Volume 141, Issue 6 Wednesday, March 2, 2022
utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon
Women’s History Month Special Edition DAILY BEACON 4 | Student leader interview 11 | Mayor Kincannon
HONEY 5 | Women’s sufferage 10 | Title IX PHOENIX 1 | “Jeweled Movement”
published in Spring 1971: Vol. 12 No. 3 3 | Feminist poem
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DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sarah Rainey MANAGING EDITOR: Caleigh Rozmenoski COPY CHIEF: Kyra Bogdan CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR: Daniel Dassow CITY NEWS EDITOR: Madelyn Muschek SPORTS EDITOR: Josh Lane ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: Ethan Stone DIGITAL PRODUCER: Kailee Harris OPINIONS EDITOR: Erin Gwydir PHOTO EDITOR: Alexandra Ashmore DESIGN EDITOR: Bella Hughes SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Kimberly Lalas PAGE DESIGNER: Nevaeh Casteel
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editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor must be exclusive to The Daily Beacon and cannot have been submitted to or published by other media. Letters should not exceed 400 words and can be edited or shortened for space. Letters can also be edited for grammar and typographical errors, and Letters that contain excessive grammatical errors can be rejected for this reason. Anonymous Letters will not be published. Authors should include their full name, mailing address, city of residence, phone number and e-mail address for verification purposes. Letters submitted without this information will not be published. The preferred method to submit a Letter to the Editor is to email the Editor-in-Chief. CORRECTIONS POLICY:It is the Daily Beacon’s policy to quickly correct any factual errors and clarify any potentially misleading information. Errors brought to our attention by readers or sta� members will be corrected and printed on page two of our publication. To report an error please send as much information as possible about where and when the error occurred to managingeditor@ utdailybeacon.com, or call our newsroom at (865) 974-5206. The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee on Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. The o�ces are located at 1345 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 379960314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year or $100/semester. It is also available online at: www. utdailybeacon.com
Left to right: Caleigh Rozmenoski, Sarah Rainey, Chloe Weaver and Sadie Kimbrough. Photo taken by Leigh Shields / Honey Photo Editor
Letter from the Editors: Joining forces Happy Women’s History Month! We — the editors of The Daily Beacon, Honey Magazine and Phoenix Literary Arts Magazine — have collaborated on this special issue to focus on and celebrate women in leadership. This edition of the Beacon is monumental, first because it is a collaboration between multiple avenues of the Office of Student Media, but more importantly because the Beacon, Honey and Phoenix have all been led by women this academic year. Of course, we have all been honored to work with many incredible women through the publication of this edition and want to express our gratitude to our staff members that worked diligently to make this collaboration possible. As women in leadership roles, we feel it is important to highlight and embrace our similarities and differences. In the issue, you will see strong female leaders from resident assistants to business women in forms ranging from features and interviews to poems. At the Beacon, the majority of the editorial staff is made up of women. Without these amazing female leaders, there would be no
Beacon. At every level from writing to photography to video to design, powerful women are at work. Honey Magazine, the official women’s magazine of UTK, has only been around since 2019 but with the mission to support freedom of speech, freedom of press and intersectional feminism, we can already see an impact on the UT community. Over the past few centuries, we’ve seen the shift in art and literature from women as subjects to women as creators. Through the artwork and prose submitted to Phoenix, we can see that here on our campus, too. Art helps us develop solutions for difficult problems and freedom to feel any way about them. As we acknowledge the past, present and future suffering of women, we must allow them the ability to control their own narratives. Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on the progress made toward equality and seek to understand the mistakes we have made along the way. To those of you who are also women leaders, we want to empower you to keep going. Make a name for yourself. Apply for that lead-
QR code to behind the scenes content and exclusive interviews with the student leaders of the Office of Student Media.
ership position. Be bold. Have confidence. Demand attention. Do not be afraid to speak your mind. You are strong, and you are worthy of respect. We hope that you all enjoy this special edition of the Beacon. Each of our staff worked diligently to complete this issue, and we are so proud of our collaboration. To keep up to date with all of our publications, follow the Beacon’s content on our website, utdailybeacon.com, check out UT and Knoxville community art, poetry and prose at phoenixmagazine.net and follow Honey’s Instagram, @honeyutk. Print editions of the Beacon are published every Wednesday, and both Honey and Phoenix are published once
Sincerely,
Sarah Rainey Caleigh Rozmenoski Chloe Weaver Sadie Kimbrough
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‘The Awakening’ ABBY-NOELLE POTTER Phoenix Staff Writer
The soft velvet of my heart is beating strong. I admire myself in the mirror and begin with “Hello.” I gleam with Glory and for once I proudly say my name. I introduce myself again this time not neglecting a single vowel of the too many named names. I look at my body and appreciate every curve, hip, bone and gesture. Gleaming light encircles me and I see myself for who I am “Glorious!”
