Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Volume 141, Issue 3 Wednesday, February 9, 2022

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SOUL FOOD SOUL GOOD Entering into Soul Good, you’ll be greeted with a hearty “Welcome to Soul Good!” as gospel music plays from the speakers near the counter.

Feature on page 2 Photo by Erick Gomez-Villeda

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AMPLIFYING BLACK VOICES

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 9, 2022

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Soul Good seasons food, faith, love in Knoxville

KEENAN THOMAS Senior Staff Writer

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Located at 1518 University Ave. in Mechanicsville, Soul Good is a Black-owned restaurant which started in April 2021. It’s owned by Andrew and Ashley Osakue. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Andrew Osakue worked in the food industry before moving to Memphis, Tennessee, a day before Hurricane Katrina landed. He worked in marketing before becoming a pastor.

Soul Good started when Osakue moved to Knoxville to plant a church in a low income neighborhood. He opened the restaurant to help single mothers and those struggling with drug addictions and distribution in the area, in part to locate leaders within the community and allow them to utilize their skills rather than just deliver supplies. It became an outlet to help more than just serve food.

“Our vision is just elevating leaders and entrepreneurs in this community, and that’s why Soul Good is here,” Osakue said. “Not so much the passion for cooking, but the passion for people, the passion for mothers to make sure they have opportunities.”

They’ve recently added a food truck to their services, which has appeared at the University

of Tennessee.

Along with that, Osakue said that there are four reasons why the restaurant opened: John 17 in the Bible, elevating leaders and entrepreneurs, serving the servants and to give people happy stomachs.

“So those are our big idea, core values,” Osakue said. “Everything wrapped in love ...

Everything wrapped in Jesus.”

As for their food, Soul Good serves a variety of options. They have fish sandwiches authentically seasoned Cajun style, wings and thighs prepared by hand with homemade sauces and a sandwich called the Soul Melt with chicken, turkey and two types of cheese.

“So, I’d say our wings, our tenders, our fish are up there, but then that Soul Melt is creeping up if you like a good sandwich,” Osakue said.

They’ve also added burgers like the Soul Burger Supreme to the menu as well as barbecue options every Saturday. There’s plenty more on their menu as well, with plans to expand the menu further in April — like adding snow cones for the summer.

But, Soul Good is more than just the food.

They want everyone and anyone to come into the restaurant and feel welcomed. Osakue talked about the community response to the restaurant, mentioning how government officials like Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, the en-

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Interior photos and soul food from Black owned business Soul Good.

Erick Gomez- Villeda / The Daily Beacon Bottom right: Owner Andrew Osakue pictured in fron of the store front.

Courtesy of Andrew Osakue

tire UT football team with the marching band and the surrounding community have come in to support the restaurant. He tries to make the restaurant as easy to access as possible regardless of money.

“It’s just been overwhelming to see the love that’s been shown,” Osakue said. “And a lot of people talk about the service just as much as the food. We are big on love. I hope you see that. Everybody that’s walking through the door, you can see that clearly. Love is the key ingredient, but it’s grown among all people.”

They’ve made waves within the local community, bringing in revenue and helping those that leave even across the street from their business.

“We’ve gotten more thank you’s because we’re the only people that’s really here right now in a place that isn’t heavily income generating, just because of the income that’s around it,” Osakue said. “But when you start reaching out to schools and other parts of town, it’s been really cool. It’s been an amazing reception, and people seem to really appreciate having a neighborhood spot that’s been done with excellence. They walk in and look around and say, ‘This is representative of us.’ On the walls, there’s not just pictures of famous people, but there’s pictures of people from the community.”

Along with their wall of people, Soul Good has created jobs for those that need them. For example, one of their workers recently celebrated a year of sobriety because Osakue gave her a job.

Another worker who’s been impacted by Soul Good is chef Jazz Hall. Hall came into the restaurant soon after it had opened. She met with Osakue, who offered her a job. She’s been there for almost a year.

“When I came into Soul Good, they immediately became my second family,” Hall said.

“They welcomed me with open arms, never feeling judged. Andrew is a great person. Everybody here is good to work around and feel like we’re just one family.”

Working at Soul Good, Hall talked about how it has increased her faith and helped her in her understanding of Christian values, especially with the prayer wall that allows people to leave prayer requests.

“Coming in here and getting to know God, more than I thought I knew God, opened up a lot for me,” Hall said. “Now, I pray out loud more, I know how to love more and forgive more. We have Bible study every morning, so each day I learn something that I thought I knew that I didn’t know. That’s been a big impact on me, and just having a family that I know that I can call on.”

CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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Student Basic Needs Coalition fights food insecurity on campus FRANCES SEITERS Contributor

The Student Basic Needs Coalition (SBNC) is an organization on the University of Tennessee campus that works to help students that struggle securing basic needs. The coalition primarily focuses on food insecurity but has expanded their efforts into other needs such as housing and transportation.

Ashlyn Anderson is a senior at the University of Tennessee who is a part of the College Scholars Program, where she has designed a major called Food Security and Public Health Nutrition.

She is also president of the Student Basic Needs Coalition.

“I am in a nutrition lab in the department of nutrition and my mentor/research advisor is the one who helped publish a study in research on food insecurity among college students here at UT, and what they found in 2017 was that 32% or around one in three students on our campus at UT identified as ‘food insecure,’” Anderson said.

Many students across UT’s campus struggle with questioning if they are going to have enough food to even be satisfied on a regular basis. They also struggle with providing themselves food that has nutritional value on a day-

to-day basis.

The university has taken into account that food insecurity is an issue that needs to be addressed and that something needs to be done to ensure healthy lifestyles for their students.

“Back in 2018-2019, there was an organization called Swipe Out Hunger, which essentially worked with our university’s Big Orange Meal Share to help students apply for a meal share card so if they didn’t have a meal plan or were experiencing food insecurity, they could get free meals loaded on a card to use at dining halls or in food service options on campus,” Anderson said.

There’s often more than just food as a problem.

ASHLYN ANDERSON PRESIDENT OF SBNC

These actions have allowed students to be more comfortable with getting the help they need and to be able to live a healthy lifestyle despite what they might be going through. With the campus having the resources it has, a healthy environment is being created for students that have struggled with this type of situation.

The SBNC started after the realization that

there were other needs to be met which every student had the basic right to have access to. It goes beyond food insecurity — especially for students that are off campus. These students have felt compromised when it comes to basic safety and health.

