10 02 14

Thursday, October 2, 2014 Issue 31, Volume 127

WHAT’S IN THE

HUNCH PUNCH? Consumption of common party drink raises questions about ingredients involved McCord Pagan Social Media Editor

The Daily Beacon set up interviews with two UT students to discuss the issue of hunch punch. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, will be referred to as Sarah and Kyle in this story.

It’s a brisk mid-October evening in 2013 – one that Sarah will barely remember.

She and her friends leave Presidential Court around 10 p.m. Laughing, they make their way to a fraternity party, just another night out with friends during the time of year when freshmen are still acclimating to the party scene so entwined with UT’s reputation.

One of Sarah’s friends texts the boy who invited them and asks him to come outside. It’s a football weekend, and lots of houses are having parties.

No one wants to make a mistake and walk into the wrong one.

Once inside, Sarah and her friends begin to mingle as they make their way to the large bowl of red liquid. Hunch punch.

While being served, Sarah’s cup disappears into the hand of one of the hosts and is filled with the evening’s cocktail.

One and a half drinks later and Sarah and her friends have already decided to leave for their next destination.

Next door at another friend’s party, Sarah is now getting sick. In between throwing up, Sarah’s friends become concerned. They’ve seen her drink too much before, but this is very different. They begin to

suspect something is wrong.

Recipe for Disaster Hunch punch, a sugary alcoholic drink frequently served at parties, is not new to UT’s party culture.

Hunch punch is typically three to five gallons of what is essentially a mixed drink, but party hosts include any kind of hard liquor they can find.

In first-year studies classes, the Center for Health Education and Wellness specifically warns freshmen of the dangers of consuming anything they did not make themselves.

What worries people like Ashley Blamey, director of the Center for Health Education and Wellness, is the potency of common-source drinks and the lack of knowledge some students have about the potential risk involved.

“We would say (not to drink from common-source drinks) to anyone,” Blamey said. “If you choose to drink … then you control the amount of intake. And with a common-source you can’t control your intake (of alcohol) because you don’t know what’s in it.”

Taking Effect “Sarah. Hey, Sarah! Wake up!” Sarah barely hears her friends as she sways and slowly falls to the floor. Higher brain function is gone.

Someone grabs a fan.

If made with enough powdered drink mix and soda, the alcohol content inside hunch punch -- usually at least two 750 milliliters of vodka and/or a 1.75 liter of grain alcohol -- can be undetectable to the tongue.

While the drink is designed to mask any taste of alcohol, this also allows drugs to be discreetly slipped into drinks without the drinker’s knowledge.

Kyle, a fifth-year senior, has spent much of his time in college with his fraternity, whether planning philanthropic events or going to parties.

While hunch punch is hardly contained to Greek life, Kyle said he has helped host more than his fair share of events.

“One of the guys I live with has made (hunch punch) once a week for about two years,” he laughed. “And me? I’ve made it … 40 to 50 times probably?”

See HUNCH PUNCH on Page 2

CCortney Roark • The Daily Beacon

Students capture ‘life as it is lived’ Katrina Roberts Design Editor (@KatrinaRoberts_) If the Eyes on LaFollette Project were human, it would be a senior in college, strolling across campus with a camera around its neck.

It would be preparing to go on display Friday, Oct. 3 at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville as a photo exhibit, capturing over 20 years of stories from the small town of LaFollette, Tennessee.

Robert Heller, photojournalism professor, first took his advanced photojournalism class to LaFollette in the spring of 1993. Traveling approximately 40 miles north of Knoxville, the class was armed with cameras and the hopes of capturing the stories of daily life in the community.

Since that first year, Heller has returned to the town nearly every spring with a new crop of students in tow. Each group spends a day and a half taking photos, and at the end, they choose the best ones to be featured in a special section of the town’s weekly newspaper, The LaFollette Press.

Ben Murphy, senior in journalism and electronic media and cinema studies, went on the trip last spring. It was in LaFollette that he saw the power of a good story.

“That’s what all good photos are trying to tell,” Murphy said. “And I found after being on the trip that stories are everywhere. You first have to take a step back and see what

Breaking bad stereotypes Actor to discuss living with disabilities, provide real-world perspective Altaf Nanavati Contributor

Sarah O’Leary took this photograph during the Spring 2014 trip for the Eyes on LaFollete project. • File Photo all is there, then dig deeper into a location or person. And who knows, maybe that place or person will lead you to the next one.”

David McCarville, senior in journalism & electronic media and editorial production artist at The Daily Beacon, was on the trip as well. Despite his initial nervousness, he walked

A new look is coming to Cleveland NEWS >>pg. 2

away from the trip with a new appreciation for the project and the small town that hosts it.

“Without doing that, I wouldn’t have really known what would be expected from newspaper assignments or anything like that,” McCarville said. “And it was great to get out there and apply what we

learned in the basic photojournalism class and the advanced photojournalism class to the real world.”

Now the project itself is entering a whole new world, albeit on a much larger scale than the 18 page section of The LaFollette Press.

See LAFOLLETTE on Page 3

“Talk about a PR nightmare. It involved frat guys, homophobia, Franzia, a web of lies and it was also just really weird.”

VIEWPOINTS >>pg. 4

Actor RJ Mitte will break disability stereotypes tonight.

Mitte, from the AMC show “Breaking Bad,” will visit campus to discuss his experiences living with cerebral palsy. In conjunction with Campus Disability Advocates’ Disability Week, Issues Committee has invited Mitte to speak on “Overcoming Adversity: Turning a Disadvantage to an Advantage,” at 7 p.m. in the University Center Auditorium.

Mitte’s portrayal of Walter “Flynn” White Jr., a teenager who lived with the condition, breaks the norm Allison Gose, president of Campus Disability Advocates, said.