Untamed and unbridled no longer resentful of my soul and its undying need of love “You are here,” they whisper. Silence fills me as I feel the pit of my stomach warm and goosebumps incircle my shoulder blades. I glance at my eyes and fall undoubtedly. Kindness overtakes me and soon I am a feather. Floating, meandering, free and desolate in this large world.
Poem by Keely Jane Petty and artwork by Yifei Gan, taken from the Fall 1991 edition of Phoenix Literary Arts Magazine, Vol. 33 No. 1.
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Adrianna Smith discusses experience as a woman in leadership
KYRA BOGDAN Daily Beacon Copy Chief
Since the year of 1987, Women’s History Month has been a time to celebrate and acknowledge the successes and contributions that women have made throughout history. In the time that has passed since the ‘80s, the frequency of women in leadership positions has gone up drastically. However, according to Catalyst, in 2019, only slightly over a third of managers in the U.S. were women. Women of color held an even smaller portion of that share at 4.3% for Latinas, 4.0% for Black women and 2.5% for Asian women. So, despite the influx of women in leadership roles, there is still work to be done and it is important to encourage women to take on these positions. One way to do that is provide examples of successful women in the workplace. Adrianna Smith was previously one of 14 resident assistants (RAs) at Massey Hall before she was hired on as the undergraduate assistant hall director for Reese Hall. According to the Student Life page on the University of Tennessee website, assistant hall directors (ASDs) “should be admitted into and be making positive progress toward a graduate or professional program at the University of Tennessee …” Undergraduate ASDs, like Smith, are sometimes required when there is a vacancy in a particular residence hall on campus. This is when University Housing oftentimes will turn to capable RAs to take on the role. Since filling the higher position, Smith has some insight to what it’s like to be a woman in leadership.
When asked why she believes there aren’t more women in leadership positions, Smith said, “People can’t be where there aren’t spaces. Often, women are overlooked or don’t have examples to follow. I know that when I personally thought of taking this job as a third-year RA, I looked back at Kristi Nguyen and Anna Perry who did it before me and thrived or Lisa Quick who managed to be an amazing boss, friend and leader while juggling an education. I had women in my life who embodied who I wanted to be, and not everyone can say that.” After mentioning how she hopes to follow in the footsteps of the other successful women who came before her, Smith went into more detail about what motivated her to step up and become a leader in her organization, UT Housing.
If you have ever underestimated yourself, take the chance to prove yourself wrong. ADRIANNA SMITH Undergraduate Assistant Hall Director
“I knew that I enjoyed my job and the satisfaction I got when I saw people change because of the work I did. I had residents become RAs and say I was their inspiration, and I thought this job was a way to improve people’s college experience on a larger scale,” Smith said. Smith then touched on instances where she felt she may have inspired others while holding
a leadership position. “I feel that I have (inspired others). I see it in the conversations I have with people and the comfort they have around me. When people say, ‘I could never do what you do’ I remind them that I didn’t think I could either until I did,” Smith said. “I make space for everyone to speak in spaces that can occasionally feel overcrowded and nothing feels better than watching people I fought for fight for themselves.” Inspiring others had a big part to play in why Adrianna took the position. Lexie Martin, an RA who worked with Smith while she was still employed at Massey Hall, gave some insight into Smith as a leader. “I think Adrianna is a great leader because of how passionate she is and how much she cares. … She is always willing to help others and steps up when needed and she puts 110% of herself into whatever she does,” Martin said. Martin continued on to mention her own personal experiences with Smith and confirmed Smith’s positive influence on those around her. “I think her personality is so bright and infectious that it definitely can influence others. She is also very in touch with her emotions and who she is as a person, and I think that helps as well because if someone sees her — someone in a leadership position — being open and honest, they are more likely to be the same way. I know I always feel better after being around her or talking to her, so I think it’s just who she is that helps influence others,” Martin said. As a woman in leadership, Smith spoke briefly about how she believes women can support each other in the workplace and how she is able to do so in her own organization. “Step up when things aren’t equal or equi-
table. Speak up and never let someone speak over you and provide space for those who need guidance to create a space for themselves. I advocate for everyone I work with and around and give them the space to speak and lead where they often would not otherwise have been able to,” Smith said. When asked if she had any advice for individuals looking to follow in her footsteps and become a leader in their own right, Smith said, “Not to sound like Nike, but just do it. If you have ever underestimated yourself, take the chance to prove yourself wrong. Ask questions, state your opinions and take up space. You are valuable and capable of leadership. All it takes is a push and a Google Calendar.”
