01/20/2021

Volume 139, Issue 14

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The Daily Beacon Wednesday, January 2021 The 2020 October 14, 2020 The Daily Daily Beacon Beacon ••• Wednesday, Wednesday,November October20, 7,4,2020

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Letter from the Editor: Back from an exhausting break ALEXANDRA DEMARCO Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Alexandra DeMarco MANAGING EDITOR: Calista Boyd COPY CHIEF: Allie Justis CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR: Sarah Rainey CITY NEWS EDITOR: Jake Yoder SPORTS EDITOR: Ryan Schumpert ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: Josh Lane DIGITAL PRODUCER: Austin Orr ]OPINIONS EDITOR: Elijah Hunt PHOTO EDITORS: Sydney Goodsell PAGE DESIGNERS: Hannah Moore, Riley Woody COVER DESIGN: Claudia Gutierrez

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OPINIONS

Welcome back to Rocky Top, Vols!

I know that for myself — and likely many of you as well — this winter break was a long awaited and needed respite from the everyday stress of school. With so much coursework being online last semester, and asynchronous classes leaving many to create their own schedules, it was easy to feel like it was impossible to escape schoolwork.

Additionally, the usually anticipated breaks for Labor Day and fall break were eliminated last semester in order to limit students’ travel and the spread of COVID-19. With little time off, last semester often felt like running atrace that was never quite over.

And unfortunately, this break, dotted by several days of tragedy, was anything but peaceful. The U.S. set new records for daily COVID-19 deaths multiple times, with deaths exceeding 4,000 per day on several instances. With over 24 million cases and nearly 400,000 deaths, America’s pandemic situation remains worse than anywhere else in the world. The roll-out of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines has offered hope to many, but America continues to fall behind on

vaccine benchmarks.

Over the break, Knox County became the worst area in the country for COVID-19 cases and test positivity, as well as one of the worst places in the world overall for the virus. Tennessee in general was hit hard during the holidays, with urban areas suffering while smaller cities like Athens, Cleveland, Greeneville and Tullahoma also racked up high case counts per capita.

In addition to the desperate health situation, a Christmas morning bombing in Nashville damaged more than 40 buildings, completely destroying several of such structures. The bomb exploded from within an RV parked on 2nd Avenue. Police believe that the man behind the bombing, Anthony Quinn Warner, committed suicide during the bombings. Thankfully, no one else was killed in the bombings, and several fled their nearby homes just before the explosion.

Our country was also attacked on a national scale by domestic terrorists on Jan. 6. The deadly insurrection claimed the lives of five people and forced dozens of congressional representatives and other government officials to go into hiding, as the violent mob stormed through the Capitol building.

In the weeks since the incident, bipartisan action has been taken to address the insurrection and ensure that those involved are arrested.

Despite quick action on the part of many, the question of how such a mob was able to enter one of the most important federal buildings in the country — during a pandemic, nonetheless — remains at the forefront of discussion, especially as the F.B.I. shared news of more possible threats.

And finally, just two days before school, UTK head football coach Jeremy Pruitt and nine other athletics department staff members were fired over allegations of recruitment miscon-

duct. News of an investigation into Pruitt and the team surfaced in December, and Chancellor Donde Plowman issued letters of termination to the coach on Monday. Pruitt held the position for just three seasons.

Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer, who came out of retirement to take the position for a short term at Tennessee, also resigned after the news.

I think it’s safe to say that if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that we may be basketball school, whether we like it or not.

That being said, this break was exhausting. It was frustrating at best, and scary at worst. We have a long way to go back to normalcy — a long way to go as students, as Vols, as general members of society.

The past year has been incredibly difficult for many people. As a college student, it can be frightening to be preparing to enter the workforce while so much of our country remains in dismay.

However, I find comfort in remembering that our generation is the future. We are the politicians, doctors, professors and epidemiologists of the next several decades — and maybe even the next head and assistant coaches of the University of Tennessee football team. If we can make it through the next few years, we will have the power to sway the future. We will have the power to decide how we want our future to unfold. It’s hard to stay hopeful, but the future is depending on us.

Here’s to another (mostly) online semester.

We got this, Vols.

Another Semester Online: Facing online learning ELIJAH HUNT Opinions Editor

I am currently in my fifth (and hopefully final) year of being a university student. I never expected to see such an unprecedented amount of societal change during my last year at UT, and the COVID-19 pandemic has definitely proven itself to be no joke.

Regardless of what you are studying or where you may be, so much of our lives as students has been changed because of the pandemic. Students and instructors both have had to suddenly adjust their environments to ones that were entirely online, which has added a lot of stress to all of our lives. Class times have changed, and the dynamic of the classroom has shifted entirely, putting a lot of stress on students and instructors alike who can only communicate online.

With a new environment entirely online, I have had to learn how to cope with the sudden change in dynamic of my classes. For instance, I find my-

self getting distracted quite often during lectures that I am taking from my laptop, but the convenience of online classes has really helped me with my organizational skills, and I am still able to finish major assignments. The most stressful part of an entirely online-based curriculum is that it can be rather easy to overlook smaller assignments, so setting reminders or alerts for myself has really been useful.

The most important thing I have learned from the past year of online learning has been how crucial it is to prioritize my mental health. Taking care of my mental health and myself more during quarantine has allowed me to stay on top of my day-to-day tasks, so make sure you are checking in with yourself and taking breaks.

One of the other most crucial parts of life that I have made sure not to overlook is my social life with my friends. Fortunately there are a plethora of messaging applications like Discord and Skype that have allowed me to keep in touch with my friends via video calls and messaging. Finding ways to communicate comfortably with those that

you may not be able to see because of the pandemic can be a great mental health refresher.

Regardless of the current situation you may be in as a student, it is evident that our lives have significantly changed as students over the past year.

Finding things that can keep you balanced during a daily schedule of online learning is important.

I have found that focusing more on my mental health and how I am feeling, I am able to organize my thoughts more and accomplish what I need to do. Be gentle with yourself during this time.

Elijah Hunt is a senior majoring in journalism. They can be reached at ehunt8@vols.utk.edu.

Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

OPINIONS

Wednesday, Wednesday, November January 20, 18,2021 2020•• The Daily Beacon

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Another Semester Online: Keeping your workspace organized ELIJAH HUNT Opinions Editor

As we move into our now third semester of online-based classes, it’s important to recognize what type of space you are currently working in. Bringing awareness to the environment around where you typically work is a good way to begin organizing your workspace. Are you studying or working in an area that allows you to optimize your attention and focus?

Clutter, large-scale distractions and your workplace’s proximity to other loud noises are all factors that can make or break the tranquility of your workspace. Along with this, cluttered workspaces can greatly contribute to distractions and added stressors for the person working in them.

If you have a Pinterest board, Netflix account or social media presence of any type, then it is quite possible that you have heard of the elite living space organizer Marie Kondo. Marie Kondo’s renown in the household cleaning world can be attributed to her book and Netflix series called “Tidying up with Marie Kondo,” which features special insight into how to optimize your living space. The show features Kondo as she tackles extremely messy homes and re-organizes them to a

point where they are practically new.

The “KonMari” style of organization follows a simple multi-step process of committing yourself to tidying your area based on object categories rather than the entire area itself. The process involves organizing your space by type of object, its significance to you and whether or not it is something absolutely needed. Cleaning by categorization can help you find what you are looking for at a much quicker rate and avoid the clutter that comes with cleaning large areas.

The KonMari style also encourages cleaners to toss out or remove any items that may not “spark joy” for the owner anymore.

What this means simply is that if an item is no longer practically useful to you or is not an important keepsake, it can be tossed out.

Letting your feelings be a standard for decision making is a key concept of Marie Kondo’s philosophy, so feel free to toss out any of the clutter accumulating around your desk from the past three semesters. By using the Kondo philosophy of looking at what sparks joy or not, you can more easily identify what things you need and what can be disposed of.

Regardless of what your workspace looks like this semester, organizing it minimally in a way that makes you more comfortable or gives you more room can make a huge difference for your mental health. Keeping

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File / The Daily Beacon up with and organizing your workspace is a great step toward successful online interaction and comfortability. Take care of yourself and the area around you in the upcoming semester to ensure you can have an easier time with another schedule full of online classes.

Elijah Hunt is a senior majoring in journalism. They can be reached at ehunt8@vols.utk.edu.

Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

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SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, 2021 Wednesday,January October20, 7, 2020

Tennessee leadership talks personnel changes in athletics program RYAN SCHUMPERT Sports Editor

On a tumultuous day in Knoxville, the University of Tennessee’s leadership met with the media about the internal investigation into recruiting violations within the football program that led to head coach Jeremy Pruitt’s firing Monday.

“While the investigation continues, the information presented to us indicates serious violations of NCAA rules,” University of Tennessee Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman said. “They occurred and these serious infractions warrant immediate action.”

In Pruitt’s letter of termination it states that Pruitt will be fired with cause, citing two different amendments in his contract that allow this.

“Conduct or omission(s) by Coach that constitutes a Level 1 or Level 2 violation of one or more Governing Athletic Rules.”

“Conduct or omission(s) by a person who reports, directly or indirectly, to Coach that constitutes a Level 1 or Level 2 violation of one or more Governing Athletic Rules.”

Plowman stated that both Level 1 and Level 2 violations occurred though she was unaware of how many and the exact violations.

While Plowman said Tennessee’s internal investigation is winding down, the NCAA will

remain in Knoxville to further investigate the violations.

Pruitt wasn’t the only member of Tennessee’s football program that was ousted today as result of the investigation. Outside linebackers coach Shelton Felton as well as inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer were fired with cause.

The university cited these provisions for firing Felton and Niedermeyer with cause.

“Conduct or omission(s) by Coach that constitutes a Level 1 or Level 2 violation of one or more Governing Athletic Rules.”