“There was a group of students who wanted to go beyond just food, because when we think about food insecurity as an inhibitor for students to thrive and survive in college, there’s often more than just food as a problem,” Anderson said.

“It might also be housing. It might also be their feeling of safety or their health so we started to think more about ‘what’re some of these basic needs that each student needs to have provided in order to thrive, in order to do well in college?’”

Aside from food insecurity, the coalition continues to be hands-on with providing other resources for the student population as well.

“The mission of SBNC is that SBNC advocates for universal and sustained access to basic needs and we work with administration, legislation, and student engagement to produce change,” Anderson said.

The organization works with the Student Government Association (SGA) on campus to help bring forth this change and push to see results. The connection between the coalition and

SGA has become stronger as the issue of housing since the pandemic has been building more and more.

Lucy Langley is the director of social media for SBNC and they expressed how much the coalition meant to them.

“I come from a low income background where many of my basic needs weren’t met,” Langley said. “SBNC gives me the chance to help others who might be in the same position and promote access to resources that would be otherwise unknown.”

Students involved in the coalition have gone through the same struggles as many other students have. There is the issue of students being afraid to seek the help they need, but the reassurance of other students and realizing how common it is can allow students to feel more at ease.

The SBNC is continuing to help the students in need as they create opportunities for students to thrive. Needs like those addressed by the SBNC are basic rights that every human should have access to, and the SBNC realizes this and encourages awareness. College students face more challenges than one might imagine and it is up to the community of the university to take part in advocacy.

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CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 9, 2022

UTK Ambassadors look to recruit new campus tour guides KAITLYN PILCHER Contributor

When walking on campus, it’s common to see other students in bright orange polos and khaki shorts or jeans being followed by brighteyed prospective students and their parents.

These individuals leading tours are known as UTK Ambassadors, and they are a common denominator in helping future students decide if they want to continue their education on Rocky Top. This organization is currently holding applications for new members until midnight on Feb. 14.

While these students might seem like just tour guides, they have an outsized role in building the campus community and showing others what it is like to be a Volunteer during their time at UT. There are various tours offered for different prospective students, such as transfer student tours or private group tours. Each tour begins with an information session and ends with a walk around campus to see an overview of the university, academics and activities for student life.

Ambassadors are a diverse group, with

many students from various walks of life that are pursuing varying degrees. An ambassador can be any major, and they range from a sophomores to a seniors.

These students are required to have at least a 2.75 GPA to fulfill this position and must be evaluated every semester to ensure that they are knowledgeable of everything happening on campus.

They attend various meetings and events every semester to build relationships with each other and create a family of students that are happy to share their experiences and love of UT. Although being an ambassador is a commitment to showing and sharing love for the campus, many students find it easy to fit it and other organizations into their schedule, while still prioritizing their studies.

When asked if it is possible to balance a job and be an ambassador, Caroline Christian, a senior ambassador, explained how you can be an ambassador and fulfill other obligations.

“When it comes to scheduling, we understand that a student might have other obligations that are either off-campus or oncampus, so we will always try our best to work around your schedule,” Christian said.

Each ambassador personalizes the experience of taking a tour with them by sharing in-

formation and humor about their time on this campus.

They also gain lifelong skills that they can use in their future occupations and relationships.

Ambassadors say the position helps them grow in their roles as leaders, develop their public speaking methods and find a community to develop alongside them.

Furthermore, ambassadors get paid for every tour and meeting they attend, which is always helpful for college students.

When asked what the most rewarding part of being a student ambassador was, Zach Ziolkowski, a senior ambassador, explained his love for his job.

“I would have to say the most rewarding thing of being a student ambassador is the community this organization has provided me with. I have made some lifelong friendships, met a lot of awesome people that I am going to stay in touch with even after I graduate,” Ziolkowski said.

Ziolkowski and his fellow tour guides say the opportunity to become a part of an organization that treats each other and potential students as family is a gratifying experience that has become a major part of their college career.

The application for new ambassadors is open until Feb. 14. Students interested in be-

coming an ambassador can find the application online or attend an interest session to see if this job is right for them.

Ambassadors Will Slate and Grace Bosworth put on a fake proposal during a campus tour on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 at The Rock. File / The Daily Beacon

Pop! Goes the easel: Students gear up for 75th Annual Student Art Competition

MADELINE COOPER Contributor

Student artwork displayed in the Ewing Gallery for the 74th Annual Student Art Competition on March 3, 2021. Courtesy of the official Facebook page of the Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture, @Ewing.Gallery

Initiated in 1947, the Annual Student Art Competition has been a long-running tradition here at UT, upheld by the on-campus, university-funded Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture. After 75 years, it has emerged as one of the nation’s longest ongoing student art competitions. And as submissions open up for the 2022 school year, young artlovers are summoned once more to participate in the event.

Any student currently enrolled at UT is eligible to submit work and the competition offers various divisions in fine arts and design, as well as aca-

demic papers. For the fine art and design category, students can enter a total of four entries of any hand-crafted work of visual art, whether it be a painting, a graphic design creation, a motion picture or another piece of choice.

As for the paper competitions, students can also enter in the art history short paper category by submitting an essay or compilation of essays up to five pages, the art history long paper category requiring a single essay submission of at least six pages, or the architectural history category, which allows for a submission of no more than 20 pages.

Regardless of the division, all Volunteers have the opportunity to submit their works of art until Feb. 20, or March 3 for those submitting academic essays.

Sarah McFalls has been a staff member at the Ewing Gallery for 11 years, helping set up the competition and marketing new displays. Over the course of her time at the College of Art and Architecture, McFalls has witnessed the growth and transformations that have occurred in the competition.

“With COVID(-19), we had to switch our entry process from in-person to digital,” McFalls said.

“Typically, we see 100-200 students enter the competition annually, so the competition juror can have 200-400 entries to select from, but as the digital entry process becomes more streamlined, we are hoping more students will enter, and more non-art students as well.”

Though more submissions are to be expected

this year by the Ewing Gallery staff, this competition is no luck of the draw. To ensure a fair judging process, the gallery selects jurors who are not affiliated with the university. When examining the submissions, the jurors have no prior knowledge of the competitors and are given no judging guideline by the gallery so that they can rely on their own artistic experience when evaluating the entries.

Faith Belt, a senior studio art major who specializes in painting and ceramic sculpting, earned the Jerry’s Artarama Award in the 2021 fine arts division for her work titled “Tapestry.” Belt first started submitting work her freshman year at UT and has since regarded the competition as a great experience for expressing creativity and meeting fellow artists.

