Wednesday, March 8, 2023

‘PRIDE IS A PROTEST’

Local performers respond as Gov. Lee signs anti-drag law

DANIEL DASSOW AND AUTUMN HALL Editor-in-Chief and News Editor

In the days since Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill banning public drag performances on March 2, the legislation, the first of its kind signed into law in the nation, has set off a storm of national headlines highlighting the anti-LGBTQ priorities of the Tennessee General Assembly.

The bill bans drag shows – stated as “adult cabaret performances” that include exotic dancers and “male or female impersonators” – on public property in the state and any location where a minor could be present. A first violation of the law is a misdemeanor, but a second violation is a felony that could result in jail time.

The new law has garnered national attention as outlets like Reuters and The New York Times connect it to a larger wave of conservative attempts to target drag shows. The state legislature even became the butt of the joke in Saturday Night Live’s Week-

end Update as co-host Colin Jost poked fun at the premise of the new law.

“A Tennessee state senator said the bill will prevent kids from being ‘blindsided by a sexualized performance in public,’” Jost said. “What are you talking about? Drag shows don’t just pop up like flash mobs and sprinkle gay dust on your kids.”

The drag bill is just one of the pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation currently proposed in the Tennessee legislature. Along with the anti-drag bill, Lee also signed a bill banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors.

Members of the Knoxville LGBTQ community and its allies have been vocal in opposing the slate of anti-trans and anti-drag bills since the bill was first introduced. Many have expressed concerns that the bill could jeopardize the ability of transgender individuals to be in public without facing a misdemeanor for “impersonation.”

“The message is that queer people, especially trans people and gender non-conforming people, are not welcome and are not safe in Tennessee,” said Story VanNess, assistant center director and program di-

rector for trans and non-binary support services at Knox Pride. “That’s what they want us to know.”

VanNess has performed in local drag shows as The Lady Viktra since 2003, and has seen drag become more mainstream, mainly through the Emmy-winning reality TV series RuPaul Drag’s Race. But with the increased visibility of the drag community, she said, has come a change in the understanding of what drag is.

“Drag is art, it is culture, but it’s also a political statement. It was counterculture in the truest sense of the word … and now it’s become pop culture,” VanNess said.

Knox Pride, formally known as the East Tennessee Equality Council, is a community resource for LGBTQ individuals, and hosts the annual Knox Pride Festival, the largest public event featuring drag performances in the city and one of the largest in the state.

In February, the group announced it would cancel the festival if the bill was signed into law. VanNess said the festival will not happen as usual this year, but will be replaced by a series of protests and demonstrations. On its website, Knox Pride

offers resources which help community members contact their legislators to ask them to oppose further legislation targeting gender-affirming healthcare and drag performances.

At a rally hosted by Knox Pride downtown on Feb. 13, local activist Kim Spoon delivered a speech about the bill which went viral on TikTok, reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers. VanNess herself has appeared on national television, including CNN, to discuss the law.

“Pride is a protest. It began as a protest, it should always be a protest, and it will be a protest again. We are not going to take this lying down,” VanNess said.

All-ages drag performances have become increasingly rare in the state as the community fears legal repercussions. VanNess said that public shows and even bar performances are held to standards laid out by the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and the common sense of performers who know children may be around.

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Letter from Ablaze Editor: Happy Women’s History Month

This one example is just beginning. Around the world, women have gained a bigger platform to voice their concerns and have a say in society’s affairs. But despite having the most legal rights than ever before, women still have only three-fourths the amount of rights that men do, on average. This number is significantly lower in regions where women have had greater challenges in the fight for equal rights. Although a lot of progress has been made, a fact that should not be overlooked, there are often hidden elements in our society that sustain the system of inequality. This idea is denied by some, but the statistics do not lie.

The desire for change is spearheaded by the feminist movement. Feminism is now a mainstream topic, with around 61% of American women claiming the title of feminist and stating that it “describes them well”. While the word “feminist” is not as taboo as it once was, it still does carry some negative connotations. This is a result of the term becoming politicized, carrying a radical, extremist undertone and encouraging the polarization of groups, rather than the reunification of them.

Happy Women’s History Month!

For those who do not know, March has been celebrated as Women’s History Month since 1995 in the United States. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter, originally declared a week-long celebration of women’s history to affiliate with International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8. The week evolved into a month after Congress passed Public Law 100-9, in 1987, commemorating the month of March for women’s history. The United States continues to be the only country in the world that dedicates an entire month to women’s history. But many countries in the world do celebrate International Women’s Day, a worldwide holiday established in 1910.

