Opinion:Scoring still isnât winning SPORTS >> pg. 6
Editorially independent student newspaper spaper of the e University of Tenn Tennessee nesssse ne ee e since siin nce c 1906
Monday, Octoberr 27, 20144
Issue 46, Volume 127
Humorist shares anecdotes from latest novel Halloween drag promotes equality in UC auditorium
Happy âHalloQueenâ
Samantha Riccardi
Hannah Marley
Contributor
Staff Writer
A s author David Sedaris took the B i j o u Theatreâs s t a ge Thursday night, he ⢠David Sedaris appeared to be wearing a skirt. However, he hastily clarified to the sold out audience he was actually wearing culottes before beginning his readings. Known for his dry wit and sarcastic humor, Sedaris is a writer who has published several books and essay collections. He chronicles his middle-class, family-life growing up, as well as his drug use and obsessive behaviors in a self-deprecating manner. Riddled with profanity and dripping with sarcasm, Sedaris offered up excerpts from his essays and diary entries. For longtime fans and new readers alike, he did not disappoint. The topics of his readings included conversations he had with strangers while traveling to places like Australia and Paris, his life growing up with six siblings, memories of his beach house named the âSeaSectionâ or analyzing the suicide of his sister Tiffany. Sedaris also shared little bits of advice with audience members like âno straight men would share a dessert, especially one with cream.â Closing with pieces from his diary, Sedaris included one anecdote about how he would like to buried. âWhen I die, I want my body taken to an ice cream emporium,â Sedaris said, âand then it should proceed with a traditional âSundayâ service.â Always making a point to endorse the work of another author while on tour, Sedaris recommended âThis is the Story of A Happy Marriageâ to the audience, a collection of essays by Nashville native Ann Patchett. âItâs the best essay collection Iâve read in a while,â Sedaris said. Sedaris concluded with one more gem of wisdom, reminding the audience to vote in the upcoming November midterm election. âI blame everything on whatâs wrong with the world on people who donât vote,â Sedaris said. âThere is one reason to vote, if not just to feel superior to others.â
All hail the kings and queens of volOUT. VolOUT and Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee sponsored the âHalloQueen Drag Showâ to raise funds to support each organizationâs upcoming events while spreading a message of gender acceptance and empowerment in a fun and exciting way Thursday night. âThe drag show we sponsor with volOUT is always one of the most popular events during Sex Week, so weâre doing this as a fundraising activity for both SEAT and volOUT,â said Colleen Ryan, member of the S.E.A.T. Executive Board and volunteer at the event.
The show consisted of 12 talent performances by LGBTQ students dressed in drag, including singing, lip-synching, dancing and stand-up comedy. Each of the contestants had their own hashtags that audience members used to vote for their favorite acts. Coming in first place was âLady Godiva,â who did an impression of Lady Gagaâs âPaparazzi,â white tights and fake blood included. While the technical purpose of the event was to raise funds, Kolt Free, a senior in college scholars, claimed that dressing in drag is ânot just about putting on a dress and makeup.â To Free, and several other performers and volunteers, drag is about defying gender stereotypes through a theatrical exaggeration of those norms.
