Issue 67, Volume 121
Monday, December 3, 2012
Students concerned about safety, communication Samantha Smoak Staff Writer
Emily DeLanzo Managing Editor
When it comes to safety on campus, opinions vary from student to student. Nate Crilly, sophomore in food science and technology, said he has never felt unsafe on campus but attributes that to his personal habits as opposed to safety
Forum heald to discuss equal benefits for faculty domestic partners Justin Joo Staff Writer
Dobbins is the vice-president of the Lambda Student Union and a member of Amnesty International, two student organizations that have given support for the Benefit Equality Campaign. Nearly half of the crowd consisted of students. Several, like Dobbins, are involved with the student groups that were a part of the coalition, such as the Progressive Student Alliance and Lambda. A non-student organization, the United Campus Workers, was also present. Some came as individuals who just wanted to express solidarity. Robert Naylor was one of those students there to show support. The sophomore in global studies is a member of the Student Allies of the Benefit Equality Campaign, which has been a major component in uniting the different student organizations into one focused effort to show student support for the campaign. Naylor himself made the Facebook page for the night’s event. “I feel like this is a really good chance to educate people,” Naylor said. “Also to just let people vent, because there are plenty of people on campus who are affected by this who need to speak out. I’m glad there are a lot of people here to listen.” Student Allies has also written and delivered a letter to UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek. Several other groups cosponsored the letter, including Amnesty International, Lambda, the Harry Potter Alliance and All Campus Theater. “We were concerned about the message being sent to the LGBT community and that the professors and faculty might be discouraged from coming to the university because of the denial of equal partner benefits,” Naylor explained. Naylor said that Student Allies is hoping to have a meeting with Cheek, but he has yet to respond to the letter.
The campaign for obtaining equal benefits for domestic partners among UT faculty continued Thursday night with the “Speak Out for Benefit Equality” forum. A crowd of more than 50 filled into the small space of Hodges Library room 253. Faculty, staff, students and alumni shared and listened to stories and thoughts regarding the university currently not providing benefits to domestic partners. Donna Braquet, coordinator at the OUTreach LGBT and Ally Resource Center and moderator for the forum, was pleased with the turnout. “I was very encouraged,” Braquet said. “I was glad to see so many new faces from the students. I also saw some faculty and staff that I haven’t seen before.” A variety of anecdotes and opinions were shared at the forum. Everyone was displeased with the situation and found that it was a blemish on UT. A common concern was that by not providing equal benefits, UT would not be able to obtain its goal of becoming a Top 25 public research university, stating that it is a contradiction to UT’s effort toward diversity and could hinder new faculty and students from coming to a university that does not offer such benefits. Jennifer Dobbins, senior in political science, was one student who voiced such an opinion. Dobbins herself was hesitant to come to UT when she was researching potential colleges and found that UT was ranked as one of the most LGBT-unfriendly universities in the country. She fears that other potential students will react the same way. “I think that it makes UT less attractive,” Dobbins said. “I have friends who are about to graduate high school who specifically do not want to come to UT because they do not think the environment will be very welcoming for See LGBT on Page 3 anyone who (is openly gay).”
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precautions. “When I’m out after ten o’clock I always travel in groups, (and) I make sure to never be in the Fort after dark,” he said. Crilly, who lives in the Apartment Residence Hall and was present the night of the accidental shooting, says the incident did not affect how safe he feels on campus and in his apartment. Crilly also said he was disappointed with the lack of communication
between UTPD and the student body. “Admittedly, I would have wanted to hear about it when (the shooting) was happening and not two days afterwards. But it doesn’t make me feel less safe. It makes me feel less confident in UTPD,” Crilly said. Katherine Cahill, junior in English, said that she does not feel safe walking around campus at night. She attributes much of her discomfort to a lack of service from T-Link’s bus line. Though she does not like walking alone, she feels that she is left with no other options.