“Failure of Coach to report promptly to the Director of Athletics or the staff member in the Athletics Department with primary responsibility for compliance any actual knowledge of or reasonable cause to believe that a violation of Governing Athletic Rules or University Rules has been committed by a Coach and/or any other person.”

“Conduct or omission(s) by Coach that constitutes material neglect or inattention by Coach to the standards or duties generally expected of University employees.”

In addition, Tennessee terminated its director and assistant director of football player personnel, a quality control coach and four members from the on-campus recruiting staff.

The numbers of violations and their widespread nature is what’s most upsetting to Plowman.

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Chancellor Donde Plowman, Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer and UT President Randy Boyd discuss Monday’s terminations. Ryan Schumpert / The Daily Beacon “What is so disturbing is demonstrated by the scope of these employment actions we are announcing today is the number of violations and the number of people involved and their efforts to conceal their activities from our compliance staff and the leadership within the athletic department,” Plowman said.

The head football coach isn’t the only leadership void needing to be filled on Tennessee’s campus. Plowman indicated that director of athletics Phillip Fulmer came to her believing it was best for the university if a new athletic director could build a partnership and similar vision with the new coach.

Plowman emphasized that Fulmer was not linked to or had any prior knowledge of the violations that led to his lone football hire’s firing.

“I know we need stability and continuity at the University of Tennessee,” Fulmer said.

“Our next football coach needs to be on our sidelines for 10 years or more. I’m confident that we’ll find that coach but also am confident that he will want and need to know who his athletic director is going to be for the duration.

I asked Chancellor Plowman if we could revisit my position and she agreed. My thoughts are that I’m 70 years old, and I’m not going to be the athletic director at age 80. It was always my expectation that I’d move on from athletics sooner rather than later. It only makes sense that I make that move this semester so that a new coach and new athletic director can implement their vision together.”

Fulmer will serve in his position until a new director of athletics is hired. Tennessee has hired the Parker Executive Search firm to help lead the search for the new athletic director.

Tennessee plans to hire an athletic director prior to hiring a new head football coach.

This puts pressure on Tennessee’s leadership to move quickly with signing day just over two weeks away and spring practice set to begin in March.

Former Tennessee player and Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will serve as the acting head coach until a replacement is named.

“Our plan is to have a new athletic director in place as soon as possible,” Plowman said.

“We’re optimistic about our future and our ability to attract a strong leader who will then hire a new football coach. I realize many people would prefer we make those hires in opposite orders, but I hope everyone will accept the judgement that this is the way for us to have the long term success we all want.”

Plowman and company didn’t address the potential of Steele serving as head coach next season if an adequate replacement can’t be found in time.

The common theme of Tennessee’s message was that they will look to move forward building the football program, and all programs on campus, the right way.

“We want to win but we want to win with integrity,” Plowman said. “We’re going to be looking for a coaching staff with that same philosophy and I’m very optimistic that there are many of them out there. … That will be an important criteria.”

“If you can’t win the right way, you don’t belong here,” University President Randy Boyd said. “If there is anyone in our athletic department, Knoxville or elsewhere that hasn’t heard that message yet, you’re hearing it now. If you can’t win the right way, you don’t belong here.”

CITY NEWS

Wednesday,November Wednesday, January18, 20,2020 2021 • •The TheDaily DailyBeacon Beacon

Knox County worst region in country for COVID over winter break DANIEL DASSOW Staff Writer

A few days before Christmas, the White House Coronavirus Task Force brought national attention to Knox County, but the region’s newfound notoriety was no gift. The task force reported that Knox County had the highest number of new COVID cases and the highest test positivity rate for any region its size in the nation for the second week in a row.

At that time, failure to follow COVID safety guidance as holiday gatherings ramped up likely led to Knox County’s number one place on the Task Force’s “Red Zone” list, along with several other regions in East Tennessee.

Dr. Spencer Gregg, director of the Student Health Center, says that Knox County’s high COVID burden in December was “very unfortunate” and yet the predictable result of widespread failure to follow the guidelines that have become so familiar over the last year.

“We know what measures reduce infection transmission,” Gregg said. “Paramount within that guidance is appropriate social distancing, ... consistent mask-wearing when around others outside of your immediate household members and adherence to routine hand cleansing procedures with soap and water or appropriate alcohol rub. Failure to consistently apply this guidance is a significant contributor to a rise in infections.

Gregg also believes that the social obligations of the holiday season went ahead as planned for many in the region.

“Another likely contributing factor ... was social group gatherings with extended family and friends, especially where eating and drinking were occurring,” Gregg said. “This is probably one of the readiest means of transmission.”

This factor in Knoxville’s COVID high spread rate highlights Tennessee’s relatively light restrictions on in-person gatherings.

Now, almost a month later and the week that students return for the spring semester, new daily cases have stabilized at around 200 a day as compared with the record high of 724 new cases on Dec. 19.

But will students’ return to campus this week trigger an even greater spike in COVID cases than the holiday season? Experts like Gregg are concerned that the beginning of the spring semester may herald an increased COVID burden similar to the beginning of the fall 2020 semester. But the same guidelines can go far to help avoid such a spike.

“The expectation on campus is that we abide by health and safety guidance, participate in community testing where requested, isolate when infected, quarantine when exposed and cooperate with contact tracing ef-

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

forts,” Gregg said. “Taking those expectations beyond the borders of our campus as they apply is just as important. ... It is incumbent on all of us to be responsible members of the community by doing so.”

In a media briefing last Thursday, Dr. Martha Buchanan, the director of the Knox County Health Department, said that returning students could help contain the spread by practicing what the department calls the “five core actions:” social distancing, wearing a mask, washing and sanitizing hands, cleaning surfaces and staying home when sick.

Without these actions, Buchanan warned that Knox County could see a COVID burden similar to that of December.

Buchanan reminded community members to treat themselves and others as if they already have COVID and to take the necessary precautions of getting tested and quarantining at the first sign of exposure or symptoms.

“Do not wait to receive a call from public health to start taking action,” Buchanan said. “Isolate yourself if you have symptoms or have been exposed and start calling your close contacts to make them aware so they can begin quarantining. Additionally, regardless of whether you have symptoms, you need to quarantine until you get test results.”

None of these guidelines are new. But as Buchanan says, there is the hope of what may be called the sixth core action, or getting vaccinated.

Around 14,000 residents of Knox County have received their first dose of the COVID vaccine — mostly health care workers, first responders and those over the age of 75. For now, there are not enough vaccines for everyone who wants them, nor are most college students eligible to receive them.

But some day, even college students will be able to receive the vaccine, and life on campus will make a slow return to normalcy.

“Be patient. We know that demand is going to outpace supply for a while, and that’s not unique to Knox County, it’s not unique to Tennessee, it’s happening across the county,” Buchanan said. “We look forward to the day when that’s not so, but it’s going to be a while.”

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CITY NEWS

January 20, 66 The TheDaily DailyBeacon Beacon• •Wednesday, Wednesday, October 7,2021 2020

Knoxville continues vaccine rollouts, appointments quickly fill ALEXANDRA DEMARCO Editor-in-Chief

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In recent months, Knoxville made headlines in infamy for the highest COVID-19 case counts per population in the country — in fact, some of the highest in the world.

Since December, the Knox County Health Department, alongside particular pharmacies and hospitals, has shifted much of its focus to administering doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to at-risk groups and frontline workers.

As of last Monday, Knox County had vaccinated about 3% of the population — 14,000 people. KCHD in particular has received 10,000 doses since December and administered 4,000 of those.

During KCHD’s first vaccination clinic for residents over 75 years of age and older, appointments were not available and residents had to wait in line in-person to be vaccinated. However, KCHD has now created an online appointment reservation system, which took over a week to build. Residents can also reserve their spot by calling KCHD 865-215-5555, although online reservation is preferred.

Presently, Knox County is vaccinating those eligible under Phase 1a1 and 1a2 — which include frontline healthcare workers, disabled adults and outpatient healthcare workers with direct exposure to patients — as well residents 75 and over. A complete list of those eligible under these two phases is available on Knox County’s website.

975 vaccination appointments for Friday, Jan. 22 were filled in just an hour on Jan. 14.

The next day, KCHD added 150 appointments for Jan. 19, 20 and 25, all of which were full by the end of the day.

Last week, KCHD traveled to residents’ homes to vaccinate citizens with intellectual and physical disabilities, Director of KCHD Dr. Martha Buchanan said.

“It just takes a little more time to get these folks vaccinated,” Buchanan said.

“We’re very happy to do it, but this week was a week of no big, large clinics but some smaller clinics to get those very high risk folks vaccinated.”

KCHD has only had to waste one dose of the COVID vaccine; a technological malfunction caused a syringe to break, and one vaccine dose could not be administered.

“That was the only time that we’ve had to waste a dose,” Buchanan said. “That was unfortunate. It was something experienced by many others who received similar products. We’ve since adjusted our process so that doesn’t happen anymore, and we have

not had to waste a dose because we didn’t have an arm to put it in.”

KCHD staff is experienced in managing vaccines, Buchanan said, as the department wastes very few vaccine doses of any kind during its annual school vaccination clinics.

“They understand our goal, and they believe in the goal of not wasting a dose, because it’s such a precious commodity,” Buchanan said.

While KCHD does not have a waiting list for vaccines that may be leftover at the end of the day, the department has been administering those doses to healthcare workers at the site who have not yet been vaccinated or frontline workers and first responders who are able to be at the vaccination site within an hour.

KCHD receives weekly vaccine shipments, but the number of vaccines that will be delivered each week is unknown and variable. Last week, KCHD received 5,200, 975 of which are designated for first doses.

