Wednesday, January 31, 2024

‘The NCAA is failing.’

Chancellor Donde Plowman fires back as Tennessee athletics faces an investigation over alleged NIL violations.

The Daily Beacon

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Volume 145, Issue 2

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024

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@utkdailybeacon

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NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

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Accessibility signs, funding added to campus ALLISON MURPHY Contributor

In the middle of the current campus construction, some older changes have gotten new markers.

New accessibility signs have popped up around campus, making sure students and visitors can find entrances and are aware of parking permit rules.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 to ensure everyday opportunities for people with disabilities without inferior treatment.

The design standards from 1990 were updated in 2010, and one new requirement was to post signs like the ones seen on campus, though there was no deadline. If there is more than one entrance, the non-accessible ones should point out where the accessible one is.

Several signs outside of Student Services’ first floor notify drivers that the accessible entrance is in Circle Park itself, on the third level. Outside the ground floor of Hodges Library, a new sign points out the doors a block down on Hodges’ second floor, while another is visible from the road.

Similar signs are posted on the Dougherty Engineering and Austin Peay building entrances on the Hill and across Cumberland, in front of Hoskins Library.

Though many campus buildings are much older than the 1990 law, there are also specific guidelines for building changes to follow when possible.

Older improvements from 2022 include new doors at the Student Health Center. Entrances at the Best Research Group labs in Buehler Hall, the Min H. Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building, Brehm Animal Science, Walters Life Sciences, and the Hearing and Speech Center also received improvements, according to department publications.

Currently, the Facility Services website lists new ramps at the Communications Building as an open project in the design phase. Recently completed stair landscaping at Nielsen Physics Building and Perkins Hall, as well as elevator upgrades in the Communications Building and Morgan Hall, were ADA compliance projects, according to the UT system’s current construction projects, with a price tag of $2 million.

That price tag is part of the $24 million requested

by UT’s Board of Trustees and recommended by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for 2023-24. The THEC budget lists that total as being for the entire UT system, under a special initiative for ADA funding — though the individual projects do not specify what the improvements will be. According to Patti Miller, THEC’s chief of facilities planning, all institutions in Tennessee are upgrading, including places like Pellissippi and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology.

“The ADA Special Initiate Funding request is for the purpose of providing funds to complete ADA accessibility needs in higher education facilities across the state,” Miller said. “All campuses

New signage outside Hodges Library alerts visitors to the accessible entrance.

Allison Murphy / Contributor have made tremendous improvements since the implementation of ADA with focus on full programmatic accessibility.”

A five-year THEC plan begun in 2022-23 shows $3 million recommended in 2024-25, again for the entire system, prioritizing “ADA building and site improvements.”

The 2010 design updates also include things such as lowering the height of light switches, improving sight lines over stadium seats and increasing the number of van-accessible parking spaces. State and local governments have to take into consideration dining tables, checkout counters, locker rooms, doorways, entrance ramps and curb ramps.

Owen Grosserode is a junior at UT studying political science, economics and German. As a wheelchair user, he said the most important thing to him was sidewalks. Grosserode lives in Fort Sanders and said he spends a lot of time in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building.

“There’s some spots where big cracks form, and that makes it harder to get around,” Grosserode said. “The sidewalks on Melrose, from Religion Row, and then down that hill — the sidewalks there are absolutely terrible.”

Grosserode said UT has done a pretty good job removing physical barriers in general and that the new signs “probably would be a good thing,” though by now he is already personally familiar with the campus.

Last year the Office of Equity and Diversity cut the ribbon on an accessible bridge into their location, off one of the Melrose sidewalks. But Grosserode said that was only part of the answer.

“My biggest problems being disabled on campus are not the physical barriers but the attitudes of other students,” Grosserode said. “There’s a lot of … asking if I need help getting places, and even if I

say no the first time, people are like, ‘Are you sure you don’t need help?’”

Grosserode is a wheelchair basketball player and noted that he does not like being told he’s inspirational while lifting weights at the gym.

“I think that since everybody’s bodies are unique, that definitely everybody … has some complaints about how the campus is set up, but nobody has the same complaints,” Grosserode said.

Whether a disability is physical or mental, Student Disability Services coordinates solutions for those enrolled. Director David Ndiaye said though his office’s focus is inside the classroom, they join with other departments to make sure new campus developments are accessible.

“We have collaborated with the Equal Opportunity and Accessibility office on some initiatives including: an accessible torch statue, improved seating for accessible seats in Neyland Stadium, railings in some areas of campus,” Ndiaye said. “Other partnerships include closed captioning for all commencement ceremonies, and as of this past season, captioning at athletic events.”

Ndiaye also said SDS participated in meetings about the 2021 campus master plan and made sure students with disabilities had listening sessions with the administration and the architectural firms.

The 2022 THEC five-year plan does not show ADA compliance-specific funding for UT in 2026 or 2027, but Jill Malolepszy, EOA director and deputy ADA coordinator, said via email they will continue working toward a vibrant university community.

“We are excited about the progress we are making in centralizing ADA-related concerns,” Malolepszy said.