Courtesy of Adrianna Smith
A female-led fight for justice: The rarely shared history of the Elizabethton strikers MACY ROBERTS Honey Contributor
About two hours northeast of Knoxville lies Elizabethton, Tennessee. It is not one of the state’s major cities, so its existence is unknown to many, yet Elizabethton offers a deeply rich history inspired by the efforts of strong female leaders. In 1929, Elizabethton saw a series of labor strikes and protests take place in response to an unfair working environment created by the American Bemberg and Glanzstoff manufacturing plants, which oversaw the production of rayon clothing material. Labor rights relating to proper work conditions, fair wages, anti-discrimination policies and union formation are issues that are incredibly relevant today, and such was the case nearly a century ago. In response to unjust company housing
practices, on March 12, 1929, supervisor Margaret Brown staged a walkout consisting of 500 female workers from the Glanzstoff plant, proving the company wrong in its idea that moving to the rural city and taking advantage of the largely female workforce would be performed with ease. Hundreds more workers from both plants were quick to follow suit, demanding “higher wages, better working conditions and collective bargaining rights,” according to Johnson City Press. For female strikers, they were also advocating for equal treatment and pay. At first, the strikers were not represented by a union, but a chapter of the United Textile Workers Union of America was eventually reactivated. This union was not recognized by the president of the plants, Arthur Mothwurf, however. The president refused to negotiate with the strikers’ demands, and as a result, what was once rather peaceful began to grow increasingly violent.
According to Amanda McCrary Smith, the Tennessee State Museum curator of textiles and fashion, rather than negotiate with a stateappointed mediator, as recommended by Governor Henry Horton, Mothwurf “put both plants back into production with newly hired workers and continued to ignore the strikers’ demands for better conditions and union representation.” Mothwurf also requested troops from the National Guard to be sent to the city of Elizabethton, which only caused more rage in response to ongoing arrests and violent tactics used to deter strikers. After over two months of upset, Mothwurf finally met with a labor mediator and “agreed to recognize worker’s grievances and to a nondiscrimination policy regarding unionized workers,” Smith said. Mothwurf ultimately never followed through on his side of the bargain and still did not recognize the union. Many strikers were blacklisted and not rehired.
The outcome of the Elizabethton Strikes was certainly disappointing for the strikers who fought tirelessly for what they believed in, but the event inspired additional strikes in the future and the proper formation of the Textile Workers Union of America. If nothing else, the Elizabethton strikes represent the courage of Margaret Bowen and the female strikers who joined her in the challenging fight for their rights. The Elizabethton strikers directly inspired those around them, and so long as their history continues to be shared, it will continue to serve as a source of inspiration for future generations of women to come. Their efforts express the importance of fighting against injustice while also demonstrating how female leaders can possess power in fighting for causes with effects that impact more than just their own gender.
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The letter that saved women’s suffrage ANNALIESE SPIELMAN Honey Contributor If you’ve ever visited Knoxville’s Market Square, you’ve seen the Tennessee Women’s Suffrage Memorial celebrating suffragists Lizzie Crozier French, Anna Dallas Dudley and Elizabeth Avery Meriwether. Another memorial sitting nearby — located on the corner of Clinch Avenue and Market Square — tells the story of Febb Burn, the mother who won women the right to vote. The fight for women’s suffrage began in 1848 when Elizabeth Stanton and other suffragists organized the first national meeting in New York. Women were still refused voting rights during the ratification of both the 14th and 15th Amendments.
city was a sea of yellow and red roses, showing those who supported and opposed the ratification vote. The youngest member in the Capital, Rep. Harry T. Burn originally entered the voting wearing a red rose, despite the best efforts of suffrage lobbyists. It appeared conservative representative Burn had already made up his mind. This observation was solidified when Burn voted in favor of tabling the vote until the next session. But because the vote was deadlocked, the legislature moved forward with the voting. This 50-50 split meant that the 19th Amendment would only need one more vote to be approved by its 36th state, guaranteeing its ratification into the Constitution. Everyone was taken by surprise when Rep. Burn voted in favor of the amendment.
Three of Tennessee’s most prominent suffragettes stand in repose in Market Square. Left to right: Elizabeth Avery Meriwether (Memphis), Lizzie Crozier French (Knoxville), Anne Dallas Dudley (Nashville). File/ The Daily Beacon After tireless lobbying efforts by the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association, more and more predominantly middle-class women began volunteering for the movement. Although both houses of Congress had voted in favor of the 19th Amendment by 1919, 36 states would still need to ratify the amendment before it could be officially added to the Constitution. In 1920, the 19th Amendment needed only one more state’s support to solidify women’s constitutional right to vote. That year, Tennessee was the final state holding a vote that had not rejected the amendment. From there, Nashville specifically saw an influx of suffragists and anti-suffragists. The
What nobody knew was behind the red rose on Burn’s lapel sat a letter he had received from his mother, Febb Burn. The letter included the usual mother-son discussions about the weather and when Burn would be back to visit. The handwritten note also included Febb Burn’s request that her son vote in favor of women’s suffrage. She urged, “Hurrah and vote for suffrage and don’t keep them in doubt.”
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What makes you a strong female leader? “Whether prejudice regarding gender is at play or not. People are going to doubt your abilities and attempt to sway the direction of your life. The most important aspect is remaining goal oriented. Setting achievable goals for yourself and your team allows you to stay on a direct path.”
What makes you a strong female leader? “I feel constantly inspired by the women and people that I work with each day. When you’re surrounded by a community of people who share each other’s passions, it’s easy to guide others along the way.