As Buchanan said, demand for vaccines will outpace supply for the foreseeable future. As the number of available doses increase, vaccines will become available at more locations — including through primary care providers and general pharmacies — but there’s not a timeline dictating when this will occur.

“We know this is just the tip of the iceberg, and there are many of you out there who still want vaccines, and we continue to put additional opportunities out there as we receive more vaccines,” Buchanan said.

During last Wednesday’s Board of Health meeting, Mayor Glenn Jacobs encouraged residents to be cognizant of the fact that Knox County’s vaccine rollout may manifest differently than other Tennessee counties for several reasons, including its urban population and status as one of six Tennessee counties not directly under state vaccine control. Instead, Knox County’s health department and local government are largely in charge of local health measures but work closely with the Tennessee Department of Health.

“The demand is somewhat different, and the uptake here is much higher than it has been in other counties, so again, our people here are doing a great job,” Jacobs said. “It’s just a different dynamic that an urban county faces compared to some of the smaller rural counties.”

In the mean time, as cases and deaths still continue to rise in Knox County, Buchanan encourages all local residents to continue taking precautions, such as social distancing, wearing masks, limiting close contacts and regularly washing hands.

CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, October January 20, 2021 • The TheDaily DailyBeacon Beacon Wednesday, 14, 2020

The pandemic through professors’ eyes: Challenges, technology SARAH RAINEY Campus News Editor

The spring 2020 semester started out like any other for college students and faculty around the world.

For those at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the semester started on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Things continued as they usually did for students and staff alike – face-toface instruction Monday through Friday, seeing classmates and friends and heading to various spots around campus to get studying and work done.

However, everything changed just before the UT community prepared for its spring break.

UT’s spring break was scheduled to begin on March 16 and end March 20, but no one knew that they would not be able to return to the regular class environment after that break ended.

On March 11, 2020, UT Chancellor Donde Plowman sent an announcement out to the UT community that things would be moving fully online following spring break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All classes would be moved to an online format, students were required to stay home and not return to campus after the break, study abroad opportunities and events were cancelled and more.

Initially, it was announced for UT students and staff that classes would be online beginning March 23 through “at least” April 3. The hopefulness of coming back to campus April 3 was quickly discouraged on April 2, when Plowman sent a message that instruction would continue to be fully online through the summer.

While everything was becoming very strange, foreign and difficult to deal with for students, things were equally as taxing on professors. Although students had to discover how to navigate online learning, professors were forced to figure out how to become online instructors.

Classes that had been taught in person for years on end were suddenly being taught through a screen. Professors had to rethink everything they had known.

For professor of English Nancy Henry, her initial concerns lied with her students’ success.

“My first thought was: How can I help all my students to finish this class? I decided to finish the term asynchronously through discussion posts and papers. Given the stress and uncertainty, I eliminated one novel and one exam. Everyone finished,” Henry said.

Meanwhile, associate professor of history Monica Black explained that she also felt worried for how her typically face-to-face instruction could move successfully to an online format.

“I guess my first reaction was, ‘wow, how is this going to work?’ I had never taught online and had always been pretty skeptical of its benefits,” Black said.

However, Black attested to the much-appreciated support from her coworkers during the newly unprecedented times.

“Luckily, my department is home to a lot of exceptionally good and experienced teachers, and I had a lot of support from our department chair and my colleagues, and I was able to learn a few new things about available platforms for remote teaching, etc.,” Black said.

While students and staff had a mere month of online instruction to finish out the spring 2020 semester, many hoped that there was a possibility for things to get “back to normal,” with fully in-person classes starting back in the fall. Unfortunately, things continued to shift differently than people had expected for the fall 2020 semester.

The week of April 17, Plowman announced that UTK had created a “Re-Imagining Fall Task Force” to generate ideas for how the UT community would return to campus in the fall.

Then, on April 30, Plowman informed faculty and staff that there would be a phased return to campus and “measures for social distancing, face coverings and additional protections” would “likely” be administered.

Nearly a month after this message on May 26, it was stated that there would be no breaks from instruction during the fall 2020 semester – classes would begin Aug. 19, and there would be no break for Labor Day or fall break. Classes would end Nov. 24.

This message further explained that things would not be “back to normal” for the classroom as most had wished. Classes would vary from face-to-face instruction with distancing procedures to fully online coursework; some would be a mixture of the two, later deemed “hybrid” classes. There would also be synchronous and asynchronous options.

For Black, her classes for fall 2020 were entirely online and synchronous.

“Again, I was lucky; my courses were both seminars, where most of the work involved common readings and then discussions. I had extremely good, talented, hardworking students in both classes, and they made things pretty easy for me,” Black said.

There were still difficulties that came with the virtual format, though.

“But teaching that way just will never be the same as teaching in person. My brain does not work well on Zoom, and given a realistic choice, I would always choose teaching in a physical classroom,” Black said.

On the other hand, for Henry, she experienced “hybrid” classes, meaning she was able to see her students partially in person and partially online during the week. Both required new approaches to teaching.

For in-person teaching, classrooms had

properly distanced seating, and all students were required to wear masks at all times and were asked to clean their desks after use.

“I knew I wanted to have some face-toface time with my students. I spent the summer expanding my knowledge of Zoom and Canvas, consulting about video and audio technology, reading articles and talking with my colleagues at UT and around the country about online teaching. I did tutorials with OIT to learn about the technology in my classroom,” Henry said.

During the fall semester, UT also placed tents outside on campus for students to safely sit beneath, large white coverings over long tables with distanced seating. Henry decided that these tents seemed like a better place for her in-class meeting days rather than an indoor classroom.

“After a couple of classes indoors, the tents went up outside, and I realized that outside was the safest place to be. I experimented with video and audio technology to learn how to make the experience good for those on Zoom as well as those in person. I practiced projecting my voice in a mask and got an amplifier,” Henry said.

“Learning so many new things was challenging but also energizing. It helped that I had fantastic students and that I knew we were all being safe. I brought my dog Angus to outdoor class, which I thought would help lower everyone’s anxiety, and it did!” Henry said.

While Henry had the opportunity to physically see her students occasionally through this “hybrid” instruction, Black discussed the hardships that came with the fully online version of teaching, and how certain aspects – such as personality and observance – are simply not the same through a virtual format.

“Unfortunately, some of the things that I am good at as a teacher do not translate very well into the virtual world. Zoom and other online platforms flatten things out, and I certainly have felt that they flatten out my teaching,” Black said.

“For me, good teaching requires tapping into somewhat intangible resources, like an ability to inspire curiosity, or a bit of charisma, or maybe even a flair for the dramatic.

None of these are easy to replicate in a virtual environment. Good teaching also involves an ability to read the room. Reading the room on Zoom is almost impossible.”

Despite the numerous challenges that have affected teaching because of the pandemic, there have been some positives from the many difficulties.

For Henry, she developed a new understanding of technology and an appreciation for the UT community.

“I will be using more features of Canvas and Zoom in future classes. Best of all, members of the university community worked together. OIT offered excellent support. The university provided faculty technology con-

7

sultants. My department provided ‘classroom producers,’ who moderated my Zoom classes. Students volunteered to take and post class notes,” Henry said.

“The students were understanding about my experiments with technology, and I tried to be understanding about what they were going through. I felt the spirit of community.

All my students not only finished the class but did good work. Overall, despite the many challenges, teaching hybrid was a positive experience, and I will be a better teacher because of it.”

Black also pinpointed positive outcomes, although online teaching is still not her forte.

“I really want to teach in person again as soon as possible. But in other professional ways this period of time has had real advantages. A lot of our professional organizations have put together great online talks and conferences. I got to participate in events I would have never been able to attend otherwise,” Black said.

As a whole, it seems that while the pandemic has created new ways of thinking and never-before-seen methods of instruction, everyone – including professors – is looking forward to the day that things start to become a bit more “normal” — although a true “back to normal” may never come.

CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily October Beacon •28, Wednesday, January 20, 2021 8 8Wednesday, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

A glimpse at enrollment, record-breaking numbers despite pandemic ALEXANDRA DEMARCO Editor-in-Chief

Despite the ongoing pandemic, enrollment at the University of Tennessee actually increased during the fall 2020 semester. 24,254 undergraduate and 6,305 graduate students enrolled during the fall 2020 semester, up from 21,678 and 5,822, respectively, during the spring 2020 semester.

Total enrollment exceeded 30,000 for the first time in several decades, and the freshman class of 5,512 was record breaking.

Retention rates for the 2019 freshman class were high, too, at 88.6%, the highest since 2010.

Because of the unprecedented changes associated with the pandemic, students have had a variety of unique educational experiences throughout the last year. During the fall semester, 20.5% of undergraduates and 10.9% of graduate students had a fully online schedule.

Nick D’Alessandro, a junior majoring in accounting, attended fully online school through UTK during both the spring and fall semesters of 2020.

However, he will be attending class on campus for the first time during the spring 2021 semester.

Although the pandemic certainly presented many people with challenges, the desire to complete his education remained central to D’Alessandro.

“I don’t think there was anything that was more important than getting an education,” D’Alessandro said. “Even though COVID was here, it was still a good time to be in school and get things done.”

D’Alessandro is looking forward to the more hands-on learning process that can be harder to come by through fully online classes.

“I’m really passionate about the major that I’m in, and it will be really good to physically be here and learn from the teachers and have the ease of access to ask questions or do as I need to enhance my learning experience, because sometimes it’s more or less inconvenient to interrupt over Zoom or have to write an email and then go back and forth over several hours,” D’Alessandro said.

Anticipating the transition to in-person learning, D’Alessandro has several concerns about the current COVID-19 situation on campus.

“I’m a little nervous, because UT has been a little not that great at handling COVID and communicating with the students,” D’Alessandro said. “I know that they send out emails to the students on their student email, but there are so many students that don’t check those. ... There were lots of problems with testing and the sororities and fraternities spreading (COVID-19) and businesses near campus being problems and Knoxville in general, so those were the only real sources of being nervous.”

