Vol claims national architecture scholarship >>See >> See page 2
Lady Vols tee off about competition, new players >>See >> See page 6
EXCLUSIVE: Elenowen discusses local ties >>See >> See page 3
Thursday, August 5, 2013
Issue 11, Volume 124
Diversity Dialogues generate unity Hayley Brundige Staff Writer Look into any classroom at UT and you will find students who belong to a wide variety of social spheres, religions, ethnicities and cultures. Not as often do you see students talking openly about these distinctions. Diversity Dialogues is a monthly program held by the Office of Multicultural Student Life in the Black Cultural Center that aims to address such differences in a civil and open-minded way. Tuesday night, a group of five students, two MSL staff members and a professor – acting as group facilitator – gathered in a circle to talk about personal experiences with diversity. Joe Miles, assistant professor in counselor psychology and the discus-
sion’s mediator, described a system of dialogue called the “Lara Method.” This method holds that constructive dialogue is achieved when individuals listen to others, affirm what they say, respond and add meaningful information. “I think having some of these skills, like knowing how to communicate one-on-one is important for personal relationships,” Miles said. “But, more broadly, these skills are important for navigating in the diverse society we all live in.” The hour-long event included Miles sharing information about effective dialogue techniques, but the majority of the session was devoted to open-ended questions about diversity and student’s views on cultural issues. “I thought this was going to be a
lecture and that I wasn’t really going to be able to talk,” Michael Porter, senior in political science, said. “But I actually felt empowered and like I was really able to share my thoughts and hear everyone else’s.” The origin of the Diversity Dialogues program can be traced back to 2010 when Chancellor Jimmy Cheek announced the formation of the Task Force on Civility and Community in response to “a series of incidents that reflect bias on campus,” according to the group’s final report. The final report outlined ways for the university to incorporate principles of civility and community into existing programs, like student orientation, and to implement new initiatives. One such initiative was an intergroup dialogue program. The first Diversity Dialogues
event followed in the spring of 2011. Despite the small amount of participants, Tuesday’s event managed to make an impression on those that did attend. “I went in not knowing what it was at all, but I came out shocked in a good way,” Makinzi Butram, freshman in retail and consumer science, said. “I never thought I’d be in a place where I’d feel comfortable sharing what I believe in and listening to other views as well, but I experienced that tonight.” Katherine Waxstein, another Dialogues attendee, is a senior working as a “diversity educator” for the Office of Multicultural Student Life. In this position, Waxstein and a group of other trained students conduct diversity workshops and programs for different organizations.
Waxstein was pleased with the outcome of the first Diversity Dialogues of the semester. “I think it went really well,” she said. “I find conversations like these to be the most meaningful and fulfilling that I’ve had in my college experience.” In order to civilly discuss hot-button issues like gay marriage, Miles said it is important to think about the other person’s narrative of life experiences that led them to have that opinion. “We all have our own experiences, backgrounds and social identities and we can end up in very similar or different places,” Miles explained. “Two of the participants in today’s dialogue had similar opinions, but had very different ways of getting there.” See DIVERSITY on Page 2
Coach desires ‘identity’ for student section David Cobb Sports Editor Everything Butch Jones does is intentional, even down to the placement of slogan-riddled decorations in the UT football complex. “I believe in subliminal messages,” the first-year Tennessee football coach said Tuesday. So it wasn’t just a coincidence that Jones offered shout-outs to Donald Page • Tennessee Athletics the student section both after Tennessee football head coach Butch Jones commends a group of student body leaders on Sept. 3. for their Saturday’s season opener and strong showing against Austin Peay. again on Monday at his weekly press conference.
Undergrads sound off on autumn style, fashion week trends Emma Evans Contributor September is here, and with fall just around the corner, many UT students are participating in fashion month by preparing to debut the latest trends of the season. For sophomore kinesiology student Samantha Riccardi, cooler weather is the perfect excuse to add some new colors to her wardrobe. “A lot of dark purple and emerald green is going to be in style this season, and I’ve seen some hunter green as well,” said Riccardi, who writes for a personal style blog entitled Forever Fierce at www.foreverfierceblog. wordpress.com. “I’ve also heard that it’s ok to wear white after Labor Day now.” In addition to trying new color schemes, Riccardi said that her style this season will be very simple. “I think people want to stick with an easy, personalized look this fall,” Riccardi
said. “I think I’ll keep my style traditional, with a personal twist.” Claudette Sariya, junior in public relations, agreed that basic, versatile items will be an important part of the fall wardrobe. Sariya, who describes her personal style as minimalistic, grungy, and utilitarian, said that combat boots will be her go-to trend of the season. “Boots are easy and practical,” Sariya said. “You can put them on with leggings, and you’ll be cute for class.” Weather also plays an important role in creating the perfect look for fall. Riccardi said that the perfect solution for the transition in temperature is an oversized sweater. “Oversized sweaters are perfect for transitional weather,” Riccardi said. “The loose fit is perfect so you won’t get too hot, but it will keep you comfortable in the cooler weather.” See FASHION on Page 5
INSIDE THE DAILY BEACON News Opinions Arts & Culture Sports
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Still, if there was any doubt that Jones values the presence of UT’s students at home games, he cleared that up on Tuesday as he met with 60 of UT’s student leaders in the team meeting room after wrapping up an afternoon practice. “We’ve got to get our students there this Saturday, and for every game,” Jones told a group of SGA and Greek Life executives. “We’ve got to get back to turning Neyland Stadium into a great home field advantage.” See BUTCH & STUDENTS on Page 6
Canines soothe stressed students Bradi Musil Contributor Nothing relieves anxiety like puppy love. Sponsored by HumanAnimal Bond in Tennessee, or HABIT, Wednesday marked UT’s first official Canine Comfort Day. Taking place in the Gary Purcell Reading Room located in the Communications building, this event began the year-long schedule for having dogs regularly on UT’s campus. Bringing animals on campus is certainly not unprecedented, following the tradition of providing dogs for finals week, and more recently Welcome Week. Though they belong to UT faculty, these dogs are trained to work with the public. Donna Silvey, communications specialist for the College of Communication and Information, has been an active member of HABIT for five years with her dog Boudreaux – one of the three primary volunteer dogs. “What’s great about this program is that, working with HABIT, the dogs are already assessed and the rules are already outlined so all that needs to be done is applying it to the university,” Silvey said. See CANINE COMFORT on Page 2
Samantha Smoak • The Daily Beacon
Andelyn Barclay, senior in journalism and electronic media, plays with HABIT labradoodle Jazz during the Sept. 4 Canine Comfort Day.
Like The Daily Beacon is printed using soy based ink on newsprint containing recycled content, utilizing renewable sources and produced in a sustainable, environmental responsble manner.
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