NEWS

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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UT programs abroad still available for summer, fall semesters this year KATIE KNAUER Contributor

As the year approaches spring, many summer and fall study abroad programs are still accepting applicants. With programs all over the world, studying abroad can be a rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime experience to learn among other international students while immersing yourself in a new culture.

1. UT Haslam College of Business in Prague with ISA Prague University of Economics is considered the leading university in economics within the Czech Republic.

Prague is situated in the heart of Europe and offers incredible Gothic cathedrals, Baroque gardens and unique foods. This program is a good fit for students who have an interest in communications, finance, international business, management or marketing. To participate in the summer, apply by March 15. To participate in the fall, apply by April 15.

2. UT in Barcelona with ISA Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona has a rich cultural history with impressive architectural works and bustling nightlife. This program offers classes for nearly every major with courses from advertising and economics to interior architecture and political science. Courses are also offered in Spanish and English in many disciplines, making this program a perfect blend of fun and learning. To participate in the summer, apply by March 15. To participate in the fall, apply by April 15.

3. UT in Florence at Lorenzo de’ Medici This program offers courses in nearly every major in English and Italian and the opportunity to study at the renowned Instituto Lorenzo de’ Medici. With over 3,000 international students per year, this university emphasizes student learning that is rooted in personal growth, individualism and social responsibility. Florence is considered the cradle of the Renaissance and is full of iconic art and architecture.

Summer and fall applications are evaluated until the program is full. Apply by 8 a.m. on Feb. 15, Feb. 29 or March 15 to have the opportunity to experience Florence.

4. UT in Sydney with TEAN This program fits with most majors and is located in Sydney, Australia’s oldest and largest city. Home to the Sydney Opera House, a lively sports culture and the infamous Bondi Beach, students

can experience the unique culture of Australia paired with extensive educational opportunities. Apply by March 15 to participate in the summer or by April 15 to participate in the fall.

5. UT in Melbourne with TEAN This study abroad program is available to a wide range of studies and is located in Melbourne, Australia, during the fall 2024 semester. Apply by April 15 to experience the country’s sporting and cultural capital.

Visit the multitude of art museums and beaches and learn more about the unique wildlife that call Melbourne home. The city is also considered one of the most livable cities in the world, boasting an extensive train and bus system.

6. UT in Seville with ISA Located in Spain, Seville is home to a long-established legacy of bullfighting and festivals such as the Feria de Abril. Students who participate in the program can become immersed in Spanish culture while learning in a comprehensive environment. Apply by March 15 to participate in the summer and April 15 to participate in the fall.

7. UT in Madrid with ISA Madrid is the capital and center of Spain, full of strong artistic and cultural engagement. The city is a balanced blend of old and new with high-rise buildings and massive commercial areas as well as scenic and charming neighborhoods and restaurants. Experience traditional Spanish foods, buzzing nightlife and picturesque national parks during your educational time here. To participate in the summer, apply by March 15, or to participate in the fall, apply by April 15.

8. UT Haslam College of Business in Seoul with TEAN Seoul is South Korea’s capital city, featuring an incredible public transportation system, giant skyscrapers and royal palaces. Seoul’s massive international impact in many industries such as music, beauty and technology make Seoul the perfect place for UT business students to develop educationally and professionally, all while learning about South Korea’s distinctive culture. Apply by April 15 to participate in the fall of 2024.

To find out more about these opportunities and see if they are right for your education journey, students can visit the Vols Abroad website to get started. The Programs Abroad team provides help with advising and funding to help students get involved.

A group of UT students traveled to Prague during the summer of 2023 to learn about reporting.

Prague is one of many places UT’s Study Abroad Programs take students.

Shelby Wright / The Daily Beacon

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NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

UT professor Helene Sinnreich lectures on her book about hunger, starvation in the Holocaust DJ CAMPOS Contributor

On Thursday, Jan. 25, Helene Sinnreich gave an overview of her book “The Atrocity of Hunger.” Sinnreich is an associate professor in the Department of Religious Studies and the co-editor-inchief of the academic journal “Holocaust and Genocide Studies.” Her book focuses on three ghettos and the starvation experienced there.

Sinnreich explained the title as it documented how hunger was a major concern for the people living in the ghettos. The book follows the Warsaw, Lodz and Krakow ghettos during World War II. Ghettos were one of the ways the Nazis would separate and isolate Jews in districts with horrible living conditions.

She shared a diary entry from the introduction of her book which details a sibling stealing food from their little sister and the remorse they felt as they found out that would have been her meal for the next five days.

Sinnreich described how the book achieved something she had always wondered about: the experience of those victimized by the Holocaust and how they sought survival in their dire situations.

She described the book as having three different perspectives as it analyzes survival from an individual, household and community level.

The individual perspective allows readers to imagine themselves doing the activities. For instance, despite the situation of starvation, there were still songs and jokes made daily to cope.

Recipes were being learned that could stretch rations but still be edible meals.

Utilizing any patch of green for the garden was at first an individual project but soon became a united group effort.

The household during this time had a dynamic change in the way the family worked to survive. At the beginning of the Nazi invasion, families had continued having their dinners on the Sabbath.

Eventually, though, with food becoming more scarce, the family had to find alternative ways of feeding their family.

