The Day Beacon

Partly Cloudy with a 10% chance of rain HIGH LOW 51 34 Sports Editor Brad Merritt shares his take on Lane Kiffin’s departure.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

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Issue 02

E D I T O R I A L L Y

I N D E P E N D E N T

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906

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Vol. 113 S T U D E N T

Patrick Sullivan’s shows new film that examines band’s way of life

N E W S P A P E R

O F

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

O F

T E N N E S S E E

Hamilton kicks off Vols’ coaching search University athletic director aims to name new head football coach by end of weekend class. Hamilton could not confirm any alleged contact with UT’s recruits.

“If that was happening, it would be operating without knowledge of the rules,” Hamilton said. “I consider it unethical.”

Despite the allegations against Orgeron, Hamilton said by 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning, all of UT’s early enrollees were registered students of UT. Therefore, the players were official UT students only a few hours after Kiffin’s resignation press conference.

Though Hamilton hadn’t met with the entire football team as of Wednesday afternoon, he said he talked with all eight of UT’s early enrollees Wednesday morning.

“I advised them to go to class and to hold their heads high,” Hamilton said. “We’re going to make sure we operate in their best interest.”

Hamilton refused to elaborate on any specific coaching candidates but admitted the goal was to have a head coach in place before the recruiting dead period ends on Sunday. Though Kippy Brown was named UT’s interim head coach, Hamilton said the program will not kick next season off with an interim head coach, though Brown is still a potential candidate for the position.

“This is still Tennessee,” Brown said. “It was Tennessee when I got here, it’s Tennessee now, and it will be Tennessee long after I’m gone, and that’s special.”

“We want someone who wants to be here and understand that this is the place to be for a long, long time,” Hamilton said. “This is a great football coaching job.”

Zac Ellis Assistant Sports Editor Tennessee men’s athletic director Mike Hamilton said Wednesday that a search for a new head football coach is already under way after the departure of coach Lane Kiffin to USC. “The search process has begun,” Hamilton said in a press conference Wednesday. “It began as soon as I was notified officially of coach (Lane) Kiffin’s change to go to the University of Southern California.”

Hamilton, who was in Colorado meeting with university sponsors when Kiffin announced his resignation Tuesday night, said the coach’s decision was not secret. Kiffin informed Hamilton of his interest in the USC position during a meeting Saturday morning but expressed no immediate plans to leave UT.

By Tuesday morning, Kiffin told Hamilton he had been contacted by Southern Cal’s athletic director, Mike Garrett. Hamilton said Kiffin’s decision was not the result of contract disagreements, but the athletic director admitted he did not expect the decision Kiffin ultimately made.

“I thought we gave him a chance to get a head coaching job at a great university with great tradition,” Hamilton said.

“He made the comment that he came hard and worked hard every day; he did do that. But I can’t say I was anything less than disappointed.”

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported late Tuesday night that former defensive line coach Ed Orgeron was calling UT’s early enrollees informing them to not attend class on Wednesday morning, UT’s first official day of

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton met with the press Wednesday to adress Lane Kiffins resignation. He discussed being very disappointed and is focusing on the student athletes and what they are going through.

See HAMILTON on Page 9

Law students offer counsel to needy Blair Kuykendall Staff Writer

designed to) teach students the practical skills they will need to be successful lawyers and the importance of public service and ethical practice,” Barton said. “(They) provide legal services of the highest possible caliber to the indigent of Knox County.”

The time UT law students have devoted

The work of these clinics has been far-reaching, partially attributable to the strong willingness among the students to get involved.

“We have upwards of 85 percent of the graduating class of 2010 taking a clinic or an externship this year,” Barton said. “This results in a ton of excellent, free legal work for

For UT law students, community service is not an extracurricular activity.

Providing legal aid to the underprivileged Knoxville community is part of their curriculum.

As a service to the Knoxville community as well as UT students and faculty, the law school offers free legal clinics that provide guidance in matters surrounding the law.

UT law school has offered these services for 64 years.

“We are the oldest, continually operating legal clinic in the – Benjamin Barton Associate Professor and director of the clinical programs country,” Benjamin on offering free legal work for the community Barton, associate professor and director of the clinical programs, to helping these members the community.” said.

Students within the law These clinics serve as of the Knoxville communifeatures of the core cur- ty maneuver the somewhat school are extremely riculum for law school stu- treacherous waters of the enthusiastic about the prodents, allowing them to legal system has generated gram.

“This experience has gain legal experience quite a reputation for the clinic program. had such a significant while providing valuable “We’ve been around for impact on me that I now aid to people who might otherwise be unrepresent- a long time, so we’ve would like to continue in served a lot of folks and indigent legal work,” ed.

Each case is treated made a lot of friends along Kelley Brooks Simoneaux, with extreme care, with the way,” Barton said. “I UT law student, said. “It is students carrying their never appear in a court or such an important part of clients through their legal speak to a community our system and the UT matters from the initial group without being rec- Legal Clinic understands interview until the court ognized and appreciated this need. The lessons I for all of the clinic’s good have learned in the clinic appearance. will be the ones I take with “(The clinics are work.”

“

We have upwards of 85

percent of the graduating

class of 2010 taking a clinic or

an externship this year.

me throughout my career.”

Students in the law school can choose to delve into their choice of seven clinics, each targeting specific legal areas, while under the supervision of qualified law professors.

This allows students to gain perspective on their potential legal concentration.

Civil, domestic and housing issues are handled in the Advocacy Clinic.

New clinics include the Wills Clinic where students assist in estate planning, as well as the Wrongful Conviction Clinic. The Business Clinic allows students to try their hand at aiding developing corporations and nonprofit groups manage the legal system. The Domestic Violence Clinic offers essential aid to those suffering with related issues.

The Externship Program is a clinic that offers students the opportunity to see how the bench looks from the other side, prosecuting cases representing the state of Tennessee.

However they choose to participate in the clinic program, law students at UT are focusing on honing traits of service and compassion to go along with their degree.

