Wednesday, February 14, 2024

A CALL FOR RECOGNITION

After being removed from their designated space, members of the Native American Student Association, along with faculty and alumni, say the decision is indicative of larger issues of exclusion of Native and Indigenous voices on campus.

The Daily Beacon

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Volume 145, Issue 4

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

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@utkdailybeacon

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IDENTITY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 14, 2024

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION

Letter from Tyvi Small: ‘Blaze a trail’

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Abby Ann Ramsey MANAGING EDITOR: Bella Hughes COPY CHIEF: Emma Johnston NEWS EDITOR: Eli Boldt ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Macy Roberts SPORTS EDITOR: Caleb Jarreau ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: Jack Church DIGITAL PRODUCER: Karsten Hoglund OPINIONS EDITOR: Calie Wrona PHOTO EDITOR: Cole Moore DESIGN EDITOR: Emma Fingeret ENGAGEMENT EDITOR: Sarah Portanka PAGE DESIGNERS: Jibril Foronas

ABOUT THE COVER: A student in the Native American Student Association paints The Rock for Indigenous People’s Day on Oct. 10, 2022.

COVER PHOTO: Courtesy of McClung Museum

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TYVI SMALL Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement In 1961, Theotis Robinson Jr. changed the course of history for the University of Tennessee.

After being denied admittance to the university because of his race, the 18-year-old Robinson wrote a letter and ultimately met with then-president Andrew Holt to challenge the university’s stance of not admitting “negroes” to the undergraduate school. He rightly believed he had a place at the University of Tennessee.

After persistently challenging others to do what was right, he found success. In a landmark decision, the UT board of trustees changed the admission policy. As a result, Robinson, Willie Mae Gillespie and Charles Edgar Blair were the first African Americans to register and attend classes at the University of Tennessee.

Since then, thousands of Black students have matriculated at university. Hundreds of Black professors have been hired. Black administrators help lead the university forward. Lives have been changed for generations to come. All because one prospective student had the vision

and courage to make a difference.

As you look around today, where do you see opportunities for needed change? In what ways could you help make life better for others?

Given we still have much work to do, can you identify ways to change history? Although this challenge may seem daunting, it is always the right time to do what’s right.

For meaningful and substantive change to come at the University of Tennessee, it took bold leadership. Someone had to blaze a trail, Robinson, Gillespie and Blair were those trailblazers. Someone had to stand up and do what was right.

In 1961, Robinson was that leader. Today, you, our students, have an opportunity to change history and positively impact life for others — a difference that will reverberate beyond you. You have to embody our Volunteer Creed. Live and operate with the mindset of Robinson: Change is possible.

During the commencement address to UT students on Dec. 13, 2019, Robinson challenged the graduates to “leave footprints behind that others can follow, build shoulders upon which others can stand and live your lives ethically.”

I encourage you to blaze a trail wherever you go. Be confident because you stand on the shoulders of courageous women and men who have gone before you.

Theotis Robinson Jr., who became the first Black undergraduate student at UT in 1960, speaks at a ceremony to officially rename the former White Hall in his honor in 2021.

File / The Daily Beacon

Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon set to honor Black history by reimagining Douglass’ legacy STAFF REPORT

Black History Month is an opportunity to highlight the success of Black icons, trailblazers and Frederick Douglass. This year the department of English will honor Douglass by hosting its annual transcribe-a-thon on Feb. 14.

Douglass was an abolitionist and journalist who rose to prominence when his book “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” was published in 1845.

This year, the English department is working closely with the Library of Congress to hone in on some of the literature written in Douglass’ catalog from 1841 to 1912 beyond his published work. Students will engage with compositions that convey a deeper understanding of Black history.

Eliza Alexander Wilcox, a graduate assistant in the department of English, says that this university tradition contributes to the understanding of history.

“It’s incredible to be part of a tradition like Frederick Douglass Day because it ensures the

work of documenting his life and contributions happens even as different scholars,” said Wilcox. “Students and organizers move on to different jobs or projects. It also feels like a privilege to do this work at the University of Tennessee because of the breadth and depth of support for Frederick Douglass Day.” Douglass Day brings history to the forefront by reimagining archived pieces to a digital platform. By revitalizing his work, students can personify his experiences and bring new life to defining historical moments.

“Transcription of physical materials into digital is one crucial tool in a wider toolbox that helps scholars preserve historical documents, said Wilcox. “For Douglass in particular, his life and work is integral because it contributes a personalized and in-depth look at Black life and the fight for Black rights across the 19th and early 20th century.”

Along with the transcribe-a-thon, two plenary lectures will be led by department of English faculty members to further the discussion of Black identity and its role in society.

Whether you stop by in between classes or stay for an hour, you can honor Black History Month by participating in the Douglass Day transcribe-a-thon and lectures.

The department of English will host the annual transcribe-a-thon on Feb. 14 to honor Frederick Douglass’ legacy and literature.

Courtesy of the official Facebook of Jacobin Magazine, @jacobinmag

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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Kimberly Harper speaks on Black maternal health at recent book talk ABBY ANN RAMSEY Editor-in-Chief

Kimberly Harper, author of “The Ethos of Black Motherhood in America: Only White Women Get Pregnant,” spoke at Lindsay Young Auditorium on Monday evening to provide insight into her work surrounding Black maternal health and her community initiatives that promote reproductive justice.

The book talk was hosted by the university’s rhetoric, writing and linguistics division in collaboration with Syracuse University. Harper is an associate professor of English at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and her book has offered important insight into Black maternal health.

Harper explained that her interest in researching Black maternal health spurred when she experienced her own birth trauma. She said that she felt like doctors were not fully communicating with her throughout her pregnancy, labor and delivery. Harper ended up incurring second degree surgical lacerations and had to have a blood transfusion as a result of her first birth.

“Often our research comes from personal experiences and a desire to make sense of what happens to us,” Harper said. “And so my book, my community activism, all those things are deeply connected to my first pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum care.”

