OUTreach center offers home for the holidays NEWS >>pg. 3
@UTKDailyBeacon
Editorially independent student newspaper of the University of Tennessee since 1906
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Country’s female vocalist of the year headed to Knoxville ARTS & CULTURE >> pg. 2
Issue 63, Volume 127
Two UT football players suspended amidst rape investigation Johnson, Williams banned from all team-related activities as police gather info on alleged rape, sexual assault Troy Provost-Heron Sports Editor (@TPro_UTDB)
Two Tennessee football players are currently under investigation for an alleged rape and sexual assault that occurred at the Woodlands Apartment Complex early Sunday morning. Although the suspects
have not been named because they have yet to be charged, Tennessee did announce Monday that senior linebacker A.J. Johnson and redshirt sophomore cornerback Michael Williams have been suspended from all teamrelated activities. According to a Knoxville Police Department press release, officers and investigators responded to White Avenue to investigate a rape
had raped her, and the second who said she was sexually assaulted. Tennessee head coach Butch Jones confirmed during his weekly Monday press luncheon that the investigation did involve football players before the program announced the suspension of Johnson and Williams. “I am aware of the alleged incident that occurred over the weekend,” Jones said. “Right now, we’re in the process of gathering all the A.J. Johnson (left) and Michael Williams (right) information. Once we have and sexual assault allega- the scene, they located two all the appropriate information at approximately 2:57 19-year-old female victims, tion, we will act in a very a.m. When they arrived on one who claimed two males
Food Recovery Network seeks to reduce food waste Student-led organization to help alleviate Knoxville’s food insecurity, plans to collect leftovers from restaurants on The Strip Heidi Hill Contributor
The nearest access to fresh food is miles and miles away, and once you reach it, you can’t afford any of it. That’s what makes Knoxville a food desert. The student-led Food Recovery Network is working to change that. Now in its second year, the Food Recovery Network aims to reduce food waste and feed Knoxville’s hungry. The organization aspires to extend its influence to The Strip by collecting leftover food items and supplies from Cumberland Avenue’s restaurant merchants. A small grant from UT’s reVOLve fund will be funneled into this program to help achieve the task, eliminating the organization’s need to borrow plastic bags, gloves, disposable aluminum and food thermometers from outside sources like Aramark. But for Ryan Brown, president of FRN and senior in marketing and international business, dis-
tributing unused food only solves part of the broader problem of food insecurity. What Knoxville needs, he said, is greater accessibility to a well-stocked market. “For low-income families, a grocery store is a hard place to buy food, let alone healthy food,” Brown said. “You can go buy a twelve pack of Ramen for a couple of dollars, or a few apples or maybe a few spears of broccoli. Fruits and vegetables are really more expensive compared to things like that.” A 2011 report from the Food Research and Action Center, revealed that a lack in nutritional variety may contribute to Knoxville’s status as a “food desert,” or a region where residents must travel 10 or more miles to find a grocery store or access fresh foods. This report also states that Knoxville is ranked 17th in the top 100 metropolitan areas in the same year for “food hardship” with “nearly 21 percent of households without money to buy needed food.” These statistics did not go unnoticed by
Copy Editor (@HannahMoulton)
Paddling the ocean while dolphins play in the distance isn’t students’ usual winter break activity. However, a group of UT students will travel to Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge located off the coast of Southwest Florida this break to sea kayak, camp and observe nature. The refuge is located right next to Everglades National Park. The seven-day trip is provided by UTOP and will give students an adventurous alternative to the usual Netflix binge that occurs on winter break. The group will head
south on Dec. 14 and return on Dec. 21. Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge is 35,000 acres of land and sea and home to mangrove habitats housing several endangered species of wildlife. Despite the name, the string of islands only number in the hundreds. The usual winter temperature on the islands is in the low 70s, which will provide pleasant weather for those attending the winter break trip. Sarah O’Leary, a senior in College Scholars, went on the kayaking trip three years ago, and this year, will return as one of the trip’s leaders. UTOP has provided the trip for five years, and O’Leary said it is usually a big hit. See KAYAKING on Page 2
See SEXUAL ASSUALT on Page 5
Young local band shares influences, plans for touring Will Warren Staff Writer
A student works as a part of the Food Recovery Network, which aims to reduce food waste and feed the hungry. Hannah Cather • The Daily Beacon
Knoxville’s own food advocates. The Knoxville-Knox County Food Policy Council, as part of an intensive survey of Knox County’s agricultural and economic climate, noted in a 2011 overview that 14 percent of Americans throw away the food they purchase -- an amount equivalent to $600 for a family of four. To avoid such waste, agencies like The Salvation Army, Knoxville
Area Rescue Mission and Volunteer Ministry Center receive donations from Second Harvest after the Food Recovery Network’s collected food is loaded onto refrigerated trucks behind Thompson-Boling Arena. Donated food items must be stored in the freezer within two hours, Brown said, to avoid foodborne illness or diminished quality in the food they wish to distribute. Though Food Recovery
Network aims to eliminate such waste, Brown said that a second purpose for the newly-established organization is establishing an emphasis on education and awareness. “We’re trying to fill in the gaps, and we’re also trying to attract new members,” Brown said, “especially the ones who regularly volunteer with us.”
See RECOVERY on Page 3
UT students to visit wildlife refuge Hannah Moulton
decisive manner, which we have proven over time to do here at the University of Tennessee.” Both females were transported to UT Medical Center as part of the ongoing investigation. One of the female victims is a current University of Tennessee student, while the other — the victim of the sexual assault — is a university student from an out-of-state school who was in Knoxville visiting a friend.
A student enjoys a weekend kayaking trip at the Hiwassee River. • Photo Courtesy of the University of Tennessee Outdoor Program (UTOP) Facebook Page
Few bands can say they honed their craft in multiple cities, and even fewer can say they’ve written and recorded in different time zones. But “dream punk” band Best Friend, a Nashville/ Knoxville outfit, can lay claim to both titles. “It’s difficult when it comes time to record or organize shows, of course,” said Peter McCarville, lead singer and one-fourth of Best Friend. McCarville, who also plays keyboard occasionally, formed the somewhat unclassifiable outfit at Independence High School in Thompson Station, Tenn., in 2011, with his brother, David McCarville on drums and their friend, Brad King, on guitar. “Brad actually had a studio set up in his bedroom for his interests in music production, but he had never written a song,” Peter McCarville said. “I had written songs and needed a friend to produce them, so it worked out well. David happened to fill in whenever we needed him. Over time, he became a pretty good drummer, so we added him permanently.” Along the way, they added Gregory Lancaster on bass after meeting him at a Titus Andronicus show in Nashville. Though they’ve been playing together for three years, they recently released their first album, “Division,” in February. “It was our first full-length record and our first time actually printing something on CD,” Peter McCarville said. “It was a big step forward for us as a band and a big moment.” With this release, the band is starting to receive more press attention, as local music blog Knoxville Music Warehouse and Nashville-area blog No Country For New Nashville have both promoted Best Friend. See BEST FRIENDS on Page 2