“When characters with disabilities are shown, the disability is usually portrayed as something the character must overcome in order to obtain a socially accepted normalcy,” Gose said. “Mitte’s role as Walter Jr. is therefore very

r e v o lutionary, and Campus Disability Advocates is very excited that he is RJ Mitte coming to speak about disability in the media.”

Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by damage of the motor centers of the brain that affect movement. Mitte was born not breathing Aug. 21, 1992 in an emergency caesarian which resulted in permanent brain damage. At the age of 3, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and spent the majority of his childhood in leg braces and crutches. Through sports and exercise, Mitte’s body grew strong enough to no longer require walking devices, and he began seeking out acting opportunities which allowed him to educate viewers on his disability.

See MITTE on Page 2

Post-cast Jason Croom shines for the Vols SPORTS

>>pg. 6

2 • THE DAILY BEACON

Thursday, October 2, 2014 News Editor

CAMPUS NEWS

hbrundig@vols.utk.edu

Asst. News Editor

Cancer patient strives to complete education Christine Vanek Contributor

When Marisha Dotson left her home to be interviewed Sept. 15, it was the first time in three months she wasn’t headed to the hospital.

Last April, in her final semester at UT, Dotson began experiencing a series of illnesses: pneumonia, strep throat, the flu and shingles. Dotson was working two jobs, attending classes five days a week and averaging two hours of sleep per night, so she thought she was simply getting burnt out.

The truth was far more severe.

By June, when a small red spot appeared on her nose accompanied with an intense pain, Dotson couldn’t ignore her ailments any longer. After two, unsuccessful trips to the UT Clinic, she visited a dermatologist and scheduled a biopsy.

Diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive skin cancer, she was told this rare, fast-growing tumor strain is unusual for someone her age and more frequently found in people in their 80s and 90s.

Dotson was scheduled for reconstructive surgery Aug. 7. Awake and fully conscious, Dotson was aware of everything but the frozen and numbed area around her nose.

As they began working, the surgeons realized the effect of the tumor had been drastically underestimated and it had moved into the nerves inside her nose as well. In the middle of her surgery, Dotson was informed it might not be possible to fully remove the cancer and the possibility of recurrence was high.

Marisha Dotson At that moment, Dotson said she “almost had a mental breakdown.”

But, after 15 hours of surgery, the tumor was removed from the entire affected area. Dotson said the hardest part of all of it, though, was when doctors handed her a mirror for the first time and her nose was almost completely gone.

“I was kind of heartbroken by the end of it,” she said. “I can’t describe that moment when I looked at my face. You take it for granted; your features and what you look like.”

After surgery, Dotson was in intense pain for a solid month.

Thanks to the help of friends from her church, who Dotson said frequently fetch her Panera soup, Dotson began to feel better.

Although the physical pain was decreasing, Dotson said she could not ignore the emotional pain that was settling in.

“I was really grieving, and I started getting jealous of anyone that had a nose, which is everyone,” she said, laughing.

Since her nose was removed in August, Dotson has undergone two more reconstructive surgeries and is currently recovering from the second which took place Sept. 16.

Formerly enrolled as a double major in psychology

Hayley Brundige @hayleybrundige

and environmental sociology, Dotson had to dis-enroll from her classes after realizing the physical and emotional toll she would be under this semester.

She was been working two jobs for the past four years to afford her education, and, upon reapplying to the university for just one more semester before completing her degree, Dotson was informed she must pay the freshman tuition rate that has increased since her own freshman year.

“I think it is unfair to be penalized for something I can’t control,” Dotson said.

Dotson is currently petitioning to wave the application fee, but, at this point, still has to pay the inflated tuition rate.

Norma Harrington, senior associate director of admissions, said the admissions database does not recognize students who have been absent for one semester or more. As there is currently no official policy in place for special circumstances like Dotson’s, students must work with admissions counselors one on one in such situations.

“We are investigating on how to lessen complications (regarding the database) in the future,” Harrington said.

Dotson is currently fighting the system, but it remains unclear if any exception will be made. She is currently raising funds on gofundme.com to pay for her medical expenses.

Still, Dotson stays cheerful, not allowing her circumstances to control her.

“I have learned to deal with tragedies with grace and strength,” Dotson said. “If I have a choice between being happy and unhappy, I will always choose being happy.”

To learn more about Dotson or donate money, visit http:// www.gofundme.com/cxp05g.

Bradi Musil @bradi4 bmusil@vols.utk.edu

Design class works to give back Tanner Hancock Copy Editor Extreme makeover: Cleveland, Tennessee edition.

This year, the newly established Smart Communities Initiative plans to address more than 15 locally proposed projects in Cleveland ranging from historical building renovations to constructing a temporary downtown ice skating rink.

Created by the Office of the Provost last year, SCI is a senior design course for undergraduate and graduate UT students to apply their individual skills and studies through service learning projects. Students participating will be paired with Cleveland representatives to facilitate the most efficient solutions to the various proposed projects aimed at revitalizing the East Tennessee community.

Brad Collett, professor in SCI’s graduate landscape architecture program, said this is an opportunity for students and cities to partner for mutual gain.

“We have interest and capac-

MITTE continued from Page 1 Lee Owen, chairperson of the Issues Committee, believes this lecture will offer insight surrounding the topic of how disability is portrayed in media.

“People with disabilities are often seen as ‘other,’” Owen said.

“I hope hearing from Mr. Mitte,

HUNCH PUNCH continued from Page 1 Although Sarah didn’t get sick at a party hosted by Kyle’s fraternity, he said he was shocked at the seemingly absurd question of whether hunch punch would ever be made to deliberately hurt someone.

“I don’t know a single fraternity that would be okay with somebody in their fraternity drugging someone,” Kyle said.

“He’d definitely get kicked out, but he’d probably get the shit beaten out of him by a bunch of people for that happening.”

Time Lapse Sarah is now slipping in and out of consciousness. Just as she recognizes the T: Late Nite bus taking her back to campus, she is suddenly in her friend’s car heading to the hospital.