Her story of not knowing what to expect and not getting answers to her questions is one of countless stories of women and birthing people who experience birth trauma due to gaps in the medical system. The maternal mortality rate in America is on the rise, and Black women and birthing people are more likely to die from giving birth than any other demographic. Harper said that 60% of strokes and deaths and 90% of deaths from hemorrhaging could be prevented if hospital staff were better trained and more aware of blood loss after birth, according to an article in USA Today.

Harper’s research explores controlling images and terms associated with Black women and Black motherhood, what motherhood looks like in commercially-produced books and how that reinforces certain ideologies and how Black mothers have advocated for their needs.

She has found that stereotypical terms associated with Black mothers create unfair images that perpetuate issues surrounding reproductive justice.

“Often in society, oppressed groups have an ethos for them that’s already created and manipulated and controlled by powers that we don’t necessarily see,” Harper said. “And so all of these images are images that Black women have not created — it has been put upon them.”

To further illustrate her points about commercially-produced books excluding women of color from pregnancy and parenting tips,

Harper had audience members quickly Google books about motherhood. The results were overwhelmingly full of white women on the book covers of top search results.

“So this is powerful, right?” Harper said.

“Because it dictates the narrative, subconsciously, of who can be a mother, who can be seen as a mother in the larger Western context and what that means when you’re dealing with medical professionals.”

Harper laid out three points integral to reproductive justice: the right to have children, the right not to have children and the right to raise children in safe and healthy environments. Threats to reproductive justice include not only a lack of adequate healthcare but also environments that are overpoliced and underserved. Harper said that activism and organizing are a few ways she has sought to make change in her communities that prioritizes reproductive justice.

In order to create change, Harper has worked with Every Baby Guilford in North Carolina to create training for medical practitioners to figure out the power of language and how to identify with patients.

One major project Harper has been working on is titled Building Equitable Linkages with Interprofessional Education Valuing Everyone (BELIEVE). The project is a collaboration between University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina A&T with a grant from the American Heart Association. BELIEVE’s goal is to “assess gaps in current practice, create a curriculum to address them, and implement the curriculum across a network of hospital and community providers.”

As a researcher working with community organizations, Harper asks five different questions of herself before working with an organization, and she advises other researchers to ask them as well. Who is already doing the work and are those people trusted by the community? Do the people you hope to work with trust you? Do you and the organization have the same shared outcomes? Are you part of the problem? Are you willing and ready to redistribute power and resources in order to meet the needs of this organization?

Ultimately, Harper’s work ties back to the idea that oftentimes the medical system is underequipped to help people of color in America and in understanding that is necessary for promoting reproductive justice and helping Black women and birthing people. She referenced the song “911 Is a Joke” by Public Enemy — the lyrics of which she said she did not fully comprehend until her father experienced kidney failure and could not get the care he needed.

“Now I dialed 911 a long time ago,” the lyrics say, “Don’t you see how late they’re reacting / They only come and they come when they wanna / So get the morgue truck and embalm the goner / They don’t care cause they stay paid anyway.”

Kimberly Harper, an assistant professor at North Carolina A&T, spoke on the importance of working with community initiatives to aid in the Black maternal health crisis. Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Abby Ann Ramsey / The Daily Beacon

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NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 14, 2024

UT community calls on university to better recognize Native, Indigenous people SHELBY WRIGHT Staff Writer

UT sits on the ancestral lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, the Euchee (Yuchi) Tribe of Indians, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, the AlabamaCoushatta Tribe of Texas, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, the Kialegee Tribal Town, the Shawnee Tribe and the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town.

In December, UT removed the Native American Student Association from its designated room in the Alumni Memorial Building without their consent — the decision is being protested by NASA (pronounced “naysa”) leadership who are pushing to be given a designated space again. However, no decisions have been made thus far.

UT’s Multicultural Student Life first approached NASA about giving up its room in September 2022. NASA declined because negotiations had been made between Joy Harjo, a former English faculty member, and Theresa Lee, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to allow NASA to have the space.

After Lee’s retirement last year, UT’s director of Space Management, Maria Isabel Martinez, emailed NASA leadership, informing them that they were to be relocated and that all items in their room must be removed no later than Jan. 4 — anything remaining would be taken to surplus.

The university told The Daily Beacon that it is committed to the members of NASA as the organization relocates from the College of Arts and Sciences to Multicultural Student Life.

“The Native American Student Association is an important part of our campus community,” the university said in a statement to The Daily Beacon. “Both the Dean of Students and College of Arts and Sciences leadership are committed to NASA’s success and to working alongside NASA students through this change.”

The organization, however, said that it was not informed of this decision until it was too late to protest.

Lisa King, an associate professor of English at UT, expert on Indigenous museum spaces and co-advisor for NASA, stated that she felt the “relocation language” used in the email was deceptive, as there are no plans or guarantees to give NASA a new room. The student leaders and faculty advisors are scheduled to meet with the dean of students at the end of the month to discuss the issue.

Also, as few items could fit into King’s personal office space, all NASA furniture had to be left in its old room, and the university took it as surplus.

A student in the Native American Student Association paints The Rock for Indigenous People’s Day. Oct. 10, 2022. Courtesy of McClung Museum While efforts are being made in places like McClung Museum to increase the sound of Indigenous and Native voices throughout campus, NASA members feel that recognizing Native people does not seem to be on UT’s priority list.

There are many misconceptions that students and staff have about Native peoples, the largest being that they no longer exist, according to UT alum and citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Kimberly Smith.

“The misconception that we’re gone is a huge, huge problem. … A lot of times on campus, I was confused for white or Mexican — I was confused for Black because nobody knows in their consciousness that we (Native people) still exist,” Smith said.

When Smith attended UT, she worked with NASA on outreach projects to help spread the word and educate her fellow students on UT’s history involving Native people. Even as an alum, Smith is still active in trying to work with UT leadership to incorporate more Native representation into the system.

King is among a handful of people who are trying to rectify this problem through repatriation efforts at the McClung Museum and its new exhibition “Homelands: Connecting to Mounds through Native Art,” which will open in January 2025.