Photos by Leigh McTeer-Shields / Honey
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How do you uplift other women in your field? “Voicing my appreciation and celebrating others’ achievements is by far my favorite way to uplift other women. Small, meaningful compliments can do so much to boost the confidence of the women that surround you. Life is so much more enjoyable when you can enjoy the people around you.”
What is a challenge you face as a female leader? “I have had situations where male counterparts spoke down to me or believed that they had the final say or knew better than I did. They have tried to overpower me when I was the one in leadership. Just because I am a woman and may not be the loudest person in the room does not mean that I should not be respected.
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Jackie’s Dream presents soulful food to everyone: ‘This is community to me’ KEENAN THOMAS Daily Beacon Senior Staff Writer
Owner Jackie Griffin in her restaurant, Jackie’s Dream, located at 1008 E. Woodland Ave. in North Knoxville, TN. Jackie’s Dream, Food with Soul
With homemade soul food and personable service, Jackie’s Dream has remained a Knoxville restaurant staple. Seven years ago this March, Jackie’s Dream began in East Knoxville on McCalla Avenue before moving to its current location at 1008 E. Woodland Ave. in North Knoxville. The restaurant is currently planning a second location for the new Smokies Stadium coming to Knoxville. Owner Jackie Griffin has been in the restaurant industry for a long time — she even worked as the sous chef for the Crown and Goose — however, Griffin grew tired of working for someone else, which is why she started her own restaurant. “The restaurant industry is kind of hard for women, and I was really feeling like I was under-appreciated, undervalued,” Griffin said. “A lot of different things came into play with Jackie’s Dream. I’ve got a cousin, the name actually, my cousin was like, ‘You always said you were going to have your own restaurant, why don’t you call it Jackie’s Dream?’” She was able to begin in the original location because of her business partner George Pelcher — his family owned the building that they eventually used. However, they needed to find a new location due to problems with the building itself. “I thought about closing down, and I spoke to some friends of mine and told them the is-
sues that I was having, this and that and the other,” Griffin said. “He got with his marketing guy for his firm and they started a GoFundMe for Jackie’s Dream to move. The goal was $20,000. That goal was reached in five days.” With that money, they were able to afford everything for the restaurant, including tables, machinery and the supplies to build the counters. “This place has been a blessing. It really has been,” Griffin said. They have provided soul food for Knoxville ever since, and Griffin has enjoyed seeing all kinds of people enjoy her food. “I’ve met everybody from the highest to the lowest, and I’ve seen them all come in here and everybody just acts like family,” Griffin said. People from all over Knoxville and the surrounding counties have flocked to the restaurant. They’ve kept the restaurant open and operating even during the COVID-19 pandemic, and since, they’ve been understaffed. “There’s been so many staple restaurants that have been around for years that have closed their doors, and for us to still be striving, it’s just like an amazing experience,” Griffin said. “It’s heartfelt.” “I have people that come sometimes as far as Bristol, Tennessee, and this would be their Saturday drive, just to come and eat at Jackie’s. Morristown, Greenville, Harriman, Clinton,
Claxton, Powell, people just come from everywhere to eat here, and it’s just been an amazing experience,” Griffin said. These customers coming in from all over and keeping them coming has been a priority for the restaurant. Even operating primarily through word of mouth, Griffin accomplishes this by delivering food she says you can’t get anywhere in Knoxville and by engaging with customers.
Courtesy of Knoxville Soul Food
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Chancellor Beverly Davenport’s legacy, 4 years after firing caused outrage DANIEL DASSOW Daily Beacon Campus News Editor
An irredeemable fact about college is the short-term memory of a student body that replaces itself like new skin every four years. Few undergraduate students now have any memory of former Chancellor Beverly Davenport, the first woman to lead UT, or the outpouring of anger that followed her sudden dismissal. For Morgan Hartgrove, the 2017-2018 Student Government Association (SGA) student body president who had more access to upper administration than any other student during the tumultuous year, the memories of Davenport’s tenure and firing are still fresh. For over a week leading up to her graduation from UT, Hartgrove woke up at 4 a.m. every day to share with various media outlets her thoughts on Davenport’s termination on May 2, 2018. On the day Davenport was dismissed via a letter from then-UT President Joe DiPietro, Hartgrove was in her last meeting as student body president. She received a text message with an article breaking the news of the ouster accompanied by the question, “is this real?” “I remember picking up my phone, looking at it, turning my phone over and saying, ‘that’s
not real and I don’t have time for this right now,’” Hartgrove said. “That’s how surprised I was. And then, my phone kept blowing up, like blowing up. And I thought, okay, something must be wrong.” It was finals week and students in the class of 2018 were looking forward to graduation, where they would be given their diplomas by UT’s first female chancellor, a leader many students had come to admire. Then, after a scathing termination letter had been released on social media and in local news outlets, dozens of students took a study break to go to Andy Holt Tower in protest. The students held signs, chanted “My chancellor!” and “We love Bev!” and made clear their belief that the firing was timed to minimize backlash from students. Hartgrove said that this perceived effort to sidestep students, especially students from places like the Pride Center and Multicultural Student Life who felt Davenport had supported them, was unsuccessful. “Students were outraged, absolutely outraged. As they should be, especially those groups she stood up for,” Hartgrove said. “She did more for them than I think any chancellor had, and those student groups were outraged — rightfully so.”