Unsure of her surroundings or her driver’s identity, Sarah is having a panic attack and tries to escape. She fails and eventually is able to sign herself into the hospital.

“What’s a number we can use to call?” the ER nurse asks.

“47,” Sarah says.

Difficult to Prove Insisting that Greek life would never tolerate drugging someone at a party, Kyle said he was doubtful the claims of spiked drinks match up with reality. Drink spiking, Kyle said, would most likely never happen in his fraternity, nor any other chapter on campus.

“People just get drunk some-

ity, you have needs and projects,” Collett said. “We can marry those two.”

Cleveland, the 14th largest city in Tennessee and home to more than 40,000 residents, was chosen over several competing locations by the SCI committee as the first host-city for the SCI 2014-2015 pilot year.

Without outside help, small cities often struggle to revamp their communities, Collett said.

With available resources and talented students, UT can offer Cleveland unique assistance. “(Communities) either don’t have the expertise or the capital resources to go out and get the consulting in order to get those projects unstuck and moving forward,” he said.

Collett hopes the town will be aided financially and aesthetically as students re-purpose the center city district. Many buildings in the center, downtown area are abandoned, presenting the student participants with a task both “spacially and economically” challenging.

Jenny Retherford, a professor in civil and environmental engi-

neering, recognized Cleveland as a community laden with “a lot of work but little resources” that stands to benefit tremendously in its partnership with UT. She said SCI offers a rare opportunity for students to test their skills outside of a university environment.

“You’re sort of trained in this academic world to have a book that tells you something, or to have all these resources or a professor,” Retherford said. “This is an opportunity for those students to see how those calculations on paper are implemented in the real world.”

While some remain hesitant to accept the ideas students offer, Collett believes that the path to progress lies in society’s good faith in its younger population.

“So often, some people want to discount what they might get from a student as not based in reality,” Collett said. “We have to challenge that sometimes. To think outside the box and come up with creative and new ideas.

Because so often, doing things the way they’ve always been done isn’t working.”

who is very relatable and honest about his experiences, can change that.”

Campus Disability Advocates is a student organization that focuses on spreading awareness of disability issues. Their main initiative is to advocate on behalf of other students on campus who face problems with their disabilities, and Disability Week helps to promote that.

“Through this programming,

Campus Disability Advocates hopes to humanize people with disabilities in order to provide access to very important issues facing this community,” Gose said, mentioning how she hopes seeing the actor speak candidly about his struggles will remind students and attendees that people with disabilities are just as capable and present as those without.

times, and they’re not drugged,” he said. “A lot of people who claim they got drugged didn’t get drugged when they actually go and do a tox screen.”

Sarah never had a toxicology screen. Once doctors assured Sarah’s friends she would be fine, they decided not to approve an added expense without her conscious approval.

The cost of the only strain of blood test capable of revealing levels of Rohypnol, or “roofies,” can be prohibitive to college students like Sarah, Christian Lawson, Emergency Room supervisor at UT Medical Center, said.

“The test takes a couple of days to get back,” Lawson said. “We have to send them to Nashville to get them done.

And if it’s a lab test that takes more than a day, it’s going to be a decent amount of money, well over a couple hundred dollars.”

Beyond the possibility of running this expensive test, Lawson explained there isn’t much else the ER can do for people who believe they have consumed roofies.

“If someone comes in and tells us they think they’ve been given roofies, the first thing I would ask is, ‘Are you tired?

Do you feel sedated?’” he said.

“If they say yes, we can keep an eye on them for a couple of hours, but once they start acting appropriately again and are able to walk and protect themselves, they’ll be discharged.

“I don’t think there’s a good way of knowing (if someone is

roofied).”

The Aftermath Once it was determined Sarah’s health was no longer endangered, her roommate arrived to take her back to their dorm. However with nothing to prove definitively she was drugged, filing charges was nearly impossible, Sarah said, now nearly a year after the incident.

“It would have been extremely hard to prove that whatever happened was in relation to the frat party versus the other party,” Sarah said. “Even if I had just gone to the (frat) party, it would have been very, very hard to really prove it.”

With no evidence of drugs and nothing to prove which party it was that made her sick, any evidence at a trial would be seen as merely hearsay.

Despite this, Sarah has no doubt she was deliberately targeted that night. For her, confirmation came when she later heard about two other girls who had similar experiences after going to the same party.

“Fortunately we all had friends that took us out of there,” she said. However, Sarah worried there were other girls that night who did not have anyone to escort them to safety -- whose stories may not be heard.

She advises anyone new to the party scene they “can never be too careful.”

“No one ever really knows what’s in it,” she said. “That’s why it’s called hunch punch.”

Thursday, October 2, 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 3 Arts & Culture Editor Jenna Butz @butzjenna

ARTS & CULTURE

jkw546@vols.utk.edu

Projects Editor Liv McConnell

mmccon12@vols.utk.edu

“Miracle Worker” shares Helen Keller, mentor’s story Faith Schweikert Copy Editor @got2_haveFaith

Larry Delinger is an American composer of contemporary music.

Lauren Batson • The Daily Beacon

UT welcomes newest composer-in-residence Eric Gibson Contributor Delingerfest is coming to campus.

Delingerfest is the six weeks between Sept. 22 and Nov. 12 that will present a series of concerts, productions, talks and lectures featuring UT’s composerin-residence Larry Delinger and his works, including the world premier of Medea, Delinger’s Greek opera about murder, anger and betrayal.

Delinger is a nationallyrenowned composer having done work in television, radio, theater and most recently, opera.

He previously lived in France and for the last 40 years called the central coast of California home.

Now, his time Knoxville is his first stay in the South. Despite his travels, he said getting to where he is now was an accident, often finding jobs because he liked the names of the cities.

He started working in a theater in Santa Maria, California, where he lived at the time.

However, Delinger had no idea the theater he found himself in was nationally known.

“Almost by accident I got to this theater, and I started working with directors all over the United States,” Delinger said. “I started out teaching, and I finally decided that I would rather write music for the theaters.”