In combination, King is also working with the Landback Universities Project, a project working to decolonize higher education in America by getting universities to acknowledge the Native land that they are either sitting on or whose selling they were funded by, to assist them in having conversations about the institutions’ ongoing participation in Na-

tive and Indigenous dispossession.

Landback’s goal is to promote Native and Indigenous sovereignty in a diverse range of offices throughout the university’s campus by diversifying curriculum and opportunities.

Universities that built their systems through the buying and selling of stolen Native lands for profit are known as Land-Grab Universities, and UT is classified as one of those.

The University of Tennessee sold 301,083 acres of land from Indigenous tribes in the West to raise $271,731 — $6,128,852 in today’s money — to fund itself.

“Visibility and education are a huge part of this,” King said. “How can we create positive change on campus when the political environment would really prefer not to change, prefers to stay this way, if you will, or doesn’t understand the reason for why there might be an additional responsibility to Native peoples?”

For a university that has thrived off of the lands and sufferings of Native people, activists say that the least UT could do is acknowledge its history and try to educate its students about Native peoples. Instead, the activists feel that they are alone in wanting to make amends and work toward making campus a more viable and representative space for Natives.

“I’ve been the co-advisor for the Native American Student Association for 10 years now,” King said. “And if I hear any frustration voiced over and over again, it’s that it’s so difficult to feel seen on this campus.”

Pilar García, a descendant of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, UT alum

and former chair of NASA, also expressed concerns similar to those of Smith and King, stating that they had many encounters with students and professors who did not know about or understand Native culture.

“A lot of people at UT, in general, have never either met a (Native) person or have not wanted to truly do the work to understand Indigenous peoples and our issues surrounding this land,” García said.

García explained how they do not believe UT is doing a good job of recognizing their own history because they do not teach Native history in any general education classes.

They note that unless students are involved with landscape, anthropology or some environmental and humanities studies, Native culture never comes up unless a professor decides to integrate it into their curriculum for specific courses, which could be an issue for STEM students since their majors do not require many arts and culture classes.

However, Jessie Tanner, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, is currently working on a project that researches the revitalization and evolution of communication of the Cherokee language and animal communication.

“One of the things that’s true in science is that Indigenous persons are underrepresented,” Tanner said. “In my field, it’s really unfortunate because, with many of the things that we work on, people use the products of that research to make management decisions, for instance about land or species that are culturally relevant to Indigenous peoples.”

Tanner’s research proves that Native culture and scientific studies in higher education overlap.

“The project that I’m working on is … sort of advancing those two goals — Cherokee language revitalization on the one hand and also increasing representation among Indigenous students and researchers on the other hand,” Tanner said.

Cat Shteynberg, the assistant director for McClung Museum, and Sadie Counts, the curatorial project manager for McClung Museum, explained that teaching Native culture to students can be difficult and niche because there are over 500 federally recognized tribes with different customs, beliefs and traditions.

“Pan-Indianism can be detrimental to understanding the cultural diversity and specificity across Native nations,” Shteynberg said.

However, general education and acknowledgment of Native people, like what McClung Museum has been doing through its recent Native exhibits, have received a lot of positive feedback from both Natives and non-Natives.

“At UT, a lot of history surrounding Native culture has come from white archaeologists speaking about Native people,” Counts said.

NEWS “We want our exhibition to be a fully collaborative process so that Native people can speak about what Mounds mean to them.”

Smith argued that enhanced representation and education of Indigenous people at UT is not just important — it is necessary because it helps fight a larger social issue.

A survey found that out of the 27 states that are home to federally recognized tribes, only 11 require public schools to teach about Native Americans, so many students have little to no exposure to Native history or culture.

“So the odds of those students coming to UT, completely unaware of that Indian people exist are high — we’re having to start with ‘infants,’ educating ‘adult infants’ on tribal sovereignty, on tribes, on Indigenous people,” Smith said.

Currently, most Native representation on campus comes from NASA, but with little funding, the organization struggles to do outreach and events, as Emily Amann, NASA’s co-president, claimed.

Alumni assist in funding NASA, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization’s membership dropped significantly.

“In NASA, I knew I could make an impact,” Amann said. “We do have a lot of allies … but even if people do believe Native Americans exist here on campus, they don’t believe there are resources for them.”

Amann also commented that some students and members of UT administration she has encountered do not think Native American resources are necessary because an insufficient number of students are interested in the subject.

King, along with assistant professors Brooke Bauer and Sarah Richie, hosted a Native American and Indigenous Studies Seminar. The first meeting had 21 attendees.

“The 21 isn’t even everyone who is interested because not everyone can go to the first meeting — it doesn’t work with their teaching schedule or whatever — so there is interest. There is interest on campus, and I am just trying to help make opportunities to gather and talk about shared interests,” King said.

Another barrier to Native representation and education on campus is that UT prefers hiring professors with a master’s degree or a Ph.D. The trauma that many Native and tribal elders experienced during the Indian Boarding School Era (1860-1978), along with other systematic factors such as forced assimilation and economic barriers, made it difficult for them to acquire degrees in higher education.

According to García, modern education also does not recognize oral history — something vital to Native heritage and culture — as a reliable source of information. Thus, it has not been taught in a university environment, and this misconception is something that is being passed on to the next generation.

García described how a professor in their freshman history class asked them and their classmates whether oral history was a reliable resource. Almost 80% of the class clicked no.

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 14, 2024

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NASA marched in Vol Walk to celebrate Native heritage in 2010. Courtesy of Kimberly Smith “We are having to operate in a post-apocalyptic way,” Smith said. “We’re trying to navigate in a society that most of the time conflicts with our traditional ways.”

Smith described the difference between being from a place and being of a place.

“Shiyo Gimi dagwadov, Iyv AniKituwah, nole nvyo gaduha osiho. I am AniKituwah (Eastern Band Cherokee) and I’m of Knoxville,” Smith said. “My family has lived on these lands for tens of thousands of years. …

My ancestors, their bones, have now become the land, and I grow crops in this land to feed my children, so my ancestors are literally growing the fruit that I feed my children with, to continue the next generation of our community.

