Issue 70, Volume 122
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Split-party SGA chooses executives Emilee Lamb Staff Writer Tuesday was a night of firsts and lasts for UT’s Student Government Association as the newly elected student senate took their seats for the first time in the body’s last meeting of the school year. Serving senate executives were called on to pass the torch to a new crop of student leaders who were nominated and elected Tuesday to serve during 2013-2014. Student Services Director Grant Davis faced no opposition from the floor as he presented his nominations to head up the various student services committees which work closely with the Senate. Similarly, SGA President Jake Baker appointed his executive team without objection from the senators. However, when the floor opened to student body vice president Paige Atchley, things got more complicated. Atchley made her nomination for the seat of SGA Senate Chair, and was promptly countered by three nominations from the floor. Ultimately, after meticulous
File Photo • The Daily Beacon
The new SGA executive board attended their first meeting on Tuesday. discussion and two votes, Dante Arnwine, a sophomore in political science and business administration, was chosen by his peers as their leader for the upcoming year, instead of Atchley’s nominee. “I loved that there was some really good debate,” Atchley, a junior in marketing, said. “I’m a little disappointed that my appointment didn’t get in, but
I’m really excited with who the senate chose. I think that they’re going to represent us so well.” Arnwine, former senate parliamentarian, expressed confidence in his ability to take on the large leadership role of senate chair. “I think the transition from Parliamentarian to senate chair will be smooth,” Arnwine said.
“I have had the fortunate pleasure of working with former Senate Chair Christian Powers on numerous occasions. He has educated me about the duties and responsibilities of the position.” The eagerness to serve was apparent in Arnwine’s demeanor as he spoke before the senate prior to voting. “(UT) didn’t have to send
Around Rocky Top
me a letter of admission,” Arnwine said. “But, when I got that letter, I realized that UT saw potential in me to come here and get an education and go out in the world and represent the university as a proud alumnus. I just feel it’s my duty to give back to those who are giving me opportunities in life to be successful, which Tennessee is one.”
Urban Outfitters renovation complete, opening soon Emilee Lamb Staff Writer
Parker Eidson • The Daily Beacon
Members of the Sweat Free Tennessee Coalition gather on Monday with other students in front of the UC during their candlelight vigil for former adidas workers who had been denied their severance packages. On Wednesday, adidas announced their intentions to pay the $1.8 million owed to the more than 2,800 factory workers in Indonesia.
Traditional senior graduation ceremony to recommence Samantha Smoak
Shields-Watkins Field and then up the side of the Hill where they formed a “T,” and extinUT’s graduating class of 1926 guished their candles in unison celebrated its farewell to UT to bid farewell to their alma with a muddy game of tug-of- mater. The senior candlelight cerwar at a ceremony called the emony happened annually “Aloha Oe.” The ceremony then evolved through 1967. The graduating class of 2013 into a formal event, with the seniors marching through is reviving the tradition of the Grecian columns installed on “Aloha Oe” graduation ceremoCopy Editor
ny on May 7. “Students for years have wanted this tradition to return to campus,” Allison Cunningham, the chair of “Aloha Oe,” said. “I am so excited to be working with so many student leaders in the class of 2013 to make this a reality. The passion that many students have for this event is incredible and one of the main reasons we are able to bring it
Though newly appointed, Arnwine already has big plans to steer the senate in a more involved direction. “I’m really passionate about senate,” he said. “I want senate to be more involved in the community, whether if it’s reaching out to high school students, picking up trash in the community, or working with the Boys & Girls clubs.” The remaining senate executive positions were filled relatively easily following Arnwine’s election. Elected as Senate Secretary was Alicia Purcell, Sargent at Arms went to Austin Arrowood and Parliamentarian was voted to Rob Graham. Though the new senate is a mix of representatives from three different campaigns, Atchley believes it’s an SGA that will be able to work together for the students of the university. “I’m really excited,” she said. “I think that senate is going to do some really big things, especially with all different kinds of ideas coming in. I just think we’re going to be way more progressive and productive than we have been in years past.”
back this year.” The senior in marketing and logistics hopes that her fellow seniors from all of UT’s colleges will take advantage of “Aloha Oe” to experience a graduation ceremony together, since formal graduation ceremonies are divided by college. See ALOHA on Page 2
The long awaited opening of Urban Outfitters is finally within sight and set to welcome shoppers on May 2, according to the store’s website. It’s been a long journey for the city of Knoxville to bring the trendy retailer to its downtown location, but it’s been accomplished. Urban will be housed in the historic Arnstein Building just off the southern corner of Market Square. To get the building ready for the store’s arrival, architect David Dewhirst along with his partner Mark Heinz and their development team turned the building upside down with renovations. “It’s in a seven story historic building that was originally built in 1906, and the renovations to the building were extraordinarily extensive,” Dewhirst, who is also co-owner of the building, said. “It’s not just opening one store, it’s opening an entire high-rise building in downtown Knoxville.” The Arnstein Building will be home not only to Urban Outfitters, but also an architecture firm and apartment residences. Working on a building that is over a century old has inherent problems, and Dewhirst described what he saw as the largest challenge his team faced when renovating the building. “Anytime you take on the restoration of a historic building, there’s a fine line between doing just any old renovation to it and doing it right,” he said. “Going back and trying to bring the building back to its roots will bring the best result.” Without the arrival of Urban Outfitters, however, Dewhirst claimed the project might never have seen the light of day.
“We bought the building five years ago, and for several years we were trying to find the right development path for the building,” Dewhirst said. “We needed a great retail presence on the ground floor. Until we found Urban Outfitters we really couldn’t start on the project.” Anyone familiar with the popular clothing chain will know that its target demographic is college aged young adults in urban areas. By this standard, Urban Outfitters has struck gold in a town of 27,000 students at UT alone. “It’s marketed toward a younger generation like college students and will be great in a college town,” Stephanie Smith, a freshman in psychology, said. “It’s definitely popular within the 18-25 demographic.” As Knoxville continues to revitalize the downtown area, students like Smith agree that Urban Outfitters is a good boost to the city’s economy. “I think it’s fantastic that Urban Outfitters is coming to Knoxville,” Smith said. “I think it’s a great fit for how the city is going.” “I think it will pull in a lot of shoppers to that area,” Alysse Ness, a junior in biosystems engineering, said. “It will pull in a lot students because it’s super trendy. It’s a great addition to Market Square.” Students aren’t the only people who look forward to what Urban Outfitters will bring to the table for the city of Knoxville. “For downtown to be successful, it had to be done and it had to be done right,” Dewhirst said. “It couldn’t just be any retailer; it had to be something special. It’s something that Urban Outfitters really represents, the vitality of an urban area.”