Rising — Waiting times in line at the University Center

Popular dining spots like Chick-fil-A and Subway have lines reaching near maximum capacity. For most students, the time it takes to get a chicken sandwich or a “Five-Dollar Footlong” exceed the allotted time they have for dining. While the reason for these quasi-stampedes can be attributed to the beginnings of the school year, many students are still left pondering in the morning whether or not they should pack a lunch or risk the lines.

Rising — Excitement for the coming football season

With only two Saturdays separating today from the season kick-off, many Vol fans are quietly waiting with anticipation for the 2011-2012 season. With every new season, hope springs eternal, and this year is no exception. While many insiders, including head coach Derek Dooley, feel that the Vols are still a season away from truly competing for the SEC East crown, the Orange and White will certainly try their best to exceed expectations against the Montana Grizzlies on Sept. 3.

Falling — Student flexibility in schedule management

Provost Susan Martin’s campus-wide e-mail Monday informed the student body of new drop procedures associated with recommendations made by the chancellor’s Academic Efficiency and Effectiveness Task Force. Students are now allowed to drop only four classes after the 10th day during their undergraduate studies. While at least everyone starts off with a clean slate this fall, these new measures are specifically designed to streamline students’ progress towards graduation. That’s a positive for those interested in getting out of college as soon as possible. It’s bad news for students who like to sample several different classes and drop ones that don’t hold their interest.

Falling — Abercrombie and Fitch’s Stock

Faced with the possibility of having its brand name becoming negatively associated with the MTV phenomenon “Jersey Shore,” the clothing company has taken the unusual route of trying to avoid product placement. The fashion line has offered monetary compensation to the Italian-American stars, especially Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, to stop wearing its products. The company’s request, however, did not shore up its Wall Street reputation, as stocks fell by nearly 10 percent last Wednesday. No word yet from Franzia on how it plans to deal with the issue of Snooki’s continued consumption.