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Wednesday, October 27, 2010 Issue 48
PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 www.utdailybeacon.com
Vol. 115
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Take Back the Night to empower victims Events hosted by Women’s Coordinating Council to include silent march, testimonies red, orange and pink represent survivors of rape and sexual assault; yellow and beige represent battered or assaulted women; blue and green represent survivors of incest and sexual abuse; purple represents women attacked because of their sexual orientation; and black represents women attacked for political reasons. Katherine Henry, sophomore in public relations and cocoordinator of Take Back the Night, said this night symbolizes a lot, and it’s very meaningful for victims.
affected by it, but not everyone speaks.” Henry said this night is full of emotions, and WCC is Donesha Aldridge prepared to help those in need. Staff Writer “We do have two counselors there so they (victims and supporters) can come and talk to them right away if it Many students and members of the community will becomes overbearing,” she said. gather Thursday to support victims and give testimonials Henry said groups such as Safe Haven will also be presabout sexual abuse in the annual Take Back the Night proent at the event with informational tables set up. She said gram. the goal of the program is to help as many people as posA series of events sponsored by the sible. Women’s Coordinating Council will start “Even if victims who haven’t voiced their at 6:30 p.m. A silent march in honor of abuse don’t want to speak up about it in victims will first take place starting at front of everyone, at least they can talk to the Pedestrian Mall and ending at the counselors or the groups that will be there UC. to help,” Henry said. After the march, the women of WCC Camille Smith, senior in journalism and will host a Speak Out in the UC electronic media and the media relations Ballroom at 7:45 p.m. Two speakers are chair of WCC, said Take Back The Night scheduled to speak: UTPD’s Meshia sometimes gives girls the courage they Thomas and Desiree Bowers, a victim of never had before to speak out about their sexual violence. harassment or abuse. Once Thomas and Bowers finish their “Sometimes girls go to the mic that have speeches, the floor will be open to give never told anyone publically before,” Smith those attending a chance to tell their stosaid. “It’s important, because a lot of girls ries or the stories of victims they know. are sexually harassed and you will never After the Speak Out is complete, a know. There are so many statistics, but it’s candlelight vigil will take place outside different when you are the statistic and the UC. Attendees will release white balwhen it happens to you.” loons in honor of those lost. File Photo • The Daily Beacon Smith said this event is not for women Besides Thursday’s events, the WCC Students participate in a march during last year’s Take Back the Night, an annual pro- only. has had ongoing projects throughout the gram sponsored by the Women’s Coordinating Council. This year’s event begins Oct. “The number of men being raped is low, week to support abuse victims. 27 at 6:30 p.m. with a silent march. Afterward, a Speak Out in the UC Ballroom will but it’s so important for men who have been The clothes line project started take place. abused to attend, because it can help them Tuesday. Anyone can stop by WCC’s become comfortable,” Smith said. “It’s table and anonymously write their testimony on a T-shirt. “I think that it’s very informational, and it’s a big important, because they should not feel strange about it. All the shirts are hung on a clothesline to be displayed. reminder to everyone how many people are affected,” she That’s the whole purpose of the Speak Out so that voices Each shirt represents a different statistic about women: said. “Almost everyone knows someone who has been can be heard and to put a stop to the violence.” White represents women who died from sexual violence;
Teach for America offers experience Program gives new graduates teaching experience with pay, benefits Kristian Smith Student Life Editor UT students still unsure about their plans after graduation have the chance to join a program that, while a paying job, also gives back to the community. Teach for America, now in its 20th year, is a national program that places college graduates in schools in low-income communities as teachers. Corps members, as Teach for America students are called, serve for two years as a teacher. They are hired by a school system, so they receive full pay and benefits, as well as $10,700 to go toward paying off student loans or furthering their education. Jodi Brown, UT campus representative for Teach for America and senior in anthropology, said this program has benefits for everyone involved. “You are working to better the education system, and you are building a foundation for your career,” she said. The application process has three parts: an online application, a telephone interview and a face-to-face interview. This semester’s deadline for the initial application is today. Brown said the online application consists of a 500-word personal statement, posting a resume and basic information. Students accepted after the online application will have a telephone interview some time between Nov. 6 and 9, and Brown said students could have their face-to-face interview before the end of this semester. She said students would know if they had been accepted into the program by January, and they would also know the area where they would be placed. Then, accepted applicants have two weeks to make their decision. All applicants must have at least a 2.5 GPA, and Brown said it seems that the interviewers look for academic achievement, volunteer work and leadership positions when choosing corps members. Brown said students can be placed in 39 different regions around the country, but some choice is involved. “You list where you would highly prefer to be, would prefer to be and where you do not think
you would be very successful,” she said. “They try to place you somewhere you would like to go, and as long as you are somewhat flexible, you will usually get to go somewhere you prefer.” Brown said corps members can also preference the specific grades and subject areas they would feel the most comfortable teaching. She said members can teach K-12, preschool (also called early childhood education), special education and ESL. Brown said that since 97 percent of Teach for America corps members are not education majors, members complete a five-week training course in the summer before they begin their service. “During the training, you meet the other people who will be teaching in your region, and you teach summer school for five weeks,” she said. “You have an intensive training and strong support group.” Kelsey Anito, campus representative for Teach for America, said that students do not have to • Photo courtesy of Kelsey Anito want to pursue a career in education to be a part of Teach for America. “I don’t want to be a teacher, but Teach for America was listed as one of the top-10 places to start a career,” she said. “Teach for America really wants to connect people and get them plugged into the system.” Anito said working for Teach for America is a good way to start any career. “Even if you don’t know what you want to do, it’s a job, and you will have professional job experience for any career you want to pursue,” she said. Brown said she was also drawn to the program because of the career benefits. She also said Teach for America service corps members have the opportunity to make an impact on the U.S. education system. “In our education system, a lot of kids’ zip codes still determine how successful they will be, but if these (less fortunate) kids have the chance, they can be successful,” she said. “You can be part of a fundamental change in the education system.” Brown said she encourages students who are still unsure about their career path to apply for Teach for America or learn more about it. To fill out an application or to learn more about the program, visit www.teachforamerica.org.
File Photo• The Daily Beacon
A student talks to a job representative at the Communication and Information Job Fair last year. This year’s fair will be held today from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the UC Ballroom. The employers will be representing TV and radio stations and other companies looking for the College of Communication and Information students. To view a list of employers attending, visit http://utk-csm.symplicity.com/events/.