Both events commemorate all women in the world from the big and recognizable names to the everyday woman. All have contributed to the strides made concerning women’s rights and gender equality. To quote President Jimmy Carter in his address to the nation after declaring March 2-8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week, he proclaimed:

“Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unno-

ticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America were as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

Although a lot of progress has been made, there is still more work that needs to be done. For instance, there are over 5,000 statues spread throughout the United States that serve to honor and memorialize the efforts of the individual. But a disparity exists between the number of statues honoring male figures versus female figures. The National Endowment of the Humanities, an independent federal agency, recently estimated that less than 400 statues are dedicated to women. This imbalance is especially prevalent in the urban areas of New York City and Washington D.C.

While more statues of female figures should not be erected on the sole basis of them being women, it is indicative of us as a society that what we decide to ennoble is implicative of our values.

It is important to remember that representation in the public sphere is crucial. An amplification of this topic in society has been spurred by the publication of scientific studies and news articles. In which, they state the associated benefits and need for diverse media portrayals because children and adults alike internalize the facets of their surroundings on a subconscious level. So not having adequate depictions of female leaders and pioneers could reinforce gender roles and stereotypes.

The original goal of the feminist movement, when it was first founded in the 19th century, was to provide greater opportunities for women. Since the movement’s establishment, it has come and gone in surges (referred to as waves). Today, feminism is often declared to be intersectional, meaning the movement takes into account the relationship that exists between social classifications, (such as race and ethnicity, gender identity, socio-economic class, etc. Feminism has become a catch-all term for the push toward equality amongst underrepresented groups.

As you may know, I am the editor-in-chief of Ablaze Magazine, a student-run feminist magazine on campus. This past year, we implemented a rebranding campaign to mark the metamorphosis from Honey to Ablaze Magazine. I am honored to be the leader of such an empowering organization that allows us to spotlight issues that predominantly affect women and accentuate the efforts of inspiring female figures in our community. In particular, I would like to highlight the work undertaken by members of the magazine. Without their commitment, Ablaze Magazine would not be possible.

It is promptly fitting that I publicize the efforts of my team given that the theme for National Women’s History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” The National Women’s History Alliance proclaims this theme to honor women “who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, and more.” I am proud to announce that Ablaze Magazine is expecting to release our first print publication this May.

More details will be released soon, but in the meantime check out our work on our website and social media pages.

COVER PHOTOS: (From left to right) Drag queens Colletta, Geneva Convention and Alexandra Cartier perform at shows in the Alumni Memorial Buidling. File / The Daily Beacon

SYDNEY BURZYNSKI Editor-in-Chief of Ablaze Magazine

Leigh Shields / Ablaze

7 events, educational resources to utilize in celebration of Women’s History Month

ABBIE SMITH Staff Writer

Each March, individuals come together to celebrate Women’s History Month. Although there are not as many celebratory events on campus this year as in previous years, there are still some ways that you can get involved. Here are some helpful ideas to help you learn and observe the work of women in the Knoxville area.

Women’s Only Mountain Bike Ride

UT Outdoor Pursuits will host a mountain biking ride in the Knoxville Urban Wilderness open to those who identify as female on March 8 from 3-7 p.m. The ride is beginner friendly and will cost $5, according to the group’s Instagram page. Riders will meet at the outdoor center at RecSports and drive in vans to the Urban Wilderness. All necessary gear will be provided, though participants may use their own.

Deeply Rooted: Discussing the Aftermath of Dobbs and the Right to Abortion

On March 9, a symposium on abortion rights sponsored by the Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice at the UT College of Law will feature panel discussions led by experts in law and medicine. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the College of Law building, room 132. The keynote address from Professor Mary Ziegler will be titled “Canary in a Coal Mine: What Does it Mean to Lose a Constitutional Right?”

‘New Beginnings’ Online Exhibit

The College of Education, Health and Human Sciences has an updated resource guide on their website, which links many interactive videos and articles, if someone chooses to explore them. One of these resources is this online exhibit titled “New Beginnings: Immigrant Women and The American Experience.” This exhibit was created by the National Women’s History Museum and demonstrates the female American experience through photographs. The exhibit explores women’s history from the opening of Ellis Island in 1892 to the work on Dolores Huerta in the 1960s.

