Insure TN is not Obamacare >>See page 4
New movie depicts Knoxville life >>See page 5
Opinions: “It. Changed. Nothing.” >>See page 6
State legislators to hear concerns, protest against Haslam proposal Heidi Hill Assistant News Editor
Diver excels in the pool and the classroom Taylor Crombie Contributor Redshirt senior diver Mauricio Robles grew up in Monterrey, Mexico and came to the University of Tennessee in 2011 so he could dive while pursuing a degree. Robles began diving when he was 9 years old when his mother signed him and his siblings up for swimming for the summer at a local pool in Monterrey. “I loved it,” Robles said. “I loved the adrenaline when you get up to the 10-meter, just bouncing and flipping, and I decided to keep diving.” Robles continued to dive through high school and competed at the international level. In 2008, he competed in the FINA World Junior Diving Championship in Germany and placed fifth in the 1-meter event for his age group. See ROBLES on Page 11
Diver Mauricio Robles diving during a meet in Spring 2014. • File Photo
Volume 130 Issue 34
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As the debate surrounding privatization drags on, the list of concerned parties grows larger and larger. Today, employees in Facilities Services, members of the Progressive Student Alliance, United Campus Workers, College Democrats and two Tennessee legislators will congregate to discuss wage reductions, layoffs and privatization plans for UT’s campus and beyond. This discussion is in response to protests from UT workers and students alike to Haslam’s proposal, fully exposed via a state government Request for Information to outsource state jobs to private contractors. It has been confirmed by Gov. Haslam’s office that several contractors responded to the August request, but the concern for UT and state employees resistance is still unwavering. State Rep. John Ray Clemmons and Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris will head up the dialogue among the voluntary UT representatives at the Frieson Black Cultural Center at 11:30 a.m. Harris commented in an Oct. 2 press release that the proposal represented the state’s tendency to “operate in a bubble and over-rely on consultants.” “We make decisions in Nashville without taking the time to listen to Tennesseans and try to understand the impacts on those Tennesseans,” Harris said. “If we’re going to turn over taxpayer properties to private companies or even discuss the idea, the first order of business is to get out of Nashville and visit some of these properties and talk to the people who know a thing or two about what’s going on.” Clemmons spoke about his and Harris’s plans to directly engage with students, employees and other representatives present at today’s meeting as such a plan pertains to the livelihood of hundreds of UT and state employees. See PRIVATIZATION on Page 3
Tuesday, October 6, 2015