Special teams shakeup could be in store for OU matchup SPORTS >> pg. 6
@UTKDailyBeacon
utdailybeacon.com Issue 16, Volume 127
Thursday, September 11, 2014
UT Lead Summer Institute cut
Program for low-income students will not continue past 2014 Initiated in 2008 as a program to increase retention and graduation rates, the Lead Summer Institute allowed students from underrepresented high schools to be conditionally admitted It’s the end of an era. This August, 39 students from the to the university. During the applicaUniversity of Tennessee Lead Summer tion and interview process, students Institute were informed that they would were evaluated based on their academic achievement, status as a first generabe the program’s final class. tion college student and eligibility for
Hayley Brundige
News Editor (@hayleybrundige)
the state Promise scholarship. The institute gave these students the opportunity to take college courses free of charge during the summer and, if they met certain benchmarks, gain entrance to the university the following semester. Emiliano Zuniga, now a senior in accounting, participated in the Lead Summer Institute in 2011. Zuniga was informed of the decision to cut the program during a group reunion with his fellow institute graduates. “Students were genuinely upset
when they found out,” Zuniga said. “It literally went into a two hour debate in the middle of our session. Students were completely outraged and they wanted answers.” A sharp decrease in state funding in recent years has forced UT administration to rethink budget structures and target programs more wisely, said Provost Susan Martin. The decision to cut Lead Summer Institute stemmed from a desire to focus on programs with broader reach. See LSI on Page 2
Project anti-art Dr. Sketchy’s combines art forms, provides perspective Hannah Zechman Contributor
It was B.Y.O.B., so he took several sips of Black Velvet. He eagerly looked around the room, knowing he was being watched. Pencils were shaking against sketchpads, but this time, he felt comfortable. This was Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, and Scottie Wheeler, a filmmaker, was the third model to sit in the hot seat. Calm and collected, he continued to sip his Black Velvet. The models at Dr. Sketchy’s are not the typical pinup girls seen on the internet. They are voluptuous, confident and permitted to pose however they wish in front of the “art monkeys.” All models were required to open with a musical or creative performance before beginning to model. That was the first lesson: visual artists and performing artists should all hang out together. Kady Robbins, lead singer of Heyday Revival, was up first. After singing an upbeat number which portrayed her sultry bellow, she assumed a 25-minute pose representing the southern gothic theme. Lulu Skidoo followed, first singing an opera in German then assumed the position for her first challenge. Modeling her homemade goat-hoof tambourine, the art monkeys had five minutes to draw her active pose with their non-dominant hand. Skidoo then took on a more challenging pose, her signature “pigeon-toed hooker.” Kady Robbins posing in a “southern gothic style” for the participants at Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Sept. 9. Maddie Smolko • The Daily Beacon
See DR.SKETCHY on Page 5
Peace Corps simplifies application, seeks student interest Hannah Marley Contributor
Amanda McRoy had no running water or electricity for two years – and she loved it. From 2009 to 2012, McRoy volunteered as a health educator for the Peace Corps in Cameroon, West Africa and Zambia, South Africa. Now she is Tennessee’s only official Peace Corps representative. “It’s made me intentional about relationships (and) made me listen when people talk,” McRoy said, reflecting on her experience. “A lot of the time, we ask, ‘how are you?’ and the answer is ‘fine,’ and we’re okay with that. It wasn’t like that in Cameroon. People really wanted to know how you were and what was going on. I hope I brought that back over with me.” While there are only 80 Tennessean Peace Corps volunteers currently in the field, 22 of which graduated from UT, recent changes to the application process will likely draw more students to apply. “The application in and of itself is much shorter,” McRoy said. “Our invitation to service is what people waited for forever and ever in the past, and that now comes as soon as three months after you apply.” The quicker confirmation is intended to give potential volunteers time to plan, prepare and reach an informed decision about their trip. Interested applicants must submit a résumé, transcript, two letters of recommendation and an essay describing why they wish to serve with the Peace Corps. The application, McRoy claimed, can be completed in 45 minutes. The streamlined application process also comes with graduate school opportunities. UT has been approved to become a member of the Fellows Program, offering financial aid to returned Peace Corps Volunteers seeking a master’s degree. “If (a returned volunteer) wanted to get their master’s in social work and nursing, they could do it right here on UT’s campus, and it’s paid for,” McRoy said. See PEACE CORPS on Page 3
Helm prepared to step into larger role for Vols Troy Provost-Heron Sports Editor (@TPro_UTDB)
The Tennessee Volunteers began the season with two equally lauded freshman tight ends, both of whom earned four-star distinctions during their recruitment processes. When the Vols travel to Norman, Okla., however, they may be one short. Because he suffered a knee bruise in UT’s contest against Arkansas State, Ethan Wolf is listed as questionable heading into Saturday.
While he could still play against Oklahoma, Wolf has yet to fully participate in any of Tennessee’s practices this week. The Vols, it seems, are preparing to do without the 6-foot-5-inch, 240 pounder. “We’re going to rely on Daniel Helm, he’s going to have tremendous opportunity,” head coach Butch Jones said. “Brendan Downs and Alex Ellis, those three individuals will make a three-man tight end group by committee, which is the way it’s been pretty much all year.” If Wolf is unable to play,
Editorially independent student newspaper of the University of Tennessee established in 1906
though, his freshman counterpart, Helm, stands to benefit from his absence. During practice this season, he has taken the second-most snaps of any of the tight ends. But for Helm, finding the field was not easy. Although he has been listed as the Vols backup tight end alongside Alex Ellis all year, the Chatham, Ill., native had a flaw in his game that prevented him from seeing the field as often as the other tight ends. See NOTEBOOK on Page 6
Freshman tight end Daniel Helms catches a ball from a pass machine during practice Sept. 10. Hayley Pennesi • The Daily Beacon
“What if they end up becoming a giant skid mark of a person after we say ‘I do?’” VIEWPOINTS >>pg. 4
Country rock band Parmalee takes on Tennessee Valley Fair ARTS & CULTURE >>pg. 5