In the last seven years, Delinger began penning operas,

and it was another accident that brought him to meet Kevin Class, UT’s director of opera theater. John Sipes, an associate professor of acting and directing, introduced Delinger and Class to workshop the then unfinished Medea at UT. The goal was to help Delinger focus on what parts needed work, a common obstacle composers face in creating a large scale project like Medea.

The workshop went well, and Delinger and Class formed a bond.

“It felt like when he was conducting it felt like the way I would conduct it,” Delinger said of Class. “It’s hard to find people that have the same rhythms you do. That made it really comfortable.”

Now, Medea is beginning to take shape. Tuesday night, Delinger sat in on the cast and crew while they were staging the first two scenes. For him, it was surreal.

“I just kept sitting here thinking now its taking shape,” Delinger said. “Before it was just music, and now it’s a story.”

Delinger is also happy to be working with everyone, praising the cast and the singers.

“They’re doing a really good job. They’re creating something new nobody has ever heard before, so it’s not like you can say go and listen to the CD and you’ll figure out how to do your part,” Delinger said. “They’re inventing their part right now.”

The world premier of Medea

the first week of November isn’t the event happening during Delingerfest though. Throughout his residency, Delinger will take part in lectures and rehearsals as well as several other shows and premiers along the way. Students will have ample time to get to know the composer and learn from his storied past, like the open-end games he uses for inspiration.

“I was living in France, and a Danish artist there -- we talked a lot about art and what art was and so on and so forth,” Delinger said. “When I got ready to leave he gave me three little paintings not much bigger than two inch square and he said ‘I’d love to see if you could write music for these,’ and so I took them home.”

Even though the paintings were small, Delinger could see they held a much bigger idea.

“He saw art as a very spiritual thing,” Delinger said.

For students dreaming of composing, Delinger offers a cautionary “don’t do it.” He notes that most composers will have to resort to teaching because there just aren’t enough outlets for all the world’s composers.

“A student is a person who wants to learn but they really try to get out of it as much as they can,” Delinger said. “A composer -- a writer -- will do it in spite of everything.

“Don’t do it unless you have to, and if you find out that you have to then just throw yourself into it completely.”

The Clarence Brown Theater will present “The Miracle Worker,” a play about Helen Keller’s mentor, Anne Sullivan and her journey to Keller’s Alabama home to teach her to communicate, opens Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

Rachel Finney, senior in English, will play the part of Keller. Finney herself is legally blind, but she, unlike Keller, can see light and has full use of her hearing. Despite the differences, she was still able to integrate her normal life into the role.

“It’s really alarming not being able to hear,” Finney said. “It’s scary, and I have so much respect for those who overcome this to become teachers and become successful.”

Finney said one of the most difficult aspects of her part is pretending she can’t hear what is happening around her. She can’t laugh when the other characters laugh or look when someone is pointing because Keller wouldn’t be able to.

However, she still has to listen to actor cues and remember when to do everything based on them.

LAFOLLETTE continued from Page 1 Heller has been curating the exhibit in Nashville for several months, spending many hours choosing the best photos from over 20 years and tens of thousands of student photos.

“What I found is that … students have themes that they shoot, whether they’re people at work or people at play or kids or religion or portraits,” Heller said. “It made it a little easier to say ‘Okay, let’s look at the best of

“The entire cast kept forgetting that I can’t hear or see,” Finney said. “We had to rely so much more on taste and smell and touch to communicate.”

Director Kate Buckley said the play was chosen in an effort to reach out to the community.

“Choosing a play is about more than just picking one that we like … it has to fulfill requirements of the community, the Board of Trustees, MSA actors and MSA directors -- this show connects with the blind and deaf of Knoxville, because Helen Keller was,” Buckley said. “It has the universal message of overcoming obstacles.”

The actors and crew members began to understand those obstacles as they began to realize that while they thought dealing with lack of hearing and sight was difficult to act with, it’s more difficult to deal with everyday.

“It’s cool because all the actors got to grow together,” Finney said. “We achieved at finding funny moments between the heartbreaking ones.”

Finney emphasized the empowering nature of the play but also that it’s light-hearted.

The cast and crew “(don’t) want people coming in expecting to cry.”

“It’s special and happy with sad moments,” Finney said.

It took nearly a year for Buckley to pull everything together from researching in Alabama then casting in April, handing out scripts in early May then finally starting rehearsal in August and now, opening the show. “(Over the year I did) research,” Buckley said. “Lots and lots of research. Because it’s a historical play we had to find out everything we could about the time period: about the location, Helen’s parents, her family, their costumes, even what lighting would’ve been used at that time.”

She laughed that every production is a challenge as she deals with different actors and different crew. But ultimately it’s all worth it, because Buckley said it’s “a beautiful, beautiful performance.”

Both Buckley and Finney said they are ready to open the show and hope people will respond to it positively.

“Why see theater at all?”

Buckley said. “It’s a communal experience … it’s the only thing, besides a church, that can bring people together and have them experience something at the same time.”

all the pictures of people at work; well let me pick out the best of those.’”

It is these types of ordinary, day-in-the-life photos that will be hanging from the walls of the museum through Nov. 30.

“We’re not trying to do hardcore documentary work,” Heller said. “We’re not trying to show the underbelly. We’re not trying to show crime. We’re not trying to do a public relations job on this city. We’re not trying to promote it either.

“I love the term, ‘life as it is lived’ in this town. You see their faces. Some of them become

iconic.”

Despite changes in technology, photography and the town itself, the goal of the project has remained the same for more than two decades. And Friday, there will be even more eyes on LaFollette and the people who live there.

“We were trying to tell the story of this little town where not a lot goes on,” Heller said.

“But when you get into people’s lives, and you visit them at their homes and their businesses and you find out what makes a place tick, that’s what we’ve be doing for all these years.”

