10 07 14

Page 1

Old City shop brings midterm cure: local beer and craft hot dogs ARTS & CULTURE >>pg. 5

@UTKDailyBeacon

Editorially independent student newspaper of the University of Tennessee since 1906

utdailybeacon.com

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Polishing up the point guard SPORTS >> pg. 6

Issue 34, Volume 127

Big Orange Give increases goal to $250,000

Comedy club management ‘splits’ Eric Gibson Contributor

Joshua Burton Contributor

Five hundred thousand in five days. The time has come for the Big Orange Give, a yearly fundraising campaign held by the University of Tennessee through the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development. Started in 2013, Big Orange Give is held each fall during Homecoming week with the purpose of raising money for specific colleges and causes within the university while encouraging alumni involvement through donation. Last year’s inaugural Big Orange Give saw the university double its initial goal of $125,000 and raise a total of more than $250,00. This year, the goal has been increased to $250,000. The pressure to meet this year’s goal is particularly acute, as Alan Wilson, former UT Alumni Board of Directors president and president and CEO of spicegiant McCormick, will match the $250,000 if the goal is met by the end of the week, bringing the grand total to half a million dollars. In light of this, Big Orange Give is emphasizing the importance of each contribution, no matter how small. Within the $250,000 goal, different UT colleges, libraries and other stakeholders on campus have individual funding benchmarks. For example, the College of Business has a final goal of $100,000, while the College of Social Work aims to raise $3,500. Lance Taylor, the director of annual giving and student philanthropy, said funding goals are set by members of each college or program, often creating a large disparity. “The fundraising goals are based on goals set by the development offices of the colleges,” Taylor said. Taylor said the Big Orange Give is not meant to solely raise a large amount of money, but to increase the act of giving and interacting with alumni. Last year, 44 percent of the donors were new or had not given in years.

Knoxville’s last bastion of comedy has shut down once before. And now Side Splitters’ new management has bailed out after the first week. Even with a close knit group of supporters and comedians rallying to keep the laughs coming, Side Splitters faces a bleak future. Side Splitters, Knoxville’s biggest comedy venue, closed briefly at the begin-

ning of September citing low attendance but was reopened by new management under Steve Hofstetter and his Comedy, LLC. The new management took over for a week before they withdrew interest, and now the club is back in the previous owner’s hands. With numbers still low, management and comedians are looking for ways to draw crowds in to keep the doors open. Bridgette Martin, one of Side Splitters’ managers, was thrown a curveball when she was given short notice

that Hofstetter would be pulling his support. Several shows were cancelled during the opening week, even though Saturday held two sold out shows. “It’s not enough,” Martin said. “Attendance was good, but we’re not getting enough numbers.” While Hofstetter wasn’t available for comment before his management team pulled out, he did write this tweet late Sunday night: “Side Splitters did not change hands after all. Unfortunately it didn’t work

out.” Under the new management, plans were made to revamp the club, change the food and continue to bring in big names. The sudden change in plans has left many at Side Splitters worried, especially comedian and UT alum, Sam King. “I sold out two shows on a Saturday, but then I heard they cancelled the show on Friday. And then a show Thursday. I really don’t know what happened,” King said. “All I want to do is make people laugh, that’s

why I do what I do.” King started acting as a theater major with David Alley but was told to be “more serious, not be funny.” This led King into acting and eventually a role in a yet to be released feature. He found his way back to comedy at the discretion of his director at an open mic night at Side Splitters. “That’s where comics are made,” King said. “No comedian has ever just been ‘Hey, I wanna be a comedian.’” See SIDE SPLITTERS on Page 5

Cosplay Club brings characters to life, allows student expression Kendall Thompson Contributor With a wig, a smidge of makeup and a themed costume, Kristian Lewis can blur the boundaries between reality and fiction. “I think my favorite part is seeing how the whole costume comes together,” Lewis, sophomore in anthropology, said. “Once you finally put on the final details and you see yourself in the mirror, it’s just like, I am that character.” Lewis is a cosplayer: a person who uses ‘costume play’ to show their admiration for their favorite fictional character from a variety of media, whether TV shows, movies or even video games no matter their age. They often display their creations at conventions such as Comic Con. Children can be seen perfectly portraying a mini Spider-man, or a middle-aged adult will have an amazingly accurate Iron Man costume. Lewis herself started when she was young. “The first time I cosplayed, I think I was 10,” Lewis recalled. “I saw an ad about the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention, which is about a 5-mile drive from my house. I dressed up as Sophie from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle.’” Over the years, Lewis has portrayed a number of characters, but she finds she’s always drawn to the same traits. “I don’t mean to, but I tend to pick sidekicks or younger, happier charac-