Davenport began work as the eighth chancellor of UT in Feb. 2017 after a one-year term as interim president of the University of Cincinnati. She received glowing recommendations from DiPietro and faculty, who saw her scholarship in the field of communications and her extensive experience in upper administration as ample qualification for tenure and for the office of chancellor. When Hartgrove first sat down with Davenport to discuss the year ahead, she and the chancellor spoke “a mile a minute” about all of their plans. She said Davenport did not come across as many other administrators did. “With some administrators, there’s kind of this air where they just don’t feel relatable. Beverly broke that down. I don’t know what she did or how she did it, but she was certainly someone who could just meet you where you were at. And, I think she just made students feel comfortable,” Hartgrove said. Davenport quickly set herself apart as a leader who came to student events across campus that other administrators viewed as mundane. She also made clear that she would be a vocal advocate for students who felt marginalized on a predominantly white campus with such close ties to a conservative governor and state legislature.
Former Chancellor Beverly Davenport and former SGA President Morgan Hartgrove pose after painting the Rock in Aug. 2017. File / The Daily Beacon
On her first day as chancellor, Davenport posted a photo of gifts she had received which included a “Vol Means All” pride flag button. Hartgrove said this was a stand-out gesture at the time, and she received messages from students who could not believe that a top administrator had posted a clear sign of support for the LGBTQ community.
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OPINION: How Title IX makes me a better Vol
MCKENNA RHINEHART Honey Contributor
Title IX: The 37 words that changed everything. Title IX is the article that lets many women get into a college, apply for scholarships and more. More importantly, it’s what allows stu-
dents to ask for help when they feel unsafe. The Office of Title IX sits on Melrose Avenue with staff who are ready to guide students through difficult experiences. The staff provides whoever comes through the doors with an outlet to ask questions, get information and speak up. Title IX is what our ancestors dreamt about, our grandmothers worked hard for and what we currently benefit from. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was primarily written by U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink, the first woman of color elected to Congress. Mink was also the main sponsor of the bill, along with Rep. Edith Green and Sen. Birch Bayh. President Nixon passed the law on June 23, 1972 — only 50 years ago. The law states that no one can be discriminated against because of their sex when involving any federally funded educational program or activity. Despite the victory, there were still numerous attempts to undermine the basis of the law after its passing. To this day, this backlash is seen in multiple forms, primarily when survivors speak out about their experiences. However, this does not discourage Title IX staff
all over the country to seek justice, including those in UT’s own office. Ashley Blamey, Title IX Coordinator for the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and the entire UT system, discussed the office’s role, the process when reporting and ways to spread the word about what resources the office provides. Blamey said access is the first thing that comes to mind when speaking of the law and the department, whether that’s access to opportunities, athletics, scholarships, education, etc. “I think our intent is we would love to intervene early, we would love to help someone who’s uncertain and maybe has questions, or is dealing with something that … hasn’t gotten to the level of a policy violation, but they need support or help to think through some low-level interim measures that could support them to avoid further concern,” Blamey said. As Title IX has evolved over the years, so have universities’ determination to prevent sexual and relationship violence and focus on how it affects students’ access to a successful education. There can still be fear or misinformation
around reporting something as traumatic as assault, and the UT Office of Title IX works hard to combat that fear with thorough training and transparency in the support and resources they provide to all individuals who choose to access their services. Blamey hopes all students would feel comfortable enough to come to the door with anything with which they need assistance.
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McKenna Rhinehart is a freshman this year studying women, gender and sexuality studies. She can be reached at mckgrhin@vols.utk.edu.
Columns and letters are the views of the individual.
OPINION: Feminism Through Sports: MeToo movement and more
ERIN GWYDIR Daily Beacon Opinions Editor
In political science or almost any world history class from high school, your professors would have mentioned that in relation to expressions of nationalism, the Olympics and other international sporting events play a key role in healthy competition between states. Sports can act as a unique analogy not only to international conflict but also emulate a spot-
light on global issues to do with power dynamics studied throughout political science. For this issue, I will be focusing on the relationship of women and sports and the political context it inhabits. The hyper-masculinization of sports has put women at a disadvantage for centuries when it comes to embracing physicality and competition. Contemporarily, in the increased efforts to balance the gender scale in competitive sport, we can see the infiltration of sexual harassment, unequal pay and overall discrimination toward female athletes and the problems that are reflected in larger modern society. The MeToo movement has played a key role in exposing sexual abusers and encouraging victims to speak about their experiences in an open and unstigmatized way, in solidarity of fellow victims. While the movement was centered in Hollywood, an industry that also hyper-sexualizes women in particular, the movement was very important in its role for women in sports. Just last semester, Olympic gold medalist and gymnast Aly Raisman came to UTK to speak about her experiences and activism on sexual harassment. Raisman, along with countless other women including Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles, are victims of the abuser Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastic doctor involved in what is considered one of the largest sexual abuse scandals in sports history. Like in this example, the dynamic of sexual abuse in sports in particular is most common between those in positions of power
— coaches, doctors, mangers and trainers — and the athletes themselves. The issue in sports and outside of sports disproportionately affects women. Likewise, nearly 99% of sexual abusers are men. Even personally, I have heard of and experienced cases of unwanted sexual suggestion or abuse in sports from when I was not even 13. The over-sexualization of women in sports is deeply ingrained in the assumption that women are performing physical expression not for themselves but for men. Sports bring out the primitive overvaluing of men’s physical nature to women’s into a relation to patriarchal representation, strength and overall respect. In recent years, big names in soccer such as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapone and Carli Loyd have been trailblazers in the fight for equal pay for women in sports. After the United States won the Women’s FIFA World Cup in 2019, the athletes demanded equal pay for their team and took an activist position for achieving equal pay for female athletes across the board. During the case in America, women in other countries such as Canada, Norway and Australia committed to closing the gender pay gap in sports and stood in solidarity with the women listed above. Additionally, news surrounding the vastly unequal treatment and pay of the WNBA versus the NBA came to the forefront during this time. You may notice that like the MeToo movement, the initiative to gain equal pay climaxed recently from a trend of sorts, where
the example of one part of the world or group, spreads like fire to where empowerment only grows. While it is sad that the world needs massive movements to incite incremental change, it is important to recognize what works in the global cooperative need for equality between genders. Looking at sports in this context is extremely useful because not only can the issues be acted on with realistic change within organizations that manage these events on a smaller scale, but they also spark a flame that can be brought out of the context of athletics and incite change in larger societies in movements to change the lives of women across the world. Go Lady Vols!
Erin Gwydir is a freshman at UT this year studying political science and cinema studies. She can be reached at egwydir@vols.utk.edu.
Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
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Mayor Kincannon uses gender to her advantage as Knoxville’s second woman mayor ABBY ANN RAMSEY Daily Beacon Staff Writer
Indya Kincannon gives a speech after her win in the mayoral election was announced on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019. Kailee Harris / The Daily Beacon
In 1976, Mary “Bee” DeSelm and Mary Lou Horner were elected as Knoxville’s first women to serve on what would become the Knoxville County Commission. Thirty-five years later, Madeline Rogero became the first female mayor of the city of Knoxville. Mayor Indya Kincannon, the city of Knoxville’s second woman mayor as of 2019, follows in the footsteps of women like this who helped blaze the trail for female politicians. Kincannon has had the opportunity to work and spend one-on-one time with both DeSelm and Rogero, who she credits as mentors and inspirations. Kincannon spent 10 years serving on the Knox County School Board. Early on in these years, DeSelm, who passed away in 2020, met with her and invited her to lunch. “It was just like a confidence builder, it was like, there’s a good ole boys network that’s strong and lively but we’re still working on the good ole girls network, and she helped connect me to that in a really positive way,” Kincannon said. Rogero also inspired Kincannon’s mayoral bid. Kincannon was unsure of her next career move when she returned to Knoxville after spending a year in Slovenia due to her husband’s Fulbright scholarship. She ran into Rogero who offered a job, and Kincannon jumped at the opportunity.
“The impetus behind that is that I love public service,” Kincannon said. “I had an opportunity to be mentored and see action as a woman mayor, how capably she handled that and how rewarding and meaningful the job was.” Running for office, however, was not necessarily part of Kincannon’s plans. While she has always had an interest in public service, policy and advising, she said being an elected official was not a place she easily envisioned herself. “I think maybe in part, due to my age and generational orientation, like women weren’t encouraged to maybe run for office in the same way, and hopefully that’s not happening anymore,” Kincannon said. “You know, you could be the behind-the-scenes organizer, but you know, let the guy be the spokesperson, frontfacing person, and that’s changed a lot. So, I never thought I’d run for office, but turns out, I enjoy that part of it too and am pretty good at it.” She says the outdated ways of thinking about gender are beginning to feel like a thing of the past, even though she was the only female candidate out of all six. In fact, Kincannon believes that this ratio disparity can sometimes work to her advantage. “I think it’s easier to stand out because it’s hard to get people’s attention, particularly on local races, and they’re like, ‘who was it that
was running? There’s a bunch of people, and there’s that woman,’ so that helps I think,” Kincannon said. Kincannon truly does think that outdated notions of gender are beginning to become just that: outdated. Not only does being a woman help her stand out in terms of the ratio, but she continually practices using her femininity as a strength, rather than a weakness. “I try to always think of turning a perceived weakness or disadvantage to my advantage,” Kincannon said. “For example, for me, I wasn’t into wearing pantsuits, pantsuits are fine, I have no problem, but I was like I’m just gonna wear a red dress. You know, if we have a forum on clean energy, I wear a green dress.” “Why not just embrace it? So, I know that’s not everybody’s choice, other women handle it differently, but I like to take people’s perceived weapons that they might use against me and just say, ‘you can’t use this against me because I’m already using it myself for my own advantage.’” Kincannon believes that progress for women is undoubtedly being made, while she recognizes the obstacles women still have to overcome.