4 • THE DAILY BEACON

Thursday, October 2, 2014 Editor-in-Chief

VIEWPOINTS

Claire Dodson @claire_ifying pdodson@vols.utk.edu

Viewpoints Editor

Kevin Ridder kridder2@vols.utk.edu

A prayer for Jimmy Cheek Stained and Confused by

Alexandra Chiasson I have a message for Big Orange, Big Ideas naysayers, Top 25 Initiative pooh-poohers, Student Government Association eye-rollers, dry campus complainers and anyone who suspects they might be on a university blacklist (looking at you, Sex Week founders): it’s time to have a come to Jesus about our chancellor, Jimmy Cheek.

A few days ago I found out a “nonsectarian” prayer is said at the beginning of every home football game, a fact I was previously unaware of because I’ve been tragically late to nearly every game I have ever bothered to attend.

In what I presume to be a lame effort to stir people up, a Fox News article appearing on my Facebook timeline explained that “in recent days (UT’s pre-game prayer) has come under attack” by a group called the Freedom From Religion Foundation via a cease and desist letter sent to Cheek. A little research, however, revealed this letter was sent over two years ago. In other words, Fox News is SO 2012.

Regardless, non-Christians, agnostics, atheists and their otherwise prayerful allies have reactivated their frustration over our chancellor’s rather weak defense of the tradition and his decision to continue the practice.

This certainly isn’t the first time Cheek has come under fire. In fact, he spends so much time in the hot seat his butt is likely perpetually burnt. The lexicon one might associate with the average student’s attitude regarding Cheek and his tenure could include “bigoted,” “spineless,” “out-of-touch,” “inaccessible,” “expensive,” “morally bankrupt,” “pointless,” “BigOrangeBigDoofus” and “pooplord.”

As much as I’d like to call anyone a “pooplord” for any reason at all, it’s really not fair to crap on Chancellor Cheek. He’s got a lot on his Aramark-provided plate.

Take state budget cuts, for instance. To build on what a fellow Beacon columnist pointed out last week, our tuition increases are actually a direct result of Tennessee lawmakers’ efforts to make the chancellor’s life as difficult as possible. The same could be said of the infamous Top 25 initiative.

However, the pain in the patootie that is Governor Haslam and his legion of inept nitwits is nothing—absolutely nothing—compared to the massive headache that students cause Jimmy Cheek.

Remember butt-chugging? That was fun, wasn’t it? Talk about a PR nightmare. It involved frat guys, homophobia, Franzia, a web of lies and it was also just really weird.

I bet Dr. Cheek lost a lot of sleep over that one. Or else he decided to try butt-chugging for himself, just to escape the world for a little while.

And what about Sex Week? Chancellor Cheek was just bopping along, struggling to make ends meet with the peanuts the Tennessee State Legislature gives UT every year, when a couple of nerds decided they wanted to talk about it. (Here “it” implies a whispered “s-e-x,” y’all.) I don’t claim to have insight into the conversations (interrogations?) the Chancellor was apart of around the time of the first Sex Week, but I’m willing to bet the family farm a few threats were made.

In light of budget cuts, nitwits, the Tour de Franzia and talking about it, I think it’s obvious why the chancellor doesn’t want to get rid of that prayer. So at the next football game, since you can’t escape it anyway, maybe use that time to say a little prayer for Jimmy Cheek.

Alexandra Chiasson is a senior in English.

She can be reached at butt.face@utk.edu.

(Yes, this email address actually works. You may choose to use achiasso@vols.utk.edu if you wish.)

Columns of The Daily Beacon are reflections of the individual columnist, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or its editorial staff.

Letter to the

Friends, I never downloaded the Yik Yak app. I started hearing about it last semester from various conversations like “Did you see what somebody said about So-And-So on Yik Yak?” People would sometimes even ask me personally if I had seen the degrading comments said about organizations or initiatives I was a part of on campus. If they ever followed up by trying to show or tell me the insult, I always just replied that I would rather not hear it.

Learning about an application that has led people to feel a sense of power from anonymously insulting each other left me with a basic, naïve question: Why are people mean?

It might sound laughable, but I actually cannot comprehend what sort of joy comes from publicly defaming another person or group of people. Moreover, what joy comes from criticizing the people within our own community?

It’s a dangerous application for numerous

Editor-in-Chief: Claire Dodson Managing Editor: Hanna Lustig Chief Copy Editor: Emilee Lamb, Cortney Roark News Editor: Hayley Brundige Asst. News Editor: Bradi Musil Special Projects Editor: Liv McConnell Sports Editor: Troy Provost-Heron Asst. Sports Editor: Dargan Southard Arts & Culture Editor: Jenna Butz Viewpoints Editor: Kevin Ridder Online Editor: Samantha Smoak

reasons. Going past the alarming fact that it raises the stakes of cyberbullying more than ever, it reinforces a belief in our generation that talking behind people’s backs and passive aggression are the best ways to get attention. However, with every insulting yik that you yak, I believe you’re actually devaluing your opinions. If you have an issue, meet with someone and work it out. If you disagree with a public matter, have an educational conversation about it and learn some diverse perspectives. Your voice is more meaningful when it is working with others and not hiding behind a smartphone screen.

While I do know Yik Yak is also an outlet for humor and even a few notes of UT spirit, my heart aches for any person or organization that has ever been made a victim of hatred in a community that’s supposed to be our home. A joke at another’s expense is not funny; it is threatening to someone’s ability to learn and to simply be.

Maybe the decision to participate in

mockery is one of fear: it’s easier or “cooler” to join the trend because we worry if we’re not laughing, we’ll be laughed at.

We are scholars, we are Volunteers and we are better than that. We are kinder than that. In the few years we get to spend together, growing in camaraderie at this university, we have to realize we are on the same team; we have to stand up for each other.

We also have to hold each other accountable. Let’s utilize social media to build one another up—to challenge each other to exude the Volunteer spirit and to help promote our university and our experiences in positive ways.