ters. I don’t know why, I just always do the hero girl or the sidekick girl who’s always peppy,” Lewis said. “Which ... I’m kind of quiet actually.” This is one of the great appeals of cosplaying. Cosplayers don’t just put on a costume; the strengths they admire about the character become their own. Also, simply choosing to become that character forms a connection between the cosplayer and the character’s other fans. “I think it’s kind of empowering,” Lewis said. “If you’re (dressed as) their favorite character, they freak out. One time I did Fiona from Adventure Time, and this little girl -- I don’t think she could’ve been more than seven -- came up to me and was like, ‘You’re my hero!’ She gave me a big hug.” That is why she cosplays. Lewis smiled as she remembered how excited this little girl had been to meet one of her favorite fictional people, even if it was indirectly. “I like making other people happy, and I think a lot of times you do,” Lewis revealed. “I just love that other people can be happy about something I made. It’s a warm feeling.” This eclectic form of expression isn’t as unattainable as people may think. In fact, UT even has a club dedicated to the art of cosplay. Matthew Serago, the cosplay club’s president, caught the cosplay bug when he attended an event with Kristen Lewis, a sophomore in Anthropology, poses with Boo while dressed a friend where everyone else was up as Wonder Woman. Many people cosplay, or “costume play,” in order to show their dedication to a variety of media forms. dressed up. See COSPLAY on Page 5

Hannah Cather • The Daily Beacon

See BIG ORANGE GIVE on Page 3

Despite criticism, ‘nothing’s changed’ on Vols’ young O-line Dargan Southard Assistant Sports Editor (@dsouth16)

Junior left guard Marcus Jackson blocks an opposing Florida defensive lineman in the Vols’ contest against the Gators on Oct. 4. Hannah Cather • The Daily Beacon

The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan lives on at CBT ARTS & CULTURE >>pg. 5

Another game together. Another sack-riddled performance. Another week where quarterback Justin Worley became well acquainted with the stadium grass. For Tennessee’s current offensive line — left tackle Kyler Kerbyson, left guard Marcus Jackson, center Mack Crowder, right guard Jashon Robertson and right tackle Coleman Thomas — its last three outings have generated an avalanche of criticism. Headlined by Saturday’s six sacks allowed during the Volunteers’ 10-9 loss to Florida, this fledging unit has given up 13 quarterback takedowns in only 12 quarters of football.

But even so, Tennessee head coach Butch Jones insisted that nobody’s heading to a backup role anytime soon. “It is what it is,” he said at his Monday press luncheon. “Those are the five that we have. Those are the five we feel gives us the best opportunity on Saturdays, and we’re sticking with those five.” Amidst that collection, the youth has been well documented. Zero seniors, and a pair of true freshmen on the right side continue to stand out for the inexperienced unit, which ranks 118th in sacks allowed per game (3.60) “Are there some players playing before their time? Maybe,” Jones said Monday, “but I think they’re doing a fairly decent job. We have to continue to get better. They’re all that we have. Like I told you Saturday, nothing’s

“You go Glen Coco.” VIEWPOINTS >>pg. 4

changed. I believe in them.” Assurances like that, however, haven’t squashed all curiosity. Peppered with questions about potential replacements, Jones dusted off scouting reports on a handful of reserves, including sophomore Dylan Wiseman, junior-college transfer Dontavius Blair and redshirt freshman Brett Kendrick. All three “continue to progress.” “It’s on those other individuals at the offensive line to continue to work themselves to be in that conversation through the week of preparation and throughout the course of the week,” Jones said. “We’re down two full recruiting classes in the offensive line. That’s just the reality of where we’re at in our football program.” ‘Totally unacceptable’: As the final seconds ticked off Saturday’s loss, the checker-

boarded student section decided to give the Gators one last parting shot. In unison, the Rocky Top Rowdies’ repetitive chant was loud and clear. “F*** you, Florida. F*** you, Florida.” On Monday, Jones addressed the late-game profanity. “I think it’s just the emotion of the game and the want to win,” he said. “That appetite for winning, which I spoke about earlier. That’s the passion our fan base has. “That’s what makes them very, very special. It’s something that, when I get a chance, I’ll speak to them about. I love them to death because they’ve been there for us, and we’re going to need them as the season continues to progress.” See FOOTBALL on Page 6

New wellness coordinator adopts ‘Vols help Vols’ mindset NEWS

>>pg. 3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
10 07 14 by UT Media Center - Issuu