”

Rankings deem UT among best value schools, public universities Donesha Aldridge Staff Writer The University of Tennessee has been listed as a best value school by the Princeton Review and Kiplinger’s Magazine for the 2009-2010 school year.

The Princeton Review rates UT as one of the top 50 best value public universities, and Kiplinger’s Magazine ranks the university No. 58.

Both publications list the main factors for deciding the rankings as academic quality, cost of attendance and the financial aid made available to the students.

UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek is happy to receive the recognition.

“From our merit and need-based scholarship programs to the support we give to help students maintain their scholarships and achieve, we deliver a first-rate academic and collegiate experience at a great value,” Cheek said.

Andrew Randle, freshman in mathematics interest, said he values the education he is receiving at UT. “I believe UT is the most effective in academic quality,” Randle said.

The Princeton Review ranks UT as one of the top 50 public universities to attend. The top 50 best value public universities list only gives actual ranks to the top 10 colleges, while listing 40 more in alphabetical order.

The Princeton Review compiles two lists: one for public universities and one for private universities.

“We are proud to be nationally recognized for the value that a UT Knoxville education provides to students,” Cheek said.

According to The Princeton Review, when narrowing down the list of public and private universities, it starts off with about 650 schools.

In Kiplinger’s Magazine’s list of best value colleges, UT is ranked at No. 58 out of 100, moving up six positions from the previous year. UT is the only public university in Tennessee to make the top 100 rankings for the 2009-2010 school year.

According to Kiplinger’s Magazine, the search for the best value schools start with about 500 public universities, and academic quality is valued the most when narrowing down the list.

When measuring the academic quality of each school, Kiplinger’s Magazine considers all aspects from the student-to-teacher ratio, the entrance exam scores from high school seniors and the graduation rate at the university.

Clarice Hawkins, junior in audiology and speech pathology, transferred to UT from the University of Memphis last spring. Hawkins said she is glad that UT’s rank has moved from No. 64 to No. 58 and said she sees UT as a best value school because of everything it has to offer the student body.

“Because the university is large, it has a wider selection of majors for students,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins said she is glad to be a part of a school that is progressing.

“UT is definitely moving up the ladder in higher education,” she said. “I am glad to be considered a Tennessee Vol.”

CAMPUS CALENDAR

2 • The Daily Beacon

InSHORT

Thursday, January 14, 2010

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What’s HAPPENING AROUND CAMPUS

Jan. 14 - Jan. 19, 2010

Thursday, Jan. 14 —

•11:30 a.m. — The Baker Center hosts a luncheon presentation by Victor Ashe, Tennessee state senator and U.S. Ambassador to Poland, at the Foundry in World’s Fair Park. Ashe and his wife Joan will talk about their five years living and working in Poland. Tickets are $15 with advance registration required.

• 3:40 p.m. until 5 p.m. — Jeffrey Long, professor of chemistry at the University of Berkeley, speaks on “Hydrogen Storage in Metal-Organic Frameworks” during the Chemistry Departmental Seminar in Buehler Hall room 415. The event is free and open to the public.

Monday, Jan. 18 — • The university is closed, and no classes will take place in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tuesday, Jan. 19 — • 1 p.m.. — Beverly J. Tepper, professor in the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University, speaks on “Variation in Taste Sensitivity to 6-nPropylthiouracil (PROP) as a Marker for Food Choice and Adiposity” during a seminar in the UC Shiloh Room.

•5 p.m. — A counselor-led GLBTQ support group for UT students meets in Melrose Hall Room F150. The group will meet every Tuesday at 5 p.m. for students wanting to connect with others and talk about mutual concerns.

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

UT fraternity students left and destroyed a banner by the rock that they had pomped of Lane Kiffin during homecoming last year. Many students were outraged by Kiffins decision to leave and become the coach of USC.

THIS DAY INHISTORY • 1 7 4 1 — Benedict Arnold, the American general during the Revolutionary War who betrayed his country and became synonymous with the word “ traitor,” was born on this day in 1741. Arnold, who was raised in a respected family in Norwich, Conn., apprenticed with an apothecary and was a member of the militia during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). He later became a successful trader and joined the Continental Army when the Revolutionary War broke out between Great Britain and its 13 American colonies in 1775.

• 1 7 8 4 — The Continental Congress ratifies the Second Treaty of Paris, ending the War for Independence. In the document, which was known as the Second Treaty of Paris because the Treaty of Paris was also the name of the agreement that had ended the Seven Years’ War in 1763, Britain officially agreed to recognize the independence of its 13 former colonies as the new United States of America.

• 1 9 4 2 — President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Presidential Proclamation No. 2537, requiring aliens from World War II-enemy

countries — Italy, Germany and Japan — to register with the United States Department of Justice. Registered persons were then issued a “Certificate of Identification for Aliens of Enemy Nationality.” A follow-up to the Alien Registration Act of 1940, Proclamation No. 2537 facilitated the beginning of full-scale internment of Japanese Americans the following month.

• 1 9 5 4 — Twenty-eight-year-old Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Baker, marries baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. Monroe had posed for pin-up shots and appeared in bit parts in movies in the 1940s, and her career blossomed in the 1950s. Monroe and DiMaggio divorced after only nine months. She married Arthur Miller in 1956 and divorced him in 1961. She died of an overdose of barbiturates in 1961, a possible suicide. DiMaggio continued to send flowers to her grave every day for the rest of his life, until his death in 1999.

— Courtesy of History.com

RECYCLE YOUR BEACON

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Stores cut back on Kiffin The UT Book and Supply Store pulled its remaining 48 pieces of Lane Kiffin merchandise from the shelves this morning, UT bookstore director David Kent said. The Stokely Athletic Center branch of Tennessee Traditions likewise removed the five T-shirts and leftover Monte and Lane bobbleheads from the sales floor. Traditions manager Shay Riggs said the merchandise was removed predominantly because Kiffin is no longer employed by the university.