D’Alessandro hopes to see UT adjust its initiatives, perhaps by communicating more with students about contact tracing and placing more restrictions on students who are refusing to be tested.

“It’s double-sided, because if we restrict more, students probably aren’t going to get tested, now that I think of it,” D’Alessandro said. “I don’t know. I really don’t know what the school can do, because it’s a twoway effort. The students have to be as willing as the school, and I don’t think the students are a variable that we can change.”

Overall, D’Alessandro said that his worries have been eased by the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the upcoming transition to a new presidential administration.

Freshman student Ethan Douglas has a different perspective, however. Last semester was Douglas’ first on campus, and he lived in a residence hall. At the beginning of the semester, 80% of the freshman class lived on campus, with residence halls just under an 84% capacity.

A group of students returning to Brown Hall enjoy the last weekend of winter break before the start of the spring 2021 semester. Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

Like D’Alessandro, he has been disappointed with UT’s response to the pandemic and even considered staying in his hometown during the fall 2020 semester.

“I have friends from other universities, too, who do get tested randomly, and we do, but it’s a lot less frequent, and it’s kind of confusing on how you get your testing,” Douglas said.

Douglas said that when his next door neighbor got COVID-19, he was surprised that the university didn’t inform him of the positive case.

He also hoped that students in general would be more conscious of the pandemic, a concern which, in combination with the university’s response, prompted Douglas to decide to transfer out of UTK starting fall 2021. This spring, he will be taking fully online classes and splitting his time between the university and his hometown.

Douglas has his eye on University of Maryland, a school he says has had a better response to the pandemic. He’d like to see UTK change several aspects of its pandemic response, including advertising more about testing prior to breaks, doing more randomized individual tests and sending out a newsletter with more COVID-19 updates.

“They absolutely need to have the amount of tests that they’re doing in their weekly updates. … I kind of felt like they were hiding it a little bit,” Douglas said. “I don’t know. That’s maybe conspiracy stuff.

It kind of felt like it was something they weren’t trying to give away easily.”

This spring, UTK is increasing its testing efforts. All students living in on-campus housing, including residence halls and Greek housing, will be required to par-

ticipate in weekly saliva tests. Off-campus students are encouraged to participate as well, and prizes will be awarded to certain participating students.

Clayton Alexander, associate director of freshmen recruitment, said that it has been more difficult to recruit new students during the pandemic.

“Because of the pandemic, we also can’t host students on our campus, the way we normally do, and conduct our regional events and programs that bring the excitement and traditions of Rocky Top to the student’s backyard. You just can’t replicate that in a virtual event,” Alexander said.

“For as long as I can remember, the primary method of recruitment has always been face-to-face/in-person. We dedicate countless hours traveling to visit high schools, participating in college fairs, delivering presentations and sitting on panels to answer questions about UT or the planning for college process.”

Despite the lack of high-fives and chats over coffee, virtual recruitment has had its benefits, Alexander said. For example, virtual recruiting has given UTK the opportunity to speak with students in parts of the country that recruiters would not normally visit in person.

“When the pandemic goes away and we are able to return to an in-person recruitment mode, I don’t see our virtual methods of recruitment going away,” Alexander said. “We now know there is another way to connect, and when the distance is a factor, we can use virtual platforms and experiences to engage in meaningful ways, thus spreading the word about UT.”

8 Wednesday, CITY NEWSOctober 28,

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

2020 • The Daily Beacon

ZAYN’s ‘Nobody is Listening’: A consistent, but okay, R&B output KEENAN THOMAS Contributor

3/If Zayn Malik releases an album and no one is around to hear it, did he release an album at all?

ZAYN’s third solo album is “Nobody is Listening,” an R&B pop album running about 35 minutes in length. It arrives a little over two years after his previous album “Icarus Falls” and is about two thirds shorter.

Generally, the album is good and is consistent in how it sounds. It hardly deviates from song to song. When it does introduce new styles and instruments, it doesn’t feel out of place or like it’s coming out of nowhere.

However, the album leaves more to be desired, especially in its lyrical content.

The first song “Calamity” begins with a rap from Malik. He details his struggles with loneliness and feeling like he’s stuck in his own world with no support. It’s an open and seemingly honest confession from Malik, and it sets the album up as if he is going to explore his struggles.

Courtesy of Vevo But other than a couple songs, the rest of the album features Malik singing about relationships, love and sex. It doesn’t deliver on the themes that the opening creates. Even with the few times these songs do dive into some of those themes, it falls into the same trappings of mainstream pop albums, with stereotypical breakup and love songs.

Two highlights on the album are the songs “When Love’s Around” and “Un****witable.”

“When Love’s Around” features Syd from the band The Internet and is the most interesting love song on the album. Its lyrics explore what it means to be in love and how one person can change everything. Syd and Malik complement each other well in their styles of singing. Instrumentally, the song has infusions of funk, which fits the R&B vibe of the album. It’s smooth, replay-able and definitely the best song on the

album.

“Un****witable” dives into some of the themes present in the first song. Malik sings about how fake everyone around him is and expands on his feelings of isolation. His singing on this song is some of the best on the album — along with the chorus for the song “Better.” “Un****witable” feels the most connected to what the album sets up with its opener.

Although these are the best songs, the rest of the album is good, too, even if it is mostly the same.

The only song that outright flops is “Connexion,” which features Malik’s worst singing on the album. There are two sections that completely fall flat; in one part, Malik tries to hit a high note that he can’t quite reach. In another part, he distorts his voice, but it ends up sounding like he’s trying to sing through a kazoo. It’s quite bad.

The only other song worth noting is “Sweat.” It’s a pretty good song, and Malik sings well on it. But it’s hard to shake the

feeling that he’s trying to compete with Phil Collins for a spot on an 80s movie soundtrack with its electronic synths and beats.

For the most part, this album is fine. It’s a decent R&B album with a couple standouts — and only one real dud. It’s consistent in how it sounds, and it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.

However, it feels like Malik is holding back, with most of the songs introducing something slightly new without committing to it or retreating back into some of the same lyrical traps of lovesick pop albums.

There was an opportunity here for Malik to be more introspective and personal, but he falls into the same old love song and dance.

3/5 Torches

9

SPORTS

10 The 20, TheDaily DailyBeacon Beacon• •Wednesday, Wednesday,January October 7,2021 2020

After 15 years, Tennessee-UConn match-up returns to Knoxville JOSHUA LANE Assistant Sports Editor

his name.

Summitt and Auriemma brought their own fiery personalities to the series, adding to what was an already intense on-the-court rivalry. Summitt was the quieter of the pair, while the UConn head coach has never been afraid to speak his mind.

According to an Auriemma interview from 2008, the main reason Summitt canceled the UConn-Tennessee series in the first place was because she believed Auriemma had committed a recruiting violation, which was never totally confirmed.

they ended Tennessee’s 69-game home win streak with a 59-53 win.

The Lady Vols won five of the next seven games, knocking off the Huskies in 1997 and in the 1998 NCAA Tournament en route to a championship; Kellie Harper, then Kellie Jolly, scored 19 points in the ‘97 semifinal. And in 1998, Tennessee defeated UConn as a part of its 39-0 perfect season, culminating in its third straight NCAA title.

UConn would take control of the series, winning eight of the next nine games from 2000 to 2004.

The Lady Vols received good efforts from Rennia Davis (16 points, eight rebounds) and Jazmine Massengill (eleven points, five assists), and held a 31-28 lead at halftime, but ultimately fell to the Tennessee-UConn. It was one of the biggest rithen No. 3 team in the nation. valries in college sports in its prime. And it’s com“When you’re growing up as a girls’ basketing back to Knoxville this Thursday, Jan. 21. ball player, you know about Tennessee, you know The Tennessee and the University of Connectiabout UConn,” Davis said. “Those are two schools cut women’s basketball teams met each January you know about. And in particular for me and all for 12 years, as the games thrust college women’s the returners, I know, just because we lost last basketball into the spotlight. year, it means just a little bit more to us this year.”

Then in 2007, right in The Huskies were led the heart of the rivalry, by the Murfeesboro, Tenthe series was canceled, nessee, native Crystal before being renewed last Dangerfield (14 points season as a part of the and four steals) and Autwo-year Basketball Hall brey Griffin (13 points of Fame Revival Series. and seven rebounds).

This new Revival Series Tennessee looks to was put on to call back to even the Revival Series the old rivalry, but also this time around. The in honor of the late Pat Lady Vols (9-2, 3-1 SEC) Summitt, the Lady Vols’ are ranked No. 23 in the legendary head coach, nation, and are led by the and her foundation, the duo of junior Rae Burrell Pat Summitt Foundathe senior Davis. Burrell tion, which is dedicated leads the Lady Vols in to finding a cure to Alscoring, averaging 16.7 zheimer’s, the disease ppg., while Davis is secthat Summitt died from ond in that category with in 2016.

14.2 ppg. and first on the In fact, part of the team in rebounds, averproceeds from the Reaging 8.3 rbg. vival Series will go to the UConn is the No. 4 Foundation, as well as the team in the country. The Naismith Memorial BasHuskies are 7-0 overall ketball Hall of Fame and and 6-0 in Big East play, the Women’s Basketball though they have played Hall of Fame. just one of their last three The biggest reason games — an 87-50 win for this rivalry’s popuover Providence. UConn, larity had to be the two as has Tennessee, has coaches, Summitt of had several opponents Tennessee and Geno Austruggle with the virus, riemma of UConn, two resulting in canceled and of the most successful postponed games.

Rae Burrell, #12, shooting a three pointer in the first quarter against Ole Miss on Feb. 27, 2020 in Thompson-Boling Arena. coaches in NCAA DiviThe Huskies have five players avFile / The Daily Beacon sion I college basketball history. eraging double figure scoring this Summitt finished her career with season, the four-time Freshman of 1,098 wins, the most ever at her retirement, eight the Week Paige Bueckers (18.9), Olivia Nelson“She accused us of cheating at recruiting,” AuMost notably was the 2002 Final Four matchup, in NCAA championships and was the Naismith ColOdoda (16.3), Christyn Williams (14.6), Aaliyah riemma said in that interview. “She doesn’t have which the Huskies beat the Lady Vols 79-56, the lege Coach of the Year six times.

Edwards (10.2) and former Lady Vol Evina Westthe courage to say it publicly. So yeah, Geno does largest margin of victory in the series in front of “I think right now, we get to relive a lot of those brook (10.0). know. And I’ve said it.” the largest crowd in women’s history: 29,619 atmoments,” Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper Thursday will be the second and final game in Summitt, however, publicly said that her reatendees. said on Summitt. “They’re playing a lot of videos, the two-game Revival Series, marking the tensoning was to let schools develop other rivalries.

Tennessee, however, took the last three conit’s really cool. And it’s tough at times too. To reyear anniversary of “We Back Pat Week.” As excitDespite the intense battles on the court, each tests in the original series, from 2005 to 2007. In member what we’ve lost. Because obviously, she ing as this series is for women’s basketball, Harper coach admired their counterpart, and it made for 2006, the last time — before this Thursday — meant a lot to me, she meant a lot to our program, gave no indication that the series would continue entertaining basketball, something college womthat the rivalry was played in Knoxville, Tennesshe meant a lot to the women’s basketball world, in the future. en’s basketball desperately needed at that time. see earned an 89-80 victory in front of the largest but I’ll be honest with you, sports and women in So, if you’re back on campus and looking for The Lady Vols and the Huskies have played 23 crowd ever for a regular-season women’s game: general.” something to do, try to get tickets to this rivalry retimes, and it is one of the few all-time series Ten24,653 attendees. Of course, because of the panAuriemma, on the other hand, tied Summitt’s match, to experience what college basketball was nessee trails in, 14-9. The first game dates back to demic, there will not be near this many fans in atwin total of 1,098 with UConn’s last victory and like in days before our time — or at least when we Jan. 16, 1995; UConn took the first meetup, 77-66, tendance, but it’s a good bet that the 4,000-seat has a chance to pass Summitt with their upcomwere too young to care. in Storrs, Connecticut. The Huskies won the next capacity will be filled. ing game versus Butler. He also has 11 NCAA titles Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET from Thomptwo meetings, including the infamous (at least in Last year, the first time these two schools had and seven Naismith Coach of the Year awards to son-Boling Arena and will be broadcast on ESPN. Tennessee) 1996 regular season game, in which met in 13 years, UConn took the rematch, 60-45.

CITY NEWS

Wednesday, Wednesday,October January 14, 20,2020 2021 • The Daily Beacon

11

Mutual aid providing better grounds for serving the community CALISTA BOYD Managing Editor

Throughout 2020, there has been a notable increase in social media activism — many people share posts that promote a call to action or raise awareness about an issue, from harm reduction to workers’ rights, to the problems with the justice system.

With restrictions on meeting up in large groups in the midst of a pandemic, sometimes sharing information is the most someone can do. Social media provides a platform for voices of community-based outreach initiatives, which rely on crowdsourcing to fund their programs that assist community members in need.

An important aspect of this type of aid is that it is separate from large, organized charity groups. People participating in local crowd-sourcing initiatives or smaller social media pages focus their reach onto local members of the community and often have more concrete goals in lobbying local officials to change city or town policies that negatively affect the disadvantaged population.

Many times these groups describe themselves as mutual aid groups. So, how does mutual aid differ from charity? And why is it more sustainable?

In an interview with Amy Goodman with DemocracyNow! called “Solidarity Not Charity: Mutual Aid & How to Organize in the Age of Coronavirus,” Dean Spade, an associate professor of Seattle University School of Law, explained the difference between mutual aid and charity.

“The term ‘mutual aid’ basically just means when people band together to meet immediate survival needs, usually because of a shared understanding that the systems in place aren’t coming to meet them, or certainly not fast enough, if at all, and that we can do it together right now,” Spade said in the interview. “It’s like, you know what?

We’re not just going to wait and hope that they solve our problems, especially since they have a bad record of not doing that, and especially because most relief doesn’t end up reaching the poorest people or the most marginalized or targeted people. Instead, we’re going to do something right now to build the world we want to live in. So it’s a very empowering, participatory kind of work that tends to build people’s ability to mobilize generally.”

Mutual aid groups focus on collective action and immediate action to get things done and help solve emergency situations.

Charity groups have a lot of oversight and place conditions on people that can receive help from them, Spade explained.

“So, ‘charity’ is a word we often use to think about like social services or nonprofits

that give stuff to poor people if you qualify, if you meet these eligibility verification requirements, if you’re the right kind of poor person,” Spade said in the interview. “We don’t give it to you unless you’re sober, unless you take these meds, or unless you have kids, or — you know, there’s histories — unless you’re properly Christian or not queer or whatever. Charity is this kind of thing where usually money’s coming from the rich, and they get to determine who is deserving.”

... it’s a very empowering, participatory kind of work that tends to build people’s ability to mobilize generally.

DEAN SPADE ASSOCIATE PROFESSSOR AT SEATTLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

So, some people who may be in a life-ordeath situation could be rejected from aid on the premise of addiction or their faith.

Minka Reed, a senior studying women, gender and sexuality studies and Spanish, is a member of First Aid Collective Knoxville.

First Aid Collective Knoxville is a local mutual aid and harm reduction group that provides resources to those in need and offers free medical aid.

Courtesy of First Aid Collective Knoxville Reed explained that FACK started out as a group of street medics that decided to expand their assistance methods. They rely on donations and mutual aid specific grants to fund their services.

“Individual people will donate stuff. ...

Like moms will donate baby clothes or left-

over baby formula,” Reed said. “There are lack of economic activity during the pandifferent crews that do different things. One demic, workers bear the majority of the of the bigger things we are doing right now repercussions, as they have a higher risk of are deliveries. Someone will go to the groexposure to COVID and have less opportunicery store and buy a bunch of things, and ties to make money. then someone else will deliver it to the perGullett said that social media which highson needing the supplies.” lights issues to the service industry is imThere is a form online that you can fill out portant in order to hold city officials and to request specific things you need. FACK ofbusiness owners accountable for their damfers resources such as safe-sex kits, COVID aging actions to the working class. kits, wound care, direct money transfers and more.

Reed described the difference between mutual aid and charity, emphasizing the increased benefits of mutual aid.

“If someone says, ‘I need food,’ we don’t say, ‘Prove your income is low enough.’ We’re not going to impose our values on you; we all help each other. We’ve had a lot of people being referred to us from other bigger organizations,” Reed said. “We just do as much as we can to help.”

Another mutual aid group in Knoxville is Service Industry Coalition Knoxville, which is a coalition of workers that work to combat the effects of gentrification in Knoxville and promote better conditions for the working class.

James Gullet, an experienced service industry worker, explains how the de- Courtesy of Service Industry Coalition centralized nature of SICK allows for faster transfers of resources to support commu“Although sharing posts may seem like a nity members in need. small act, when people pay attention, it gets “SICK is not a funded organization, but leaders’ attention. The city has gotten used various folks have used the SICK platform to acting in ways that don’t serve its people, to create mutual aid funds over the course whether it involves pouring public money of the pandemic. Through this, they’ve been into more establishments catering to the able to provide direct, no-strings-attached rich, raising low-income or working class cash assistance to service industry workareas, ignoring public health concerns or ers,” Gullett said. letting rents get way too high,” Gullett said.

Since SICK does not rely on funds from “Not only do we need to know what they’re an over-arching organization, there is more doing, we need to remind them that they are flexibility in their aid methods. still accountable to us.

Gullett described the consequences of SICK’s website works to inform the public gentrification, and how the process accenof concerns over the increasing cost of livtuates socio-economic divisions in Knoxing and low wages in the city. They also have ville. forms online to request emergency relief “A city that cares more about profits than funds or to donate to their cause. people will push its own people deeper into “A lot of service industry workers feel forpoverty. We will have to take care of us. gotten and disposable, and this should not People say that leadership has been unfair to be how it is in cities like Knoxville that rely bars and restaurants in regulating the panheavily on an underpaid workforce to drive demic, but it’s really the workers who have its so-called revitalization,” Gullett said. been hit the hardest,” Gullett said. “And this Both Gullett and Reed emphasized the is just a snapshot of the bigger picture. It’s importance of sharing information on social very clear that the mayor and city officials media and recommended that people should do not care for low-income people. They do whatever they are capable of doing to bulldoze houseless communities without a help. So, simply sharing a post and raising thought and want to turn downtown Knoxawareness about an issue is the first step toville to a place that embraces rich people but wards changing a corrupt system. they sai. is unwelcoming to poor people. ... A person You can find both SICK with their handle who prepares the food downtown, should be @sicknoxville and FACK with their handle able to afford to eat downtown. @firstaidcollectiveknoxville on Instagram.

While businesses have suffered from a

12 12

CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, Wednesday,January October20, 14,2021 2020

Academic experts on creating a positive mindset for the semester BEN WINIGER Staff Writer

A new semester can create many feelings.

Stress and anxiety about upcoming assignments, anxiety, sadness about lost free time, concern about one’s general welling — all common occurrences during a large schedule shift. That isn’t including a global pandemic, economic uncertainty and ongoing political strife.

If one’s not careful, the sheer state of spring 2021 could overwhelm even the most stoic. However, one can still be positive and productive when surrounded within negative circumstances.