“Just having my work accepted into the exhibition was super exciting,” Belt said. “It is a joy to see my work up on the Ewing Gallery walls, especially alongside such wonderful and talented artists and friends. I get to catch up with people I haven’t had classes with in a while and see the direction their art is going, and that alone is a beautiful experience. Winning an award is icing on the cake. It is incredibly encouraging to see people noticing my work, seeing value in it, and investing in me as an artist. It motivates me to keep exploring my interests and to do so fully.”

Belt said she encourages any student, whether they are studying art or not, to submit work to the competition. For her, the competition has been

important to her professional development as an artist.

“Applying for art shows is part of my preparation for an art career and the student art competition has been one of the best opportunities that UT offers its students interested in this path,” Belt said. “I have submitted work to the competition since freshman year because I thought it’d be fun to try — even when it felt like I had no idea what I was doing. But the experience is completely worth it!”

Gaining a new creative outlet and sense of pride are not the only rewarding aspects of the competition, though. Each year, the Ewing Gallery grants thousands of dollars in prize money to the top contenders. In addition to the cash prize, the Gallery also bestows two purchase prizes in which one winning art piece will be placed on display in the Student Union Gallery and another piece will become a part of the Ewing Gallery’s permanent art collection.

For whatever a student’s motive may be for entering, Ewing staff encourages all UT aesthetes to take advantage of this opportunity. The Annual Student Art Competition accepts and welcomes art students and non-art alike to show off their talents, delve into their interests and connect with likeminded spirits. Submission guidelines can be found on the gallery website.

CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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OPINIONS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 9, 2022

East Tennessee Maverick: Gerrymandering in Tennessee WALKER KINSLER Columnist

The United States has some of the most legal corruption among western liberal democracies.

Here, every 10 years, politicians can wipe the district held by an opposing party off the face of the earth. This is called gerrymandering — where state legislatures redraw their electoral maps following the release of the U.S. Census. Redrawing districts helps to account for shifts in population, but it usually is used to benefit the political party in power. This can happen on both sides — state democrats in New York this year could potentially gain three new seats for the U.S. House of Representatives thanks to their new maps. At the same time, the Democratic Party is attempting to ban partisan gerrymandering with the currently stalled For the People Act. Republicans, however, have championed this heinous tool as of late, showing little interest in removing it through federal legislation.

The Tennessee State Legislature, dominated by the GOP, approved in January three new maps for both the congressional and state senate and house districts. In what has been described by national news outlets as a “masterclass in election rigging,” republicans have completely neutralized democratic competition in a state where they al-

ready have a firm majority. Instead of being satisfied in a state that has voted in large margins for republican presidents since 2000, the GOP in Tennessee have decided to blatantly take power away from the few districts that favor Democrats.

On the congressional level, District 5, which contains the heavily blue Davidson County along with Dickson and Cheatham, is being split into three separate districts to neuter the political power of the heavily urbanized Nashville. This would effectively make Nashville unable to elect a democratic representative again. The three separate districts carve the city up and make the surrounding rural areas dominate the wrecked urban center. District 5, mind you, is one of only two democratic seats in the entire nine-person delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Representative Jim Cooper, District 5’s Democrat of 32 years, announced his retirement on Jan. 25, citing the near-impossibility of his reelection this November due to gerrymandering.

Closer to campus, the state legislature also approved maps for the Tennessee State House that would split up precincts in Knoxville’s inner city. The only two districts in Knoxville held by Democrats — Democrat Gloria Johnson currently represents the 13th District and Democrat Sam McKenzie represents the 15th District — would be combined into a single district. This would require the two Democrats to potentially face off against one another, erasing one of Knoxville’s blue rep-

resentatives.

This, along with several other examples throughout the State House and Senate redistricting, is openly racist. The carving up of Nashville’s 5th District and Knoxville’s State House Districts will severely diminish people of color’s political power within these cities. Now instead of electing representatives for themselves, minority neighborhoods have been shamelessly split up and tied to districts who heavily vote against their interests. In some instances, neighborhoods of color were clearly separated in fear of them voting blue over red.

It is morally dead wrong for the GOP to deprive people of color and anyone who wants to vote differently of their ability to represent themselves.

Dividing areas of like minded citizens is a slap in the face to the very idea that America is a free and fair democracy. Gerrymandering spits on the core ideals of what this nation should strive to be — a place where every person should have equal and appropriate representation. The new maps are certain to be signed by Governor Bill Lee, potentially cementing this racist and unfair districting for the next decade.

However, there are ways to combat this great injustice. Several recent court rulings in states with republican-controlled legislatures have rejected their partisan maps and ordered them to be redrawn. A panel of three federal judges ruled that Alabama’s maps be remade to better repre-

sent Black voters and the Supreme Courts of North Carolina and Ohio ruled that their maps violate the states’ constitutions. The Tennessee Supreme Court, however, is currently firmly conservative with a 3-1 tilt, likely dooming any ruling against the gerrymandered maps on the state level. The Tennessee Democratic Party stated that they were prepping a lawsuit in the case that Gov. Lee signs the maps into law, later citing the successful cases in Alabama and North Carolina.

As stated previously, democrats are attempting to eliminate gerrymandering in Congress, but it’s currently stalled with Senators Manchin and Sinema supporting the filibuster. The best steps the average citizen can take to fight against gerrymandering is to speak out against it. Write, call and talk to your representatives at the local, state and federal level and demand their support to end this discrimination.

Walker Kinsler is a freshman at UT this year studying political science. He can be reached at wkinsler@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.

STORY CONTINUED ONLINE Read more at utdailybeacon.com

Wondering Wanderer: These boots were made for walkin’

KELLY ALLEY Columnist

Here we are – another year, another Wanderer column!

Since travels are still stifled thanks to our “interesting times,” we’re starting off slow and steady these first couple of columns before picking back up with a few adventurous wanderings.

That out of the way, let’s get rolling again!

There are few things that I get awful picky

about. A good pair of boots is on that list.

I’m not talking about those lace-up work boots, no slip-on ankle boots, rain boots or wellies. No, I’m talking about the royalty of Western footwear: the cowboy boot.

Now, the majority of women’s cowboy boots are all sparkly and decorative, serving no other purpose than to declare that the women who wear them out on a special occasion are, indeed, cowgirls. Cowgirls with style, in fact.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Shoot, even I have a pair of nice, sparkly boots for special occasions.

