At precisely 7:14 p.m. Saturday, the coronation of Memphis’ best steppers begins.

The Delta Nu chapter of Phi Beta Sigma at The University of Memphis will host their annual “Kings of Memphis Stepshow” in the Michael D. Rose Theatre in which National Pan-Hellenic Council Greeks vie to claim the title of best overall step team, best sorority team and best fraternity team.

The teams battle not only for bragging rights, but for thou-sands in prize money — best

overall step team wins $2,000 and best fraternity and soror-ity teams win $1,000 each.

Johnny McGee, 2010 UM and Sigma alumnus, said the two and a half hour event is sure to be filled with excitement.

“We have new surprise entries this year that are bound to excite the crowd,” said McGhee, who is returning to campus for the event.

McGhee said the step show is normally in the Elma Neal Roane Field House, but he believes the move to Rose Theatre will raise the level of competition.

“You can use the projector

in the Rose, which is a good thing because using videos in step shows has become more common these days,” he said.

Even though the theater ’s capacity is smaller than the field house, Herschal McCathern, junior market-ing major, Sigma member and coordinator for the event, said he thinks there will be more energy in the room.

McCathern said Kings of Memphis is a long standing Delta Nu tradition that helps bridge the gap between U of M Greeks, Greeks at other schools

Sherman Jackson, 25, was arrested on charges of stalking, aggravated criminal trespass-ing and vio-lation of bail c o n d i t i o n s We d n e s d a y following a c o m p l a i n t made by a U n i v e r s i t y of Memphis s t u d e n t , S h a n i n a Rivera, that he approached her around 10:30 a.m. after her class in the lobby of Mitchell Hall.

According to an affidavit from campus police, Rivera said Jackson, her ex-boyfriend and father of her child, insisted on speaking with her to tell her that he would be going to court Thursday and subse-quently to jail.

Jackson, who is not a stu-dent at The U of M, is being held on a $25,000 bond and is due in court March 10.

Five days prior, Jackson was arrested after Rivera’s sister told police he ripped Rivera’s shirt and tried to punch her after arriving at her home uninvited.

According to a Memphis Police Department affidavit dated Sept. 15, 2010, a motor-ist called 911 to report that a man, Jackson, was chasing a woman, Rivera, on foot near Union Avenue and Belvedere after abandoning a black Acura vehicle.

When police arrived, Rivera told them Jackson picked her up from The U of M to take her Downtown, and when she refused his sexual advances and a request to take her to a hotel, he grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the center console of the vehicle, bruising her forehead.

Rivera said Jackson then pushed her out of the vehi-cle and threw her purse into a nearby bush, the affidavit continued. When she tried to get her purse, Jackson start-ed chasing her. At the time, Rivera and Jackson had been in a relationship for three years, and their daughter was 1 year old.

Charges on file involving Rivera and Jackson date back to Feb. 15, 2010.

DailyHelmsman

Vol. 78 No. 086The

Independent Student Newspaper of The University of Memphis www.dailyhelmsman.com

Friday, February 25, 2011

Not all Tigers feel their money is spent well on the Student Athletic Fee

see page 3

Student Seating’s Other Side

Miss Tennessee could be at this University Man stalking UM student arrested, charged

For University of Memphis junior Kyndall Covington and three of her classmates, beau-ty is in the eyes of a panel of judges.

“Competing is tough and puts a lot on you,” she said of her experiences in local beauty pageants. “Because not only are you expected to stand on stage and look pretty, but you have to be smart, talented and so many things wrapped in to one. In the pag-

eant world they call you ‘the total package.’”Covington, a broadcast journalism major,

Leah Bolton, sophomore broadcast journal-ism major, Erin Hatley, junior marketing management major, and Ivy Depew, junior sociology major, are all victors of local pag-eants and will compete in the Miss Tennessee America pageant in June.

Competing in pageants is difficult, but can be very rewarding, said Bolton, winner of the Miss Scenic City pageant.

“Pageant life is different for sure. I don’t

think it’s exactly what everyone makes it out to be,” Bolton said. “I think the media kind of takes it and runs with it. I think pageant life gets a really bad rap.”

According to the Miss Tennessee America website, contestants must have a high school diploma, be a resident of Tennessee for six months, no younger than 17 at the time of local competition or older than 24 by Dec. 31, 2010, and must be a female who hasn’t been

BY Chris DanielsNews Reporter

see Miss TN, page 7

Gimme shelter

Severe weather that struck the Mid-South caused some classes at The University of Memphis to end early Thursday evening, with professors and students alike seeking shelter in basements and bathrooms across campus. Residents of Richardson Towers were evacuated from the building and had to brave strong winds and driving rain during the storm. With a tornado warning issued for the area, a TigerText warning recipients to take cover was sent out for The U of M’s Millington Center and Carrier Center.