“We also don’t want to support someone who won’t be leaving a legacy,” Riggs said. “I mean, we’ll stock Pat Summitt (merchandise) until the year 3000 ... but mostly because he’s no longer employed here.”

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that the West Knoxville store Hound Dogs is sending Kiffin “It’s Time” Tshirt donations to Haiti as part of the earthquake relief effort.

Kent said there is no longer Kiffin merchandise on order for the store, and Riggs said Tennessee Traditions corporate branch will ultimately decide where the store’s excess Kiffin items will go.

STATE&LOCAL

The Daily Beacon • 3

Tenn. missionaries help with Haiti relief

teacher evaluations was needed by late Wednesday to keep the state’s application for nearly half a billion dollars in federal “Race to the Top” money on track.

The Democratic governor said in a speech to the state’s education boards that he’s confident an arrangement can be worked out with the teacher’s union, which has fought efforts to use student testing scores for evaluations and tenure decisions.

“I don’t want to do this butting heads with the teachers, who I feel so strongly are the core part of the system,” Bredesen said.

He nevertheless put pressure on the Tennessee Education Association to come to an arrangement.

“Five o’clock today is kind of the deadline,” he said.

Bredesen has argued that at least half of evaluations and tenure decisions should be based on objective data, while the TEA has said it should be no more than 35 percent. No student testing data is currently used for teacher evaluations or tenure decisions.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Tennesseans who have worked as missionaries in Haiti, including Sen. Bob Corker, are organizing to help the poor island nation after it was devastated by an earthquake on Tuesday.

Corker said in a 2006 campaign ad that a mission trip to the country 25 years ago led him to public service. Corker’s office is offering assistance to affected Tennesseans, and he has said he will make a personal contribution.

A Nashville-based Catholic charity working in Haiti has been tending to hundreds of injured while Nashville missionary Mike Wilson, who is adopting a 5-year-old Haitian girl, on Wednesday was flying to the island to aid the orphanage where she lived, which was destroyed.

Staff and visiting missionaries at Matthew 25 House, which lodges people visiting Haiti for humanitarian work, were using a soccer field to provide medical care, director Sister Mary Finnick said. The home is operated by Nashville-based Parish Twinning Programs of the Americas.

Appeals court favors Memphis school system

OIT to retire nomad network OIT will retire “nomad,” the university’s longtime wireless network, on Feb. 3. In order to continue to access the Internet through UT’s wireless network, students will need to access one of the wireless networks, “ut-open” or “ut-wpa2.”

For more information about these networks and for assistance in connecting to them, visit the OIT HelpDesk Knowledge Base, http://oit.utk.edu/helpdesk/kb, or contact the HelpDesk at 974-9900.

Baker Center to take applications for Baker Scholars The Baker Center is seeking high-achieving, rising juniors and seniors interested in public policy, politics, government and public service. Exceptional rising sophomores will be considered on a case-by-case basis with a very strong recommendation from a UT faculty member.

All applications are due at the Baker Center, 1640 Cumberland Ave., by 5 p.m. Feb. 1. Applications are available on the Baker Center Web site. All new applicants must be enrolled at UT for at least a full academic year (fall 2010 to spring 2011) and not enrolled in semester abroad, to be considered for this program. Successful applicants typically have a GPA of 3.35 or above.

This is a one-year appointment subject to renewal annually.

The number of Baker Scholars is limited; selection is a competitive process. Baker Scholars will be chosen based on their application, academic history, UT faculty appraisal and an interview with the selection committee. Interviews with finalists will take place between Feb. 17 and March 4.

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Tennessee Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling that the city of Memphis owes the city school system $57 million in a funding dispute.

In a decision released Wednesday in Jackson, the appeals court affirmed the February 2009 ruling by Chancellor Kenny Armstrong. He had ruled that the City Council’s decision to slash by $66 million the amount it gave to the school system in 2008-2009 violated the state’s Basic Education Funding formula.

The cut in funds resulted from a reduction in the city’s ad valorem school tax.

Memphis city schools have approximately 112,000 students.

Teacher testing system needed by day’s end

Judge orders $5000K for preacher’s victims TEXARKANA, Ark. — Five young women who testified last year that evangelist Tony Alamo took them as “wives” and sexually assaulted them when they were minors are entitled to $500,000 each from his multi-million-dollar ministry, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Harry F. Barnes ordered restitution after a government witness said the women suffered physical and mental pain at the hands of Alamo, who is serving a 175-year prison sentence for taking the women when they were underage across state lines for sex.

In his ruling, Barnes noted that each of the victims were assaulted by someone they regarded as a pastor and prophet.

“The defendant has truly, truly damaged these five young girls, and I don’t think amount of money this court can order can replace their loss,” Barnes said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Phil Bredesen said a final agreement on how to use student test scores in

Recycle Your Beacon

4 • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, January 14, 2010

OPINIONS

Books provide escapism from daily grind Nash Armstrong Editor-in-Chief

Welcome back to a somewhat snowy and cold campus!

So many things have happened during the time many students spent away from the Knoxville campus. The UT Athletic Department experienced its ups and downs, health care reform has yet to take shape and the media’s new favorite game is “Where in the World is Tiger Woods?”

With so much animosity ending the last decade, it may be hard to find a reason to smile for the second decade of the 2000s.

During the break, I struggled to find a way to counteract the mind-numbing stigma which has become today’s media environment.

A part-time job did little to help with this, and I was not exactly in the holiday spirit (as most people who work in the retail world normally are not).

Then a novel idea came to me (literally). I picked up a book.

After a full semester of studies came to a close, I know this may seem like a horrible idea.

But I reverted back to the days in which PBS shows like “Wishbone” and “Reading Rainbow” ruled my life, so I decided to try flipping through a few pages.

Lo and behold, I found something enjoyable, neurologically stimulating and that would keep my mind off the mindless jargon of every single nationally known television channel.

I say this to all students, especially those who will be starting their first or second semester in higher education, for one reason. It is easy to fall into the lull of classes, textbooks and professors’ rambling, but what is important to remember is that these things do not control our lives.