“To a non-Indigenous person, you may see us erased, but to Native people, we see ourselves thriving and coming back and filling the holes that colonization has put into our hearts. (Some think) we’re losing our language, we’re losing our culture, our culture is dying, our language is dying — it’s not. It’s just been asleep, and our generations are trying to wake it back up.”

The misconceptions and underrepresentation addressed here only skim the surface — Native people are survivors of genocide attempts in this country. For generations, they have been displaced from their homes so others could make room for themselves and the institutions that benefit them today.

According to activists, UT has an obliga-

NASA co-hosted a rally and march to protest a pipeline in 2015.

Courtesy of Kimberly Smith tion to recognize its history and represent all of its students. Although no one alive today is directly responsible for what happened in the past, activists say it’s the responsibility of those with power now to look toward a better future — that is, the future Native, Indigenous, and allied students and staff want: to be seen and heard in more places than museums.

The removal of NASA’s room brings these

issues of misconceptions and misrepresentation to the forefront, as the university took a designated communal safe space away. As the limited space on campus is pushing some departments to relocate out of the spaces they’ve known for years, so too are Black, Indigenous and people of color organizations facing the threat of communal spaces that hold deep meaning being taken.

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ARTS & CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 14, 2024

English department to transform Hoskins Library into Jane Austen-inspired Regency ball AALIYAH HAMMONTREE Contributor

To give students the opportunity to engage directly with literature, the UT English department, in collaboration with the Knoxville production company First Take Co., will be hosting the Jane Austen Regency Ball on Saturday, Feb. 17 in Hoskins Library.

The Jane Austen Regency Ball is a piece of interactive theater. Actors from First Take Co. will play iconic characters from “Pride & Prejudice,” “Mansfield Park” and “Emma.”

Attendees can choose how much they would like to interact with the actors.

Emily Pope, the dramaturg with First Take Co. and UT theatre administrative specialist, discussed a bit of the interactive portion of this experience.

“There will be lots of, not only interactive in the way that there will be characters interacting around you that you’re familiar with, but the actors will be talking to the guests,” Pope said. “We have little bits that we may use where Mr. Darcy might send someone on a task, or Emma might make someone help her turn pages, something like that.

So there’s a lot of chances not only to enjoy watching the actors and the theatrical performance of it all but to actually be involved in it as well.”

For those who are worried about interacting or just prefer to observe, Misty Anderson, a professor and the head of the English department, reassures that this is also an option.

“We invite them to participate as much or as little as they want,” Anderson said. “We always know in life there are spectators and there are players and people can choose their own adventure.”

Interacting with the actors is not the only thing to do at the Regency ball. Lark in the Morn English Country Dancers and Consort will be providing dance lessons and live music to help further immerse attendees in the feel of a Regency Era ball.

Attendees are also encouraged to dress up in Regency fashion, whether that’s historically grounded costumes or modern pieces styled to Regency trends. Costumes are not required but do give attendees a chance to further immerse themselves in the story.

Both the English department and First Take Co. have worked hard to bring the stories of Jane Austen to life for this ball. Laura Clift and Ethan Graham Roeder from First Take Co. created the scripts for the main characters that pull from the novels but allow room for the audience to interact. First Take Co. has also been responsible for making sure the performances are accurate to both history and the literature.

“On the First Take end of things, I know

In April 2022, UT English department collaborated with First Take Co. to host Miss A’s Garden Party, an interactive theater event with Jane Austen characters. Courtesy of First Take Co. we’ve been working hard on coordinating someone for costumes, making sure that we have everything right historically, dramaturgically,” Pope said.

The English department helped book the historic Hoskins Library for the ball and recruited undergraduate English students to act as docents and get involved with the event.

John Han, an English professor and the director of student engagement for the English department, talked more about getting students involved.

“The undergrads are actually involved with the process,” Han said. “They’ll be coming to the rehearsal so that they’ll feel like a part of the production, which I think is pretty neat.

Everyone has a stake in it, and it’s something to be proud of.”

This ball is not the first time First Take Co. and the English department have worked together for a Jane Austen-themed event. In April 2022, the two came together to host Miss A’s Garden Party, another interactive theater event with Jane Austen characters.

“Seeing the garden party and the ac-

tors, we were just completely blown away,” Han said. “They were so talented and I was confused. At one point I thought to myself, I might want to punch Mr. Darcy. Not seriously. But they knew their lines so well, and they were very, very light on their feet. They are so talented, and we’re just so grateful that we have this talented cast to help us out with this project.”

While this ball and the garden party before it both are experiences that allow attendees to connect with the literature in new ways, they also give people new opportunities to interact with each other and their shared interests.

“I think Misty would agree with me, but just to create a community within the university, I think that’s more important now, now more than ever,” Han said. “Because that’s the way that I think universities are going to be configured now. We need to be thinking about how to bring people together, how to make students excited about not just English but about meeting new people, having new experiences that are loosely ar-

ranged, organized throughout literature.”

The Regency ball is a ticketed event, but tickets can be purchased at various price points. Standard tickets are $5 per ticket with proof of student ID or $25 per ticket for the general public. There is also a Royal VIP option available for those who wish to live the fantasy of being in the historical upper class. The Royal VIP tickets are $250 for two tickets but come with perks such as a footman attending to you, the title of Lord or Lady, an announcement upon your entry and a reserved table. The extra profits generated from ticket sales will go towards scholarships for first-year English students.

“Ticket sales are already happening, so we do encourage people to reserve soon,” Anderson said. “We expect to be at capacity on this one.”

The Regency ball will take place from 7-10 p.m. For more information and links to ticket sales, check out the English department’s website or Instagram or First Take Co.’s website.

ARTS & CULTURE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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The Clothesline Project displays shirts with empowering messages from those who experienced sexual assault. Courtesy of Sarah Kaplan

Women in Transition’s Clothesline Project raises awareness through art CATIE COX Contributor

The Knoxville Museum of Art and the YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley are partnering to bring their own version of the Women in Transition’s Clothesline Project to the Knoxville area. The exhibit will be available to visit on the third-floor lobby of the Knoxville Museum of Art until April 14.