My issue is that these boots are absolutely impractical in an everyday barn setting, especially in the winter. Most have those pointed “roach killer” toe, neck-breaking sized heel and enough sequins and rhinestones to beat Elton John in a sparkle-off competition. That said, you’d be hard pressed to find boots that aren’t like this in women’s section of most Western and ranch stores.

This was my predicament recently.

See, I’m pretty hard on my barn boots.

Between the deep, sucking mud of winter and the dry heat and dust of summer, day in and day out, my poor boots are lucky to last more than a year. That’s even being picky about buying a long-lasting brand and

making sure they stay conditioned regularly too.

The last pair I bought lasted a good while – nearly two years – and would still be going had the right one not started giving me a toothless grin every time I took a stride.

I loved these boots. They were decently cheap, hard-wearing and could withstand extended periods of standing in muddy ponds while working on water obstacles with horses.

I tried my darndest to find a pair of these again, to no avail. I even remembered where I bought them from, but like every good villain origin story, I was denied what I loved most.

They were out of my size.

So, I went on a hunt, leading me to a newer, slightly bougie boot store/chain in town.

I was desperate, alright?

Now I’ve been in a store like this before, so I knew where to go upon arriving. Armed with a picture in my mind of exactly what I was looking for, I made a beeline to the women’s section, back wall, half sizes.

Then it happened.

My respect for those working any sort of retail or customer service job is high.

I’ve been there before, I know some of the struggles.

Unfortunately, the sweet lady who had

the misfortune of trying to help me didn’t quite understand what I, with I’m sure a crazed look in my eye, was trying to find.

Finally, after a near 15-minute comedy routine of her suggesting pairs and me rejecting nearly every one, I finally settled on a suitable pair.

While they’re still far too fancy for the kind of barn work I get into every day, they’ll get the job done for hopefully another year.

At least, I hope they will for what they cost.

Anyway, that’s the story this time around.

May your perfect boots be easy to find and even easier to break in.

Kelly Alley is a graduate student at UT this year in the School of Journalism. She can be reached at kalley2@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.

CITY NEWS

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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Vintage, trendy, luxury: 5 popular Knoxville boutiques EMILY HOLT Staff Writer

With many locally owned businesses in Knoxville, there is no shortage of boutiques to cater to your own personal look.

Check out these boutiques located in Market Square and Kingston Pike for a fun day of shopping.

Elle Boutique Located on Kingston Pike, this womenowned boutique sells classy and staple pieces for a wide range of prices and age groups.

The boutique has been open for almost 10 years and recently changed ownership in 2021. The store also carries trendy brands such as BB Dakota and LoveShackfancy, as well as brands like Velvet and Autumn Cashmere.

Elle is also known for its handcrafted handbags and reworked vintage jewelry pieces. Elle is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.

Est8te

Est8te is a high-end boutique that sells sophisticated looks at a higher price range.

It is located on Kingston Pike and is about a 10 minute drive from campus. Est8te has a variety of customers and mostly caters to a more mature audience.

While the store sells a wide range of items, it is mostly known for its dresses and accessories, carrying brands such as Xírena, Alice + Olivia and Tory Burch. The luxury store is locally owned and operated by Mary Ellen Brewington and her daughter Nell Kedrow.

Est8te is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Obligato Obligato is a local boutique that aims to cater to those in their late teens and early 20s. The boutique is a popular shopping location for Tennessee students and young adults in the Knoxville area. The price ranges from affordable to luxury as they carry a variety of brands from Runway the Label to LoveShackFancy.

Obligato is also known for selling beaded Moyna bags, an in-demand item that can be

seen on the shoulders of many UT students.

The store is located on Kingston Pike and is open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fizz Fizz is an eclectic boutique located in Market Square that sells a wide variety of items such as clothing, accessories, children’s toys and handmade trinkets. The store has a bohemian style with prices that range from affordable to luxury.

Fizz’s unique style is curated by owner Katherine Rouse, who founded the Boutique in 2010. The store caters to people of all ages and is a popular location for those visiting Knoxville from out of town. Fizz is open Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Val’s Val’s is an affordable boutique located on Kingston Pike, about a 20 minute drive from UT’s campus.

Val’s Boutique shows its o�erings on Nov. 8, 2021.

Courtesy of the o�cial Facebook of Val’s Boutique, @ValsBoutiqueknoxville

The store sells trendy and staple pieces at an affordable price range, serving a younger audience with many customers in their late teens and early 20s. Val’s is a popular choice for many UT students, as its affordability gives access to a wide range of people.

The owner and Knoxville native, Valerie Guess, has operated the store since April 2011. Val’s is known for its staple pieces and simple colors, as well as its classic and reasonably priced accessories ranging from $10 to $40. Val’s is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Contemporary Asian and Asian American art exhibit opens at Knoxville Museum of Art AUTUMN HALL Staff Writer

From Jan. 28 to April 24, the Knoxville Museum of Art will host an exhibit entitled “Global Asias: Contemporary Asian and Asian American Art.” The exhibit showcases and examines characteristics of Asian and Asian American art. It includes the works of 15 different artists, who have a variety of techniques and cultural influences.

This exhibition includes works from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and is divided into three sections.

“Exuberant Forms” features pieces that take abstraction to a deeper level, including works by artists such as Jun Kaneko, Kwang Young Chun, Hiroki Morinoue and Barabara Takenaga.

“Moving Stories” is the second section of the exhibit, and its works represent Asian experiences of migration and war. Some of the artists featured include Roger Shimomura, Do Ho Suh and Hung Liu. The third and final section, entitled “Asias Reinvented,” shows two and three-dimensional works that represent Asian art styles and also make critiques of the political and social

world. This section features artists Jun Kaneko, Patti Warashina, Manabu Ikeda and Takashi Murakami.

This exhibit did an excellent job of representing Asian culture in a myriad of different pieces. Within the “Exuberant Forms” section, there are several pieces that display characteristics of chaos and abstraction, but the ways in which these artists create this style is the most fascinating part.

In Jun Kaneko’s untitled “Raku Wall Slab,” he uses raku, which is one of the oldest forms of Japanese pottery. Kaneko, however, uses glazed raku in a flatted, two-dimensional state.

With combined abstract expressionism and vibrant colors, Kaneko’s style makes for a beautifully unique piece of work.

One of the most outstanding pieces within the exhibit is Manabu Ikeda’s “Iceberg.” Although it is one of the smaller paintings of the Asias Reinvented section at approximately 19 by 15 inches, it has a much larger meaning.

Ikeda often uses his art to represent nature’s power over man in cases of disaster.

This tradition of representation goes far back in the history of East Asian art. In this specific work, Ikeda uses etching and hand painting to visualize an iceberg, which helps to signify an overwhelming sense of doom as it looms in the middle of a universe without a

sense of normalcy and order.

Overall, this exhibit opens the eyes of the community to the complexities and beauty of Asian art. The works of art are inspired by the history and traditions passed from generation to generation, with each artist contributing his or her own creative touches.

If you get the chance to visit the Knoxville Museum of Art, make sure to stop by the “Global Asias: Contemporary Asian and Asian American Art” exhibit, which is located on the second floor. You will not want to miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these amazing works of art.

Photo from the “Global Asias: Contemporary Asian American Art” exhibit on Feb. 3, 2022.

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

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CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 9, 2022

‘Rockin’ Ears for 40 Years’: WUTK celebrates anniversary with year-long campaign LAUREN WARD Staff Writer

UT’s college radio station 90.3 WUTK The Rock turns 40 this year. Their “Rockin’ Ears for 40 Years” anniversary slogan headlines a campaign that will be a year-long fundraiser and celebration for one of the most successful college stations in the country.

The “Forty for 40” fundraising campaign, with a goal to raise $40,000 by year’s end for a new transmitter and tower site, has become a reminder of how many local bands have been brought on air over the years and have made their mark by playing their music freely on the station. Not only has WUTK brought up local talents’ big breaks, it has also brought many career opportunities and experience to students throughout its existence.

Over the years, WUTK has won multiple

awards such as “Knoxville’s Best Radio Station” 2006-2014 by Metro Pulse Best of Knoxville Awards, 2015-2021 Blank Newspaper’s Knoxville’s Finest Awards, 2015 & 2016 Knoxville Mercury’s Top Knox Awards, “Sixth Best College Radio Station in the the U.S.” by Value Colleges in 2016 and one of the “Top 20 Best College Radio Stations” in the U.S. in 2020 by Best College Reviews.

Throughout 40 years, dozens of students have come to the station to try something different and have come out of it with a passion and a career at the ready. Being among the top20 college stations for the last 16 years gives an idea of how the station has impacted the undergrads at UT. Joseph Bonnano, a junior and associate producer for WUTK’s sports segment, “Rock Solid Sports,” talked about his start at the station.

“Well, my freshman year, when I got a work-study position, I was just kinda looking for something. And I knew I was gonna be into journalism and wanted to look into if campus

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offered any work-study for journalism,” Bonnano said.

“Someone had mentioned radio so I came down here, and I fell in love with it. I started doing live shifts, voice tracking, and once I was here for a semester and got more comfortable, I was finally put on the sports show — what I originally wanted to go into. And since then, everything’s just been awesome.”

Dylan Becker, a junior and analyst for “Rock Solid Sports,” had a slightly different experience.

“For me, I guess it was mainly being from out of state,” Becker said. “I just wanted to find something to do where I felt welcome. I showed up here one day and Benny was very welcoming. He gave me a live shift and that evolved into a brief stint in the music department before the pandemic. And then I switched to the sports department in fall of last year.”

With all the opportunities WUTK has given students for the last 40 years, it was time to celebrate. Benny Smith, general manager and program director at WUTK, has played a large role in maintaining WUTK’s success. With his vision and passion for radio, he has brought WUTK a long way from where it was 40 years ago.

“So with this campaign, we wanted to capitalize on our birthday, and on 40 years of making a difference, 40 years of placing students into jobs and careers,” Smith said.

Smith, a UT alum who also spent two years after graduation as a non-student volunteer, has been a part of the station for 17 and a half years now.

“You know, Mike Keith, the voice of the Tennessee Titans, will tell you he wouldn’t be doing what he’s doing now if he didn’t start down here. Ryan McGee with ESPN and SEC Network, and Melanie Hutsell was a member of the ‘Saturday Night Live’ cast in the 90s,” Smith said.

“We’ve got an amazing list of alumni that we want to make sure to keep that going. We want more alumni for the next 40 years. And to do that, we want to ensure that our signal reaches more places than it’s ever reached before. That our students’ voices are heard in places they’ve never been heard before.” things that we’re really going to focus on as a whole.”

Bonnano said that WUTK is something that everyone should try at least once. It’s an experience unlike any other that some may not have expected they would enjoy.

“Try a live shift, because you never know,” Bonnano said. “Me personally, I never thought I’d be in radio, I always thought writing or maybe TV was where I was gonna end up at.

And when I found radio, I fell in love with it, and this is really what I wanna do with my career. It was just jumping in and actually finding this place and trying is what started it all.”

Celebrating 40 years of WUTK Radio, the YouTube video above is an exclusive interview with the station’s senior advisors.

Photos from inside the WUTK o�ce on the University of Tennessee’s campus. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

CITY NEWS

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

9

On the rise: Knox County’s COVID-19 statistics simplified AURORA SILAVONG Contributor

to 17 years old — appeared to be decreasing after a small rise after Knox County Schools returned to session.

Testing This past holiday season, COVID-19 was an unwelcome guest at all our festive gatherings.

January’s trends indicate a rise in cases, but also a rise in vaccination rates. Here is a simplified breakdown of the most recent data from last month.

All data was sourced from the Knox County Health Department. The data below was last updated on Jan. 29, 2022, and may also include state-wide statistics from the Tennessee Department of Health.

Active Cases There were 13,809 active cases at the end of January. Cases rose sharply after Christmas and New Year’s Day, with a peak of approximately 200 new cases per 100,000 people by mid-January.

The seven-day and 14-day trends at the end of the month indicated the rate of new infections was slowing down, although cases continued to rise through the end of the month and into the first week of February.

Cases amongst school-aged children — 5

COVID-19 testing rates began to increase after New Year’s, nearly tripling from 5,500 tests the last week of 2021 to almost 15,000 tests by Jan. 22. Coinciding with the increase of testing was an increase in positive tests.

By Jan. 22, this was almost half of all tests, with a seven-day average of 46.27%. Positive results peaked on Jan. 20, where 51.37% of tests came back positive.

Hospitalizations Acute care hospitals in Knox County are seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. However, both ICU admittance and ventilator use remain steady.

Only one ICU bed and only 30 non-ICU floor beds were free by the end of January. Important to note is that availability statistics only represent beds that are adequately staffed.

Knox County does have an additional surge capacity of beds and ventilators, but that does not imply the ability to fully staff and support those additional patients.

Hospitals across East Tennessee are strug-

Student receives COVID-19 vaccine at the Neyland Stadium Vaccine Clinic on Aug. 18, 2021.

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon gling to cope with the latest surge of cases. In a joint statement, several East Tennessee hospitals requested those experiencing only mild symptoms to not come to the emergency room.

Deaths Deaths appeared to increase by the end of the data-reporting window, jumping from a range of one to three deaths a day to seven on Jan. 23 before falling to one on Jan. 29.

COVID-19-related deaths remain relatively infrequent after peaking in the fall. September and October of 2021 represented the great-

est rates of COVID-19 deaths in Knox County, peaking at 13 on Sept. 9.

Vaccinations Vaccination rates are on the rise. Almost 63% of Knox County residents have received at least one dose, and about 59% of residents were fully vaccinated. State-wide, 1.3 million Tennesseans have received a booster dose.

Vaccines remain widely available across the state, and many providers no longer require appointments.

10

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Vols in the pros: VFL season awards RILEY THOMAS Staff Writer

The NFL season is almost over with Super Bowl Sunday a few days away.

This season, numerous VFLs have been in the limelight thanks to their excellent play on the field.

Just like they do in the NFL, let’s handout some awards highlighting some deserving VFLs for their performances on their gridiron this season.

MVP: Cordarrelle Patteron, ATL RB No Vol is more deserving of this award than Patterson.

Before this season, Patterson had several solid years in Minnesota, Oakland, New England and Chicago, but he was more known as a returner. This year was a far different story for the utility man.

Joining the Falcons in free agency prior to the 2021 season, the only expectation heading into the season would be that the best return man in football would elevate the special teams of the Falcons mightily. He did that and more for Atlanta.

Patterson set several career-highs this season with the Falcons, including rushing yards (618), rushing touchdowns (6), receiving yards (548), receiving touchdowns (5) and total touchdowns (11).

His season was encapsulated by several performances, including 3 receiving touchdowns versus Washington, over 100 yards receiving against the Saints and rushing for over 100 yards and scoring twice versus the Jaguars.

Offensive Player of the Year: Alvin Kamara, RB NO Kamara still had a stellar season despite an injury and missing four games of action for the Saints.

Although he did not put up career numbers, he still had a productive season, rushing for 898 yards and scoring four times on the ground. He also racked up 47 receptions, for 439 yards and scored 5 touchdowns through the air.

Some of his best performances from this season were catching 10 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown against Seattle. He rushed for over 100 yards three times, including capping the regular season off with a 146 yard and 2 touchdown outing versus the Falcons.

Defensive Player of the Year: Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB DET Before the 2021 season, Reeves-Maybin was viewed more as a special teamer who saw limited time on defense in his previous three seasons. This season the Lions linebacker changed the narrative.

Prior to this season, Reeves-Maybin’s career-high in tackles was 37 and had a total of 90 tackles. He would eclipse that season tackle total with ease.

Reeves-Maybin was named a captain before the season started and was inserted into the starting lineup starting in week 5. The move paid dividends for both parties, as he finished with a career-high 82 tackles, forced 2 fumbles and recovered 1 of them.

He recovered a fumble versus the Vikings, which set up at the time the go ahead field goal, and recorded a career-high 9 tackles against the Rams.

Comeback Player of the Year: Darrell Taylor, OLB SEA Taylor missed all of the 2020 season with a stress fracture in his leg, after being drafted by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Seahawks outside linebacker was poised to make an immediate impact for Seattle once he came back from injury. In the first five weeks of the season, Taylor was doing that and more, recording 4 sacks, which led the Seahawks at that time.

Taylor, however, suffered a scary injury versus the Steelers, leaving the game on a stretcher and staying overnight in a hospital. For most players, that injury might sideline them for weeks or even the rest of the season, but not Taylor.

He returned just two weeks after the injury, and finished second on the team with 6.5 sacks, had 37 tackles and 13 quarterback hits.

The resiliency shown from Taylor to be able to comeback from two injuries is why he was chosen for this award.

Most Improved Player of the Year: Marquez Callaway, WR NO In his rookie season, Callaway had a fine year, tallying 213 yards on 27 targets.

The Saints’ leading wideout, Michael Thomas, was on the shelf all season with a nagging ankle injury. New Orleans was in desperate need of someone stepping up and filling the void left by Thomas. Callaway was their guy.

The second-year wideout racked up a career-high 698 yards, on 46 receptions and hauled in 6 touchdowns.

The New Orleans wideout tallied yards and

2 touchdowns versus Washington and had 112 and 96 yard outings against Tampa Bay and Carolina.

Rookie of the Year: Trey Smith, OG KC The Kansas City Chiefs were in dire need of a new offensive line after Patrick Mahomes ran for his life in the Super Bowl versus the Buccaneers.

In the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft, Smith was there for the taking, and it turned out to be the potential steal of the entire draft.

The rookie started every game for the Chiefs at right guard and provided stellar protection for Mahomes and paved the way in the running game. He had numerous pancake blocks that surfaced across the NFL community and had people taking notice.

Former Vol, Alvin Kamara, No. 6, avoids the Alabama defense on Oct. 15, 2016.

File / The Daily Beacon

Honorable Mentions Jauan Jennings: WR, SF Jennings was drafted in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, but he was never elevated from the practice squad.

The 49ers were looking for another playmaker out at receiver, and Jennings stepped into that role immediately.

He scored his first career touchdown in week 2 versus the Eagles and helped propel San Francisco into the playoffs, with his 94 yard and 2 touchdown performance versus the Rams.

Most of Jennings catches came in clutch plays, whether it was for third down conversions or were massive touchdowns for the 49ers.

Josh Dobbs, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Alvin Kamara (pictured) and Cameron Sutton were all chosen to be permanent team captains during the 2016 Orange and White game.

File / The Daily Beacon

Josh Palmer: WR, LAC Another rookie, Josh Palmer had a great start to his NFL career.

Palmer hauled in 33 receptions, for 353 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. His first career touchdown came versus the Patriots, and his best performance came against the Raiders when he tallied 4 receptions, for 45 yards and caught a touchdown pass.

Cameron Sutton: DB, PIT In his fifth NFL season, Sutton had his best yet.

He recorded a career-high in tackles (52), interceptions (2) and games started (16).

Darrell Taylor No. 19 for the Tennessee volunteers sacking the Indiana quarterback in the 2020 Tax Slayer Bowl.

File / The Daily Beacon

SPORTS

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

11 11

Vols forward Olivier Nkamhoua out for season with left ankle injury ETHAN STONE Assistant Sports Editor

Tennessee basketball announced Monday that junior forward Olivier Nkamhoua will miss the rest of the 2022 season with a left ankle injury.

Nkamhoua was starting to round into form just a month away from conference tournament season. The Helsinki, Finland, native was averaging 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in what was becoming his best season as a Vol. “First of all, really sad for all of us with Olivier,” head coach Rick Barnes said. “He’s become such a huge part of our program and our team, you can just see the strides that he’s been making every game. He was just getting more and more comfortable, understanding so much about where he was as a player and what he needs to do for our team.”

Nkamhoua suffered the injury in Saturday’s 81-57 win over South Carolina after a move in the post. The junior forward had 7 points and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes of play.

Now, Tennessee needs someone to step up to cover for who was perhaps the Vols’ best

frontcourt presence.

“What that does, it opens up minutes that other people can grab,” Barnes said. “Whoever gets those minutes will be the best defensive player, or players. Olivier started doing some really good stuff there, obviously he is shotblocking, he gave us some rim protection … It’s a great opportunity for some guys.”

Some players that could immediately see an uptick in minutes are Brandon HuntleyHatfield and Jonas Aidoo. The two freshmen have been limited on the court, but have shown flashes in games and in practice that dire circumstances may require.

Jonas Aidoo has seen very limited minutes this season after getting a late start to practice at the beginning of the year, though Barnes has praised his shot-blocking abilities in practice in the past few weeks.

“About two weeks ago, you could tell he was starting to get where we wanted him to be, playing with more speed,” Barnes said.

“There’s no doubt, I mean he’s the best rimprotector we have on our team. I watch him do it every day in practice. I do think he’s grasping right now, what it takes to play at this level, night in, night out.”

Barnes also reiterated that he will do whatever it takes to preserve Tennessee’s defensive

mindset. The Vols rank within the top-10 in Kenpom’s predictive metrics for defensive efficiency.

“Brandon, Jonas Aidoo, we played Jahmai Mashack at the four sometimes too,” Barnes said. “Between those guys, it’s going to be the guy that gives us the best chance to win basketball games. They’re all young, we think they all have the ability to score but what we need out of them is the consistency on the defensive end.”

Though he would not commit to a starting five moving forward, key contributors such as Zakai Zeigler, Justin Powell and John Fulkerson could get a nod. Tennessee has played well this season in a small-ball lineup, one that could favor Justin Powell at the three spot on the court in these new circumstances.

Though the play of Zakai Zeigler has certainly impressed Barnes this season, it’s unlikely the freshman guard will see the starting lineup any time soon. Zeigler has thrived off the bench, and though Barnes would not deny the possibility of starting Zeigler, his role as a spark plug may suit him better.

“We could move Zakai into the starting lineup, he has done such a tremendous job,” Barnes said. “I don’t think that really matters to him, I think the most important thing is that we win the game and how he plays, but

he’s been such a dynamic spark coming off the bench it’s really hard to take him out of that role right now.”

Tennessee forward No. 13 Oliver Nkamhoua finishes with a dunk over two Upstate defenders during the Tennessee vs USC Upstate men’s basketball game on Dec. 14, 2021, in Thompson-Boiling Arena.

Jamar Coach / The Daily Beacon

Why Barnes is not worried about low shooting numbers ETHAN STONE Assistant Sports Editor

Victor Bailey Jr., No. 12, prepares to make a free throw during the Tennessee vs Texas A&M game on Feb. 1, 2022 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Kailee Harris / The Daily Beacon

Tennessee basketball made just three of 10 attempts at the rim in Saturday’s 81-57 win over South Carolina.

This split would normally result in a poor offensive performance, especially coupled with the 27% shooting from the field — 10of-36 — on shots other than layups inside the three-point arc.

“Easy bunnies, our problem is easy bunnies.

Gotta make floaters,” freshman guard Kennedy Chandler said. “It’s, ‘Don’t worry about that, move on to the next play.’ That’s what we did, we just continued to attack and push the ball up the court.”

That mentality did pay off for Tennessee.

Despite the poor numbers from the field and at the rim, the Vols finished with their second highest point total through 10 games of SEC play.

Part of that can be chalked down to an elite defense that turns into production on the offensive end in the form of steals and transition sets, but from beyond the three-point arc is where the day was won for the Volunteers against the Gamecocks. More than half of Tennessee’s scoring output on the day came from range as the Vols drained 14 of their 27 attempted three’s.

On Monday, head coach Rick Barnes explained why he isn’t worried about poor per-

formances from two-point range in winning efforts, despite ranking seventh in the SEC with a 61% hit-rate at the rim this season.

“We’re not going to make all of our shots,” Barnes said. “I know people think we should, but we’re not. (Opponents) have a lot to do with it. There aren’t many easy baskets around the rim.”

“We’re just trying to win basketball games in any way we can. With this team, they’ll continue to work and get better playing together.

We can live with that.”

But, as the Vols have shown with shaky performances against Villanova, Texas Tech and Alabama, three-point shooting that led Tennessee to a win over South Carolina will struggle to carry a 34.2% three-point shooting team consistently in a tournament-style postseason.

Barnes’ philosophy has always been to urge his teams to take open shots, and this year is no different. A recent uptick in scoring is all Barnes needs to see to feel good about where his team is at just over a month away from conference tournament season.

“As long as we will attack, have an attack mindset, try to get it to the high-percentage area, hey, we’ll take it any way we can get it,” Barnes said. “Obviously I wish we could shoot like this (against South Carolina) every night. If

not, we’ll have to figure out how to manufacture the points like you’re talking about, inside.

Game to game, that’s where those adjustments come in.”

Time will tell how Tennessee will fare without Olivier Nkamhoua on the court as a presence down low. The 6-foot-8 junior forward was rounding into one of the top players on the team before a left ankle injury was announced to have sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Nkamhoua has been able to score reliably from anywhere on the court as well as anyone else on the team, owning a 59% hit rate at the rim, a 42% rate away from the rim and teamhigh 44% from three-point range on a 13-of29 split.

With this team, they’ll continue to work and get better playing together. We can live with that.

RICK BARNES HEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

12

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Notebook: Vols set 12 personal records in split meet weekend ZACH BALL Staff Writer

Shania Collins in the 100 meter dash during the Tennessee Relays at Tom Black track on April 7, 2017.

File / The Daily Beacon

The Tennessee track and field team turned in another successful weekend following a dominant outing last week at the Bob Pollock Meet.

The team split up to compete in Virginia Tech’s Doc Hale Elite Meet, while two long distance runners made a name for themselves at Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational.

Starting on the right foot This weekend, 12 Vols set personal records including sophomores Ethan Robinson and Peyton Davis, who set two records each on Friday.

Robinson began his Friday evening with a second-place finish in the prelims of the men’s 60-meter hurdles. He was only loosening up, as he followed that with a first-place finish and personal best (8.05) in the final.

Robinson’s second personal best came in the men’s pole vault, which he finished sixth with a leap of 4.50 meters.

Davis broke both of his personal records running in the men’s 60-meter hurdles alongside Robinson. He broke his previous best during the prelims with a time of 8.56 seconds. He then broke this record during the finals with a time of 8.46, earning a fifth place finish.

Transfer student Uchechi Nwogwugwu made her debut for the Lady Vols on Friday.

She picked up her first win at Tennessee in the women’s 400-meter, crossing the line in 54.68 seconds.

This success is nothing new Nwogwugwu, who was a standout at Penn where she spent her undergraduate career.

She held Penn’s school record for indoor and outdoor in the women’s 400-meter. She was also on a 4x400 relay team that won the

Champions of America and went to the NCAA Championships.

Pole vaulters reach new heights The Vols made the most of the pole vault action on both Friday and Saturday. Aside from Robinson, two pole vaulters broke personal records on Friday.

Freshmen Natalie Clark (3.9 meters) and Sarah Schmitt (3.8) made marks on the women’s side of the competition.

The Lady Vols continued vaulting on Saturday with Sara Barton and Hannah Jefcoat. Both women reached a height 4.09 meters — Barton’s personal best which is sixth all-time for the event in Tennessee’s history.

“I am proud of our entire Virginia Tech crew,” director of track and field Beth AlfordSullivan said. “We had a lot of personal bests.

We saw some great pole vaulting yesterday and today and great hurdles from the men’s multi-group on Friday. Everything we brought up there was solid and they all got some great experience.”

Quick miles on Sunday At Virginia Tech’s Doc Hale Elite Meet, Brook Dixon broke the freshman school record for the women’s indoor 1600-meter. She

posted a first place time of 4:44.81, breaking a 17-year record set by Sarah Bowman in 2005.

Alford-Sullivan was not surprised by Dixon’s performance.

“We were very confident in Brooke, seeing what she has been doing in training,” AlfordSullivan said. “We felt she could put herself in position to get that record, and then she just crushed it. She did a great job, and she’s got a lot more to come in her future. Just very proud of her today.”

Olivia Janke and Kayle Gholar also ran the mile at Doc Hale with Janke placing second behind her teammate in 4:49.47. Gholar finished 11th overall in 4:57.32, setting a personal best in the indoor mile.

Katie Thronson and Tim Thacker ran the mile for the Vols at Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational.

Against stout competition, Thacker finished sixth in the men’s mile race with a time of 4:02.79. This personal best for Thacker is the second fastest indoor mile in Tennessee history, narrowly missing John Wright’s record time of 4:02.4.

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Men’s basketball grades: Texas A&M and South Carolina JOSH LANE Sports Editor

The Tennessee men’s basketball team responded to a heart-breaking loss at Texas with two wins this past week. The Vols hosted Texas A&M Tuesday night, fended off the Aggies 9080 and then went on the road to South Carolina and won in dominant fashion 81-57.

The Vols have now won five-consecutive SEC games and sit in a tie for third in the SEC at 7-3.

Here’s how the Vols graded out.

Backcourt Tennessee’s backcourt turned in another excellent week as the Vols went 2-0.

The group led the way Tuesday night as the Vols knocked off the Aggies, with Kennedy Chandler, Josiah-Jordan James, Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler all scoring in double figures with 13 or more points.

James hit a three-pointer to start the Texas A&M game after missing the potential gamewinner at Texas. The junior guard followed up a solid Tuesday night with a career day at South Carolina, scoring a career-high 20 points with 4 three-pointers.

Chandler, Vescovi and Zeigler all scored double-digit points at South Carolina as well.

The freshman Chandler put up a quiet doubledouble with 11 points and 10 assists while committing only 1 turnover at point guard.

Zeigler continued his fantastic season by tying his career-high with 18 points — all in the second half — while battling sickness. Zeigler also hit 4 three-pointers and kickstarted Tennessee’s dominant second half with a solo 10-2 run.

With James, Chandler and Zeigler stepping up over the past week, Vescovi went under the radar but did not dropped off in production.

That depth gives Tennessee a dangerous fourheaded monster in the backcourt.

Grade: A

Frontcourt Olivier Nkamhoua was the lone standout from a shaky week out of Tennessee’s frontcourt.

After weeks of inconsistencies, Nkamhoua started to display the aggressiveness head coach Rick Barnes had been hoping for, and it paid off in game. Nkamhoua scored 15 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 3 blocks in the win over Texas A&M. Nkamhoua played well in 17 minutes at South Carolina, but he exited the game after

suffering a leg injury and did not return.

Tennessee’s combination of Uros Plavsic, John Fulkerson and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield did not provide much else. Those three forwards combined for 11 points in two games.

Huntley-Hatfield played only four minutes at South Carolina and committed 2 fouls, the second of which was a Flagrant 1.

Their efforts on the glass was better, as Tennessee out-rebounded both Texas A&M and South Carolina, but the Vols were outscored in the paint in both games.

Grade: C

Zakai Zeigler, 5, dribbles down the court during the

Offense

Thompson-Boling Arena.

Despite winning both its games this week, Tennessee suffered from its usual offensive inconsistencies.

Tennessee’s tendency to go through long scoring droughts were its biggest problem. The Vols lead the Aggies by 14-points in the second half, but went the next five minutes without a field goal and the Aggies came within a point.

Tennessee started as hot as possible at South Carolina, making 4-of-6 from deep to start the game, but the Gamecocks took the lead in the first half with another Tennessee offensive drought. Tennessee’s second half, however, was a good as it could be, and the Vols cruised to the win in the final 20 minutes.

Tennessee vs Texas A&M game on Feb. 1, 2022 at Kailee Harris / The Daily Beacon

Since being held to a season-low 51 points at Texas, the Vols have scored 90 and 81 points in back-to-back games. The Vols shot 42% or better from the floor in both contests and made at least 11 threes in each — 14 at South Carolina.

The most encouraging sign for the Vols was its offense traveling on the road, as they were previously 2-6 in games outside of Thompson-Boling Arena.

Grade: B-

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