While we all may only have a small amount of free time, this time can sometimes be used to expand our minds. This may sound like a horrible idea for those who wish to use their free time for “recreational” activities, but if Mike Judge’s film “Idiocracy” is any indication, the nation may be heading for a downturn unless an intellectual rebirth occurs and occurs sometime soon.

For those who may be searching for ways to stimulate the neurons, here are a few suggestions: • Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” • Any Chuck Palahniuk or Hunter S. Thompson novel • Stephen Colbert’s “I Am America (And So Can You)” While the latter may not seem stimulating, if taken as a satire, Colbert, a Dartmouth graduate, makes some valid points.

Even if many do not choose to pick up a book, if anything is taken from this column, please take this: Find a way to think for yourself. There are too many people in the media and in other parts of society who want to take advantage of people’s gullible nature. Education may be something for the academics of the world to focus on, but expansion of one’s consciousness and intelligence is each person’s own responsibility.

Don’t take the brain for granted. It really is a terrible thing to waste.

COFFEY & INK • Kelsey Roy

DOONESBURY • Garry Trudeau

Conservatives need to voice concerns Immut abl y Right by

Treston Wheat This is a call to arms. Not literally, of course, because I would never advocate violence in our society. However, conservatives in America have grown soft and are no longer willing to fight for what they believe. This is most common on American university campuses where the leftists not only try to control academia but the classroom as well. It is unacceptable that professors and organizations on campus try to push their leftist agenda on us conservatives. It is sad that when this happens few people are willing to stand up to defend America and what makes her great.

On many occasions in my history classes, professors attack famous conservatives, both historical and contemporary. In one American history class, Dick Cheney was a favorite target.

I regret that I never stood up for this man who dedicated his life to public service, even if I did not always agree with him. This also happens at organization meetings. The Issues Committee on campus brings several good speakers to campus. Yet, they hardly bring conservatives, and during meetings, anyone who tries to bring one is usually shot down. Even when moderate Republicans are offered up as alternatives to far right speakers like Glenn Beck, the liberaldominated organization refuses to allow such people to speak. In addition, this is seen just by the different parts of UT’s bureaucracy. There is an LGBT commission to advise the chancellor, the Women’s Coordinating Council and the ridiculous “Make Orange Green” campaign.

There is nothing in the institution to promote a balanced university in which conservatives have a voice.

These examples should drive the conservatives on campus to ask what we must do. There is only one option: to fight for our cause. Of course, again, I am not advocating actual violence but for patriots on campus to stand up to their liberal professors and classmates to declare the truth. Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” The battle ahead is for the heart and soul of America. I encourage my fellow conservative students and

educators to stand up to the anti-American, anticapitalist rants and protests of the leftist students. Taking a stand is only the first step. If we as a whole stand up together, then hopefully we can shut down the political machine that tries to inculcate an entire generation of America’s youth to no longer believe in the values of capitalism and patriotism.

To win this “war,” we need to arm ourselves.

Conservatives usually have better arguments and the facts on their side. Yet, they do not always clearly articulate their beliefs or use the facts available. Therefore, if we are to win the war against liberalism we must be armed with information. When debating, it is not sufficient to merely state a principle like America needs a strong national defense. It is necessary to further explain that defense spending will allow us to employ drones or the proper equipment for a counter insurgency strategy that works against the Taliban. Such a defense would help prevent the resurgence of a government that could be a state sponsor of terrorism. Always remember to only use facts, reason and logic when debating and not baseless emotional arguments, like liberals do.

As much as I love reading my darling Ann Coulter and watching Bill O’Reilly, they do not really offer what we need. Academic books, magazines and newspapers are where we should get our information. And, as true as it may be, breaking down and calling them communists and traitors is not productive. Ad hominem attacks detract from the debate and make conservatives look like the uneducated hicks that liberals think we are. Instead, we should take the high road.

When the Democrat with whom we are engaged calls us racist, homophobic, anti-poor or intolerant, we must merely ignore their insults and use facts, rationality and logic to abrogate their argument. Know that when the leftist resorts to calling people those words, it means the conservatives are winning the debate.

America is at a crossroads politically and culturally. Is the country going to remain the global hegemon, or is it going to go the way of European countries and become a second-tier power that few take seriously? Liberals want the latter option, and if they get their way it will happen. This is why, as conservatives, we need to fight for our country now, and we should start on UT’s campus.

— Treston Wheat is a junior in political science and history. He can be reached at twheat@utk.edu

Vampire trend oversaturates genre Signs o f t h e Ti m e s by

Ali Griffin

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letters@utk.edu

Treadway The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Friday during the summer semester. The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 5 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year, $100/semester or $70/summer only. It is also available online at: http://dailybeacon.utk.edu.

LETTERS POLICY: The Daily Beacon welcomes all letters to the editor and guest columns from students, faculty and staff. Each submission is considered for publication by the editor on the basis of space, timeliness and clarity. Contributions must include the author’s name and phone number for verification. Students must include their year in school and major. Letters to the editor and guest columns may be e-mailed to letters@utk.edu or sent to Nash Armstrong, 1340 Circle Park Dr., 5 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The Beacon reserves the right to reject any submissions or edit all copy in compliance with available space, editorial policy and style.

When looking back at previous decades, there are always events, fashion trends, movies, celebrities and even toys that make each 10 years something special. When I think of the ‘80s, my first thoughts are of Madonna, leggings and strangely bright colors. The ‘90s brings back memories of Nirvana, oversized clothing and of course the notorious Bill Clinton. At our most recent decade’s end there are some things I am proud to have been a part of and there are some things like UGG boots, a recession and Miley Cyrus that I wish could be forever left in the ‘00s.

With the start of a new decade, there will inevitably be more strange trends and odd occurrences we will look back on and wonder why we ever allowed them to happen. So my goal for this semester is to point out these things before they become this decade’s defining moments.

One of the biggest trends that’s going on right now is vampires. Do not get me wrong: I read the “Twilight” saga and I liked it. This, however, does not mean that when my children ask me what was going on during college that I want to say, “Vampires.”