Knoxville Museum of Art exhibitions manager Natalie McLaurin offered insight into the origins of the Clothesline Project.

“The Clothesline Project started in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the ‘90s to raise awareness about sexual violence and to help victims and survivors feel seen,” McLaurin said. “Originally, people were putting these shirts in public spaces on a clothesline, like in their yard. Now, it is a form of art therapy.”

Since then, colleges, nonprofits and other groups have taken up the project. Survivors choose a specific-colored shirt and write an empowering message on it. These shirts are displayed on a clothesline for visitors to walk through and read. The colors of the shirts each have a purpose.

Stephanie Burrage, the YWCA Knoxville CEO, described what they mean.

“The color white represents a woman who died because of the violence,” Burrage said.

“Yellow and beige represent some sort of domestic assault. Pink, red and orange are survivors of rape and sexual assault. Blue and green represent survivors of incest and sexual abuse.

When you look at the colors of the shirts, it is one more representation of their experience.”

Sexual assault and violence against women are widespread and ongoing issues. According to the Clothesline Project website, “During the same time 58,000 soldiers were killed in the Vietnam War, 51,000 U.S. women were killed by the men who claimed to love them.” The

Clothesline Project allows those who recently went through this experience to find a voice and feel more confident speaking out. It places control back in the hands of the victim.

“It is another way to spread the understanding that these acts of violence still happen,” Burrage said. “This is not something that society has fixed, and it is an ongoing thing. These shirts on the wall are real representations of people in our community who have experienced this trauma. I think this is another way to bring awareness to the community.”

Shame and blame are often emotions that victims feel. The Clothesline Project’s purpose is to turn these negative emotions into empowerment and self-acceptance. Survivors should feel they can speak their truth without facing backlash. The project’s hope is that victims will find comfort in the realization that they are not alone.

If you would like to contribute your own shirt to the Clothesline Project, you can attend An Afternoon to Honor Voices of Courage. This event is on Feb. 18 from 1-4 p.m. at the Knoxville Museum of Art. The shirts made during the event will be hung in the KMA garden for the day. Afterward, the YWCA will display them in the first-floor lobby at their downtown location.

If you or anyone you know needs support or assistance regarding sexual violence, there are many resources available in the Knoxville area: You can call the Statewide 24-Hour Crisis and Support Line at 1-866-811-RISE. The YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley also have a variety of domestic violence programs.

You can visit the Office of Title IX for help seeking medical attention, reporting an incident to the police and filing complaints with the university.

The McNabb Center and the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee offer victim services for domestic violence and sexual assault. They offer counseling, crisis hotlines, a safe clinic and housing options.

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OPINIONS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Ink and Outrage: Updike’s ubiquitous, unerring uncertainties DRAKE DYER Columnist A few years before John Updike decided to try his hand at publishing longer works of fiction, he published his first set of work in 1958: a small collection of poems entitled “The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures.” Updike, still a young 26-year-old graduate of Harvard University, was recovering from quitting his staff writer job at The New Yorker and getting used to his wife and new family as they made the move to a small harbor town in northern Massachusetts.

Much like the year before its publication, this poem collection expresses the frequent, constant, radical changes over the course of time, similar to Updike’s real life. His family shifted from a bustling, propelling city of opportunity to a constant aroma of king crabs and salty ocean air in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Poems like “Ex-Basketball Player” harness his ideals of watching people work and becoming inspired by little things in his life.

Updike’s previous ambitions before professionally writing were that of a professional cartoonist.

Other poems like “Recitative For Sorely

Tested Products” speak fluently in juxtaposition with Updike’s personal idea of becoming something while taking the time to learn that what he has become is not meant to be.

“Capacity” and “March: a Birthday Poem” are where Updike shows his true personality. He cares so much for his family and uses writing to provide for them. His life revolves so heavily around writing, so he makes his writing revolve heavily around his life.

With Updike’s story, it makes you think about what destiny is all about. The idea that maybe you are pursuing the wrong profession, doing the wrong thing, acknowledging the wrong achievements, when you should be doing something different. A cartoonist turned writer, a carpenter turned actor, a news anchor turned hostess of her own television show and known primarily by his first name.

Years later, after Updike’s prolific vein had popped out because of his ever-so-rising age, he presented a collection of information on his life. There he was, a wrinkly man of 68, telling the truths and lies he spouted for years and eventually came clean. He cared so deeply for his family but regretted not showing it in the years prior. His whole career was based around them, whether they figured it out or not.

Updike’s palette for creating fictitious realism is insanely serene. He takes a brick of blank-like pallor and fructifies it with imagi-

nation, ambition and all the beautiful things that make life worth living. Then comes vivid, passionate descriptions of how wonderful life is and what exactly you are to expect. His impulsive scriptures of life-changing grandeur kiss you on the cheek after the smack wound is still healing. And once the people would read them, they became, unlike the clouds without rain, sharing the scriptures in a biblical notation.

Since it is typically informally written, poetry isn’t a concrete way of communicating information. It requires a lot of context clues and small tidbits of information at random increments. As non-uniformly as possible, Updike uses written language as self-expression, just like many other poets and creative writers. How to get rid of your problems and make them better. How to exercise your brain from the chaotic amount of pain and suffering it’s going through.

There is a lot of sadness written in Updike’s collection of poems. There is a lot of sadness in a lot of his writing but also a lot of beautifully jovial things. . There is a degree of unpredictability that not even a writer can imagine, but Updike can come pretty close.

Not always my favorite writing technique, poetry is still demonstrated as being one of the most popular forms of writing, both creative and informal. I have tried my hand at poetry and can rhyme words to create a mediocre-sounding story, but a poem isn’t nec-

essarily supposed to rhyme.

Almost like life, a selection of random words that form bits of a story is still art in its truest form.

Columnist Drake Dyer writes that John Updike’s poetry collection speaks to the radical and frequent changes during the time period and Updike’s personal life.