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Knoxville business owner Celine Reese cultivates community through podcast MATTIE HAYDEN Honey Contributor Celine Reese, a newfound Knoxvillian, has established a creative career sharing other women’s stories – whether it’s behind a lens or a microphone. Co-owner of two businesses, Look for the Light Photo and Video and The Novelbound Podcast, Reese shares more about her inspirations, relationships and creative career. “At the heart of my soul, I am a storyteller,” Reese said. Celine Reese never stops creating. Amidst the pandemic, she and her friend Anna Jacobson created “Novelbound,” which she described as “a podcast from two BFFs with zero self control.” “We told ourselves we would do this and continue to do this if it stayed a source of joy for us, and it has because we work so well together,” Jacobson said. “It is easy to work with someone who is your best friend.” Originally, it was created to spread positivity and keep the close connection with her long distance friend, but it has flourished into a successful and entertaining literary troupe. The laughter and banter between the two friends has led to inviting their favorite authors and fellow book lovers onto their podcast –
which has accumulated over 15,000 followers on Instagram. Reese describes this outlet as “southern comfort food.” It is her ability to cultivate community and relationships that forged the podcast into a success. “When people choose to follow me to hear our stories or listen to our podcast, I want them to feel loved. I want them to feel like they aren’t alone,” Reese said. Reese pursued photography throughout college, and later decided to make it her career. However, she attributes her pivoting of dreams to the time spent at home during the early days of the pandemic. Both her and Jacobson are now writing their own novels. “The pandemic really changed a lot of those things for me, and I realized I don’t want to give my life to my work like when I was traveling,” Reese said. “I can’t be a woman of the world unless I am deeply anchored to my family.” Reese has been the sole provider for her family for the last seven years because her husband is in medical school. She explained that he empowers her to be the strongest version of herself that she can be. The balance they have created through an equal partnership thrives in the support of each other and their dreams. “The foundation of why I can be confident in myself is because I know I have someone to fall back on,” Reese said.
It is her partner that supports her, yet it is her family matriarchy that inspires her. “A big thing that inspires me is my grandmother, my mother and my great grandmother. These women were incredible,” Reese said. Lots of her passions have stemmed from the women of her family. Her great-grandmother had polio most of her life but was also a writer. Her grandmother shared a similar dream to Reese and was an unpublished photographer. She attributes these women with her desire to succeed and provide for her family. The influence that these strong women have on Reese is reflected in all aspects of her life. One way that you can see their impact is through her friendship with podcast partner, Jacobson, who has remained her rock and support on her entrepreneurship journey. Together they have created a women-focused community of followers that lift each other up and encourage one another to take risks, knowing there are friends to fall back on. Reese doesn’t fail to mention, “Leslie Knope is my spirit animal.” Knope’s passion for hard work, friendship, compassion and support can clearly be seen in Reese’s journey. She has dedicated herself to uplifting women and sharing stories on her platform that might not have been told otherwise. Reese has found success through telling other women’s stories.
Pictured is Celine Reese, owner of Look for the Light Photo & Video and co-host of Novelbound Podcast. Courtesy of Celine Reese
“As my daughter is getting older, and as I’ve really learned about prioritization, my greatest successes are not monetarily … It’s the building of a community,” Reese said. It is not just the building of community that motivates Reese, but also keeping her mental health in check. Half of her business was built on exhaustion into the late hours of the night. She advises young creators to follow these passions while focusing on themselves.
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WOMEN’S HISTORY
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Knoxville Association of Women Executives on legacy, impact MADELYN MUSCHEK Daily Beacon City News Editor
Founded in 1982, the Knoxville Association of Women Executives (KAWE) is an organization dedicated to supporting women in executive positions. KAWE focuses on helping professional women in Knoxville through mentoring and networking, and their main goal is for women to receive practical support, as well as a community of women to learn from. Alexia Georghiou is KAWE’s president for 2022. Georghiou is a principal consultant at The Resilient Pathway, founder of the Knoxville Happiness Coalition and the founder of Life Betterment Through God. Her background is mainly in mental health, coaching and leadership. “We do see ourselves as a support to offer professional and personal development and our activities are geared towards that,” Georghiou said. When speaking about her own experience as a woman in a leadership position, Georghiou expressed women’s strengths in left and right brain balance, as well as emotional intelligence.