âThe idea is thatt youâre playingg with gender, youâre kind of messing essing around d with those norms and youâree exaggerating g them and bringing them out even more tha than an a normal person walking down street own the stree et would,â Free said. For some volunteers performers, teers and per rformers, seeing people perform and orm in drag an nd exaggerate gender norms personally ms is a pers sonally empowering experience. ience. âWhen I first came queer, me out as quee er, for me, a drag show was the first time I realized I wasnât necessarily ly restrained by social norms in the traditional ional sense off gender and sexuality,â Ryan said. d. See DRAG SHOW on Page 2
Drowned in Crimson Tide Volsâ comeback bid derailed by Alabama as UT falls 34-20 Troy Provost-Heron Sports Editor (@TPro_UTDB) Neyland Stadium was raucous as all the momentum shifted in Tennesseeâs favor. Despite falling into an early 27-0 hole, the Volunteers, led by quarterback Joshua Dobbs, rattled off 17 unanswered points and had a second half comeback on their mind. Alabama had other plans. Leading 27-17, the Crimson Tide put together a 13-play, 76-yard drive â capped off by sophomore running back Derrick Henryâs 28-yard touchdown â that put an end to the comeback hopes and sealed a 34-20 victory. âI feel like as a defense, we let the offense down,â redshirt junior linebacker Curt Maggitt said. âWeâve got to take pride in that, and we have to take responsibility for that.â Tennesseeâs (3-5, 0-4 SEC) comeback bid began shortly after Alabama quarterback Blake Sims broke free for a 28-yard touchdown run to extend the Crimson Tideâs (7-1, 4-1) lead to 27. On the ensuing drive, Dobbs, who came in for starter Nathan Peterman on the Volsâ third offensive drive midway through the first quarter, drove UT 84 yards down the field and found freshman wide receiver Josh Malone for a 9-yard touchdown. After freshman kicker Aaron Medley made a 27-yard field goal on their following drive, the Vols were once again able to stop Alabamaâs offense and get the ball back to their offense. And just like he had done on the two drives prior, Dobbs led the offense down the field, eventually finding junior wide receiver Von Pearson for a 9-yard touchdown to make it a two possession game. In total, the sophomore quarterback went 19-for-32 passing with 192 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also recorded 75 rushing yards â the most by a UT quarterback since Tee Martin rushed for 81 against Syracuse in 1998 â on 19 carries. âHe (Dobbs) adds another element in terms of the run game,â Tennessee head coach Butch Jones said. âWhenever you have a running quarterback, that poses another threat to the defense. âI thought he was in command and I thought Josh showed some very good poise.â
Quarterback Josh Dobbs makes a break during the game against Alabama on Saturday. Hayley Pennesi ⢠The Daily Beacon Dobbsâ effort, however, wasnât enough to erase Alabamaâs early production, which was highlighted by the play of All-American wide receiver Amari Cooper. The junior wideout recorded five catches for 185 yards in the first quarter and was on the receiving end of the Crimson Tideâs first two touchdowns â one for 80 yards on their first play from scrimmage and a 41-yard score on their second drive. âHeâs a great receiver,â sophomore cornerback Cameron Sutton said. âHe does it all for them. The offense works around him. They find matchups around the field, whether heâs inside or outside and he does a lot of damage after the catch as well. It makes him a great receiver when he gets the ball in his hands, because he can do exceptional things after the catch.â The contest also marked the return of Lane Kiffin, who was the head coach at Tennessee for the 2009 season. The return of the former Southern California head coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator,
however, proved to be a non-issue. âHeâs really a good coach and I think why all the people in Tennessee are pissed off at him is because they knew heâs a good coach and they were upset when he left,â Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. âI get that, I understand that, but I know that there are a lot of really good fans here. âI can understand why they would get upset. I understood why they burnt me at the stake in Baton Rouge the first time I went back there after going to the Miami Dolphins and then coming back to Alabama. I get it. We all have fans that are that way, but I think we all have a lot of fans that really appreciate when people do a quality job.â Tennessee will look to crack the SEC win column when they travel to play the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia on Saturday. âWe just have to keep chipping away,â Jones said. âWeâre getting closer and closer. Weâre nowhere where we need to be, but Iâm proud of our players.â
See SEDARIS on Page 3
Front Row Review: Wilco wows Knoxville crowd ing his merry band of misfits to their instruments to play genre-busting melodies for the next two hours. All in all, it goes in the books as a The lights were dimmed. The crowd Wilco show. And what a show it was. grew louder. The bandâs first appearance in Out came a man with long hair, lead- Knoxville since 2009, and the third
Will Warren
Contributor
Veggie burgers pair with environmental education NEWS >>pg. 2
show of its 20th Anniversary Tour, was played to a raucous sellout crowd at the Tennessee Theatre Thursday night. âWhen I saw the announcement that they would be coming to Knoxville, I was stunned,â said David Berry, senior in architecture. âI was really hoping
Wilco would come to Knoxville before I graduated. I got lucky.â While the crowd took some time to pile in completely for the 8 p.m. start, the theater was filled with passionate fans by the time the band finished its opening song, âAt Least Thatâs What You Saidâ
âWeâve got everything to lose and nothing to gain from refusing to vote.â VIEWPOINTS >>pg. 4
from 2004âs album âA Ghost Is Born.â From there, the band roared through its 30-song set, which featured crowd favorites like âJesus, etc.â and âI am trying to break your heart.â See WILCO on Page 3
Film critic gets âreelâ ARTS & CULTURE >>pg. 3