Calie Wrona / The Daily Beacon

Drake Dyer is a freshman at UT this year studying finance. He can be reached at ddyer10@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.

Greener Shade of Orange: We need more gardens on campus AUDREY NASH Columnist Way off in the corner of our campus, known by agriculture majors and not many others, is the home of the State Botanical Garden of Tennessee. It is a beautiful space with gorgeous plants, flowers, sculptures and water features.

As much as there is to love at the UT Gardens, if you are not walking to the agricultural campus, you probably don’t spend much time near them. I’ve encountered many students who have never stepped foot in them.

The UT Gardens is a beautiful place, but what good is a beautiful place if no one knows it exists or visits it?

In short, there need to be more gardens on campus. I am not saying we need more areas as big as the UT Gardens and its 4,000 different types of plants, but just more gardens and green spaces. Think about how nice it would be to walk to class and pass wildflowers and butterflies.

To increase greenery across campus, pocket parks could be a great solution. Small parks have been called pocket parks in recent years. Pocket parks exist in nooks and crannies, their purpose being to bring more green to certain areas. There are quite a few areas around campus that could benefit from a pocket garden or park.

While the grass areas on campus are pleasant, additional plants and greenery would take them up a notch. Adding some wildflowers or trees would make the spaces more enjoyable to sit in and spend time in. These parks could still be an official part of the UT Gardens, just smaller in size with the same grandeur for students to see.

The UT Gardens serves as a research facility for the UT Institute of Agriculture. While the pocket parks or gardens would be significantly smaller, they could still act as areas for research. In addition to this, they could also provide students with volunteer opportunities. From weeding to general maintenance of the areas, these pocket gardens or parks could give students some hands-on experience with gardens.

In addition to being pretty, gardens benefit mental health. Being surrounded by greenery and plants has been linked to improved

well-being. A study released in 2019 by the University of Chicago found that gardens and green spaces near schools improve students’ cognitive development. Meaning, gardens can actually help students perform better academically.

Another study from the International Journal of Wellbeing found that spending time in nature lowers stress levels and reduces fatigue. On a campus full of stressed and exhausted students, more green spaces could provide an escape that is easily accessible to more students.

As more and more of us spend increasing amounts of time looking at screens, having places to connect with nature and spend time outside is becoming more and more important to our overall well-being. Outside spaces have to draw people to them, but more gardens on campus would help bring green spaces to the students.

Overall, having more gardens, potentially satellite areas of the UT Gardens, would help beautify our campus. They would also help to improve mental health and well-being through the student body while encouraging students to spend more time in the peaceful presence of nature.

Columnist Audrey Nash acknowledges the pleasantness of grass areas across campus but thinks adding wildflowers or trees would make the spaces more enjoyable.

Courtesy of Vecteezy.com

Audrey Nash is a freshman at UT this year studying sustainability. She can be reached at anash13@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.

SPORTS

Wednesday, February 14, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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‘It’s not right and it’s not legal’ The state of Tennessee and the NCAA concluded their preliminary injunction hearing on Tuesday.

A decision is expected in ‘short order.’

CALEB JARREAU Sports Editor

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Inside a small courtroom at the James H. Quillen United States Courthouse on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker wasn’t ready to make a decision regarding the state of Tennessee’s injunction request. He has a lot of information to digest and said a decision is expected “in short order.”

The state of Tennessee — as part of an antitrust lawsuit filed by the attorney general for Tennessee and Virginia — is attempting to freeze the NCAA’s current name, image and likeness policies. Corker heard arguments from both the NCAA and attorneys representing the state of Tennessee on Tuesday.

The hearing, attended by approximately 40 people and some University of Tennessee fans, lasted just under 70 minutes from start to finish.

While the NCAA declined to comment, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti met with a small group of media following the hearing.

“I think the hearing was very educational,” Skrmetti said. “The court is clearly grappling with these issues, and the big issue is our student-athletes getting an opportunity to find out what the actual value of their NIL rights is. And one of the things most interesting that we heard is that even the NCAA is a little unclear on the NIL rules. … The lack of clarity is hurting student-athletes. The lack of opportunity to make informed decisions is hurting student-athletes. It’s not right and it’s not legal.”

A decision from Corker could come within the next few days or within the next few weeks. Regardless of the result of the injunction hearing, Skrmetti remains confident in the long-term goal of the antitrust suit and allowing athletes to negotiate NIL deals before signing with a school.

There is also some leeway in what Corker could decide. The state of Tennessee is pursuing an injunction on the NCAA nationwide that would protect student-athletes. Corker also asked several questions that confirmed he was looking at several different options.

No matter the result of the preliminary injunction, Skrmetti plans to “keep fighting.”

“I think we put on a great case in there,” Skrmetti said. “We had a great argument.

You never know which way it’s going to go.

But in the TRO (temporary restraining order) order, the judge said that we are likely to prevail on the merits — I continue to think that that’s right. The law is what the law is, and we have very strong arguments on behalf of Tennessee student-athletes.”

The state of Tennessee argues “irreparable harm” Much of what the state argued on Tuesday goes back to the concept of “irreparable harm.” Cameron Norris did the speaking, representing Tennessee. Skrmetti sat just two seats away, heavily involved with the process.

The harm referenced not just studentathletes. It also extended to the University of Tennessee and the state as a whole due to the NCAA investigation. “(The University of Tennessee) brings joy and revenue for the state, but the NCAA is making an example,” Norris said.

Norris also brought up, after being questioned by Corker, that the state is not seeking an injunction on NCAA rules, but the injunction is on the additional NIL guidance that the governing body has tried to enforce.

The issue of irreparable harm affects the student-athletes as well. The state argues the current system restricts the free market that prospective athletes are supposed to enjoy.

By being unable to negotiate potential NIL deals ahead of signing or committing to a school, Tennessee says the athlete loses leverage. Once that leverage to force a potential bidding war for NIL money is gone, it may never be attainable for the athlete again.

Norris makes sure to note that they are not challenging “pay for play” rules, which constitute when a school pays an athlete to go there.

“It is not just a monetary decision,” Norris said. “Students take less money for the right school.”

Not knowing their potential value ahead of signing with an institution causes irreparable harm, the state continued. When Corker

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti addresses members of the media following a preliminary injunction hearing at James H. Quillen United States Courthouse in Greeneville, Tennessee.

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Caleb Jarreau / The Daily Beacon rebutted from the bench about the potential loss of amateurism, Norris responded simply.

“Perception (of college athletics) won’t change if athletes are paid what they’re worth, not the deflected NCAA value,” Norris said.

In short, the state of Tennessee sees prospective student-athletes losing money by being unable to negotiate NIL deals and weigh all their options, ahead of choosing their future school.

NCAA stumbles, Tennessee rebuts The NCAA’s main basis for argument references a case being litigated in California.

In House v. NCAA, similar arguments relating to whether athletes are entitled to compensation from media rights deals are being argued. The NCAA also said that it has taken over three years in that case, so the injunction shouldn’t be decided in just one week.

But Rakesh Kilaru, who was speaking on behalf of the NCAA, stumbled.

Kilaru struggled to articulate the difference between “negotiating” NIL offers, which is

not allowed by the NCAA, and recruits “engaging in conversation” with collectives about NIL value after being asked by Corker.

Kilaru said the “extent of the conversation” is when it may cross over into inducement.

The stumbling was the first thing Skrmetti referenced when he met with members of the media following the hearing.

“We’ve got a thoughtful judge who’s going to look at all the arguments in the record, but I think it’s important for the public to understand that these kids are subject to potentially severe penalties for rules that have been changing over the last few years,” Skrmetti said. “And that, still today, in a federal courtroom, aren’t totally clear, and it’s not right to subject people to serious punishment when they don’t know what rules they’re supposed to be following. So I did think that was an important point that came up.”

The NCAA’s representation also said they did not know of any leak to the media regarding the investigation into alleged NIL

STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 14, 2024

STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 violations. The NCAA also mentions that the state of Tennessee had no evidence of irreparable harm from a high school prospect.

That became a main point in the state of Tennessee’s rebuttal. High school athletes are not going to come out and show the harm because it would constitute breaking current NCAA law. Norris and Tennessee also argued that if Corker were to rule in favor of the injunction now, it would be temporary. The injunction would be until the case is complete and could be revoked.

State of Tennessee ends day with strong analogy Norris compared the current NIL state to something the NCAA knows well: TV rights deals. He said that if the NCAA was negotiating TV rights for March Madness, they could have three possible options: ABC, CBS and Fox. If the TV rights deals negotiations were like the current NIL landscape, the NCAA would have to choose one channel for March Madness and then negotiate the compensation.

The NCAA would have no leverage in that situation, illustrating the argument that the state of Tennessee is presenting regarding the current NIL guidance.

There is nothing more accurate than an athlete looking into NIL deals ahead of choosing a school, the state concluded.

James H. Quillen United States Courthouse following a preliminary injunction hearing between the state of Tennessee and the NCAA in Greeneville, Tennessee. Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024.

Caleb Jarreau / The Daily Beacon “Whatever happens today is not going to tell us what’s going to happen in the long run,” Skrmetti said. “This is about immediate relief and whether the NCAA can continue to threaten enforcement of these rules in the short term. In the long run, we’re fighting

about whether these rules are legal at all. And that’s the most important part of it. That’s the big fight.”

What this hearing could mean If the state of Tennessee wins the in-

junction, then NIL rules are frozen until the case concludes, which could take months.

In a practical sense, this means that athletes would be able to negotiate and sign NIL contracts before enrolling, something that is currently considered a recruiting violation.

The investigation into Tennessee athletics for alleged NIL violations would also be slowed due to the decision.

There is also a chance the NCAA completely backs off if the injunction is granted, similar to its reaction in the multi-year transfer ruling. The future is unclear for the NCAA, but an injunction would be a major speed bump.

Other states may also join in on the case if the injunction is granted and the state of Tennessee is trending toward a win.

Tennessee has already been denied a temporary restraining order, forcing Skrmetti to expand his arguments in Tuesday’s hearing.

On the other hand, a loss in the injunction hearing would empower the NCAA. The governing body will continue to pursue Tennessee for its alleged NIL violations. The current rules would remain in place, and the NCAA will likely regroup and plan for future hearings. A loss in the injunction hearing would also allow the NCAA to continue its investigation into Tennessee.

It is expected that the NCAA will lose the antitrust suit based on previous comments by Corker, but avoiding the temporary injunction would be a win for the governing body.

Construction on pace at Lindsey Nelson Stadium ahead of opening day CALEB JARREAU Sports Editor

Lindsey Nelson Stadium is in the early stages of a multiyear project to update the home of Tennessee baseball.

The construction is expected to continue through the 2024 campaign, a UT spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Beacon.

That was a part of the plan.

What is expected to be done by the 2024 season is permanent seating down the left field line where temporary bleachers once stood. The project has been pushed back due to the week-long snow event that took over Knoxville, but it is still expected to be completed by Tennessee’s home opener on Feb. 20.

The expected capacity for the 2024 season is 5,548. The number could go up depending on standing-room-only capacity.

While the seats and the basics will be in by opening day, the bells and whistles won’t be completed until the start of next season.

The project will be similar to the Neyland Stadium West Club renovations during the 2022 season. Construction contin-

ued during the year, but it was completely finished by 2023.

Fans will see temporary concessions and restrooms in the new seating options down the left field line with the area remaining an active construction zone.

The new seating areas decrease the foul ground on both sides, but the change shouldn’t make a big difference in play.

Utility work along Pat Summitt Drive and along Fraternity Row will continue throughout the 2024 season, preparing for the 2025 season.

What do the Lindsey Nelson renovations entail?

The budget for the renovations is set right below $100 million.

Perhaps the biggest change will be increasing the capacity that Lindsey Nelson can hold. Capacity is expected to grow to over 7,750 with the final goal to be over 8,000 for capacity.