“As a woman, we know how to navigate really well,” Georghiou said. “There’s a high level of emotional intelligence that a woman needs, and that’s something that I have a mission, to foster and educate more women and men.” Phyllis Burns is the vice president of KAWE this year, and also runs Burns Mailing and Printing, Inc., a company that offers various services, including graphic design, promotional products and printing services. Burns Mailing and Printing, Inc. is certified as a Women Business Enterprise. One of KAWE’s biggest strengths is its diversity. With women from so many backgrounds, the organization is a sort of melting pot of professionals, who all bounce off one another and learn from each other as well. In describing KAWE’s impact, Burns expressed the strengths of the group in the scope of their community of women. “I think that KAWE brings together some very educated talented women that can exchange ideas and just a place to get acquainted with each other. KAWE has so many different professions that it is a very interesting group. I am in awe of the things that some of them have accomplished,” Burns said.
Georghiou also spoke about KAWE’s Marcia Katz Scholarship Award, something KAWE takes pride in. Created in 1990, this scholarship recognizes women in higher education and is available to a wide range of college students — even freshmen can apply. This scholarship is intended to support women in higher education, providing them with resources to succeed in college and beyond. Georghiou spoke about the importance of the scholarship, as well as their Lucy Gibson Notable Women Award, which recognizes a notable woman in our community each year. “We recognize women and celebrate women in our community as an organization,” Georghiou said. Both Burns and Georghiou gave advice for women in leadership roles, both with encouraging words for women in leadership at any stage of their career, including UT students in leadership roles. “My advice is to have a dream and go for it. Never give up, even when things aren’t going your way. I would say that things don’t happen overnight and it might take years but continue on the path that you have started. Be kind to the people around you
and don’t be a micro-manager,” Burns said. Georghiou also gave her advice to any women new to leadership roles, including tips on how to navigate challenges. “We’re not a one-person show, we need one another. Establish a sense of community of leaders, people whom you can trust,” Georghiou said. “We’re all leaders on the inside, and it’s finding our own bearing with who we are and speaking our truth and walking confidently from the inside out.”
Alexia Georghiou, 2022 president of the KAWE, posted a headshot of herself on Facebook on April 1, 2021. Courtesy of Alexia Georghiou’s Facebook
StateMint pop-up returns for the 17th time, offers affordable clothing, accessories AUTUMN HALL Daily Beacon Staff Writer
If your closet has been seeming lackluster lately, or if you simply need to spice up your spring wardrobe, look no further than StateMint Consignment. In 2014, Sarah McAffry was a seller in a local children’s consignment event. Little did she know that this experience would jumpstart her idea to create and manage her own adult clothing pop-up store, StateMint. From March 24-27, StateMint will return for the 17th time since its opening. This spring event will take place at the Knoxville Expo Center, located at 5441 Clinton Highway. McAffry explained her inspiration for starting StateMint after participating in the children’s consignment event. “When I picked up my check from that first sale, I couldn’t believe how much money I made on clothes I was going to put in a trash bag and drop off somewhere. I knew immediately there needed to be something like this for adult clothing. I had tons of things in my closet that I wasn’t wearing, and I knew Knoxville was full of other women with the same story.” “We needed a convenient way to sell our items — not just selling them one at a time on Facebook Marketplace — and to make more
than the two dollars you would make at a garage sale,” McAffry said. This year’s pop-up will include a myriad of local Knoxville vendors, including Aught, KD coaching, Sarah’s Spice and Posies and Morgan Hayley Photography. Additionally, it will have over 25,000 items for sale, including popular brands such as Lululemon, Free People, Madewell, Gucci and Ray-Ban. Sophomore Alexis Barton explained her experience with StateMint and her excitement for the upcoming event. “As someone who loves to thrift, StateMint is one of my favorite Knoxville shops. I went last fall, and I found some outfits that have become staples in my wardrobe. As someone who is larger, it is hard for me to find clothes that fit when shopping second hand, so I was really happy when I found them at StateMint. I look forward to seeing what they have to offer this year,” Barton said. StateMint offers affordable, quality clothing that is sorted by size for ease of shopping. Members of the Knoxville community have the opportunity to spring clean their closets while providing affordable, new-to-you clothing to others. McAffry described the overall mission of StateMint, and how she works to help the community and the environment simultaneously. “StateMint believes that you can reclaim your closet and your life by clearing the clutter
StateMint posted on its official Facebook promoting its upcoming Spring and Summer sale on Nov. 16, 2021. Courtesy of the official StateMint Facebook
that you’re not wearing. We believe in revolutionizing the way you shop and that you can have style on a budget without paying retail prices. We seek to impact our community in four ways — by giving sellers a paycheck for getting rid of what they’re not using, by offering shoppers a chance to refresh their wardrobe at deeply discounted prices, by donating our unsold items to local nonprofits and by lowering our carbon footprint in the world,” McAffry said. StateMint strives to not only reduce environmental impacts caused by overproduc-
tion of clothing, but also to empower women through the exchange of clothing, as well as helping those who might otherwise not be able to afford clothing. If you cannot make it to this season’s StateMint pop-up, do not fret — there is a fall event each year too. For more information about StateMint and its vendors, visit their website, statemintconsignment.com or Instagram @statemintstyle.