meal plans will also meet the $300 requirement. See MEAL PLAN on Page 2
*pending Board of Trustees approval
Former Tyndall player goes in depth about the intricacies of UT’s new men’s coach SPORTS >>pg. 8
Three UT basketball commits request release from LOIs Sports Editor
R.J. Vogt
SPORTS >>pg. 7
See TUITION on Page 2
Troy Provost-Heron
Editor-in-Chief
In one year, Aldrete has already become one of the Lady Vols’ top hitters
ary schools, resulting in a $30 million loss for higher education. Tennessee is one of many states receiving less state funding than in 2008, said Naylor, a junior in global studies. “Tuition increases don’t just happen,” Naylor said. “We are decreasing funding, but the price of education is going up.”
One day removed from announcing their new head coach, the Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball 2014 recruiting class took a big hit on Wednesday, as three of UT’s signees were either released, or requested to be released, from their National Letter of Intent. Jordan Cornish and Larry Austin – both three-star recruits according to Rivals – were granted their release by Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall, who was announced as UT’s new men’s basketball coach on Tuesday, allowing both to re-open their recruitment. The third signee, CJ Turman – a 6-foot-8 center from Madison, Ga. – requested a release from his letter of intent, but was unable to have it granted before the close of business on Wednesday, per a UT spokesperson. Phil Cofer – a 6-foot-8 forward from Fayetteville, Ga. – is currently the only remaining signee for the Vols and did not respond after being contacted by The Daily Beacon on Wednesday regarding his status. “The four guys who were signed by Coach Martin in the early period are all really good players and they seem to be fine young men, but if guys don’t want to be here at Tennessee – for whatever reason, whether it’s no familiarity with me or the new coaching staff or they just want to explore their options – I’m OK with that,” Tyndall told 104.5 The Zone, a Nashville radio station, on Wednesday night. “I don’t want guys to feel like they have to be at Tennessee. It’s a privilege to be at Tennessee and no one’s more privileged than I am.” See SIGNEES on Page 8
UT’s Big Band helps kick off Jazz Appreciation Month Laura Darnell Contributor UT’s Jazz Big Band held its Spring Concert on April 8, just in time to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month in Knoxville. Concert attendees were overwhelmed with excitement to hear the group perform. Nineteen of UT’s best jazz instrumentalists performed alongside director Keith Brown and guest trumpeter Vance Thompson in one of the more than 200
free concerts held by UT’s School of Music every year. Thompson, lecturer of studio music and jazz, was the featured guest at the big band concert and presented his composed piece “Shade Street” with a trumpet solo. He feels strongly about jazz and what it represents for the American people. “It’s not European music, it’s not African music,” Thompson said. “It could not have happened anywhere except here, because of the confluence of people and cultures that we have here, so it is kind of a celebra-
tion of American culture in a way.” Kyle Bothof, senior tenor saxophone player featured in the concert, will graduate this May after studying studio music and jazz performance. This was his last of 10 semesters in UT’s big band ensemble, and he said cannot imagine life without the confidence and ability jazz has given to him. “Just being able to be creative and free with it,” Bothof said. “That’s what made it appealing to me.” Having started his musical career in a
middle school band, he hopes to continue his professional music ambitions post-graduation. He believes jazz offers something for everyone. “Jazz is just the kind of music that you can feel when you’re listening to it,” Kelsey Keny, SGA president and junior in journalism and electronic media, said. “As I was watching the concert tonight, I couldn’t help tapping my foot and shaking my head along with the rhythm and beat.” See JAZZ on Page 6
INSIDE THE DAILY BEACON
@UTKDailyBeacon www.utdailybeacon.com
“UT is what you make of it, and that means people have a lot of different experiences here, some good and some bad.” OPINIONS >>pg. 4
News Opinions Arts & Culture Sports
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