Finding Her Story Through Genealogy

This event will take place at the East Tennessee History Center on Gay Street. It will be from 1-3 p.m. on March 25. This workshop, led by Lisa Norwood Oakley, the vice president and curator of education at the East Tennessee Historical Society, will help teach people how to research, document and interpret their genealogy. The workshop will focus on interpreting women’s stories and challenges in women’s histories.

‘Votes for Women’ Online Exhibit

Also from the East Tennessee History Center, there is an online exhibit available that focuses on female political activism in East Tennessee, ranging from the time of the American Revolution to the era of the suffragettes. There are multiple sections available in this exhibit, from a history of women’s suffrage in East Tennessee to individual short biographies of

East Tennessean suffragists. There will also be a postcard gallery highlighting the importance of postcard art in women’s suffrage.

Explore National Parks

The National Park Service makes a point each year to honor the legacies of women,

contributing to the “Travel Where Women Made History” website, which highlights places where women made history. There is both a section for traveling to these spots in national parks and a section for traveling to places where women made history. These explorations can be done in person or online.

International Women’s Day Events

International Women’s Day will take place on March 8. Though many events have filled up, such as the International Women’s Day Symposium at the Library of Congress, IWD will be hosting virtual events about the role of women in the workforce of many different industries. These industries include tourism, finance, microscopy, technology and more. While there are not as many events celebrating Women’s History Month as expected this year, there is no better time to celebrate the women in your life. Now is the best time to think about the women in your life and honor them for the many things that they have accomplished, as well as the legacies of women before them.

UT’s College of Law, located at 1505 Cumberland Avenue, was founded in 1890 and is fully accredited by the American Bar Association. File / The Daily Beacon

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. File / The Daily Beacon

UT libraries create ‘Jargon Blaster’ game to aid students in understanding library jargon

ELI BOLDT Contributor

instructional developer and designer with the Teaching and Learning programs.

The game’s allure is its story, in which a pixelated version of Smokey in an eight-bit video game is tasked to save Knoxville from being digitized. Users save landmarks around the city like the Sunsphere, Tennessee Theatre and Hodges Library.

to refresh their memory before diving into the questions.

There is a space for feedback, and users can suggest other library terms that should be added to the game. Dies stressed that he did his best to make it user friendly. The music can be muted and the pixelated text can be turned to a standard font. He wanted to make sure that as many people as possible could find it accessible.

A villainous alligator is digitizing landmarks in order to take over the world. Only you — playing as Smokey and correctly answering questions about library jargon — can save it. This is the storyline that Jargon Blaster, a tutorial and game that was released on the University of Tennessee libraries’ website early this year, follows. This game was created specifically for UT libraries by Elijah Dies, an

In order to earn the story, which is shown through cut scenes and dialogue, users must correctly answer questions, largely about library terms such as citations, limiters and abstracts. When users get a certain amount of questions correct, the story continues. The ending can differ based on how well users play. Dies has a background in playing video games, and designed this tutorial with inspiration from old video games. In storyboarding the scenes, Dies created Enpeesee, a side character wizard who helps Smokey through his journey. There are direct allusions to Mario Bros. and Pac-Man, with Atari and Zelda being other inspirations for the design and story.

The game has a bit of everything: a castle, an underwater scene and a twist ending.

UT libraries have vast collections of resources and services available, but they can be difficult to navigate and hard to understand. Library terms can be confusing. Playing the game will help users clarify their knowledge. Users can click through definitions each round

“Most of the people that you are going to be talking to in a library are going to, even if they’re not intending to, they’re going to start using some of this jargon so it’s important to know some of these basic elements,” Dies said.

Sara Caoile, a sophomore art major, works at the library as a student library assistant. Outside of her work, she spends about two hours a week at Hodges. Caoile was not aware of Jargon Blaster and played through it for the first time while at work.

“It is really cute. It is also very informational … I think this is a good way for people to know where stuff is but still have a good time,” Caoile said.

“It’s educational, but it’s supposed to be fun. It is created with love,” Dies said. Dies explained that learning goes both ways — library workers and students can meet in the middle to best work through learning. Jargon Blaster can be played on UT’s libraries website.

“It’s definitely a game, but at its heart, it’s a tutorial.”

Elijah Dies

Instructional Developer and Designer

Courtesy of UT Libraries

Courtesy of UT Libraries

STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

In Knox Pride’s media appearances, the group has emphasized the broader agenda of the state legislature.