“I don’t feel safe at all walking around campus at night given the amount of attacks we’ve had. But I often don’t feel like I have any other options because the T-Link won’t pick me up where I am,” Cahill said. Cahill, like Crilly, also believes that the university does not do a good job communicating incidents to the student body. Terry Nowell, senior in biochemistry and molecular biology and psychology and vice president of the Student Government Association, feels safe on campus but attributes that to his physical presence. “I do (feel safe on campus), however … I’m also a man, I’m also a tall guy, so I think I have a lot more reason to feel safe
than a lot of students would on campus,” said Nowell. Taelor Olive, junior in biochemistry and molecular biology, serves as the Student Services Director for SGA and practices safe habits. “I feel really safe, but at the same time you just have to be aware of your surroundings,” said Olive. “I don’t think UTPD does a very good job getting alerts out when things do happen because I’ll hear about something, but never anything from UTPD,” she said. Some students find that the more detailed safety notices sent the day after an incident are better than the UT Text Alerts. See SAFETY on Page 3
Holiday tips for college shoppers Samantha Smoak Staff Writer The holiday season means food, fun and family, but it also means more expenses. For college students, buying presents for friends and family can add additional stress on an already tight budget. Leslie Eubanks, sophomore in food science and technology, said she plans her budget before she goes out to shop. She also uses savvy shopping tactics to make her cash go even further. For expensive purchases, Eubanks said she uses online services. “I set aside the money I need for bills … and whatever is left is what I have to spend,” she said. “It usually isn’t much, but with coupons and store sales (and) clearance shopping, I can make it go a long way.” Nichole Indelicato, sophomore in biomedical engineering, also uses online services to shop smart and make sure she does not pay more than she should for products. “I use Amazon just to get an idea of how much things are supposed to cost, (and) to make sure I’m not overpaying,” said Indelicato. “I typically stick to instore shopping and only go online when I
can’t find things in stores.” Some students turn to second-hand retailers, such as Goodwill, for bargain shopping. “I go to Goodwill and other thrift stores for many items, and try and keep my ear to the ground for any personal sales, that way I can barter down the cost,” said William Carpenter, sophomore in biochemistry and molecular biology. Eubanks agreed with Carpenter. “Doing a little thrift shopping is a great way to find obscure decorations, clothing, and little odds and ends that no one else will have,” Eubanks said. Kristen Sales, sophomore in English, agrees with Eubanks and Carpenter. Sales also tries to avoid name brands to save money. “When I go shopping I try to go to Goodwill. If I go to a normal store, I try to stick with off-brands,” Sales said. Eubanks prefers to shop smart in stores, as opposed to online, to ensure the quality of the items she buys. “Online shopping … is not usually my route because I like to see the exact product that I am buying. With Craigslist and eBay it gets even sketchier because you have to trust … random people,” she said. “You don’t know what kind of prod-
uct you are going to get and what kind of condition it’s going to be in, because ‘very good’ condition to me could mean something completely different to (someone else).” Eubanks and Sales both said they don’t typically shop for deals on Black Friday. Carpenter said he shops on Black Friday whenever he is able to. “I do (shop on Black Friday) when I’m able, and I do think I save (money). I compare prices across stores and online retailers no matter what season it is, but the deals after (Thanksgiving) are hard to beat,” he said. Christina Lulich, sophomore in architecture, also shops on Black Friday. “I do (shop on Black Friday) if I have something specific I want and can find a deal worth getting up that early (for). If I buy something that day that I didn’t plan on getting beforehand, I probably didn’t save any money, but I don’t think that happens often,” she said. Lulich also crafts hand-made gifts to save money. “I think making gifts is one of the most cost-efficient ways of holiday shopping,” she said. “Hand-made gifts are also usually the most meaningful gifts. I’m making most of the gifts I’m giving this year.”
Emma Russell • The Daily Beacon
Alex Fields, senior in history, speaks during the “Speak Out for Benefit Equality” forum on Thursday.
Simmons leads Lady Vols in blowout Page 10
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