Issue 22, Volume 121
Friday, September 21, 2012
UT welcomes parents this weekend David Cobb Assistant News Editor
Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon
Clayton Bennett, freshman in mechanical engineering, contemplates his next move in a game of chess on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011. As part of the Family Weekend, UT Parents Association will host a tailgate party in Circle Park this Saturday.
Unique comic to appear at Bijou Victoria Wright Arts and Culture Editor Building her comedy partly from a passion for her art and partly from her mother’s humor, Margaret Cho has created a style all her own. She plans to use that style when she visits Knoxville tonight to perform her candid show, “MOTHER.” Known for her brass sense of humor, Cho doesn’t plan to hold back at the show. “It’s really dirty jokes and things that can’t be repeated anywhere,” Cho said. “(It’s) something that’s dangerous and not something that you can see anywhere. It’s well-written, but it’s raunchy.” Born in San Franscisco to Korean parents, Cho said her relationship with them has transformed as she’s grown older. “I think parents in general really become more of your friends as you grow older,” Cho said. “They become less of an authority figure.” Cho started in the comedy scene roaming the college circuit in the early 1990s, and was soon nominated for “Campus Comedian of the Year.” As her career progressed, Cho took her jokes from the stage to the screen, starring her 2008 VH1 television series “The Cho Show”, and most recently on the Lifetime series “Drop Dead Diva” as Teri Lee. “I think they’re both great. I really enjoy working in both,” she said. “It’s wonderful to be able to do comedy. It’s all great.”
Throughout her years as an entertainer, Cho remained loyal to her raw comedic style. In an industry where the majority of comedians dishing out raunchy jokes are men, Cho stands apart for her no apologies jokes. “I’ve just always wanted to do comedy as an art form. It’s something that I’ve always enjoyed,” Cho said. “I guess it doesn’t matter to me what people are saying. I would rather just be a good comic. I think it’s important just to be a good comic. I think that kind of transcends any ideas about women and what people think they should (be).” “MOTHER” will focus heavily on views of strong women within the gay community, as well as other aspects of popular culture. The argument of legalizing gay marriage has been a focal point in the U.S., and Cho doesn’t plan to stray from the sensitive subject. “I think (gay marriage) is really important for equal rights,” she said. “That’s my (complete) take on everything as it relates to marriage equality.” Hannah LaPrise, senior in global studies, said she enjoys how Cho advocates for gay rights without seeming overbearing. “I like that she’s made it a part of who she is, how she cares like that, and how she makes it part of her persona,” LaPrise said. “She’s made it pretty non-threatening because she is a comedian.” Tomorrow not being her first time in Knoxville, Cho plans to alleviate some nostalgia by eating at The Tomato Head in Market Square. “I'm really excited to come back there,” she said. “MOTHER” starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Bijou Theater. Tickets for the show are $25 plus applicable fees and can be purchased at www.knoxbijou.com.