The project will also focus on increased premium seating options as well as expanded gates, concourses, media areas and umpire locker rooms. A new concourse will connect the left field porches to the right field student area.

Crews work to complete construction prior to the start of the Vols 2024 baseball season at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon

SPORTS

Wednesday, February 14, 2024 • The Daily Beacon

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Tennessee basketball needs to have ‘poise’ down the stretch TANNER JOHNSON Staff Writer

Everything Tennessee basketball wants to accomplish this season is still on the table.

The Vols are ranked No. 8 in the country and are still playing for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would be the first in program history. They also are near the top of the SEC standings and have a chance to win head coach Rick Barnes’ second regular season conference championship and SEC tournament championship.

But the Vols are also suffering the same fate as many other top-10 teams in college basketball this season. Tennessee has lost two road games this season as a top-10 team to an unranked opponent. That does not sound like a good statistic for the Vols, but it is not as bad as it sounds.

After Kansas was blown out at unranked Texas Tech, top-10 teams are now 32-35 against unranked teams on the road this season. If the season ended today, that would be the worst winning percentage for top-10 teams in such games in college basketball history by a long shot.

Tennessee’s loss to Texas A&M was a set-

back for a team with high goals, but it was not a disaster by any means. However, it is something that the Vols need to learn from.

“I thought we lost our poise because when we got down, we felt like we had to get it all back at once, “ Barnes said after the Texas A&M loss. “They made some threes early, and we got away from our defensive game plan and got anxious.”

The key to the Vols’ success on the road has been fast starts. At Kentucky, the Vols jumped out to a 16-5 lead to stun a packed house of over 20,000 people. The Wildcats made some runs here and there but were never able to take the momentum back.

At Texas A&M and earlier in the season at Mississippi State, Tennessee did not dictate the pace of the game and lost control early on.

Like most teams when they get down early, Tennessee has not handled that adversity well and has folded under the pressure of the home team’s momentum.

“I think we had an effort, but it wasn’t a smart effort, “ Barnes said on Tuesday, recapping the Texas A&M loss. “I do know we have guys that want to win, but we just got to be better in those situations when things aren’t going our way. We don’t have to get it all back at once. Because it’s basketball, it is a game of runs.”

Winning on the road is important for Tennessee if it wants to keep up pace with the other top teams in the conference standings.

The NCAA and SEC tournament games are at neutral sites, but crowd noise can still be a factor in those games when one team starts to go on a run, especially if Tennessee is playing a lower seed that neutral fans would like to see pull off an upset.

Tennessee has the veteran leadership necessary to combat tough environments and slow starts to games, but it needs to start demonstrating the ability to weather those storms. In a season where top-10 teams have had a historic number of nightmare games on the road, Tennessee will have to figure out how to solve that problem that most other top programs have not solved yet.

Barnes is confident that his players will come together and figure out how to get the most out of his team’s opportunities the rest of this year.

“I think it comes back to us having guys that just want to win and they have a passion about it,” Barnes said. “Sometimes they can get too emotional about it and get in a hurry and get sped up. But as long as you’re working, trying to get better, you’d like to think in the end it’s all going to work out for you.”

Coach Rick Barnes instructs plays to the Vols.

File / The Daily Beacon

Jillian Hollingshead finds confidence as Lady Vols prepare for No. 1 South Carolina JACK CHURCH Assistant Sports Editor

Jillian Hollingshead’s double-double on Monday came at the perfect time.

The junior forward had been struggling in prior games, having not recorded a doubledigit point total in almost three months.

But as Lady Vols basketball looks ahead to a meeting with No. 1 South Carolina, it does so with another weapon available.

“She looked pretty comfortable in practice, so I felt like we were on an upward trajectory,” Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper said.

“We just wanted to see it in a game, and she was able to do that.”

Earlier in conference play, Hollingshead was overshadowed by Tamari Key’s return from her lengthy absence at the end of last season. During conference play, Hollingshead has seen her minutes waver. Most notably, she only played three minutes against Mississippi State in January.

In the five games she played leading up to Monday’s meeting with the Razorbacks, Hollingshead only totaled five points and nine rebounds. She was struggling to find consistent scoring.

But on Monday, everything clicked.

“I think right now, the biggest thing I

Jillian Hollingshead (53) fights for a rebound during a game against the University of Arkansas at Food City Center. Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon think she needed for her confidence was she needed to see it in a game, have some positive plays, some physical plays,” Harper said.

“Obviously, we know she can do those things.

Now, hopefully, she’s reminded she can do them in a game.”

Hollingshead’s versatility makes her unique among Tennessee’s frontcourt. She has the physical strength to be strong in the post while also having the quickness to create separation. She can also defend both low and high and can be used as a center in a small lineup or as a forward in a taller lineup.

Because of her ability to play in several situations, Hollingshead can find her rhythm in many different situations.

“She looked comfortable out on the floor, but also she was working inside and getting those post touches,” Harper said. “I think it’s important for her to do both. I think for her confidence, but for our team, we need both.”

Tennessee needs everything it can get from all its players — not just Hollingshead — when it meets South Carolina on Thursday.

With the Lady Vols currently tied for second in the SEC standings, every game is crucial.

Tennessee is also 1.5 games ahead of Ole Miss, and falling behind the Rebels would mean the loss of a double bye in the SEC tournament.

Additionally, the Lady Vols are by no means safely in NCAA Tournament contention. Although Tennessee is projected to be a tourna-

ment team, the Lady Vols have moved along the bubble and need to remain consistent as they close out the season. Of Tennessee’s last five games, all five are against teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament.

Even though the Gamecocks will walk into Food City Center undefeated on Thursday, the Lady Vols have plenty of weapons to compete.

“We know going into Thursday that it’s going to be a big task for us,” Tennessee guard Jewel Spear said. “South Carolina is a great team, and we’re just going to go in there, focus on the game plan that the coaches give us and lock in on that. We’ll go into the game, compete and try to win. That’s all you can do.”

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 14, 2024