What was once considered a feminine activity of achieving food became a genderless technique of coping with starvation. These activities included waiting in line in markets, dividing food items throughout the week, maintaining the gardens and even digging through the trash. Eventually, family members would even have to consume non-kosher items just to make it through their time in these ghettos.

UT’s Helene Sinnreich presents on her book “The Atrocity of Hunger.” Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. DJ Campos / Contributor

Community was where the most information was given, as the ghettos could not receive any food due to blockades.

This created a black market where food would be sold for cheap, especially when new Jews were entering the ghetto and bringing in new food. However, Germans would tax any food purchased before entering the ghetto, making it hard for people to bring in much food with them.

The communities in the ghettos would be as big as the population of those living in Knoxville but cramped into a small area, needing to learn how to disperse food with one another.

Ghettos with mainly socialist ideals would find it easier to share, while capitalistic ones had those starving asking

the upper class for charity, Sinnreich shared. Eventually, though, those high in socioeconomic status would fall to the very bottom as they had not been used to conditions like these before.

Marielle Santos, a junior at UT studying computer engineering, joined the crowd listening to Sinnreich’s talk.

“Coming here to this seminar is good to just enlighten yourself, especially for Holocaust Remembrance Day,” Santos said. “Students need to go into seminars like this so this cannot be forgotten because it is an atrocity.”

Sinnreich’s journey in the research for the book started with the Center of Jewish History in New York, where she worked to find documents on these ghettos.

However, Sinnreich would travel to countries such as Poland, France, England, Berlin and Israel for the excerpts contained in her book. From recorded testimonies to any surviving diaries, Sinnreich had spent 25 years going through hundreds of documents for her to finally come out with the book.

“It is essential to recognize that genocide is an ongoing problem, and starvation is an incredibly horrific weapon,” Sinnreich said.

Sinnreich also shared another upcoming project that has connections to those in the ghettos as it follows a group of 2,000 boys and their time in Auschwitz.

“The Atrocity of Hunger” is available to students for free through Inclusive Access.

NEWS

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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Vol Dining adds K Brew, Mazévo concepts to campus for spring 2024 STAFF REPORT

As students poured onto campus for the beginning of the spring semester, they arrived to find several dining changes. Specifically, two dining locations were replaced with new options for students to try.

The Einstein’s Bros. Bagels formerly housed in Haslam College of Business was replaced with K Brew, a local bagel and coffee shop started by two brothers in 2013. K Brew has several locations in the Knoxville area, and the location on UT’s campus is the latest in its growth.

Pierce and Michael LaMacchia, the founders and owners of K Brew, both attended the University of Tennessee and grew up in Knoxville. Pierce told Knox News that UT System President Randy Boyd and Associate Vice Chancellor Brian Browning helped with bringing the location to campus.

In an email to students, Vol dining said the new K Brew location is not only “a yummy pit stop but also as business inspiration to the UT community.”

Students can get caffeine from the local shop in Haslam, but they can also

pick up the coffee from urns in Stokely Dining Hall.

For students missing Einstein Bros., the company maintains locations in the Mossman and Art & Architecture buildings.

The second new dining location, Mazévo, replaced the Rising Roll in the Student Union. Mazévo serves Mediterranean-inspired cuisine including pita, hummus and falafel. Vol Dining explained that Mazévo means “to gather” in Greek.

It opened last week, and according to Vol Dining’s social media, it offers “fresh greens, diverse proteins, and flavorful toppings.”

In addition to the new storefronts, Vol Dining also announced that Union Deli, which replaced Subway last year, has a “refreshing new look” for the semester.

Along with the new updates this semester, Vol Dining has upcoming themed dining hall events. Students will find a movie night-themed Rocky Top Dining Hall on Feb. 8 from 5-7 p.m. and a chili cook-off night at Stokely Dining Hall on Feb. 22 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Students wait their turn to try the new mediterranean restaurant “Mazévo” at the Student Union. Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Kinley Sanderson / The Daily Beacon

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ARTS & CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

10 songs to start off the spring semester JULIA DIETER Contributor

As the spring semester starts, walking around campus resumes. After doing little to no physical activity during winter break, some students find themselves dreading those long walks up the never-ending stairs to the Hill.

These 10 songs are sure to either aid your dread or allow you to lean into it.

“One of Your Girls” by Troye Sivan Troye Sivan’s newest pop dance hit, “One of Your Girls,” will turn your walk to class into a strut to class. Starting with the upbeat intro, this song is sure to not only boost your spirits but also give you a boost of confidence.

The line, “Face card, no cash no credit,” makes listeners feel as if they are a Greek sculpture in an art museum, perfectly curated and flawless. This, coupled with the electronic and lively chorus, is sure to allow listeners to channel their inner model walk.

“BLESSED” by Tyler, The Creator In “BLESSED,” Tyler, The Creator tells the listener everything he is grateful for and how life is going so well. After five long weeks at home, this song relates to students as it describes how they feel returning to campus, reconnecting with their friends and getting back to their routine.

This song is short but sweet. It feels exactly like getting all of your friends from faraway states together and catching up like you didn’t just spend over a whole month apart.