Unfortunately, I think this may have to be the case. “Twilight” is not the only vampire narrative out right now. “True Blood,” “Vampire Diaries” and a collection of novels that would not fit in the UT library all contain the theme of immortal bloodsuckers.

All of these stories are entertaining and somewhat fun to watch or read, but some sort of line needs to be drawn with this trend. Not only do I not want to mark our college years with vampires nor do I think the theme has been exhausted, but I feel that legitimate novels like “Dracula” and movies like “Interview with the Vampire” are being discredited. These two great stories are being lumped together with all the madness that

comes along with vampire mania.

This obsession begs another question as well: Why now? The vampire thing has been done many times before, but not until “Twilight” did it become so huge. I think much of this can be credited to the large amount of networking, publicity and entertainment news available to the public.

When a new trend like this comes along, people are now able to immediately get on the Internet or turn on the TV, fueling the fire that causes such madness.

Along with the obsessive blogging and news coverage comes the merchandiser’s opportunity to make a dollar. Recession or not, people are so obsessed with vampires they will buy Edward Cullen calendars, figurines and even underwear. With all these outlets fueling the love of a book or a movie, these stories become a phenomenon.

This phenomenon is taken a step further these days by the strange obsession with celebrities. People not only obsess about the novels, but they also obsess about the actors playing the characters in the movie. Paparazzi are paid thousands and thousands of dollars simply to take pictures of people who are no different than us because they play the role of a favorite character.

Loving a book or movie is never a bad thing, but with the availability of so much media coverage these days, everything is blown way out of proportion. Most of this can be traced back to making money. When an opportunity to turn a trend into a revenue generator presents itself, any and all parties possible become involved. You cannot blame manufacturers for making products people want, but you can make a change by not giving manufacturers, paparazzi and news media a reason to provide such products and information. So, when looking back at the 2010s, we need to consider if we want to be remembered for important things like ending a war or inventing important technology, or if we want to be remembered for celebrity gossip, blogging and vampires.

— Ali Griffin is a junior in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at sgriff10@utk.edu.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Daily Beacon • 5

NATION&WORLD

Husband frees wife in earthquake aftermath The Associated Press NEW YORK — A young American aid worker — trapped for about 10 hours under the rubble of her mission house that was destroyed in Haiti’s earthquake — has been rescued by her husband.

Frank Thorp told CBS’s “The Early Show” by phone from Haiti on Wednesday that he drove 100 miles to Port-au-Prince once he learned of the quake, and dug for over an hour to free his wife, Jillian, and her co-worker Charles Dietsch. The two were trapped under about a foot of concrete, he said.

“It was absolutely terrifying,” Thorp said.

Thorp said he was in an area about 6 hours north of the capital when the temblor struck.

He got a quick call from his wife telling him she was trapped, and that was all. So he began his long drive toward the devastation.

Arriving at the destroyed house, he said he saw his wife’s hand from under the rubble and heard her tell him to keep it together and just get her out.

“We had to pull bricks and bricks and bricks and wood and doors and metal away for at least an hour before we were able to get her and her co-worker out,” he said.

Thorp is the son of retired Rear Adm. Frank Thorp, who retired in August as the Navy’s chief information officer.

Thorp’s father told The Associated Press the family received a report that his son and his wife made it to the U.S. embassy. He said he doesn’t know the extent of his daughter-in-law’s injuries, but that his son told him in the early morning that she had leg injuries but could walk with assistance.

“He said that the country was a disaster,” Thorp said. “He described thousands of people

in the street; every other building had been destroyed. He also mentioned a lot of dead bodies.”

The executive director of Haitian Ministries for the Diocese of Norwich, Conn., Emily Smack, told CBS a security guard at the mission house is still missing. A housecleaner had severe injuries and may lose both legs, she said.

Smack told AP that Jillian sounded “amazingly good” considering her ordeal when she spoke to her Wednesday morning and had suffered cuts and bruises. She said she was not sure about Dietsch’s injuries, but said he may have suffered leg and rib injuries, and that both were receiving medical treatment at the embassy.

Jillian said the earthquake came so fast they had no time to react, Smack said.

A night guard arrived to find the collapsed house and then heard Jillian and Dietsch banging on metal, Smack said. Two other men joined in digging them out from the rubble by hand and then Thorp arrived just as his wife’s arm was exposed through the rubble, Smack said.

Jillian Thorp’s father, Clay Cook of Old Saybrook, Conn., describes his daughter and sonin-law as “a strong couple” who each had their own trial to endure.

“Jill was pinned in the rubble and Frank was driving through the darkness, not sure what was waiting for him at the end of the drive,” he said.

The 7.0-magnitude tremor caused massive destruction in the Haitian capital. Untold numbers remain trapped, and the death toll has so far been impossible to calculate.

EMPLOYMENT

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz Across 1 Flap 4 Best-selling author Tami 8 Jughead’s topper 14 *Becoming slower, in music 16 “Dover Beach” poet 17 *First track on many a Broadway album 18 Department store department 19 Prefix with sphere 20 Figure (out) 22 Baa-aad mother?

23 Sheik’s home 25 Its punch is spiked 27 G-rated oath 30 Billy Idol expression 32 *Deli choice 34 Mid second-century year 35 It can follow anything 36 Singer Sumac 37 *Role played by child star Carl Switzer 41 *Shade provider 43 It’s often given in greeting

44 46 47 49 52 53 55 57 59 61 62 65 67 68

69 70 71

“___ well …”

High-fashion inits. *Long smoke Frequent word in Psalms Break the seal on Turns down Accelerate sharply Backer’s word Descendant of the smallsword Soft-rock singer Vannelli Duke’s home *Book reviewers, for example Rich couple on the Titanic What some scholarly texts (and the 10-Downs to all the starred clues) have Members of Grand Lodges Quietude Before, in a ballade

Down 1 “Hawai‘i ___” (island song)