Professor Debora Baldwin, an associate professor for the UT psychology department, said just that.

Baldwin discussed how one can maintain a positive mindset when surrounded by negativity. Though the last year carried many negative experiences, she encourages looking for the positive in a situation while acknowledging the negative.

According to Baldwin, positive psychology is a relatively new study in a field long focused on what’s “wrong” with people.

Instead of mitigating “negative” emotions, positive psychology is a field that encourages developing the positive.

“Positive psychology is about making life more fulfilling. That’s the goal, looking at normal individuals and enhancing their wellbeing. We look at what people do right,” Baldwin said.

Creating a positive environment is more complex than suppressing negative feelings and “being happy,” Baldwin explained.

Instead, one needs to recognize when

negative feelings are present, acknowledge them and actively seek opportunities within a negative situation. For those wishing to create a productive and positive environment, psychological methods include actively changing how you think and what you do.

“In psychology, we know that what you think influences how you feel. There are many different ways to help people think better so that they feel better,” Baldwin said.

Cognitive reframing is how one gets out of “doom spirals,” times when all one thinks about is what’s going wrong and how bad everything is. In practice, this means recognizing that you’re having negative thoughts before seeking an alternative way of looking at the situation.

“You have to be aware that you’re thinking negatively, that you’re going down the rabbit hole. Once you have that awareness, you take that negative thought, stop it and decide to look for the positive. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade,” Baldwin said.

This doesn’t mean you ignore reality and pretend everything is okay. Accepting negativity is just as important as creating positivity. However, deliberately recognizing positive outcomes leads to balance, so one needn’t be stuck in a pit of doom and gloom.

“The pandemic, even though it’s been tremendously hard for all of us at some point, there are some positives. Perhaps we’ve gained social relationships. Maybe we’ve taken up a new hobby. It’s allowed for deeper introspection. Of course, there’s the negatives are also a reality; but if you focus on the negative you become despaired and distressed,” Baldwin said.

A holistic approach appears to work both therapeutically and academically. UT’s aca-

demic coaches, including Success Center coach Ali Aust, want students to acknowledge their struggles and feel their emotions before going forth academically.

“Be aware of toxic positivity. We know last semester was hard, and this was not the semester they wanted. It’s important to recognize that and feel those emotions,” Aust said. “Keep moving, but don’t brush those emotions aside.”

But changing thoughts is only one part of the equation. Both Baldwin and Aust agree you can change your outlook by taking specific actions.

Aust recommends taking time away from academics and finding someone to discuss concerns with.

“The online environment can be very demanding, and not many people feel like they can turn off their tech. It’s all about listening and figuring out what’s best moving forward,” Aust said.

If one’s anxiety centers around their academic success, Aust specifically mentioned seeking an academic coach for help with time management, goal setting or advice on studying. She also gave some basic advice for organizing one’s space.

“We recommend having a daily, weekly and monthly calendar,” Aust said. “Log in every day. It’s good to know when you study, when you go class and when you turn everything off for self-care. Have a folder for each class. Stay focused but mak(e) sure you’re taking breaks. Study for 30 minutes, then maybe take 10 to 15 minutes to scoot back, get a drink, pet a dog or do whatever helps you relax.” win encouraged students to make a point to do healthy and “positive” activities — such as exercising, relaxing, doing hobbies and performing random acts of kindness.

She based her statements in the tenants of cognitive behavioral therapy. While reframing creates positivity by changing how one thinks, behavior therapy influences feelings based on physical action.

“Behavior influences how you feel. You can change your attitude by changing your behavior, how you act,” Baldwin said. “You may not feel like exercising or doing a random act of kindness, but you do it any way.

Afterwards, people tend to report feeling better, that they’re glad they engaged in that behavior.”

Motivation plays a role in taking healthy action, and a lack of motivation can lead one to not even attempt to create positivity. One can create this motivation be maintaining healthy optimism, which Baldwin defines as “the expectation of a good outcome.”

“When I talk about optimism, I mean, ‘the expectation of a good outcome.’ If you expect to achieve a goal — like graduating or making an A — and most importantly, if you truly believe that goal is attainable, then you will drive toward the goal even in the face of adversity,” Baldwin said. “That’s optimism, not just feeling happy all the time. If practiced over time, these strategies will morph into a positive mindset.”

Though the world is confusing and seems bent on showcasing negativity, the right changes in actions and thoughts can lead to a productive and even happy life in the most dire circumstances.

Baldwin concluded her advice by quoting psychologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl.

“Everything can be taken away from a person, except for one thing: the freedom to choose your attitude in any given situation.”

yoga room and high speed internet.

The Standard offers apartments ranging from one to five bedrooms starting at $820 per person. It also has a Starbucks coffee bar, garage parking, a gaming room and an outdoor terrace.

University Walk offers one to four bedroom apartments, starting at $699 per person. It also offers a gym, an academic success center and private bathrooms for each room.

The Knox offers three to five bedroom apartments, starting at $850 per person. They are fully furnished with in-unit washer and dryers, a wired coffee bar, study rooms and are pet-friendly.

The Social offers one and two bedroom apartments, starting at $655 per person. It has a community room with ping pong tables, a movie projector and a coffee bar. The Social also has a fitness room and study lounge available to all students.

The Hive on Bridge offers one to three bedroom apartments, starting at $500 per person.

The complex offers on site parking, is three blocks from campus and pet friendly.

The Hive also has several more locations around Knoxville, such as The Hive on Clinch, starting at $800 for one bedroom per person, The Hive on Laurel, starting at $750 per person with one bedroom apartments. The Hive on Highland, starting at $540 per person with one and two bedroom apartments, and the Hive Five, starting at $390 per person with two and three bedroom apartments.

Quarry Trail offers one to four bedrooms apartments, starting at $645 per room. There are three pools on the property, a fitness center, a shuttle that goes to campus multiple times a day and high quality study rooms.

Knox Ridge offers four and five bedroom apartments, starting at $309 per room. The complex offers a lazy river, a fire pit, a giant hot tub, in-unit laundry and on site parking.

Apartments such as 303, the Heights and then TENN are also available in Knoxville, but as of publication they were either sold out of apartments or did not have prices posted on their websites.

When considering living off campus, make sure to start researching options at least six months in advance in order to have the most options available for leasing in the area.

For more details, check out the websites of each property for up-to-date leasing infor-

A college student’s housing guide to living off campus

ALLIE JUSTIS Copy Chief

With on campus housing being as expensive as it is, many students have been left wondering what other options are available in Knoxville that would be practical for a college student. This housing guide provides a list of some affordable housing options around campus that are definitely worth looking into.

Fort Sanders In the Fort, there are many cheap options for students that also are convenient for those who would rather walk or don’t have a car to bring to campus everyday.

The Commons at Knoxville offers one to four bedroom apartments, starting at $580 per person. The apartments come fully furnished, in the complex there is a tanning bed,

Across the River Woodlands of Knoxville offers two to four bedroom apartments, starting at $490 per bedroom. The complex has a shuttle that goes from the complex to UTK’s campus several times a day, as well as a clubhouse complete with snack machines, a fireplace and a movie theater.

mation and deals.

12 The Daily Beacon CITY NEWS

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

• Wednesday, October 14, 2020

13

Recent UT grads adjust to a chaotic job market during a pandemic JAKE YODER City News Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a wave of uncertainty to almost all aspects of life. With the economy basically being shut down for a number of months in 2020 and workplaces still dealing with new social distancing guidelines, many were left unemployed and unable to find work.

Taking the step from full-time college student to full-time adult has always been intimidating, but, amid a global pandemic, it can be scarier than ever. Lives cannot be put on hold, however, forcing thousands of college seniors to enter a job market unlike the world has ever seen.

“The main issue with finding a job right now is the unknown that comes with COVID,” Taylor Sherick, a senior graduating in May

with a bachelor’s in marketing, said. “I had an internship and potential job offer lined up for last summer and once I graduated, but COVID forced them to cancel the internship, and they say that the unknown of COVID makes it so they are not hiring like normal.”

Sherick isn’t alone in her struggles. Many recent graduates such as Zachary Pea, a UT alumnus with a bachelor’s in accounting, are either unemployed or working jobs in areas outside of their intended profession.

“I’ve applied for a few different internships and part time jobs over the past few months and just haven’t heard back from most of them,” Pea said.

Even those that graduated well before the beginning of the pandemic have had trouble finding work in the current economy. Kevin Treadway, a UT alumnus that graduated in May of 2019, found it particularly difficult to find meaningful work when the pandemic forced him to move thousands of miles away

from his current job.

“After graduating from UT, I moved to France to be an English Teaching Assistant in a high school. I was forced to come back to the United States right when everything began to be shut down,” Treadway said. “I was able to find work at a nonprofit, but it didn’t align with my specific career goals.”

Treadway now works at UT Extension, a job he said he was only able to find after months of searching and a few personal connections.

According to Treadway, having good connections in a chaotic job market can make or break success.

“It has been difficult for so many to find jobs during this time, but it always helps to be connected and have a strong network of individuals throughout the industry you hope to work in, as they can open up opportunities for you even during these hard times,” Treadway said.

Recent UT grads haven’t all had loads of trouble finding work amid the pandemic, how-

ever. Avery Conner, an alumna who graduated in May 2020, was able to find fulfilling work right after her graduation.

“I was fortunate enough to not have a hard time finding a job. However, I have experienced the difficulty in learning an entire career from a computer screen,” Conner said.

Conner, who works in sales at WVLT Channel 8, secured an internship with the sales team at WVLT right before the beginning of the pandemic. By mid-February, she was offered a full-time position at WVLT, which has been fully online.

Even amid the current tumultuous economy, Conner recommends that recent grads or soon-to-be-grads keep their heads high and continue the hunt for work.