“Buzzcut Season” by Lorde Lorde has plenty of moody songs that could’ve been included on this list, with “Supercut” almost making it. Yet, something sets “Buzzcut Season” apart from Lorde’s other overcast songs.

Something about the beat in Lorde’s “Buzzcut Season” feels like cold weather.

While this song is not outwardly melancholy, the mood of the beat definitely has tranquil undertones. The lyric, “And I’ll never go home again,” is one that a lot of students can relate to after being home for what felt like an eternity.

While being home is nice, getting back into a routine is something that a lot of students look forward to when coming back. Overall, this song sounds like walking to class on a cool foggy morning.

“One of Your Girls” by Troye Sivan, “High and Dry” by Radiohead, “Wintering” by the 1975 and “BLESSED” by Tyler, the Creator are a few songs to kick off the spring 2024 semester. Courtesy of IMDb “High & Dry” by Radiohead Here’s a change of pace. Radiohead’s “High & Dry” is the perfect song to describe the unease the new semester brings. “High and Dry” is exactly how some professors decide to leave their students when they hold off on posting their syllabus on Canvas until 10 minutes before the first day.

The melodic guitar background also brings a sense of gloom to the song which really allows students to mull on their wintry walk to class.

up to create an uplifting song that can immediately bring up any mood. This reason alone is why it is a great song to have around for when you get down about the sun setting at 6 p.m.

“Normal Girl” by SZA Despite the title, “Normal Girl” is for the girls — and guys — who are the “it girls.”

If Troye Sivan is not your pace, surely “Normal Girl” is. This song is perfect for all seasons, but it is in this compilation because of its multifaceted nature.

The beat is faster and has a happier tone, and the lyrics are catchy, too. This, along with the lyrics, “This time next year, I’ll be living so good, Won’t remember no pain,” gives hope to listeners about the good things to come over the new year.

“Wintering” by The 1975 The title of this song should make it selfexplanatory as to why it is on this list. It is the perfect song to describe what winter break was as lead singer Matty Healy describes his own experience of being home for the holidays.

While some of the lyrics make it seem as if he did not have a great time, the beat of the song contradicts this and is very upbeat. From talking about what day he’s coming home to not wanting to argue with his family, this song is one that a lot of students can find relatable about their own winter break.

While they may complain about being home for so long, deep down their feelings about winter break are good, much like the contrast here between the lyrics and the beat.

“drive ME crazy!” by Lil Yachty The introduction of this song immediately creates a cheery, upbeat and harmonic tune that can easily uplift students when they haven’t seen the sun in days.

Diana Gordon and Lil Yachty have very different voices, yet they somehow pair

“Cherry Flavoured” by The Neighbourhood “Cherry Flavoured” is a very serene song. The background features electric and acoustic guitars, which couple with soft vocals from Jesse Rutherford.

Rutherford’s soothing vocals make the

song what it is. The lyrics are deep and meaningful when analyzed past the surface level, but when taken for what they are, any listener can relate to them. “$20” by Boygenius One struggle a lot of people have when they come back to college from break is getting up on time for class. “$20” by Boygenius is absolutely the perfect song to use as a morning alarm.

From the jump, the beat is loud and energetic. The electric guitar and drums give the beat an almost punky vibe. The song intensifies as it goes on, making it the perfect song to hype yourself up for your first day of class or just to roll out of bed in the morning.

“Cath…” by Death Cab for Cutie The guitar and drum instrumental introduction make this song the perfect song to describe the feeling of heading back to campus after winter break. This song has the same vibes as a song that would play in the background of a scene where the main character of a movie leaves their town for the last time as they look out the window of a car or train and leave everything they’ve known behind.

The instrumentals of the entire song are extravagant and dramatic. This, along with the passionate vocals, combine to create an epic song.

ARTS & CULTURE

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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UT Gallery presents Katrina Andry’s latest installation

KATIE KNAUER Contributor

Now through Saturday, Feb. 18, 2024, the UT Downtown Gallery is presenting Katrina Andry’s installation titled “The Promise of the Rainbow Never Came” and “Colonial Colorism Influences in the Black Community.”

The exhibition contains two works that showcase the New Orleans-based artist’s woodcutting talents in large-scale prints with non-traditional mediums. Andry’s art is intended to confront viewers with their own racial biases as well as share Black stories.

Director and curator of the UT Downtown Gallery Julie Lohnes shared her thoughts on the artist.

“Andry’s work is not only powerful, extremely well-crafted and explores the Black experience … but her work, from a purely formal standpoint, is rich, layered and jewel-like, thus very engaging to simply look at,” Lohnes said.

Mike Berry, gallery manager, reflected on the exhibition’s reception so far.

“We had a good opening on First Friday last month, and people were intrigued,” Berry said. “I think because the work is woodcut, with different layers and applications to it, that it pulls the viewer in to look.”

One work in the installation, “The Promise of the Rainbow Never Came,” reflects on the dehumanization enslaved Africans experienced during their journey through the Middle Passage to the Americas during the slave trade. Andry uses multiple mixedmedia pieces with somber hues to tell the story of African people thrown overboard into the water and considers the state of race relations today.