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE H A S P E D

E D W I N A

N D I I N F E B R A D M A

L I O N E L

M E R E

E W E W X T O E L R E I A O R R Y

S A U X D L I S O L B L S A O N W O R S H E A L D R O A M R F E A S Y

G E E D L Y O R A L L A W I R E

S T A A R W D R I D L S O D O R N E I S S Y L U C E L D T L S V

M O R A Y S

O M E L E T T D E E T A N K I W O A N I S

C K E I N T R S O A A P R P I E R C E

H A R K E D

1

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21 Charge 200% for, maybe 24 Severely chastise 26 Pieces by Thomas Paine 28 Bandoleer contents 29 Oven feature 31 Rummaged (through) 33 Comparatively clipped 37 Food brand that was the sole sponsor of the first “60 Minutes” broadcast 38 ___ second 39 Bachelor’s area, perhaps 40 Title role in a 1980s sitcom 42 1947 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical

45 It may display the alphabet

2 Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gail 3 Kind of band 4 Baldness remedy?

5 Millstone 6 Tight as ___ 7 Pops one’s cork 8 Carpenter’s sound, at times 9 Pennsylvania county or its seat 10 See 68-Across 11 Aromatic arrangements 12 Corsica, par exemple 13 Self-appointed group, for short?

15 Setting for an annual New York film festival

48 “Changing the subject …”

50 Head in the clouds?

51 Person who might take a bow 54 The Pont Royal spans it 56 Grace under fire 58 Fetch 60 Nos. on terminal monitors 62 It goes against the flow 63 G8 member 64 13-Down piles: Abbr.

66 Suffix with exist

6 • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, January 14, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT

Film to examine band’s lifestyle, rise to fame James Hauge Staff Writer One can see the Dirty Works’ rise to local underground music st ardom for no cost in the new document ary “Rebel S cum” from Worldstorm Arts Lab at Patrick Sullivan’s this Saturday at 9 p.m.

Based out of Atlant a, Worldstorm Arts Lab is known for its document ary work with popular rap and hip -hop artists such as Gucci Mane and Mos

Def. “ Wo rl d s t o r m s aw a l i v e p e r f o r m a n c e i n Morristown and called us the next day to talk about filming a documentary on the band,” Christopher S cum, lead vocalist and bass guitarist , said.

Guitarist Steven Crime and drummer B. Riot round out the Dirty Works’ three -piece rock outfit .

The band’s ethos is to defy modern law and convention to express themselves through their own style

of rock and roll music, which the band themselves have dubbed “ White Trash Psycho Rock”.

“No one has ever shot a documentary about a rock-’n’-roll band that hasn’t made it ,” Francis Percarpio, the film’s producer, said. “ These guys l i ve t h e ro c k- ’n’ - ro l l l i f e s t yl e h a rd e r a n d m o re extreme than anyone else. We really wanted to capture Chris in his element . I mean, what he does to himself live is intense, and his lyrics are brilliant .”

See REBEL on Page 7

‘Avatar’ sparks racial controversy, discussion The Associated Press Near the end of the hit film “Avatar,” the villain snarls at the hero, “How does it feel to betray your own race?” Both men are white — although the hero is inhabiting a blue-skinned, 9-foot-tall, long-tailed alien.

Strange as it may seem for a film that pits greedy, immoral humans against noble denizens of a faraway moon, “Avatar” is being criticized by a small but vocal group of people who allege it contains racist themes — the white hero once again saving the primitive natives.

Since the film opened to widespread critical acclaim three weeks ago, hundreds of blog posts, newspaper articles, tweets and YouTube videos have made claims such as that the film is “a fantasy about race told from the point of view of white people” and reinforces “the white Messiah fable.”

The film’s writer and director, James Cameron, says the real theme is about respecting others’ differences.

In the film (read no further if you don’t want to spoil the plot) a white, paralyzed Marine, Jake Sully, is mentally linked to an alien’s body and set loose on the planet Pandora. His mission: persuade the mystic, nature-loving Na’vi to make way for humans to mine their land for unobtanium, worth $20 million per kilo back home.

Like Kevin Costner in “Dances with Wolves” and Tom Cruise in “The Last Samurai” or as far back as Jimmy Stewart in the 1950 Western “Broken Arrow,” Sully finds his allegiances soon change. He falls in love with the Na’vi princess and leads the bird-riding, bowand-arrow-shooting aliens to victory over the white men’s spaceships and megarobots.

Adding to the racial dynamic is that the main Na’vi characters are played by actors of color, led by a Dominican, Zoe Saldana, as the princess. The film also is an obvious metaphor for how European settlers in America wiped out the Indians.

Robinne Lee, an actress in such recent films as “Seven Pounds” and “Hotel for Dogs,” said that “Avatar” was “beautiful” and that she understood the economic logic of casting a white lead if most of the audience is white.

But she said the film, which remained No. 1 at the box office domestically for the fourth straight weekend with $48.5 million and is second among all-time topgrossing films worldwide, still reminded her of Hollywood’s “Pocahontas” story — “the Indian woman leads the white man into the wilderness, and he learns the way of the people and becomes the savior.”

“It’s really upsetting in many ways,” said Lee, who is black with Jamaican and Chinese ancestry. “It would be nice if we could save ourselves.”

See AVATAR on Page 7

Thursday, January 14, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT

AVATAR continued from Page 6 Annalee Newitz, editorin-chief of the sci-fi Web site io9.com, likened “Avatar” to the recent film “District 9,” in which a white man accidentally becomes an alien and then helps save the aliens, and 1984’s “Dune,” in which a white man becomes an alien Messiah.

“Main white characters realize that they are complicit in a system which is destroying aliens, AKA people of color ... (then) go beyond assimilation and become leaders of the people they once oppressed,” wrote Newitz, who is white.

“When will whites stop making these movies and start thinking about race in a new way?”

Black film professor and author Donald Bogle said he can understand why people would be troubled by “Avatar,” although he praised it as a “stunning ” work.

“A segment of the audience is carrying in the back of its head some sense of movie history,” said Bogle, author of “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films.”