So maybe you think I’m naïve to ask why people are mean. I’m not naïve enough to think we live in a perfect world; tragedies happen every day. But us bringing each other down should not be one of them.

Kelsey Keny SGA President

Let’s show Florida a good time Seven Doctors Say by

Jonathan Burkhalter It is finally here -- Florida week has arrived.

This isn’t my first Florida week as a resident of the Fort, and you don’t have to be in the Fort to guess at what may happen during the next seven days. On behalf of those of us who live in the Fort, I would like to point out a few things to those who will be descending upon us this weekend.

The street is not a trash can. If you break a bottle, you should be the one to drive over the broken glass. Most importantly, parking is already hard enough as is, so please keep that in mind before you take up far too much room trying to parallel park along the street or block people in.

If you haven’t gathered, I’m not a football fan myself (although I am winning in my fantasy league; ultimate smack talk to my roommate). Because I am not a football fan, I couldn’t care less whether or not Tennessee beats Florida.

Timtation Creation • Timothy Brunson

EDITORIAL

Editor

However, while it’s not my favored past time, I respect the fact that some people pray to Tennessee Football. To each their own. But I will say I do enjoy some points of home football weekends.

I enjoy the ensuing madness, especially in the Fort. I appreciate the fact that something, even if it is football, brings people together on such a large scale to do their part in keeping our city scruffy.

However, I feel a little let down. I see the same thing after every home football game: a ton of houses playing terrible music and drinking terrible beer.

If you’re going to keep everyone up all night with your music, then at least let it be something worth listening to. For example, does anyone brag about how they want to have frosted tips and be just like Aaron Carter? No, and ten years from now most of the music and styles will be gone just as fast.

That’s the problem with the mainstream, it moves too quickly and lacks something which ascends time: taste. If you’re going to be up all night, do something worth mentioning. “I Ain’t Drunk”

by Albert Collins is a great song to get down to, and there is still a lot of bass in worthwhile hip-hop and electronic music. If your playlist revolves around money, hoes, cars, jewelry and drugs, then you should mix it up at least a little

bit. These things aren’t beautiful in their substance, just shiny on the surface. Do it for your neighbors that don’t care about any of that, since you’ll be disturbing them anyway.

And I know “natty light” is a cheap and classic college beer, but if you’re charging people by the cup or shelling out the money for a keg anyway, then why not buy something better? Better tasting beer is a more tasteful drunk, right? There are many light beers that are just as easy to chug in a game of flip cup or beer pong that taste much better and are barely more expensive.

I enjoy a good time as much as any Fort dweller, and I love the excitement in the atmosphere when the entire neighborhood is ablaze with a roaring time. Everyone is celebrating something, whether it be football, the survival of a week or the chance to relax. If we are breaking down anyway, why not do it with a bit of class? I agree with the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.”

Let’s do something worthwhile. Let’s make art out of how we party.

Jonathan Burkhalter is a senior in history and can be reached at jburkhal@ vols.utk.edu.

Get Fuzzy • Darby Conley

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Thursday, October 2, 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 5 Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron @TPro_UTDB

SPORTS

tprovost@vols.utk.edu

Asst. Sports Editor Dargan Southard @dsouth16 msoutha1@vols.utk.edu

MEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S SOCCER

Neal’s spring development paying off for Lady Vols Jonathan Toye Staff Writer (@JonathanToye1)

Anyone who consistently watches Tennessee soccer knows that Lady Volunteer sophomore forward Amy Neal is a fast, strong player.

That speed and strength were the chief reasons Tennessee soccer head coach Brian Pensky recruited her.

After hearing about Neal from a coach in New Mexico, Pensky saw her play during a campus visit. “We brought Amy out to our camp and she did great getting in line and playing balls back across,� Pensky said. “(She has) speed, strength and a want to be great.�

Pensky also said Neal has improved significantly from her freshmen to sophomore year, and her stats for this season will tell the same story. It only took Neal a little more than half the season to surpass the number of goals she scored in her freshmen year.

Pensky cited her effort during the spring as a major reason for her improvement. “The way the soccer season is set up is that the fall is all about preparing for games and trying to win games; the spring is the real time for development and Amy developed a ton in the spring.� Pensky said. “The game in general slowed down for her, she gained more confidence.�

According to Pensky, that confidence has allowed her to become one of the team leaders despite her status as a sophomore.

And although she is just a sophomore, Neal is not uncomfortable with the notion of being a team leader. “I try to think of myself like (a leader),� Neal said. “I try to give good examples and do my best

Seniors Hunter Reese, left, and Mikelis Libietis, right, during a game against Georgia Tech on March 3, 2014.

Matthew DeMaria • Tennessee Athletics

Vols confident heading into fall season Matt Fernandez Contributor

The Tennessee Volunteer men’s tennis team is getting ready for the start of the fall season this weekend in Tulsa for the ITA All-American Championships.

Coming off a season in which Hunter Reese and Mikelis Libietis brought home the NCAA doubles national championship, the Vols participated in the SEC Fall Classic last weekend, but were ousted in the quarterfinals. “I think the SEC tournament was a good success cause it was a good barometer for where the guys are currently,� said head coach Sam Winterbotham. “We thought we had a good performance, especially from our younger guys, and have a lot to work from. “The fall is all about getting better and with our sport where you actually have two seasons; you have the individual season in the fall and then the team season in the spring. Both are very important, but the individual sea-

son allows guys competitive matches in tournaments to make adjustments on their game.�

The 6-foot-2 senior Libietis, who is currently ranked as the No. 24 singles player in the nation, has been playing in individual tournaments, even representing his home country of Latvia in the Davis Cup. “For me, this tournament is going to be my first this year at the college level, so I’m just motivated to play,� Libietis said. “I don’t really care who I play, I just want get better at my game and get some confidence going into the spring. “That’s more important right now, just getting ready for the spring.�

Libietis is one half of the No.1 ranked doubles team in the country, who will have some added pressure with a large target on their back, but Winterbotham feels differently about the doubles team heading into this tournament. “No, not at all,� Winterbotham laughed. “I think everybody wants to be one, so when you’re one I think you need to enjoy it.�

In 2013, the pairing of Reese and Libietis racked up a record of 36-5 on their way to their finals matchup against Ohio State.