Another work in the exhibition, “Colonial Colorism Influences in the Black Community – Past and Present,” explores gender and racial biases that are still present today to confront viewers with their own prejudice.

“It’s very dramatic art,” Berry said. “It’s beautiful, and it’s very well done as far as technique. But what I find interesting about it is that when you go beneath the surface, it has a much deeper narrative, and it addresses issues that maybe are uncomfortable from the past, but I think that’s what the artist is trying to expose or create a conversation with the viewer.”

Andry challenges social structure and stereotypes and questions barriers that create injustice. The UT Gallery aims to facilitate these types of conversations to connect cultural and political topics to provide students with transdisciplinary education, specifically surrounding marginalized people.

“When selecting professional artists to present at the School of Art Galleries, we consider a number of criteria and goals specific to the UT Downtown Gallery as the gallery is embedded in the community,” Lohnes said. “We aim to intentionally involve and serve all our constituent groups: East Tennessee, campus beyond the Art and Architecture building, and the School of Art with a focus on underserved communities.”

Andry will meet with School of Art professor Althea Murphy-Price in a Q&A style conversation to discuss her artwork, inspirations and more in honor of Black History Month on Feb. 1, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.

Those who are interested in attending can register to participate virtually.

The gallery is free and open to the public, as well is their First Friday reception which will take place on Feb. 2, 2024, from 5-9 p.m.

Andry will also be in attendance.

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ARTS & CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

‘The Zone of Interest’ review: Jonathan Glazer’s dissection of evil will leave you trembling WYATT ALLISON Contributor

“You never really know why you tackle any subject. It all comes at me like a tap on the shoulder,” said writer/director of “The Zone of Interest” Jonathan Glazer when asked about what commands him to helm a project. In many ways, Glazer’s words can be translated into his film as he manages to remove much of the artifice of filmmaking while embracing its mystery and complacency.

“The Zone of Interest” is adapted from the 2014 novel written by Martin Amis. The film follows Rudolf Höss, commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, his wife Hedwig and their five children who are striving to perfect their dream villa located behind the harrowing walls of Auschwitz — which we never cross. Glazer’s film is a pure meditation on evil and manages to communicate that with his heartless, apathetic dialogue.

What makes “The Zone of Interest” so deeply meaningful is its haunting familiarity. The film opens with five minutes of darkness over Mica Levi’s experimental, stunning score. We are then met by a seemingly averagelooking nuclear family relaxing lakeside and enjoying each other’s company.

Glazer’s approach isn’t complicated, but he manages to portray evil in a way that a majority of films stylistically aren’t capable of. In a standard production, evil converges directly to the audience and is undemanding to recognize, whilst “The Zone of Interest” challenges the audience to find the evil within the frame.

Whether the evil comes in the form of gunshots just beyond the walls of their home, or in the fashion of the mother Hedwig’s — played by Sandra Hüller — ignoring and gut-wrenching language towards her captive Jewish servants, the evil radiates in a way that leaves you ailing.

Every craft of Glazer’s fourth featurelength film is purposeful and polished.

The sound design — arguably the most important aspect of the film — features faint screams, gunshots and torturing sourced from beyond the walls of the family’s compound. The images are striking, using digitally sharp lenses that stun and create a period piece that looks like it was shot in the current day.

Lastly, no review of this film could be complete without mentioning the score composed by Levi. Simply put, it’s a work of art. Interestingly enough, most of the score is heard in the opening and

“The Zone of Interest” opened with a limited theatrical release in U.S. theaters on Dec. 15, 2023. Courtsey of IMDb

closing credits with the occasional brief but brilliant sound craft from Levi.

Glazer’s film isn’t trying to give the audience a bone to chew on with “The Zone of Interest.” Instead, he simply paints a portrait of evil people living an evil life.

To say the film has a linear plot is a stretch due to Glazer’s storytelling that goes about five different ways throughout the film. His choices are jarring and tend to break away completely from the family, most notably in scenes of a young Jewish girl during the night who is seemingly planting food in the trenches of Auschwitz.

These scenes are shot in black and white infrared, which without a doubt is some of the most surreal imagery I’ve ever seen. Another scene features closeups of flowers around Hedwig’s garden over the horrifying sound of victims which fades to a solid red screen, assumingly Glazer’s way of telling the audience that they are most complicit to evil.

It’s difficult to recommend “The Zone of Interest” to the average moviegoer, as I felt that half of the audience I viewed it with went in expecting something else.

Glazer respects his audience in a way that no other director does. He expects you to be putting in the work to fully

encapsulate the portrayal of sin he’s trying to convey.

From his jarring images to nonlinear storyline choices, the film made me question how we decorate ourselves in society and whether or not we’re participating in the same kind of evil through a different scope. This film isn’t about what we learned from the Holocaust. It’s about our current way of living, now and always.

Leaving the film acknowledging it as one of the greatest pieces of art and filmmaking we’ve seen this decade, the main question that Glazer decides to leave you with is: What side of the wall are you on?