If you walked by Circle Park Thursday and saw the gargantuan white tent going up, you might have thought “College GameDay” was back on campus. Saturday’s Tennessee vs. Akron football game doesn’t make for an appealing weekend in ESPN’s eyes, but it is enough for a slew of parents to descend on UT’s campus for the Parents Association’s Fall Family Weekend. Parents Association Director Emily Parker said this weekend was strategically selected with the help of the UT athletic department as one where enough football tickets would be available to accommodate the approximate 4,000 family weekend participants. “We think it’s really important that parents do have the opportunity to come to campus and visit with their students, see what’s going on around campus and just spend time with them in the university environment,” Parker said. “That’s what we strive to do.” Families will check in at the Black Cultural Center between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. on Friday and then will have the chance to participate in a variety of activities, including Fall Fest, a street fair on Pedestrian Walkway. “That’s really an opportunity to showcase the colleges and student organizations to parents and students,” Parker said. “They can see what activities and research the colleges might be doing or what student organizations like the Visual Arts Committee do. It’s a chance for those student groups to promote themselves and really engage parents and students with what’s going on around campus.” Friday’s festivities will be capped with a concert by Nashvillebased recording artist Ben Rector at the Humanities Ampitheatre, an event that Parker suspects will draw at least 1,000 spectators. “Last year, our parent evaluation results from family weekend showed that they really wanted a concert to attend with their students so we said, ‘okay,’” Parker said. “We talked to the students on the Campus Entertainment Board and told them to bring whichever artist they thought would appeal to both parents and students, and they selected Ben Rector.” Prior to Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff, participating families will enjoy a tailgate and silent auction in Circle Park, as well as a chance to interact with UT administrators. The tailgate is a zerowaste event, meaning all materials are 100% recyclable and any food scraps will be composted. “That’s an opportunity for parents and students to have a place to hang out, enjoy good food, entertainment and shop at the auction,” Parker said. “They’ll be able to talk to Chancellor (Jimmy Cheek), the Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Student Life’s staff, and get to mingle with everyone on campus in a relaxed atmosphere before heading over to the ball game.” Cheek will address the crowd at the tailgate. During a meeting with Student Government Association representatives on Wednesday, he commented on the significance of the Parents Association. “I’ve been at three universities now in my professional career and by far this is the best parents association I’ve ever seen,” Cheek said. “To get 4,000 here on a weekend, it’s just a phenomenal number of parents.” The last official event of the weekend will be a Sunday morning brunch at Presidential Court Café. Tickets are $5 in advance through the family weekend registration system. “We know that students do really well if they have that parental support,” Parker said. “So just giving them an opportunity to spend time on campus, and do all the activities that are planned for them, I think that’s pretty unique.”
Study abroad fair Wednesday Staff Report While most students at UT took trips to beaches in Florida or South Carolina last spring, Mackenzie Higgins saw two of the Seven Wonders of the World. Higgins, a senior in global studies and Spanish, was studying at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in her free time, visited Machu Picchu and Iguazú Falls. She also traveled to Chile and Peru, as well as San Martin de los Andes, Mendoza, and San Luis in Argentina. When she wasn’t in class or traveling, she ate a lot of empanadas and watched a lot of soccer. She said her study abroad experience was wonderful and said speaking Spanish every day improved her ability to communicate abroad. This semester, Higgins is back at UT and working as a peer advisor in the Programs Abroad Office. She and other peer advisors will be avail-
INSIDE THE DAILY BEACON Page 2 . . . . . . . . In Short Page 3 . . . . . . . . . . . News Page 4 . . . . . . . . . Opinion Page 5 . . . . Arts & Culture Page 6 . . . . . . . . . Sports Page 7 . . . . . . . . Sports Page 8 . . . . . . . . . . .Sports
Mostly Sunny 10% chance of rain
83
65
able to talk about their experiences at the Fall 2012 Study Abroad Fair. The fair will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26 in the University Center Ballroom. Interested students can learn about semester-long, year-long, summer and mini-term study abroad programs. There also will be information about summer internships. Students who have studied abroad and faculty members who lead summer and miniterm programs will be on hand to answer questions. Students can find out more about scholarships and how to use financial aid for a study abroad program. Finalists’ photos in the Programs Abroad Office photography contest will be on display, and students can vote for their favorites. Past years’ winners can be seen in the Photo Gallery at studyabroad.utk.edu. Students can also visit with peer advisors anytime to learn more about studying abroad. They are available from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the Programs Abroad Office resource room. Daily informational meetings are held at 2:00 p.m.
Passion Pit returns to Knoxville page 5
File Photo• The Daily Beacon
A brochure stands on display during the Study Abroad Fair in 2009. Interested students can attend the next Study Abroad Fair on Sept. 26 in the University Center Ballroom, or attend daily informative meetings at the Study Abroad Office.
The Daily Beacon is printed using soy based ink on newsprint containing recycled content, utilizing renewable sources and produced in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner.
utdailybeacon.com