Libietis said that he feels the same heading into this year since they were also No.1 for most of last year. “We won All-Americans, we were in the finals, of the National Indoors, and we don’t really think about it,�

Libietis said. “There are a lot of good teams out there, and its just trying to execute what we learn everyday out in practice.�

The team is getting prepared for Tulsa this weekend so they can make a big push forward at the start of the season. While focusing on this weekend, the focus is also on the full season and getting better. All eyes will be on the duo as they attempt to repeat their success of last year. “It’ll be nice to repeat,� Libietis said, “but yeah, just focus on daily stuff, just work on the fitness. It’s still a long way, we just work everyday and hopefully we come on top of it.�

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to make the right the decision.â&#x20AC;?

One decision Neal makes every game is to play soccer with intensity, out-sprinting opponents down the field on every play and hardly taking a break during games.

It is the type of effort that usually causes fatigue and soreness the day after the game. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I die,â&#x20AC;? Neal joked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But you get used to it, I played like this my whole life, just running. I feel like I need to be there for my teammates and bring intensity onto the field as well onto the bench when I am on the bench. I just put my all on the field every single game despite how tired I am or how sore I am going to be after.â&#x20AC;?

Neal, however, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reserve her intensity for soccer gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; she also strives to be a great student as well.

Neal, a kinesiology major, said that attending a difficult public school in New Mexico helped her learn how to balance sports and schoolwork. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instead of going out and hanging out with friends, just study,â&#x20AC;? Neal said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You get used to it.â&#x20AC;?

Nealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head coach values athletes who show dedication in the classroom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We love that,â&#x20AC;? Pensky said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest thing is that it shows that they are intelligent, they are disciplined, they are hard working, and they are self invested. Amy is interested in being great on the soccer field because she is also interested in being great in the classroom now and in her future professional life.â&#x20AC;?

Neal said that neither school nor sports take priority and that her time in college is finding a balance for both. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be here without school, and I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be here without soccer either,â&#x20AC;? Neal said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So I need to find time for both of them.â&#x20AC;?

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD â&#x20AC;˘ Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Much of Brides magazine 8 Wall St. operator 11 [as per the original] 14 In the general vicinity 15 Toscanini, for one 17 Kitschy quality 18 Cornered 19 Bust ___ (laugh hard) 20 Retailer owned by Gap 22 â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Three Kings of Orient Are,â&#x20AC;? e.g.

23 Part of a spiral galaxy farthest from the center 27 Ones who cry uncle?

31 Feed a line to again 32 1960s TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cousin ___ 34 Stable color 35 Query for clarification 36 Adolf Hitler, e.g., according to a 1983 hoax

38 Depression Era architectural movement 39 Exit 40 H2O, to a tot 41 What makes a top stop?

42 Manage 43 Pretenses 45 Diner or sleeper 47 Party request 50 Rot 53 Where most of Russia is 54 Something not seen on a nudist, maybe 57 Compensates for 59 Approval for un hombre 60 1920s-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;30s Ford output 61 Parabola, for one 62 Some washers 63 Event at Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secret or Nordstrom DOWN

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A R C O

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J A N A

N A C L

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H I V A L I N E S T K Z A O E S C K H E T S S P A T E R A N R P L A E L E

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1 Boutros-Ghaliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successor as U.N. chief 2 Golden, in Guadalajara 3 21-/40-Down to a doctor 4 Good for planting 5 Yanks 6 This, in Tijuana 7 Writer/illustrator Silverstein 8 Nearly perfect 9 Attacked 10 21-/40-Down on 1950s-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s TV 11 Orchestra section: Abbr.

12 Something a fund manager may manage, for short 13 Lift

63

16 Disposable cup material 21 With 40-Down, how rain falls â&#x20AC;Ś or a literal description of the answers to the four italicized clues 24 21-/40-Down in Hollywood 25 Trashes 26 Rations (out) 28 21-/40-Down to a penologist 29 Carriage puller, in rural dialect 30 Not fast 32 Clarification lead-in 33 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Easy there, ___â&#x20AC;?

35 Los Angelesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S.S. ___ Museum 37 Give an alias 38 Bud

40 See 21-Down 43 Certain soundboard knobs 44 Wipes out 46 Dugout, for one 48 Key 49 Out 51 Bausch & ___ (eyecare brand) 52 ___ effort 54 Screening org.

55 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mostly nitrogen 56 Presidential advisory grp.

58 Rx overseer

6 • THE DAILY BEACON

Thursday, October 2, 2014 Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron @TPro_UTDB

SPORTS

tprovost@vols.utk.edu

Asst. Sports Editor Dargan Southard @dsouth16 msoutha1@vols.utk.edu

FOOTBALL

Running attack crucial in Vols’ quest to down Florida Taylor White Staff Writer (@T_Dub98) Controlling the line of scrimmage and successfully running the football are key parts to any football game, but in the TennesseeFlorida rivalry, they hold even more significance.

The Vols are currently in the midst of a nine-game losing streak against the Gators, and in each one of those games, Florida has outgained Tennessee on the ground.

“That’s a stat that we talk about,” said running backs coach Robert Gillespie. “Hopefully we come out ready for the challenge up front as an offensive line, and as a running back unit. We’re just going to play SEC football this week, smash mouth, we’re gonna hit you in the mouth.”

A large part of Tennessee’s success running the ball will placed on the shoulders of highlytouted freshman Jalen Hurd, who churned out 119 yards on the ground, including a 1-yard touchdown run last week at Georgia.

Hurd’s carries have increased in each game he’s played this year, and the Vols’ coaching staff is hoping to see his production continue to increase as he gains more experience against SEC competition.