“Always keep your mind open and network, network, network,” Conner said. “If I had never put myself out there, I would have never met the sales staff who are my coworkers now.”

Safe winter activities, restaurants to enjoy during COVID-19 MADELYN MUSCHEK Staff Writer

As we move into the coldest months of the year, it can feel limiting to be experiencing both cold weather and life during a pandemic. Here are some outdoor, fairly safe activities, places to visit and heated restaurants to enjoy around Knoxville.

Zoo Knoxville Just around a 15-minute drive from campus off of I-40 lies Zoo Knoxville, one of the best outdoor attractions in Knoxville. A visit to the zoo is a great way to spend a couple hours or a full day and is only $15 for college students.

Of course, the zoo is outdoors, making it easy to be COVID-safe by wearing masks and social distancing.

865 Axe Throwing Located at Babelay Farms, 865 Axe Throwing is an outdoor axe throwing range. Exciting and unique, axe throwing is an exhilarating activity for individuals and small groups alike, as well as an easy way to have fun and maintain social distance from other guests. 865 Axe Throwing is closed for the month of January due to renovations but will be open in February.

Navitat at Ijams Nature Center Located in Ijams Nature Center, Navitat is an adventure park that combines activities such as ziplining, hiking and various climbing exercises with trails through trees. For two hours, participants can guide themselves through the trails, which are accessible by ziplines. An outdoor activity that involves nature, exercise and creativity, it’s easy to see why Navitat has many positive reviews.

Restaurants While eating out at a restaurant can be risky during a pandemic, this risk can be lessened by social distancing in outdoor seating arrangements. Here are some restaurants that have plenty of heated outdoor seating space, either with fire pits or electric heaters.

Corner 16 Corner 16 is a casual restaurant serving a large menu of American and Southerninspired food, which prides itself on locally sourced produce, locally made beer and handmade burgers. Its large, family-friendly outdoor space has heaters with social distancing measures in place for a more COVID-safe experience.

Balter Beerworks Located in the Old City, Balter Beerworks has mastered the art of outdoor seating. With a large outdoor patio and ample heating that connects to the indoor section and bar, it’s easy to enjoy the fresh menu and various beverages on tap if you choose. Balter Beerworks also has a popular brunch menu that can be enjoyed on the patio as well.

File / The Daily Beacon Market Square restaurants In the heart of downtown, Market Square is home to many popular restaurants such as Tupelo Honey Café, Not Watson’s, Stock and Barrel, The Tomato Head and Café 4. Almost all of the restaurants in Market Square have outdoor dining options with heaters, but seating can be limited during busy times, so be sure to arrive early or make a reservation.

Schulz Bräu Brewing Company Another brewing company with plenty of outdoor seating — and heating — is Schulz Bräu, a German brewery which also serves German food such as pretzels, schnitzel and bratwurst. Their outdoor biergarten has recently been renovated with increased heaters, fire pits and waterproof tents to protect against the cold while also encouraging social distancing.

14 12

SPORTS

The 20, 2021 TheDaily DailyBeacon Beacon •• Wednesday, Wednesday,January October 14, 2020

Sports update: Football remains stagnant as hoops start SEC play RYAN SCHUMPERT Sports Editor

Although students have been away from campus for nearly two months, that hasn’t stopped Tennessee athletics from rolling on, with football season ending and basketball season beginning.

Monday, Tennessee fired head football coach Jeremy Pruitt with cause and director of athletics Phillip Fulmer resigned, leaving massive leadership holes in the athletic department.

Pruitt was fired near the end of Tennessee’s internal investigation in recruiting violations. Chancellor Donde Plowman stated that there were multiple Level I and Level II NCAA violations, leading to Pruitt and nine of his staff members being fired.

Tennessee will now turn its attention to hiring a new athletic director who will then hire the new football coach. UT’s administration will need to look to move quick in order to find a coach before spring practice.

Former Tennessee linebacker and veteran SEC defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will serve as the acting head coach. Fulmer will continue his role his role as director of athletics until a predecessor is named.

On the hardwood, both the Vols and Lady Vols have jumped out to strong starts, each earning top 25 rankings despite dealing with COVID-19 shutdowns.

The sixth-ranked Vols are off to a 10-1 start paced by balance scoring from a backcourt that goes five deep. Freshman guards Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson are starting to get in a rhythm as the Vols’ try to get the former five-stars to play their best basketball down the stretch.

“The reality is, if those freshmen had the opportunity over the summer to train, be here earlier and get in shape, our rotation now has the chance to shape itself as early as July,” Vols’ assistant coach Desmond Oliver said. “They can be ending the game for us and also playing 35 minutes a night, and the same can be said with the freshman.

We got seven starters on our roster, and our guys shouldn’t get caught up on who starts the game, but focusing on when they are in there and getting wins.”

Tennessee currently holds a 4-1 SEC record entering Tuesday night’s matchup at Florida. The Vols lone loss came at home to now No. 18 Alabama. Through three weeks of conference play the Crimson Tide appear to be the Vols’ stiffest competition in winning their second SEC title in four seasons.

The Lady Vols have shown signs of

growth in head coach Kellie Harper’s second season. The Lady Vols currently hold a 9-2 record entering Thursday night’s showdown with arch rival Connecticut.

Highlighting Tennessee’s early season is a pair of ranked wins over Indiana and Arkansas. The Arkansas win came right after Tennessee returned from a two week COVID-19 pause, an impressive showing that demonstrates this team’s potential.

“I think (the win) says that we’ve got a talented team,” Harper said. “We can win games. I think it also shows quite a bit of resilience and focus. Our team was ready to play. They have been ready to play. I think people can see that. If you watched that game, I think you can see that our players were excited to be out there.”

The Lady Vols had also seemed to turn a corner in beating teams they are favored against, with their first loss coming to a strong West Virginia program. However, the loss at home to Georgia was a step back after the Lady Vols entered the top 25.

Still, the 3-1 SEC record has the Lady Vols near the top of the standings with a strong chance to finish in the top four of the league.

Tennessee’s growth is in no small part due to the growth of Rae Burrell. The junior guard has become a reliable scorer for Tennessee, helping take the pressure off of All

Guard Jaden Springer (11) shoots the ball against Vanderbilt Commodores forward Clevon Brown (15) during the first half at Thompson-Boling Arena on Jan. 21, 2021. Courtesy of Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

American Rennia Davis.

Burrell leads the Lady Vols with 16.7 points per game with Davis not far behind, tallying 13.5 points per contest.

While their seasons haven’t begun, the SEC has approved plans to play a normal baseball and softball schedule in 2021. Tony Vitello and Ralph and Karen Weekly’s teams will look to return to the NCAA Tournament when their seasons begin next month.

12 The Daily Beacon OPINIONS

• Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

15

Student trustee Leighton Chappell on Board of Trustees’ goals LEIGHTON CHAPPELL Guest Contributor

My name is Leighton Chappell and I currently serve as student trustee for the University of Tennessee (UT) Board of Trustees. The UT Board of Trustees is the statewide governing body of the University of Tennessee System.

The UT System includes campuses in Martin, Chattanooga, Knoxville, the UT Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Memphis, the Space Institute at Tullahoma and the statewide Institute of Agriculture and Institute of Public Service in Knoxville.

The UT Board oversees the educational and operational activities of UT campuses and institutes led by the System’s president and supported by 12 members - 10 Governor appointees, one ex officio member and one student trustee.

The current UT strategic plan incorporates the enhancement of educational excellence, the expansion of research capacities, fostering outreach and engagement opportunities, ensuring workforce and administrative excellence and the advocating and promotion of UT and the UT brand.

Overall, the UT Board of Trustees seeks to support any and all efforts to educate, discover and connect all Tennesseans. In doing so, UT and the state seek to provide a “ladder up” to the working and middle class: granting people the opportunity for a better education, a better job and a better life (President Randy Boyd).

With all being said, why is the UT Board important to Vol Nation?

Essentially, your input matters. Your feedback, surveys, efforts and dedication matter.

The Board of Trustees and the University of Tennessee System function to serve you, the people. Without your input, commitment, awareness and enthusiasm to Board meetings, university events or System news, the Board and the University of Tennessee System cannot entirely serve you or your needs.

Again, your voice – the faithful, good peo-

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Courtesy of Leighton Chappell ple of Tennessee – matters and is the primary concern of UT. And as student trustee, I ask for you to utilize it.

----------------------Since the beginning of my term in July, the UT Board has been plenty active. In part as student trustee, it is important to relay all and any new information from the Board to the people.

Hence, the following information summarizes various major 2020 updates: -The Board of Trustees approved to move forward in the potential acquisition of Martin Methodist College in Pulaski. Post-secondary attainment rates and college go-to rates for the region are relatively low compared to other areas in Tennessee. Additionally, evidence indicates there is a current and future unmet labor need for educated workers in this same region.

There is a lack of affordable and accessible public education spanning over a 300-mile stretch of the southern border of Tennessee from Memphis to Chattanooga, and the expanded presence of the University of Tennessee System in this region may affectively improve attainment and go-to rates as part of the State’s Drive to 55 initiative.

- The Board of Trustees approved to permanently implement revised student codes of conduct related to sexual harassment cases for each campus and UTHC. Doing so allows UT to remain compliant with the new Title IX regulations approved by the U.S. Department of Education earlier in the year. The Board also passed a similar set of permanent rules for faculty members.

- The Board of Trustees approved a new student immunization rule establishing a uniform systemwide policy on immunization re-

quirements for students on all campuses. The policy allows for the university to require proof of immunization before classes regarding the flu, the coronavirus and several other diseases (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and meningococcal disease) to remain compliant with Tennessee law.