BY Chelsea BoozerNews Reporter

by C

asey

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er

Greeks step up for Kings of MemphisBY TiMBerlY MooreNews Reporter

Steppers perform a dance at Kings of Memphis 2010.see sTep, page 4

Jackson

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Crime

Campus Activities

www.dailyhelmsman.com2 • Friday, February 25, 2011

Across1 Rigged support5 Curve of a cabriole leg9 Sheet of stamps13 “So that’s how it’s going to be”14 Anago and unagi15 An amulet may ward it off, purportedly16 Move from Crystal to Caesar’s?19 Danish poker star Gus20 Curling surface21 Texter’s “Heavens!”23 Oscar night figure24 Small, vocal bird26 __ market27 Cliff, Carlos and Derrek of baseball28 Antelope of questionable virtue?30 Mag wheels?31 Pound output32 Has a powerful desire (for)33 “Another regulation, sorry to say”?36 Gait between walk and canter39 Wine Train valley40 MoveOn.org, e.g.: Abbr.43 Greengrocer’s grab bags?46 Hole maker47 Mongol sovereign48 Trap, in a way49 “Cheers” waitress50 Sixth rock from the sun: Abbr.51 Rye go-with52 Repartee53 1997 Kevin Spacey film, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme57 Lowdown58 “Exodus” novelist59 Compass __60 Riding61 Took off62 Dot and Flik, in “A Bug’s Life”

Down1 “Glee” star Lea __2 Embarrassed3 Medium settings4 Time indicators of a sort

5 Gung-ho6 Rebirth prefix7 “The Silmarillion” being8 Uses binoculars, say9 Athlete dubbed “O Rei do Futebol”10 Gardner of “Mayerling”11 French president Sarkozy12 Gold or silver17 “Hmm ...”18 Embarrassing marks22 Roams24 Troubles25 Jennifer Crusie’s genre26 Obstacle for Santa?28 Mauna __29 2004 Anne Hathaway title role31 Responded in court33 King of comedy

34 Shed tool35 Adds to36 Sets a price37 Jackson dubbed “Queen of Gospel”38 Sticking out40 Helping41 In any case42 River to Boston Harbor44 Seven-time N.L. batting champ Musial45 Two or three bags of groceries, say46 Transforming syllable49 Lockup51 Stud alternative52 As good as it gets54 Corp. exec55 Fury56 “What’s the __?”

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The University of Memphis The Daily Helmsman

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Contact Information

Volume 78 Number 086

YoU reallY liKe Us!Yesterday’s Top-Read Stories

on the Web1. Dearth of devotion

by John Martin

2. Be all that UConn beby Michelle Corbet

3. Facebook accomodates LGBT usersby Erica Horton

4. Students’ excuses are inexcusableby John Martin

5. Haslam rolls out HOPEful legislationby Chris Daniels

TIGER BABBLEthoughts that give you paws

“Memphis saw more action with severe weather this eve-ning than Lindsay Lohan’s police blotter.”

— @JessieWilks

“Hey U of M, I can tell there’s a tornado warning by the constant sirens and heavy winds. You don’t have to keep texting me.”

— @lwelyk

“Do you ever make up a hashtag and search it just to see if you’re the first? #operationrepoinPJswithabudlight”

— @danielmangrum

“Great story on the lacrosse issue. Hopefully people will realize our struggles and may realize we have a team.”

— @bceolla

“Why is it U of M closes for snow but not for potentially deadly tornadoes?”

— @tardis_lizard

Tell us what gives you paws. Send us your thoughts on Twitter

@dailyhelmsman or #tigerbabble. Or post on our Facebook wall at facebook.com/dailyhelmsman.

Solutions on page 11

Complete the grid so that each row, column and 3—by—3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

Sudoku

In the Feb. 23 article “Gov. Haslam rolls out HOPEful summer scholarship legislation,” we incorrectly stated that the HOPE scholarship allows each student $4,000 per semester. The scholar-ship actually allows $4,000 per year.

In the Feb. 24 article “Barton hospitalized,” we incorrectly referred to UTEP as the University of Temple at El Paso. The cor-rect school name is the University of Texas at El Paso.

CorreCTions

send us a letter

Have opinions? Care to share?

dailyhelmsman@gmail.com

The University of Memphis Friday, February 25, 2011 • 3

TONIGHTFriday Film Series

“For Colored Girls”

7 p.m. • UC Theatre

Coming UpTomorrow, 2/26

SAC Cinema“Despicable Me”

2 p.m.UC Theatre

FOR COLORED GIRLS

TONIGHT7 p.m.

UC Theatre

Rated R

Please excuse my disaffect-ed stare.

I have never taken advan-tage of the free basketball tickets that The University of Memphis athletic department provides for students.

I have never watched a com-plete Tiger basketball game. (I did catch the second half of the 2008 national champion-ship game, but I can’t say I did so intentionally.)

I have never worn any University clothing or pur-chased any memorabilia.

I have never painted my face in blue and gray, cheered loudly for the home team or felt any real emotion for Tiger sports.

In fact, I just found out while writing this editorial that our colors were not, as I have sus-pected for several years, blue and white.

But don’t take it the wrong

way, Tiger fans. I’ve never been to a college sporting event in my life — I employ my apathy for sports and school spirit on an equal-opportunity basis.

So if athletic director R.C. Johnson ever finds it prudent to cut the size of the student section, whether for fiscal or public relations reasons, I have no problem with that.

Well, I might have one.Non-negotiable student

fees subsidize over 23 percent of the athletic department’s budget.

Each semester, all U of M students registered for six or more hours must pay $225, the full-time cost of the Student Athletic Fee, on top of sundry general access fees, the student activity fee, the debt service fee and the facility fee.

Combined, these program service fees total $606 per semester, so the athletic fee comprises more than 37 per-cent of the sum.

I can think of hundreds of

better ways I could spend the athletic fees I’ve paid over the years, not to mention what some of The University’s other departments could do with the $7.4 million students contrib-ute to the athletics budget.

My sentiments about these mandatory expenses are not far from my feelings on taxes. I get it — they’re unavoidable, and there’s not a whole hell of a lot I can do to change that. But if I could earmark my tax payments to stay out of the military budget, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Of course, comparing sports to war isn’t quite fair, except perhaps from a philosophical or anthropological standpoint, but I don’t care for either one and have never professed otherwise.

The U of M didn’t ask about my enthusiasm for basketball when I enrolled. That’s not why I’m here. My purposes at this University are entirely academic and professional.

Why then, at a commuter school, was there ever any assumption that we would all share this passion? Why must the experience of sitting on bleachers — or molded plastic buck-et seats, or whatever the F e d E x F o r u m holds inside — in a hot, crowded, loud arena define the universal college experience?

I don’t intend to belittle the many stu-dents who do enjoy all that the athletic depart-ment has to offer or suggest that my out-side interests are somehow more valid. I wouldn’t ask that the department be obliterated just because it’s not relevant to my everyday life.

U of M sporting events bring home the bacon. They generate revenue. They grab attention. They fill the hearts of many Memphians with joy. That mine is generally not

a m o n g those hearts doesn’t

matter.But it does matter

that the athletic depart-ment sometimes func-

tions like an island — not entirely unlike the kind to

which wealthy executives often fly to avoid the long

arm of the IRS.The department even main-

tains the rights to much of what seems to define “school spirit.” Club and intramural teams are barred from repre-senting the school or using The University’s logos, as was The Daily Helmsman when the edi-torial staff sought to incorpo-rate the familiar, ever-present leaping tiger into the flag that runs across the top of the paper.

If the athletic department is such a great moneymaker, I’m not sure I see why we’re paying for them. After all, it sounds like they’ve got a great business model.

So, Mr. Johnson, if we’re not using as many of our seats as you’d like, by all means — make every penny you can from them. Work with the Student Government Association to redefine the way we handle student tick-ets, and eliminate the student section altogether if enough students want the option of sitting with friends. Hire seat-fillers, or reorganize the chart, or do whatever is necessary to make us look better on ESPN. It really doesn’t make a differ-ence to me.

But if you sell that seat you “saved” for me before you even bothered to ask if I would use it, I fully expect a refund.

Opinion

BY aMY BarneTTeCopy and Design Chief

Smells like mean spirit

www.dailyhelmsman.com4 • Friday, February 25, 2011

Instead of going away for Spring Break, 11 University of Memphis students have opted for a “stay-cat-ion,” during which they’ll volunteer in Memphis and explore the city.

Students participating in the Alternative Spring Break Stay-cation, sponsored by the stu-dent involvement office, will join the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association in citywide service projects March 7-9.

Angela Norwood, coordinator of student activities and staff leader of the alternative break, said students will be working on three MIFA proj-ects during the break: volunteering with food delivery service Meals on Wheels, helping with neighbor-hood cleanup in the Vance area of South Memphis, and volunteering at senior citizens’ homes.

“We are working on some components that would truly make it feel like a stay-cation by trying to organize an outing or two to Memphis attractions,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t take advantage of what’s right in our backyard.”

After volunteering, other activi-ties may include bowling, a trip to the zoo or touring Victorian Village.

Aretha Crowder, senior journal-ism major, said she is stay-cation-ing because she likes to volunteer.

“I can benefit from participat-ing in the stay-cation through the opportunity to network with other students while giving back to the local community,” she said.

This is the first year the student involvement office has offered an in-city Alternative Spring Break. Outside Memphis, the 2011 Alternative Spring Break will be held March 5-12 in New Orleans, where students will work for Habitat for Humanity.

A record 52 students applied to travel to New Orleans, though due to housing limitations, only 14 stu-dents could be accepted. Others who applied were asked to partici-pate in the stay-cation.

“Our applicant pool was an out-

standing group of students who were all committed to doing service over spring break,” Norwood said. “The thought was that we could still give students a great opportuni-ty and provide some much-needed service right here in Memphis.”

The Helen Hardin Honors program is also offering an alter-native spring break to students.

Colton Cockrum, assistant director of the program, sent an e-mail Thursday about an opportunity to work with Living Lands and Waters, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to clean up the Mississippi River and surrounding tributaries.

Students can work with Living Lands and Waters on March 7 and 8 by boarding their barge at 9 a.m. and working until 4 p.m. with a lunch break included. Contact Cockrum by March 1.

The New Olivet Baptist Church

3084 Southern AvenueMemphis, TN 38111

901-454-7777www.olivetbc.com

I am a senior at the University of Memphis where my major is Social Work. TNOBC is the place for me because it’s where I come and collect my thoughts.

~Erica Woodson

Call us for a ride from campus!(and its adjacent areas)

Pi Beta Phi presents

Karaoke Night

Sunday, Feb. 277 p.m.

Rose Theatre

Admission$7 in advance (from any Pi Phi)

$10 @ the door

Proceeds benefit First Book, a non-profit organization that helps promote literacy

among young children

Candidacy Forms Are Now Availablefor

Student Government Association Election

Download forms and petitions at:www.memphis.edu/sga

Submit completed forms to UC Room 214By Monday, Feb. 28 @ 4:30 p.m.

Attend an Information Session in UC 214TODAY @ 10 a.m. or

Monday, Feb. 28 @ 3 p.m.

For more information, check out our Facebook group“I Want to be a SGA Senator 2011”

General Requirements• 2.0 cumulative GPA• 6 completed credit hours at U of M• Current course load of at least 6 hours• Completed Candidacy Form & Petition

PhilanthropyStudents stay to serve over spring breakBY Chelsea BoozerNews Reporter

and those who have graduated.The Sigmas said that this

year they are going to evolve that bridge by including some “surprise guests” and educa-tional aspects.

“We are going to have vendors selling T-shirts and stuff as well as an HIV table,” McCathern said.

Tickets for the show cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

The show’s emcee is a come-dian who is also a member of NPHC fraternity Omega Psi Phi there. Nine judges representing the ‘divine nine’ — all NPHC fraternities and sororities — will determine the winners.

Adrienne Hughes, a guest judge and first vice presi-dent of the Memphis gradu-ate chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., said that she is looking for quite a few things in the competing teams.

“The show actually has to have stepping in it,” said Hughes. “Recently teams have been doing a lot of dancing and leaving stepping out of their shows.”

She said that though step-ping is a big deal to her, she’s also looking for a team that has the “total package.”

“I also look for precision and I love facial expressions,” said Hughes. “I love it if I feel like they are having a good time and putting their all into it.”

She said she also looks for a theme that connects the whole show together and would like to see that theme in everything they do, from their body lan-guage all the way to the props they use.

Hughes hopes to see creativ-ity too, she said.

“I want to see something unique and difficult that will wow me in the routines — something that everybody can’t do,” Hughes said.

sTepfrom page 1

University of Memphis graduate student Merci Decker is helping students better understand the recent happenings in Egypt at tonight’s lecture, “From Cairo 2 Memphis.”

Sponsored by the Memphis International Sol idari ty Committee , the event will be held at Memphis College of Art’s Callicott Auditorium at 6 p.m. Decker is among a slew of scheduled speakers, three of whom will speak from Egypt via Skype on their experiences during the recent protests.

Decker, who helped orga-nize the event, said it was created because many peo-ple expressed in interest in the recent activity in Egypt.

“During a meeting at the Midsouth Peace and Justice

Center, several individuals expressed an interest in orga-nizing an event that would not only demonstrate our support of the individuals in Egypt but also provide mem-bers of the Memphis com-munity with enough back-ground to have an informed dialogue about the recent uprising,” Decker said.

The lecture will provide a question and answer seg-ment for audience members who wish to interact with the speakers in Egypt.

Decker said that though the lecture will demonstrate support of the protests in Egypt, there won’t be any political undertones.

“While there isn’t a par-ticular political ideology we will be pushing, we are in support of the Egyptian individuals and support their (fulfilled) desire to have Mubarak step down from office,” she said.

Current Events

BY Chris shawNews Reporter

Grad student to speak about egyptian protests

The University of Memphis Friday, February 25, 2011 • 5

University of Memphis’ Phi Mu sorority will host a spaghet-ti dinner Monday, Feb. 28, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Pink Palace Museum to raise money for

Children’s Miracle Network. Proceeds from the event will be given to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital.

Food will be served buffet-style and donated from vari-ous restaurants around the city, including Pete and Sam’s

Restaurant, Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, McAlister’s Deli and Chick-Fil-A.

While patrons dine, Phi Mu representatives will speak about their involvement with LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and Children’s Miracle

Network, a philanthropic orga-nization with which Phi Mu partners.

“We try to keep a close relationship with LeBonheur patients to see how we impact them,” said sophomore biol-ogy major and Phi Mu member

Nour Haddad.The night also will include

a spaghetti-eating contest in which contestants eat with their hands.

The event is open to the pub-lic. Tickets cost $6 in advance and $8 at the door.

Pi Beta Phi sorority will host a speed read, karaoke and dance competition Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Michael D. Rose Theatre.

The event is free and open to the public.

All Interfraternal Conference and National Pan-Hellenic Conference Greek chapters will participate in the competi-tion. Proceeds from the event go to the Pi Beta Phi founda-

tion and First Books literacy program.

“We do this every year as our philanthropy event pro-moting literacy for children,” said junior psychology major and Pi Phi member Megan Broadstreet.

Events of the competition include a dance and karaoke competition, in which partici-pants showcase their talents for a panel of judges, which could include Pi Beta Phi alumni, U of M dance teachers or even parents of Pi Beta Phi members.

To finish the night, con-testants will participate in a 30-second speed-reading competition.

“It’s a really fun event, and it raises a lot of money for our organizations,” Broadstreet said.

eating for a cure, Phi Mu hosts spaghetti dinnerPhilanthropy

BY JasMine VannNews Reporter

BY JasMine VannNews Reporter

Pi Beta Phi promotes literacy through karaoke

www.dailyhelmsman.com6 • Friday, February 25, 2011

Spring in BloomDancers from the Yangzhou University Performance Troupe, from China, showcased their tal-ents Thursday night with a dance entitled “Jasmine Flower” in the Michael D. Rose Theatre. Sponsored by the Confucius Institute at The University of Memphis, the danc-ers were followed by a performance from a Chinese zither soloist, Fu Ming-Jian. The show was cut short due to the sudden blast of tornado sirens as a large storm sys-tem moved into the region.

by Casey Hilder

Toyota is expanding a 2009 recall and initiated new recall campaigns covering 2.17 mil-lion vehicles in which accelerator pedals can become entrapped or jammed in floor mats or carpeting.

The expanded voluntary action comes about two weeks after a study requested by Congress and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found no electronic cause of unintended acceleration.

About 1.38 million of the new recalls are an expansion of

Toyota’s massive 2009 recall to address the risk that improper-ly placed floor mats could be entrapped by accelerator pedal.

The Japanese automaker has recalled more than 14 million vehicles worldwide since 2009 for a variety of safety and quality concerns, including sudden unin-tended acceleration. Earlier this month, a panel of NASA experts reported finding no evidence that electronic malfunctions contrib-uted to unintended acceleration.

The new models affected by the November 2009 recall are about 603,000 4Runner SUVs from model years 2003 through 2009, about 17,000 Lexus LX 570 models from models years 2008 through 2011 and 761,000 RAV4 compact SUVs from model years 2006 through 2010. Owners of those vehicles will be notified by mail in the next few weeks. Toyota will send a second notice when dealers are ready to fix the problem.

Separately, Toyota is recalling 372,000 Lexus RX 330, RX 350 and RX 400H vehicles from 2004 through early 2007 model years and 397,000 Toyota Highlander SUVs and hybrids from 2004 through 2006 model years. Dealers will replace floor carpet covering and retention clips on the driver’s side that could interfere with the accelerator pedal arm.

In yet another action, Toyota is recalling 20,000 Lexus GS 300 and 350 all-wheel drive models to change the shape of a plas-tic pad embedded in the driv-er’s side floor carpet that could cause pedal interference. Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said the company was unaware of any accidents or injuries related to the new recalls.

Beyond replacing or tweaking floor mats, Toyota is introduc-ing brake override technology in all new models that ensures that drivers could bring any vehicle to a quick stop even if there is an unintended surge of acceleration.

BY GreG GarDnerDetroit Free Press

Toyota recalls more cars for pedal issue

Consumer Safety

The University of Memphis Friday, February 25, 2011 • 7

married or pregnant.“You have to prove your-

self in front of the judges why you are the best candidate for Miss Tennessee,” Hatley, Miss Collierville, said. “‘Why are you credible or approachable or per-sonable enough to talk to people and get them to become moti-vated?’ You’re showing these judges that you can be a role model 24/7.”

The winner of Miss Tennessee travels to elementary schools across Tennessee, speaking with children about what opportuni-ties are out there, Hatley said.

“She magnifies the beauty of service,” she said.

All Miss Tennessee contes-tants qualified for the state pag-eant by winning a local pag-eant and have a platform or key issue they discuss and try to raise awareness about through-out the year with their local title, Covington said.

“(Miss Tennessee) is pretty much representing Tennessee as a whole,” Covington said. “So she has to be able to speak really well and that’s what the judges are pretty much looking at.”

Covington’s platform is “be a hero, think a hero,” Bolton chose “play a part in Christian arts involvement.” Hatley chose “volunteerism,” and DePew chose “prevention of HIV and AIDS.”

Covington expects the Miss

Tennessee pageant, a weeklong event that begins June 12, to be “grueling.”

“It’s going to test me mentally and physically,” she said.

During three preliminary rounds, June 15-17, competitors are judged on their performance in five categories, each worth a portion of 100 total points: on-stage question, swimsuit, eve-ningwear, private interview and talent.

Five finalists will compete June 18 in the same categories.

“I love every single area of competition,” DePew, Miss Memphis, said. “It’s something that I know I worked hard for and its something I enjoy.”

All four students said having fellow U of M classmates in the competition is comforting.

“I think we’ll all be going in with a sense of unity,” Covington said. “We all come from the same place and when it comes to competition time, we’ll all band together and represent The University of Memphis.”

Other than the crown, Covington said the winner of Miss Tennessee would receive a $15,000 cash scholarship to be used at any school in the United States. They are also eligible to compete for the title of Miss America.

Covington said that’s the ulti-mate prize.

“It’s almost every little pag-eant girl’s dream to win Miss America,” Covington said. “I mean it’s Miss freaking America.”

Behind the Swoosh:Sweatshops and Social Justice

Hear about Jim Keady’s experience of working in a Nike sweatshop in Indonesia for a month

while making a mere $1.25 a day.

Tuesday, March 16:30 p.m. • UC Ballroom

Miss TNfrom page 1

Ivy DePew, top left, is the reigning Miss Memphis. Erin Hatley, top right, was recently crowned Miss Collierville. Leah Bolton, bottom left, holds the title of Miss Scenic City. Kyndall Covington, bottom right, won the Miss Metropolitan title. The four U of M students will compete for the title of Miss Tennessee America in June.

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www.dailyhelmsman.com8 • Friday, February 25, 2011

Smoldering unrest drew tight-er around Tripoli and areas of western Libya previously under government control Thursday, the day before a planned rally in the capital against Moammar Gadhafi’s rule.

Gadhafi made another char-acteristically rambling address, acknowledging that the city of Zawiya 30 miles west of the capital had risen up against his 40-year-rule. Foreign residents fleeing the city emerged with grim tales of fighting in the streets.

“The situation there is very bad,” said Hassan Sheikh, 43, an Egyptian laborer among the accelerating flow of foreigners packing whatever belongings they could carry and making a break for the Tunisian border, about 120 miles from the Libyan capital. “There is no mercy there. They killed many people.”

Inspired by movements that overthrew authoritarian rul-ers in neighboring Egypt and Tunisia, Libyans opposed to Gadhafi have taken to the streets across the country, already gain-ing control of the country’s oil-rich eastern areas.

Gadhafi described the young

protesters who have led a move-ment drawing soldiers, doctors and engineers into its ranks as drug-addled disciples of al-Qai-da leader Osama bin Laden.

“It is clear now,” he said in an interview that was telephoned in to a news program, “those who recruited our children are al-Qaida. It is bin Laden, oth-erwise known as international terrorism.”

As the country slid further into chaos, communications with the outside world eroded. Phone lines that were reachable a day earlier appeared cut or out of service. Egyptians and Tunisians leaving the country said they were threatened by Libyan security forces at the border to present a positive pic-ture of the country, or face hav-ing friends or relatives still in Libya being harmed. They were warned they would never be able to return to work in Libya, whose oil wealth has made it a magnet for workers from neigh-boring countries.

The security forces seized memory cards, digital cameras, computers and cell phone SIM cards from nearly every person leaving the country.

In Zawiya, which reportedly fell to opposition forces a day earlier, witnesses described a

horrifying night of explosions and gunfire. They said armed militiamen roamed the streets, killing people with guns and swords. One resident who fled said up to 20 people had been killed.

In his speech, Gadhafi said

he was “affected” by the reports of bloodshed and asked for his forces to hold their fire.

“I got upset, extremely upset, and asked for an immediate halt to the use of force,” he said.

It is not clear whether Libyans in the capital would turn out

in large numbers for the rally, which coincides with Friday prayers. Both Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia’s deposed leader, and former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were driven from power on the Muslim Sabbath.

BY BorzoU DaraGahiLos Angeles Times

opposition forces close in near libyan capitalWorld

Young protesters hang an effigy of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi on Thursday in Benghazi, Libya.

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The University of Memphis Friday, February 25, 2011 • 9

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Before going live for the first time since this eastern Libyan city broke free from Moammar Gadhafi’s rule last week, staff members of the local radio sta-tion took a moment to calm their nerves.

They agreed to speak in sober and reassuring tones, but Anwar Sherif, the station’s main announcer, couldn’t contain himself once he took the micro-phone to deliver the city’s first free broadcast in 42 years.

“There was a fear barrier bro-ken that day. I sounded senti-mental, even hysterical,” Sherif, 36, recalled Thursday. “We let loose all the words we could never say. I said, ‘Down with the tyrant!’ and then all the other suppressed words came spilling out.”

Tobruk’s Radio Free Libya was among the first three stations in the country to offer uncensored updates on the revolt against Gadhafi’s regime, which still controls the capital, Tripoli, and most of the western part of this restive North African nation.

Once supervised by in-house intelligence agents who had the final say over every program, the radio station is now the

mouthpiece of anti-government rebels who have few other con-duits to the masses because the old state-run newspapers have stopped publishing, and the regime has shut down the Internet and most cell-phone service throughout the country.

A month ago, the most con-troversial topic on air was the locals’ frustration over the lack of promised development proj-ects. Residents now call in to ask where they can donate food and medi-cal supplies — their con-tributions to the struggle to unseat Gadhafi.

On Thursday, Radio Free Libya aired s e c u r i t y updates, along with pleas to stand in soli-darity with the besieged people of the capital, Tripoli. Another program took aim at price gouging, with the announcer declaring that any driver or merchant who overcharged people because of the crisis “has no sense of

patriotism.”This sudden, free flow of

information is still hard to absorb for the radio station’s 32-person staff, which saved the most vital equipment only hours before the station’s old head-quarters was torched on Feb. 18. They began broadcasting again Sunday in a ramshackle building near a communications tower, the location of which they don’t want revealed in case

of government retaliation.“Radio Free Libya” is scrib-

bled in black marker on the front door. The studio is a dingy room furnished with only a sound-

board and a desk for the micro-phones. Nobody’s receiving a salary anymore. But for the jour-nalists who no longer have to stick to Gadhafi’s party line, this new space is a laboratory for their long-crushed dreams.

“We’re going to be the fourth estate,” said Khaled Mahmoud, 36, an announcer. “Before February 17, it was a one-sided game. But we will build a free media that broadcasts events in

a neutral, objec-tive way.”

Before the uprising, the university-edu-cated, politi-cally astute staff members said they were stifled by the regime’s strict edicts on suitable pro-g r a m m i n g . That mostly meant praise for Gadhafi and his family inter-spersed with a smattering of folkloric music

and cultural shows. When the seeds of the uprising began a month ago, around the time of similar revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, the government banned

all live broadcasts in case a dissident announcer attacked Gadhafi on air.

“The intelligence officers would say, ‘You have to go with the policy of the country, and don’t ever criticize the regime,’” said programming coordina-tor Abdullah Idris, 42. “They were in our building, watching everything.”

When protests in the down-town square turned into violent clashes with the security forces on Feb. 17, the station’s employ-ees immediately sided with the demonstrators. The opposition, backed by army defectors, over-whelmed Gadhafi’s forces that day, and the old radio format ended overnight.

The station was off the air only one day before returning as Radio Free Libya. The staff members, who come from six of the area’s most prominent tribes, said their goal is to create a sta-tion that promotes national unity and gives voice to the grievances of the people. And they said they wouldn’t go easy on whatever government emerges from the current turmoil.

“Libya will surprise the whole world with our media,” said Saleh Wafi, 42, a producer. “We are cultured and educated. All we lacked was freedom.”

At Radio Free Libya, change is on the airWorld

BY hannah allaMMcClatchy Newspapers

www.dailyhelmsman.com10 • Friday, February 25, 2011

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The University of Memphis Friday, February 25, 2011 • 11

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First-year UTEP coach Tim Floyd was reprimanded by the Conference USA commission-er Thursday after an on-court outburst that got him ejected and then escorted off the court by a police officer during his team’s loss at East Carolina.

The Miners (20-8, 8-5 CUSA) were whistled for 27 fouls and five technicals in the 83-76 loss at noisy Minges Coliseum in Greenville, N.C., on Wednesday night. The Pirates (14-13, 6-7) went 35-for-45 from the free-throw line.

Floyd started screaming at one of the officials early in the second half, and when he earned his first technical, he stormed onto the court and confronted one of the referees. Eventually, a police officer stationed at courtside inter-vened and led Floyd to the locker room.

League commissioner Britton Banowsky said he talked to Floyd and UTEP ath-letics director Bob Stull on Thursday before issuing the reprimand.

“When a coach is ejected, I expect them to leave the floor,” Banowsky said in a statement. “Coach Floyd’s actions were unacceptable. I have made our expectations clear going for-ward and do not expect this to

happen again.”Assistant coach Phil

Johnson also received two technicals and was ejected, along with Floyd, with 18:48 left in the game.

Floyd was not immedi-ately available for comment Thursday because the team was traveling back to El Paso from North Carolina. After the game, he said he wasn’t sure why he got the first technical.

“I was given a warning for having my foot out of the coaching box,” he said. “I haven’t got a technical all year long, so I went back to the bench. Next thing I know, I have a technical and I didn’t know why I got it.

“I was not upset with the officials at that point,” he said. “I was coaching my team after the first one.”

Floyd continued to yell at the officials before the officer intervened.

“It has been my experience this year that I’ve had a lot of men come over to me and say, ‘Coach, you need to get back in the box and let us work,’” Floyd said. “I tend to do that. I guess I probably reacted to that first technical, not really understanding why it was given. I probably earned the second one, but that’s part of the game.”

Senior guard Randy Culpepper, who led UTEP

with 22 points in the loss, also received a technical in the final minute. Culpepper is the league’s third-leading scorer, averaging 19.6 points per game.

The loss was costly to the Miners, dropping them a game behind Southern Miss and UAB for first place in the conference standings with three to play. UTEP will host the Conference USA tour-nament at the Don Haskins Center, where the Miners are 15-2 this season.

The incident was Floyd’s first public misstep as the head coach at UTEP, where he worked as an assistant under Haskins from 1977-86. He had quietly worked under the radar in his first season with the Miners, building a fresh start after leaving Southern Cal under a cloud of scandal.

The Trojans made three con-secutive NCAA tournament appearances and had three straight 20-win seasons under Floyd, but he quit in 2009 after he was accused of giving $1,000 in cash to a middleman who helped steer O.J. Mayo to the school.

Floyd has denied the alle-gations while the school wound up banning itself from postseason play and throw-ing out the wins from Mayo’s lone season with the Trojans in 2007-08.

Basketball

C-USA reprimands UTEP coach for outburst at ECU

Tim Floyd left USC under a cloud of scandal, but this incident was his first public misstep as the head coach at UTEP.

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Last season, the University of Texas-El Paso cost The University of Memphis its shot at history.

Against UTEP, the Tigers were in position to break the University of Kentucky’s 1945-1950 record of 64 straight con-ference victories.

Instead, The U of M came up just short, 72-67, for the first time in Conference USA since 2006.

For the Tigers (21-7, 9-4 C-USA), tomorrow’s game in El Paso could serve as their chance at redemption. But U of M coach Josh Pastner said the pressure is all on the Miners. “If you ask me where’s the pres-sure, the pressure’s on UTEP because it’s a home game,” Pastner said. “That’s the facts. It’s been a long week for them, there’s no question on that.”

While the Miners were in first place for most of the C-USA season, they are currently on a two-game losing streak after an 83-76 loss to East Carolina on Tuesday in which UTEP coach Tim Floyd was ejected.

They’re currently in a three-way tie for second place.

“We’ve caught some teams

on (losing streaks). This is that kind of thing here,” Pastner said. “Our backs are against the wall, too. That’s my thing. Yeah, we won on Tuesday (against Houston) but our margin of error is just as slim as UTEP’s. It’s both of us whose backs are against the wall, that’s the whole thing.”

Outside of guards Randy Culpepper and Julyan Stone, UTEP is almost an entirely different team from last year. Former UTEP coach Tony Barbee left for Auburn and their two big men, Derrick Caracter and Arnett Moultrie, graduated and transferred, respectively.

But Pastner isn’t completely unsure of what to expect.

Pastner, who graduated from and coached at Arizona, played under top UTEP assistant Phil Johnson and coached against Floyd while he was at USC.

“We’ll have to be prepared for multiple defenses,” Pastner said. “They could run a bunch of triangle, box, or they could run different zones and whatev-er they may be plus with (man-to-man defense). We have to be prepared for whatever defense UTEP might throw at us.”

The Miners are led by the Memphis-native Culpepper, who’s averaging 19.6 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field.

As a team, they shoot 46 per-cent from the field, the second highest shooting percentage in C-USA. They’re also second in C-USA in field goal percentage defense at 40 percent.

Although the Tigers suffered a head-scratching 67-52 loss at Rice last week, they fully control their own destiny with three games left in the regular season. If they win out, they’ll be C-USA regular sea-son champions and have a legit-imate argument for an NCAA tournament at-large berth.

“I think UTEP is a good bas-ketball team, there is no doubt about it,” Pastner said. “They are the defending champs.

Everything has to go through them. If you want to win the league title, you’re going through UTEP.”

Freshman forward Tarik Black said that while the Tigers

have lost to lesser opponents in C-USA this season, he expects a complete effort from his teammates against UTEP on Saturday.

“It’s the comfort level. When

we play other teams, I guess we just feel like we can go out there and win,” he said. “We play to the level of our competitors. This game’s going to be a hard game, so I expect us to go hard.”

Basketball

Tigers get chance for revenge against UTePBY John MarTinSports Editor

Freshman forward Tarik Black blocks a shot in a Feb. 16 game against UAB. He’ll look to have a big game against the UTEP Miners on Saturday, who lost their starting big men, Arnett Moultrie and Derrick Caracter, to transfer and graduation, respectively.

by D

avid

C.

Min

kin

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