OPINION

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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Opinion: We will not wait for the next school shooting CALIE WRONA, ANDREW SUN AND ALEXANDER DENZA Opinions Editor and UNC Chapel Hill March for Our Lives representatives Note from March for Our Lives: The following is written by students and endorsed by more than 110 student leaders and is set to grace the pages of over 50 student newspapers simultaneously. Its reach extends across the nation, encompassing both public and private universities.

This op-ed serves a vital purpose — to draw attention to the pressing issue of gun violence.

It stands as a powerful demonstration of the collective concern shared by students across college campuses.

Students are taught to love a country that values guns over our lives.

Some of us hear the sound of gunfire when we watch fireworks on the fourth of July, or when we watch a drumline performance at halftime, but all of us have heard the siren of an active shooter drill and feared that one day our campus will be next.

By painful necessity, we have grown to become much more than students learning in a classroom — we have shed every last remnant of our childhood innocence. The steady silence of Congress is as deafening as gunfire.

We will not wait for individual trauma to affect us all before we respond together — our empathy is not that brittle. Our generation responds to shootings by bearing witness and sharing solidarity like none other. We text each other our last thoughts, and we cry on each others’ shoulders, and we mourn with each other at vigils. We convene in classrooms, and we congregate in churches, and we deliberate in dining halls.

We’re staunch, and we’re stubborn, and we’re steadfast.

Our hearts bleed from this uniquely American brand of gun violence. Yet, we still summon the courage to witness firework shows and remind ourselves that we love our country so much that we expect better from it.

We believe that our country has the capacity to love us back. There are bullet-shaped holes in our hearts, but our spirits are unbreakable.

History has taught us that when injustice calls students to act, we shape the moral arc of this country.

Students in the Civil Rights Movement shared their stories through protest, creating the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee that organized Freedom Rides, sit-ins and marches. In demanding freedom from racial violence, this group’s activism became woven into American history.

Students across America organized

Following the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, protestors marched to the Capitol building and demanded action.

Calie Wrona / The Daily Beacon teach-ins during the Vietnam War to expose its calculated cruelties — in doing so, rediscovering this country’s empathy.

Their work, in demanding freedom from conscription and taxpayer-funded violence, is intertwined with the American story.

This fall, UNC Chapel Hill students’ text exchanges during the Aug. 28 shooting reached the hands of the president. The nation read the desperate words of our wounded community, as we organized support, rallied and got thrown out of the North Carolina General Assembly. We demanded freedom from gun violence, just as we have in Parkland and Sandy Hook and MSU and UNLV. Tennessee’s demand for gun reform intensified following one of the state’s most devastating school shootings, culminating in a gathering at the Capitol Building in Nashville. In the wake of the tragic events at The Covenant School in March 2023, where a shooter claimed the lives of three children and three staff members, House Speaker Cameron Sexton responded by closing his doors to extinguish the protestors’ chants — our chants.

When will these chants have the influence needed to reopen those doors? When will the echoes of our cries finally pierce their consciousness? What unspeakable tragedy must unfold before they hear our pleas?

For 360,000 of us since Columbine, the toll of bearing witness, of losing our classmates

and friends, of succumbing to the cursed emotional vocabulary of survivorship, has become our American story.

Yes, it is not fair that we must rise up against problems that we did not create, but the organizers of past student movements know from lived experience that we decide the future of the country.

The country watched student sit-ins at Greensboro, and Congress subsequently passed civil rights legislation. The country witnessed as students exposed its lies on Vietnam, and Congress subsequently withdrew from the war.

In recent years, the country watched student survivors march against gun violence, and the White House subsequently created the National Office of Gun Violence Prevention on Sept. 22, 2023.

So as students and young people alike, we should know our words don’t end on this page — we will channel them into change.

We invite you to join this generation’s community of organizers, all of us united in demanding a future free of gun violence. We understand the gravity of this commitment because it’s not simply our lives we protect with prose and protest. It is our way of life itself.

We will not allow America to be painted in a new layer of blood. We will not allow politicians to gamble our lives for NRA money.

And most of all, politicians will not have the shallow privilege of reading another

front-cover op-ed by students on their knees, begging them to do their jobs — we do not need a permission slip to defend our freedoms. They will instead contend with the reality that by uniting with each other and among parents, educators and communities, our demands become undeniable.

We feel intense anger and frustration and sadness, and in its wake we search for reaffirmations of our empathy — the remarkable human capacity to take on a tiny part of someone else’s suffering. We rediscover this fulfillment in our organizing, in our community, in not just moving away from the unbearable pain of our yesterday but in moving toward an unrelenting hope for our tomorrow.

Our generation dares politicians to look us in the eye and tell us they’re too afraid to try.

This piece is signed by 144 student leaders representing 90 groups across the nation.

You can view the list of signatures online.

Calie Wrona is a senior at UT this year studying journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at cwrona@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, January 31, 2024

UT athletics facing another investigation

Chancellor Donde Plowman calls NCAA ‘morally wrong,’ fires back amidst alleged NIL violations CALEB JARREAU Sports Editor

UT Chancellor Donde Plowman told NCAA President Charlie Baker in a letter that the NCAA is “morally wrong” in its investigation of Tennessee athletics regarding alleged violations of rules involving name, image and likeness.

The Daily Beacon obtained the letter, sent on Monday from Plowman to Baker, through a public records request.