-The Board of Trustees approved to update the University of Tennessee Diversity Statement and to realign the current strategic plan in support of the administration’s promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion.

-The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Carey Whitworth as vice president for Government Relations and Advocacy, approved to lower UT Knoxville housing rates for Spring 2021, approved a revision to its tenure policy in light of COVID-19 and granted several tenure upon initial appointments.

-More details regarding the Board’s meetings and past material can be found on the UT Board of Trustees’ website – trustees.tennessee.edu.

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UT System is thriving and progressing toward brighter futures. Relative to other major institutions, UT was one of few institutions to increase system-wide enrollment without raising tuition costs this past year. Again, in light of the ongoing pandemic, such an accomplishment is HUGE for UT and the System.

All in all, it’s a great day to be a Skyhawk, a Moc or a Volunteer as this decade, in echoing Boyd, will in fact prove to be the greatest decade in University of Tennessee history.

Take care, Vol Nation, as it has been and will continue to be an honor serving you.

-Leighton Chappell

16 12

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, Wednesday,January October20, 14,2021 2020

‘Preordained’: Pruitt’s lawyer responds to head coach’s firing RYAN SCHUMPERT Sports Editor

Jeremy Pruitt and his lawyer have responded to his termination with cause, claiming it was unrighteous and a coordinated effort by members of the university’s leadership.

“The timing of the University’s actions and decision appear to be preordained and more about financial convenience and expediency than a fair and complete factual determination by the University,” Pruitt’s lawyer Michael Lyons said in a statement he released.

Included in the statement, Lyons claimed that Pruitt met with University of TennesseeKnoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman Monday and was told that the investigation was ongo-

ing, Plowman hadn’t read the transcripts from Pruitt’s interview with investigators and that a decision hadn’t been made on his future.

“While the limited portions of the University’s self-initiated investigation shared with Coach Pruitt provide some evidence of violations committed by off-field staff, Chancellor Donde Plowman personally confirmed with Coach Pruitt this morning that: (1) the University’s investigation had yet to have been completed; (2) the Chancellor had not yet read Coach Pruitt’s NCAA interview transcript; and (3) there was no evidence that Coach Pruitt was either actively in any alleged violations or knew they were occurring. She further confirmed to Coach Pruitt that no employment decision had been made,” Lyons said. “Less than three hours later, however, Coach Pruitt was e-mailed a five-page, single-spaced letter of

termination - the contents of which were immediately leaked to the public.”

The release comes just hours after Plowman called the results of the investigation “disturbing” and that it included “serious infractions (that) warrant immediate action.”

Lyons also claims that the investigation was used as a ruse to help the University justify firing Pruitt with cause.

“Moreover, it seems clear that the recent leaks to the press are indicative of an interest to steer the narrative in a way that is desirable to the University to justify a decision likely made weeks ago,” Lyons said.

Lyons stated that he and Pruitt plan to defend any allegations that he broke NCAA rules.

Without cause, Tennessee would owe Pruitt a total of $12.6 million to buy him out of his current contract.

However, Tennessee will likely reach a financial agreement with Pruitt that pays him part of his buyout.

Tennessee finishes paying former head coach Butch Jones his full buyout this month ,but the COVID-19 pandemic has created massive revenue loss across all of college athletics.

Through Lyons, Pruitt also expressed appreciation for his players at Tennessee and the Volunteer fanbase.

“Coach Pruitt and his family are thankful for and will always cherish their time with the University,” the statement said. “In addition to having made lifelong friends in Knoxville, Coach Pruitt is most thankful for and appreciative of the outstanding young men he was able to coach and mentor. He wishes those studentathletes and the remarkable fans that support them nothing but success.”

Tennessee 2021 coaching search opening possible candidates RYAN SCHUMPERT Sports Editor Tennessee has moved on from head football coach Jeremy Pruitt following a 16-19 record in three seasons and an internal investigation into recruiting violations.

With director of athletics Phillip Fulmer resigning, Tennessee won’t hire a new coach until a new athletic director is in place.

Nevertheless, here’s our first hot board as Tennessee looks to find Pruitt’s successor.

Hugh Freeze The popular choice amongst Vol fans to replace Pruitt, Freeze made his name during his five seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss.

While in Oxford, Freeze took the Rebels’ program to unprecedented heights, beating No. 1 Alabama in 2014 and the No. 2 Crimson Tide in 2015, on their way to a pair of New Year’s Six bowl bids.

Freeze exited Ole Miss with a 39-25 record and a Sugar Bowl win.

Freeze’s decline at Ole Miss started with NCAA investigations into recruiting violations, which could make him an unlikely candidate at UT due to the violations that helped lead to Pruitt’s departure. Freeze’s tenure in Oxford ended after reports about Freeze having an extramarital affair with escorts during recruiting visits.

Freeze admitted to the accusations and sat out two seasons before returning to coaching as Liberty University’s head coach where he’s led the Flames to an 18-6 record Freeze proposed to his wife in Neyland Stadium and has called Tennessee “a dream job.”

Jamey Chadwell A Carryville, Tennessee native, Chadwell led Coastal Carolina to an 11-1 record in his second season at the head of the Chanticleers program.

Chadwelll took over in Myrtle Beach in 2019 as the Chanticleers were struggling to make the

jump from FCS to FBS. After going 3-9 and 5-7 in Coastal’s first two seasons in the FBS. Chadwell’s Chanticleers went 5-7 in 2019 before making the leap to 11-1 this season.

Before his tenure at Coastal Carolina, the east Tennessee native served as the head coach at Coastal Carolina where he was twice named the FCS Coach of the Year.

Chadwell is an east Tennessee native with an offensive background.

Kevin Steele The Tennessee active head coach could be a legit candidate for the coaching job at his alma mater. Steele, a 62-year old, would give Tennessee a veteran coaching presence as they try to navigate the likely coming NCAA violations.

Steele is a veteran SEC defensive coordinator who’s had stints at LSU, Alabama and most recently Auburn.

The Dillon, South Carolina native has previous head coaching experience when he spent a disastrous three seasons as Baylor’s head coach.

With Steele at the helm, the Bears went 9-36 from 1999-2002.

Steele began his coaching career in Knoxville after graduating from UT, spending time as a graduate assistant and defensive back coach.

Billy Napier A Cookeville, Tennessee native, Napier has been a hot coaching candidate after three successful years at Louisiana. Napier has a 28-11 record in his three seasons including an impressive 10-1 record with an upset win over Iowa State.

Napier has taken the Ragin’ Cajuns to the Sun Belt championship in all three seasons as head coach and has a 3-0 record against Freeze and Chadwell.

Before his time as Louisiana’s head coach, Napier served as Arizona State’s offensive coordinator and Alabama’s receiving coach.

Napier has been reluctant to leave Louisiana, turning down interest from Auburn and South Carolina.

Gus Malzahn Malzahn recently entered the market as Auburn moved on from Malzahn after eight seasons as head coach.

The Arkansas native took the SEC by storm with his up tempo, read option offense, making the National Championship winning the SEC in his first season. Malzahn wouldn’t win the SEC again and only made it back to the championship game once (2017).

Outside of the two SEC west championships, Malzahn’s teams were often solid, winning eight or nine games four times in his eight seasons.

Malzahn’s biggest achievement was his respectable 3-5 record against Alabama’s dynasty under Nick Saban. His failure to consistently beat Auburn’s other rivals, LSU and Georgia, led to his dismay. Malzahn went 2-6 against Georgia and 3-5 against LSU. One complication with Malazahn is the presence of Kevin Steele on Tennessee’s staff. Steele served as Malzahn’s defensive coordinator at Auburn and was reportedly eager to become the Tiger’s head coach when they moved on from Malzahn.

Tom Allen Allen has led the Indiana program to relevance in his four seasons as the Hoosier’s head coach.

After two average 5-7 seasons in his first two years at Indiana, Allen got the Hoosiers back to a bowl game with an 8-5 record in 2019.

After losing to Tennessee in the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Indiana’s program leapt to new heights in the Big 10’s shortened 2020 season.

Allen led the Hoosiers to a 6-2 record including wins over Penn State and Michigan.

Before becoming head coach at Indiana, Allen served as a defensive assistant coach at a plethora of schools including Indiana and Ole Miss.

Bill O’Brien A year after having a three touchdown first

half lead on the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, O’Brien was out as general manager and head coach of the Houston Texans.

Poor decisions, headlined by trading star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, have made O’Brien a laughing stock in the past months. However, there could be mutual interest with O’Brien.

The 51-year old succeeded Joe Paterno at Penn State and helped stabilize the Nittany Lions’ program amidst NCAA sanctions.

That stabilizing factor could make him attractive to Tennessee while the NCAA is in Knoxville investigating.

Rumors have linked O’Brien to Alabama’s offensive coordinator job that became open after Steve Sarkisian left to be Texas’ head coach.

Lane Kiffin A long shot candidate to replace Pruitt is Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin is no stranger to Knoxville as he replaced Phillip Fulmer as the Vols’ head coach in 2009.

Kiffin spent just one year in Knoxville before bolting for Southern Cal where he spent three seasons as USC’s head coach.

Kiffin was no stranger to NCAA violations while in Knoxville and his nature as a loose canon makes him an unlikely candidate to replace Pruitt. However, Kiffin is a great offensive coach whose philosophy matches the direction football is moving.

Jerod Mayo The only candidate on this list without head coaching experience, Mayo is one of the up and coming coaches in the NFL, joining Bill Belichick’s staff after a successful eight year playing career in New England.

Mayo is also the only Tennessee grad on this list as the linebacker played in Knoxville from 200507. Mayo led the SEC in tackles in 2007, his junior season.

Mayo’s flaws are his lack of head coaching experience and lack of coaching in college.

Still, Mayo could be a name to watch and has reportedly interviewed with NFL teams this off-