Bogle stopped short, however, of calling the movie racist.

“It’s a film with still a certain kind of distortion,” he said. “It’s a movie that hasn’t yet freed itself of old Hollywood traditions, old formulas.”

Writer/director Cameron, who is white,

The Daily Beacon • 7

said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that his film “asks us to open our eyes and truly see others, respecting them even though they are different, in the hope that we may find a way to prevent conflict and live more harmoniously on this world. I hardly think that is a racist message.”

There are many ways to interpret the art that is “Avatar.”

What does it mean that in the final, sequel-begging scene, Sully abandons his human body and transforms into one of the Na’vi? Is Saldana’s Na’vi character the real heroine because she, not Sully, kills the arch-villain?

Does it matter that many conservatives are riled by what they call liberal environmental and antimilitary messages?

Is Cameron actually exposing the historical evils of white colonizers?

Does the existence of an alien species expose the reality that all humans are actually one race?

Although the “Avatar” debate springs from Hollywood’s historical difficulties with race, Will Smith recently saved the planet in “I Am Legend,” and Denzel Washington appears ready to do the same in the forthcoming “Book of Eli.” Bogle, the film historian, said that he was glad Cameron made the film and that it made people think about race.

“Maybe there is something he does want to say and put across” about race, Bogle said. “Maybe if he had a black hero in there, that point would have been even stronger.”

REBEL continued from Page 6 The movie follows the band’s progress over two years, and primarily centers on the life struggles of eccentric frontman Scum.

The footage in the trailer alone is enough to suggest that the film will be a depraved thrillride into the minds of an extraordinary group of men struggling to present their art to the American South. Illicit drug use, dysfunctional families, religious beliefs and violence are all tackled in this candid view of the band.

“I’m a little nervous about it because I haven’t seen the film in its entirety yet,” Scum said about exposing his life to the public. “I don’t remember a lot of what I said or did during the filming of the movie.”

“There were definitely some tense moments during filming,” Percarpio added about the filming process. “We told the band from day one this was going to be a no-holds-barred documentary, and what we ended up with was an intense portrait of the rock-’n’-roll lifestyle,” The film uses footage of the band while at home in Knoxville and on the road during live performances.

“Topsiders and suburbanites may not be able to handle the film,” Percarpio said. “I mean, this is south Knoxville at its most raw and extreme. People may not love the Dirty Works after they see the film, but they will at least understand who they are on some level.”

The Dirty Works will continue to tour and record music in the coming year to support the release of the movie.

“It would be nice to tour a little bit with the movie and play some live shows,” Scum said about future plans with the Dirty Works.

For more information about the band, visit The Dirty Works’ Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/dirtyworks.

• Photo courtesy of Rottentomatoes.com

Avatar, a film produced by James Cameron, is a story of an ex-Marine torn between two worlds. It was released December 18th, 2009 and is currently the second-highest grossing film of all time.

8 • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, January 14, 2010

SPORTS

Lady Vols back to winning ways David Wells Staff Writer At this point in the season, Pat Summitt isn’t surprised by the Lady Vols’ 14-1 record and No. 4 ranking.

But the long-time head coach fundamentally believes that a coach should not go into a season expecting a team to perform a certain way but demanding the best out of that team.

She insists it is just her job.

“My job is to get the absolute best that this team has,” Summitt said.

Since the fall semester ended, the Lady Vols may not have surprised their coach, but they have played a stretch of nine games, winning all but one.

That loss came on Dec. 19, when the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal handed UT a 67-52 defeat.

Up until that point, the Lady Vols had climbed up the rankings from No. 6 to No. 3, thanks in part to wins against rivals Texas at home on Dec. 6 and Rutgers on Dec. 13 at Madison Square Garden.

Then came the Stanford game.

Junior guard Angie Bjorklund said defensive rebounding has been a key point Summitt has stressed all season.

With the Cardinal dominating the defensive glass 30-22 in that game, the need to attack the boards became more apparent.

In its next game against a ranked opponent, UT outrebounded No. 14 Oklahoma 48-31 in a 96-75 home victory on Jan. 3.

Yet the boards weren’t the only point of emphasis over the break.

Sophomore Shekinna Stricklen posted the Lady Vols’ second triple double of all time against the Sooners in a game that she said

she didn’t start off well.

“When (Summitt) took me out, she told me I wasn’t playing like a point guard and that I needed to step my game up to another level,” Stricklen said after the game. “I just said, ‘Yes, ma’am,’ and I responded.”

UT also began its conference play, going 2-0 with wins over South Carolina and Mississippi State the week before classes.

Sophomore Glory Johnson had a double-double in the 75-48 win in Starkville, Miss., to preserve a 31-0 all-time record against the Bulldogs, while Bjorklund and Stricklen scored a combined 44 points in the 79-62 victory over the Gamecocks.

The two wins came with reduced minutes from center Kelley Cain.

Cain, who redshirted her freshman year due to injury, has battled knee troubles all season.

Since late last season, injuries have cut into UT’s once-deep roster, which lists 13 players. Over the summer, sophomore Amber Gray had a brain aneurism during surgery on her rotator cuff and is out for the year recovering.

Meanwhile, freshman Faith Dupree decided to redshirt this year after suffering from back problems early in the season. And last month, junior Vicki Baugh decided to sit out the year so she could recover from her second ACL injury in a calendar year.

Injuries aside, Summitt believes that her team is strong.

“More assists, the ball doesn’t get stuck each other’s hands as much. I think they just have a lot more confidence in each other,” she said. “Obviously you see a difference in that area.”

UT will play its first game of the spring semester against Florida in Gainesville on Thursday.

Hayley DeBusk • The Daily Beacon

Sophomore Shekinna Stricklen drives to the basket in one of the Lady Vols recent games.

Stricklen recorded the program’s second ever triple-double earlier this season.

Shorthanded Vols flourish in new roles Matt Dixon Staff Writer After upsetting previously unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Kansas in Thompson Boling Arena on Sunday, head coach Bruce Pearl’s undermanned Volunteer squad begins SEC conference play Thursday night at home against Auburn.