The letter went on to call the allegations “factually untrue and procedurally flawed.”

“The leaders of intercollegiate athletics owe it to student-athletes and their families to establish clear rules and to act in their best interest,” Plowman wrote in the letter. “Instead, two and a half years of vague and contradictory NCAA memos, emails and “guidance” about name, image and likeness (NIL) has created extraordinary chaos that student-athletes and institutions are struggling to navigate.

“In short, the NCAA is failing.”

A source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Daily Beacon that Tennessee is being investigated by the NCAA. In her letter, Plowman referenced the possibility that Tennessee could face a charge of lack of institutional control — the most serious charge against a university.

“In fact, just last year, the Division I Committee on Infractions as well as the NCAA enforcement staff cited exemplary cooperation by the University of Tennessee and said we set the standard other schools should follow,” Plowman wrote. “It is inconceivable that our institution’s leadership would be cited as an example of exemplary leadership in July 2023, then as a cautionary example of a lack of institutional control only six months later.”

The letter also confirms that a team

from the University of Tennessee met with members of the NCAA enforcement staff on Monday.

Plowman insists throughout the letter that no violations occurred.

“We appreciate your staff listening to our arguments and agreeing to evaluate them,” Plowman wrote to Baker. “The NCAA’s allegations are factually untrue and procedurally flawed. Moreover, it is intellectually dishonest for the NCAA enforcement staff to pursue infractions cases as if student-athletes have no NIL rights.”

NCAA declined meeting with Tennessee in December Tennessee representatives attempted to schedule a meeting with Baker in December. Susan England, assistant to the chancellor, provided the NCAA with flexible dates and the chance for the meeting to be remote.

Baker declined the meeting.

“It would have been my preference to discuss my concerns with you in person,” Plowman wrote. “Your recent testimony before Congress indicated you wanted to meet with as many member institutions and student-athletes as possible to discuss issues associated with college sports.

“I am sharing my perspective in writing since my December request for you to meet with me and our athletics director, Danny White, was denied.”

There are no specific athletes named yet in the investigation, but the original report from Sports Illustrated indicates that the violations stretch across multiple sports.

The NCAA first allowed college athletes to receive NIL benefits on July 1, 2021. Since then, the governing body has changed laws and made it difficult to pin down exactly what legislation to follow.

The NCAA also holds the power to retroactively enforce its rules, even if violations were made before the rules were in place.

“As you acknowledged in the recent congressional hearing, the NIL guidance

Chancellor Donde Plowman and athletic director Danny White celebrate the Vols’ win against Clemson at the Orange Bowl in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. Friday Dec. 30, 2022.

File / The Daily Beacon from the NCAA to student-athletes and institutions has been ‘inconsistent and unclear, and the ambiguity has filled schools, student-athletes, and collectives with uncertainty about how to follow the rules,’” Plowman wrote to Baker.

“Regrettably, in this chaotic environment, the NCAA enforcement staff is trying to retroactively apply unclear guidance to punish and make an example of our institution,” Plowman wrote before going on to say the NCAA is “trying to bully institutions.”

She also writes that no Tennessee

employee has been named as committing NIL violations.

Plowman ends her letter by calling the NCAA enforcement staff’s actions “contradictory” to the vision Baker has laid out.

“We have been held up as a model for how institutions should handle infractions,” Plowman wrote. “We have complied with NIL guidance as it came out.

We will be resolute in protecting the rights of our student-athletes and in upholding the integrity of our institution.”

SPORTS

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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Why Dalton Knecht’s dominant scoring nights free up his teammates CALEB JARREAU Sports Editor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Teammates and media surrounded Dalton Knecht as he leaned against a white cinderblock wall. In the depths of Memorial Gymnasium, Knecht fielded questions after yet another masterful performance on the road.

His teammates stood, behind a large media conglomerate, jokingly asking for Knecht’s autograph. Ironically, the guard had just finished signing autographs for Tennessee fans who filled what was Vanderbilt’s home arena.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Knecht went from Colorado to Wooden Award conversations “It’s crazy,” Knecht said. “I mean, I love it here. I wish I had a couple more years to play with my teammates. And it’s just a blessing. I try to take it all in as much as I can.”

His 32 points pushed the No. 5 Vols over Vanderbilt on Saturday, 75-62. He shot 13of-21, grabbed six rebounds, had three assists and blocked three shots.

Jonas Aidoo finally got to ask his question once the media concluded. He wanted to know when Knecht was going to score 40 points.

Hitting the 40-point mark is about the only thing Knecht hasn’t done yet.

His Vanderbilt performance will steal most headlines coming out of the Vols (15-4, 5-1 SEC), and rightfully so. The dominant nights and miraculous shots are become routine.

It is becoming routine for his teammates as well, loosening them up to play better.

“The fact is, Dalton’s teammates, they have confidence in him. We all do,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “Honestly, we think he can get better, and the more we play, the better he’s going to get.”

Tennessee ended the first half by allowing Vanderbilt to go on an 18-7 run. The Commodores had the momentum going into the locker room.

Like a light switch flipping on, Knecht took over the game.

He scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting in that second half, including a stretch where he scored 12 straight points. It was a performance that has become expected from Knecht.

“We just locked in,” Knecht said. “I mean, I think that last four-minute stretch (of the first half), with the technical coach got, we were all kind of ready just to go out and hoop.

They started talking a little bit, and all of us were ready just to go out and play.”

Knecht’s play benefitted his teammates in the second half. It has been evident this season, and it is the reason why Knecht makes Tennessee a Final Four contender.

Just like he does off the floor, Knecht draws attention on the court. That attentions leaves opportunities for his teammates to get

Dalton Knecht (3) celebrates three-point shot with teammate Zakai Ziegler (5) in Memorial Gymnasium. Saturday, Jan 27, 2023.

Parker Phegley / The Daily Beacon buckets.

“We know DK, he’s going to get downhill, and even if he doesn’t shoot it, he’s super unselfish,” Zeigler said. “So if he can’t get a shot, he’s going to kick it out to us and whatever, whoever shoots it, whether it is Jahmai (Mashack) or Jonas (Aidoo), Santi (Vescovi), Josiah (-Jordan James), whoever it is, Jordan (Gainey), we all living with it.”

Knecht remains unselfish on and off the floor.

Knecht, a transfer out of Northern Colorado, is quick to deflect praise when he fields questions. Knecht is leading the way for the Vols with 18.8 points per game, and he is averaging 31.4 points through five road games.

“I feel like no matter what, we’ll play loose, if I’m scoring or not,” Knecht said. “All of us, we got tons of scorers. We got ‘Z’, Santi, Josiah. We got Jonas, we got JG, Shack off the bench. I mean, we got a great core, so we’re all ready just to go out and compete.”

As he does in the postgame and on the court, Knecht attracts attention. On the court, it opens his teammates up to make plays.

It is a freedom for Tennessee’s offense that hasn’t been seen in a while. It all starts with Knecht.

“Dalton loves to play,” Barnes said. “He loves the game. The time he puts in, it’s rewarding to him. But, again, I think he’d be the first to tell you that when his teammates are out there, they make it easier for him.”

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

SPORTS

Tennessee basketball’s veterans embracing new roles with Dalton Knecht leading offense TANNER JOHNSON Staff Writer

Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James have been crucial to Tennessee basketball since they arrived on campus for the 2019-20 season. However, they both arrived under different circumstances.

James arrived as the first five-star prospect that head coach Rick Barnes had signed at Tennessee, while Vescovi was thrown into action after joining the team midway through the season due to an injury to starting point guard Lamonte Turner. Since making six 3-pointers in his debut against LSU, Vescovi has been a fan favorite. James has also become entrenched in the minds of Vol fans because of his defense and constant effort.

The 2023-24 season marks James and Vescovi’s fifth with the team. It has been a different season for each. They have taken a backseat to newcomer and superstar Dalton Knecht. Knecht is the leader of the offense and is heavily relied upon to handle the ball and create offense for himself and his teammates. But as a result of Knecht’s increased role, Vescovi and James’ offensive numbers have diminished.

Vescovi has started a record 129 games for Tennessee and James has started 106.

Now, Knecht — who has only started 19 games for the Vols — is the focus of the offense.

“At this point in my life and in my fifth year here, all I care about is winning,” Vescovi said. “I do not care who is the main character of the movie. We are at a point as a team where all we want to do is win.”

Winning is something that both Vescovi and James have done at Tennessee. They were both part of the 2021-22 team that won Tennessee’s first SEC tournament since 1979. Both players entered the program one year after Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield set a winning standard at Tennessee under Barnes.

Since Knecht has taken over top-scoring duties this year, Vescovi’s numbers have been down from 12.5 points per game a year ago to 7.7 this season. Despite the decrease in production, there has been no complaining or uneasiness over his new role. Tennessee assistant coach Rod Clark insisted that Vescovi is still a big part of the Vols’ offense.

“Has it changed as far as what we need him to do? Not really,” Clark said. “The volume has just been down. Just because we have a lot of guys that can score the ball as well now, and I think he’s been taking it in stride and figuring it out all year.”

Clark said that the coaching staff would love to see Vescovi stay aggressive on

Santiago Vescovi (25) and Josiah-Jordan James (30) celebrate a victory over the University of Alabama at Food City Center. Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon offense, but they also trust him to impact the game in more ways than just scoring.

“He’s turning down a few shots that we would like him to take,” Clark said.

“We want him to become a little bit more aggressive in that area. But there were two shots against Vandy that he turned down, and then he drove and laid the ball up or drove and made a kick for a three. So he knows what he’s doing a lot more than I do. I just kind of let him do his thing.”

Tennessee will need leaders like Vescovi and James down the stretch to accomplish its goal of winning a championship. James in particular is an excellent defender and a reliable 3-point shooter when he is performing at his peak. If he gets his game going at the right time, he will raise the ceiling of what Tennessee can be this year.

“It’s extremely important,” Clark said about James finding his rhythm. “Making sure that he’s in the right mind frame of getting into these games. That’s a little bit more important right now. I think Jo is going to be fine.”

Santiago Vescovi (25) shoots the ball during a game against the University of Alabama at Food City Center. Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon