The University Echo

Photo of the Day

Editorial

Pennies no longer effective

As you walk along, something shimmering in the sun grabs your attention. You look down and pick up the shiny new penny, observe that it is not heads and promptly toss it back for the next passerby. There is a reason that penny was on the ground,and that is because it is worthless and should no longer be in existence.

Celebrity deaths dim more serious issues

The very talented Whitney Houston passed away almost two weeks ago. In this time of mourning, it is unreal how much the media will glorify a celebrity's death. It has been almost 14 days since she was found dead, and it is still considered headline news every day.

Tweets misrepresent Knick's Lin

Jason Whitlock is a national columnist for Fox Sports whose profile describes his columns as "humorous, thought-provoking, agenda-free, honest and unpredictable," but his Twitter profile should read, "Racist, inconsiderate and offensive.

Airlines practice bad business with hidden prices

Canada's major airlines launched a new way of doing business last Wednesday that involves all-inclusive pricing for tickets. This seems like a pretty obvious thing to do, considering consumers' demands for such pricing. However, it seems to be an idea that America's airlines cannot quite seem to fathom.

Jackson admits to voting for Obama on race

Chattanooga native Samuel L. Jackson recently admitted in the March issue of Ebony magazine that he voted for President Barack Obama "because he was black." While this admittedly is not the ideal reason to select a presidential candidate and should not be the only qualification for a vote, the backlash against him calling him "racist" is simply ridiculous.

Court overturns same sex marriage ban

The Ninth Circuit Court in California overturned Proposition 8 Tuesday after ruling 2-1 that it violated the rights of gay Californians. Proposition 8 was passed by 52 percent of California's voters in 2008, placing a ban on gay marriage in the state.

Students' responsibility to oust bad tenured professors

College is all about knowledge and learning. Students pay thousands of dollars per year in exchange for a higher education where they are taught by professors who typically have the material mastered. Most of the time, professors are all pretty much the same.

Future employment prospects deter full college experience

A study recently released by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce has had key implications for college students and their major fields of study. The study focuses on earnings in the workforce by college major, and the results they uncovered may not be very surprising.

Media discourages religious understanding

A family in Canada was convicted Sunday of what the media is calling the "honor murders," in which Mohammed Shafia, a polygamous Afghan immigrant, his wife and their son reportedly killed the man's three daughters and first wife by running their car off the road and into a canal.

Chef announces Type 2 diabetes

Paula Deen recently announced that she has been keeping a secret, and surprisingly, it is not a recipe. Deen announced Jan. 17 she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and had kept it under wraps for more than three years. For some, the announcement was not too much of a shock, given that Deen's recipes feature butter and sugar galore.

Carnival cruise captain abandons sinking ship

Carnival cruise ships are in hot water after their ship, the Costa Concordia, was steered askew and crashed off the coast of Italy Jan. 13. So far 12 individuals have died, and some are still missing while the search continues for more missing passengers.

Paterno passes with focus still on Sandusky

Joe Paterno spent 61 years instilling discipline and moral values into the players he coached at Penn State. He was known to players as well as the public to be an old school kind of guy who always did what he thought was best and stuck to his instincts.

Potential bill allows for bullying

A bill recently introduced to the Tennessee General Assembly would give students in public institutions religious protection for bullying homosexual classmates. The bill, HB-1153, otherwise known to many as the "license to bully" bill, is meant to be an anti-bullying bill, but it excludes from punishment students voicing any "religious, philosophical or political views.

Slavery-themed math questions cause outrage

With the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, our nation remembers one of the most important figures to the civil rights movement. Throughout his life, Dr. King was able to champion a movement that brought equal rights to every man, woman and child in America.

Commentary

Memes create stir amongst students

A newly created Facebook page known as UTC Memes have grown quite popular among UTC students in just a few weeks. In fact, it is so popular it has gotten almost 2000 likes and just as many people talking about it. Popular memes include the Philosoraptor, Forever Alone, First World Problems, Socially Awkward Penguin, and Scumbag Steve, just to name a few.

University vehicles cause safety problems

I am about to tell you about my biggest pet peeve on campus. This really gets under my skin more than just about anything else in the entire world. I live in Lockmiller Apartments, which puts me right on Oak Street, smack dab in the middle of campus.