“He’s done a good job so far,” Gillespie said. “Tons of room for improvement. He’s really taking everything they’re giving to him, and hopefully now he can start creating some extra yards for himself, create some one-onone situations and break some long runs.

Everyday he’s just getting better.”

Derrell Scott was looking to be a big piece in Tennessee’s running attack this season, but

a foot injury sustained in fall practice has held the Havelock, North Carolina native out of action so far.

After making the trip to Georgia but not playing, coaches are hoping that the true freshman’s first carries could come this week.

“He’s close,” Gillespie said. “I’m confident in him, but I told him earlier in the week it’s his job to continue to help my confidence.

To make the right blocks, to make the right reads, to communicate from the sideline. If he can do those things then he gains confidence and I gain confidence, and we’ll put him in the game.”

Williams’ homecoming: Florida week is a big week for all of Tennessee’s players, but for some it hits a little closer to home.

Senior defensive tackle Jordan Williams is a Gainesville native, and for him, this is the last chance to take down his hometown Gators.

“I remember growing up and all I heard on the radio all week was about the Tennessee and Florida game,” Williams said. “So it’s definitely a big deal. It’s my last time to go through it.”

Even though this game is a little more personal to Williams, Florida is a rivalry for all of the Vols, and winning rivalry games is an important task for this Tennessee team.

“The Florida game is a big game every year,” Williams said. “Even the sign in our room says beat our rival. It is a rivalry game.

It’s a big game. Being from Gainesville, I feel like I really have to prove myself.”

Florida week brings out a different edge for Williams and junior Trevarris Saulsberry, another Gainesville native, according to defensive line coach Steve Stripling, and that

edge makes them work a little harder during practice.

“Yeah, I think they’re excited about it,” defensive line coach Steve Stripling said.

“They’ve got a lot of family members coming, obviously. I think this is an important game for our program, and really all of our guys, but I think those two guys are taking it special.”

McNeil stepping up: After fighting for a starting spot throughout fall camp, junior safety LaDarrell McNeil has established himself as one of the most improved players on the team, and one of the most important players on the field.

After struggling a bit in his first two years, McNeil has come out strong this season, collecting 25 total tackles, putting him in a tie for third on the team.

“LaDarrell McNeill is playing his best football,” said defensive backs coach Willie Martinez. “I think he would be the first one to tell you. It showed in the last two ball games.

He’s really been solid, he’s been consistent and he’s made plays.”

According to Martinez, it’s been the little things that have helped his improvement, and McNeil looks to be a key player both on defense and on special teams for the remainder of the season.

“The way’s he’s practiced and the way he’s totally bought in (have helped),” Martinez said. “He’s gotten stronger and become more flexible. You can see he’s quicker, so the offseason program that we have has done a really good job.

“I think he understands our defense better too, which has allowed him to really focus and relax and let his abilities really take over.”

Freshman running back Jalen Hurd averages 82.0 rushing yards per game.

Hannah Cather • The Daily Beacon

FOOTBALL

Croom’s confidence soars after having cast removed Troy Provost-Heron Sports Editor (@TPro_UTDB)

Redshirt sophomore Jason Croom attempts to dodge the opposing team, Georgia, at the game Sept. 27.

Hayley Pennesi • The Daily Beacon

Jason Croom wasn’t shy when it came to discussing his performance against Oklahoma on Sept. 13.

“That was the worst I ever played in my life,” Croom said.

The poor performance for the wide receiver in Norman, Okla., couldn’t have come at a worse time either for Tennessee.

With fellow wideouts Von Pearson and Josh Smith both suffering from high ankle sprains, the Volunteers were looking for their reserve receivers to step up.

Croom didn’t.

Instead, he failed to record a catch, while dropping a couple of crucial passes from senior quarterback Justin Worley.

The redshirt sophomore, however, bounced back strong against Georgia, recording a career-high four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown – all of which eclipsed his season totals of three receptions and 52 yards through the first three games.

The difference: Resiliency mixed in with the removal of the hard cast he had sported on his left hand for the Vols’ first three contests of the season.

“When you’ve had to play in a cast and you’re a wideout, you have to overcome some things, but Jason’s play is very encouraging,” second-year head coach Butch Jones said. “A lot of confidence was built there.

“He’s made those plays in practice. He made those plays in training camp. We’ve really challenged him to play like a big wideout, own the ball in the air and play big. He was able to do that Saturday.”

The cast became a necessity after Croom injured his hand during the Vols’ final practice this summer. But instead of letting

the injury hold him out, the Norcross, Ga., native chose the other route and never made a single excuse about the cast that restricted him from moving his wrist.

“I found out I had to go into the season with it on,” Croom said. “I knew it was going to be difficult, but I was still able to catch the ball. I tried not to complain about it too much, I just tried to go out there and do what I can.”

While the cast proved to affect the 6-foot5, 243 pounder throughout UT’s first three games, Croom still had to bounce back mentally from that rough outing.

“We preach resiliency out here all the time,” Croom said. “It was a snap-and-clear thing. I emphasized that I wasn’t going to do it like that again.

“It just so happened I played my best the next week.”

And his best made a difference. Croom’s touchdown catch with 18 seconds left in the first half was a critical part of the Vols’ nailbiter against the Bulldogs, as it provided a spark for Tennessee’s offense in the second half.

“You always talk about being confident while you’re playing,” Worley said. “For him (Croom) to go out there and have the game that he had is huge. To have that touchdown to end the first half and have some big catches to convert some third downs was huge for him.”

While that newfound confidence has shined throughout practice this week, Croom knows he has to continue to improve on using his large, 6-foot-5, 243-pound frame as a weapon for the Vols as they prepare for the Florida Gators and the rest of the season.

“It definitely could help,” said Croom of what his size could mean to UT’s offense.

“Just going up to make plays for the quarterback and taking the ball out the air (would help).”