The No. 9-ranked Vols played the Jayhawks with only nine players, including three walk-ons, and must do the same against the Tigers. After practice on Tuesday, Pearl addressed the situations of center Brian Williams and guards Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins.

“They are (all three) suspended indefinitely and when we get more information, we will make the adjustments (to our roster),” Pearl said. “Brian, Cameron and Melvin will all be starting classes with everyone (Wednesday).”

The contest against Kansas saw point guard Bobby Maze have the best day of his Tennessee career. The senior scored 16 points with eight assists and seven rebounds to go along with defending the

Jayhawks’ All-American point guard Sherron Collins. “(With) the team we have now, Coach (Pearl) looks for me to score more, and I’m one of those players that can get to the basket and make things happen,” Maze said after practice Tuesday.

Even with the success on Sunday, Maze said the team was ready to get back to work, even staying to shoot around the gym for an extra hour and a half on Monday following a team weightlifting session. “(My teammates) are not satisfied (with the Kansas win),” he said. “We’ve moved on, and that win doesn’t mean (anything) if we lose at home against Auburn.”

Senior Wayne Chism has emerged as one of the team’s leaders both in games and in practice and added that the team’s chemistry is vital to the success of the program. “(Our) team chemistry is good,” Chism said. “We are staying together, and if we don’t, we are going to have rough games.”

After being in foul trouble for much

of the Kansas game, Chism said his plan was to play with the same intensity under the basket that he has always played with.

“Sometimes I get that (foul called), and it’s going to happen, so I can’t get mad,” Chism said. “... I’ve got that speech (about getting in foul trouble from the coaches) a hundred times, and there’s nothing new they’re going to tell me, so they don’t give it to me anymore.”

With the depleted roster, the Vols will rely on a balanced scoring attack and try to find a way to match the intensity it had for the Kansas game. Younger players like sophomore Renaldo Woolridge and freshman Kenny Hall will be asked to play more minutes than earlier in the season.

Maze was optimistic about the 12-2 Vols, heading into the SEC schedule.

“Each game that we play together, we’ll continue to get better and better, and just not being satisfied with what happened last game (will be) the key to success this season,” Maze said.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

THESPORTSPAGE

Kiffin slithers to Southern Cal Brad Merritt Sports Editor

By now, unless they are dead or drunk in a ditch somewhere, everyone knows Lane Kiffin has bolted for Southern Cal. What they may not know is just how quickly Kiffin has become public enemy No. 1 in Knoxville.

As news leaked out on the ESPN wire around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night, the UT campus quickly escalated into riot mode, and campus police, many of whom are Vols fans, had no intention of stopping it.

Around 1,000 students gathered outside the football complex, burning the Kiffin promotional “It’s Time” T-shirts in the street, setting a mattress ablaze and blocking the exit of the Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex, requiring Kiffin to be escorted out by the police, leaving his luxury car parked in the staff lot outside the building.

During that time, a group of UT players began to lash out against their former coach proclaiming, “It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol.” and “We are Tennessee. We don’t need Lane Kiffin.” They were understandably angry, in shock and looking for answers. Most of all, they were defiant. Tennessee is a proud program, one steeped in tradition, and they scoffed at the notion that Kiffin was the key to the program’s revival. Tennessee defensive end Ben Martin started cheers of “Bring back Phil” in reference to former coach Phillip Fulmer.

The biggest shock, though, was from USC’s end. Many wondered aloud why a program that just experienced one of the greatest nine-year runs in college football history would hire a man with a combined 12-20 record over the last three years at Oakland and UT respectively. They understood the interest on Kiffin’s end. After all, he’s a west coast guy with a west coast wife, but why, they wondered, would USC go that direction when so many proven candidates were out there?

In the end, the answer is likely the same as when UT hired him: bloodlines. By hiring Kiffin as the young brash figurehead, they get defensive guru Monte Kiffin and recruiting ace Ed Orgeron as well. That’s the type of package deal that will get an underqualified coach a job.

But in the end, Vol fans simply hope they laugh last. They see Kiffin as little more than a snake in the grass, a liar and a program wrecking ball. With the possibility of NCAA sanctions coming down the pike in Los Angeles, they would like to see nothing more than for Kiffin to get his comeuppance. At the very least, they know they take solace in the mark they’ve left on the Kiffin family. As Kiffin slithers his way towards the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, he’s doing so with a year-old son named Knox.

The next step: Following Mike Hamilton’s 1 p.m. press conference Wednesday, it was clear he would have a new coach in place in short order. With the NCAA-mandated quiet period ending on Sunday, Hamilton said that is the absolute latest they would have a new coach in place. Rumors are swirling around of a substantial offer being made to Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, and just as many rumors are flying around as to whether or not Muschamp has any interest in the job. He is clearly the Vols’ first choice, but look for the Vols to move quickly. Other possibilities, no matter how remote they may be, include Bob Stoops from Oklahoma, Troy Calhoun at Air Force, Doug Marrone at Syracuse, and former offensive coordinator and current Duke head coach David Cutcliffe.

The Daily Beacon • 9

HAMILTON continued from Page 1 ESPN reported Tuesday that former head coach Phillip Fulmer was contacted by UT to replace Mike Hamilton, but Hamilton denied any contact with Fulmer. Hamilton also refuted the idea of re-hiring Fulmer as head coach.

After Kiffin’s resignation on Tuesday night, close to 1,000 students rioted outside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex. Though Hamilton did not witness the events, he said he understands the students’ anger.

“I’m very disappointed right now for our student athletes and for our fans that we are having to be here having this discussion,” Hamilton said.

“Heck, I might have been out there with them if I were here.”

Asked to describe Lane Kiffin’s overall tenure at Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon Tennessee, Hamilton was Interim football head coach Kippy Brown spoke quick to answer.

Wednesday afternoon about the team and the “Brief,” Hamilton said recruits. Brown said that its the fan base, the institution, and the players that makes UT special.

10 • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, January 14, 2010