Politicians' private affairs affect public personas

There is no doubt politicians live their lives in the public eye. In an election year every aspect of a candidate's life is examined. Where one went to high school, what one got on their SAT, where one has been registered to vote and even one's net worth is out in the open for the public to know.

M.I.A.'s vulgar act slips through network delay

Commentary

The Super Bowl is the most watched program on television. With only a seven second delay there can be some shenanigans that network television cannot catch. This year's Super Bowl was no exception. Fans were not just talking about the New York Giants win over the New England Patriots; they also had some entertainment around the football game.

Chattanooga media ignore voices of political activists

It is nearly impossible to go through a semester of communication classes without the mention of the words fair, objective and ethical. This semester it has become apparent that, just like our world, the media world is not perfect, which means that being fair, objective or ethical is not always on the list of top priorities.

Tebow's fundamentals, stats prove NFL is out of his league

One day every year America is treated to the biggest sporting event of the season. On this day friends and relatives gather to watch giant humans manhandle each other for the purpose of proving who is the better team, and ultimately, for a shiny piece of metal every young boy dreams of holding.

Hacking sentencing proves extreme for Knoxville student

Commentary

Members of a federal appeals court upheld the conviction and sentence last week of a 24-year-old University of Tennessee student who hacked into Sarah Palin's email during the 2008 presidential campaign. David Kernell, who was a 20-year-old economics major at UT when he hacked into Palin's email, was sentenced to a year and a day for his crime, of which he served a little less than 11 months, according to the Associated Press.

High school student considered a terrorist threat

Pubic school education has been a national hot button issue in recent years for incompetent educators and poor retention rates, but Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School was recently news for a different reason. LFO senior, Jordan Rouse, was suspended for posting a rap video on YouTube, which the school considered a "terroristic threat," according to the Times-Free Press.

Pet ownership while in college requires time, love, money

Nearly every day when I leave my apartment complex I see a dog tied to a trampoline without any food, water or shelter, and I am amazed at the neglect. Being a pet owner myself, I know how much work having an animal can be. I don't think that everyone has been clued in on that fact.

Pinterest promotes premature wedding plans for singles

Spend a few minutes on Pinterest or in a group of college-aged Christians, and you will get one clear message – Christian girls are obsessed with getting married. Every young woman has a right to her own desires and goals. I should not judge someone whose ultimate goal is to have a wedding because I do not want anyone judging my ultimate goal of having an inauguration.

Kardashian Barbie dolls raise questions

Commentary

Barbie sure has come a long way from the mom/doctor/astronaut/supermodel she was when I was a little girl, but with the recent announcement that she will soon have three new friends named Kourtney, Khloe and Kim, I must say, I was more than a little disappointed in her.

Campus Comments

23 February 2012

What is your major and how sure are you in getting a job within that major when you graduate?

Campus Comments

16 February 2012

What is the worst experience you have had with a professor?

Campus Comments

9 February 2012

What is your opinion of piano players in the University Center?

Campus Comments

2 February 2012

Who is your ideal Super Bowl halftime show?

Campus Comments

26 January 2011

What is the most overprotective thing your parents have done since you began college?

Campus Comments

19 January 2012

What do you want to do before the world ends in 2012?

Letter to the Editor

Newsletter viewed as waste

I write to express my concern over "SGA Members to Begin Free Monthly Newsletter." I am concerned about this new endeavor for several reasons. First, I must ask why SGA feels the need to print a monthly newsletter. They are the only student organization whose minutes are published weekly in the Echo.

SGA President defends newsletter

Letter to the Editor

As some of you may know, your Student Government Association plans to begin printing a monthly newsletter. Some of you may not have been informed about these plans and now have questions. I address this letter to you, the concerned students, in response to trepidations conveyed about this expenditure and project.

Letter to the Editor

9 February 2012

My generation has seen the light in a lot of things. Technology, arts, and lifestyles. When it comes down to it, my generation is probably one of the most advanced generations in existence. We have seen so many changes in so little time.

Letter to the Editor

2 February 2012

My opinion is in regards to the photo on page 10 of the Jan. 26 Echo with the caption Campus Concerto. As any UC goer knows, people play the piano in the dinning hall and show off their chops. Usually the playing is masterful and precise, but without a doubt, is annoying .