“Because they can’t really attack marriage equality at this point, they’re going after culture, and they’re going after trans people, and they’re going after kids, because those are the things that they still feel they can affect,” VanNess said.

UT students have also been openly supportive of the drag community, some by attending performances at local venues and some by participating themselves.

Boomer Russell, a fourth year doctoral candidate in biochemistry, has been performing as Fatty Acid for 9 months in the local drag scene. He takes issue with the way the legislation targets shows as “harmful to minors,” which it describes as shows that contain “nudity, sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence, or sadomasochistic abuse.” The bill is categorized by the legislature in a group of laws pertaining to obscenity and pornography.

“We wear a lot of clothes,” Russell said. “I wear so many clothes when I do drag, like, if

that’s what they’re worried about, they’re not gonna see a thing.”

Jack Johnson, Senate Majority Leader and the bill’s Republican sponsor, took to Twitter after Lee signed it into law to argue that the legislation was meant to keep minors safe.

“The bill just overwhelmingly passed by our Tennessee General Assembly will protect vulnerable children from exploitation and mutilation,”his tweet said. “I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Memes spread across social media have shown drag performers next to waitresses at Hooters, a restaurant known for dressing its female staff in short shorts and low-cut shirts, and have compared the animus towards the LGBTQ community to films like “Mrs. Doubtfire” which features cross-dressing but has not faced the same pushback.

After the news broke that Lee planned to sign the bill into law if the senate pushed it through, a 1977 yearbook photo allegedly taken of the governor leaked. The photo is said to be the current governor Bill Lee, dressed in what many consider to be “drag attire.”

Lee stated that the conversation surrounding it was “ridiculous.”

Lee neither confirmed nor denied that the photo was of him, but that hasn’t stopped people from calling him hypocritical across social media.

David Gregg, a bartender, member of the LGBTQ community and active audience member of drag shows said the bill targeted a community that was already marginalized.

“Throughout the history of our country, it seems like all minorities and/or marginalized groups have become subject to scrutiny, strict rules and laws and oppression,” Gregg said. “This bill follows those precedents and for someone who attended a drag performance less than a week ago, it is a little intimidating knowing that that last show could have been the last time I can enjoy one freely.”

The idea of freedom is one that activists have focused on in opposing the actions of the state legislature against groups that already enjoy fewer legal protections.

“This bill is taking away the rights of marginalized groups to freely express themselves,” Danny Watson, a server and active member in the drag community, said. “The Tennessee government has passed numerous laws and bills over the recent months that continue to take away freedom from marginalized groups, such as the abortion bill.”

In October, research conducted by the Human Rights Campaign and Bowling Green State University used census data to project that 1 in 7 voters would identify as LGBTQ by 2030, and perhaps 1 in 5 by 2040.

Andrew Henry, a freelance makeup artist who performs in drag in Knoxville as Harri Scari, said the anti-LGBTQ bills in the Tennessee General Assembly were a direct attempt to threaten the lives and livelihoods of these voters.

“The point is to get national attention and to score political points for actually a much smaller base, but it’s a base that does vote quite passionately. It’s emboldened a much more radical minority to put our lives at risk,” Henry said.

Though some LGBTQ people, especially performers and trans individuals, have considered leaving the state for fears of their own safety, Henry said such a migration is not financially feasible for many people.

“Frankly, a lot of people don’t have the means to leave,” Henry said. “A vast majority of queer people in this state are not wealthy … we have to combat these bills from Tennessee, because there’s many people who can’t escape.”

As a lifelong Tennessee resident, Boomer Russell says he has gone back and forth on whether or not he wants to stay in the state, but the anti-trans and anti-drag bills have made him consider a move. As amended, the law is set to go into effect on April 1.

“We shouldn’t feel like we should have to leave,” Russell said. “This is just as much my home as it is some straight person. I am just as entitled to live here, to perform and express my art, to work, to exist, just as much as anyone else, and these bills are making that very hard to do.”

Staff Writer Scott Nappi contributed to this reporting.

‘Drag is art, it is culture, but it’s also a political statement.’

Pride Prom featured drag performances by local drag Queens. Michelle Stiletto poses after performing on Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

The Birth of Ablaze

The successor of feminist student publication Honey Magazine looks forward to its first edition

MACY ROBERTS Staff Writer

In the 2022-2023 academic year, Ablaze Magazine was officially established in UT’s Knoxville’s Office of Student Media. Ablaze is a student-led feminist and women’s interest magazine with the goal of empowering women on campus and in the surrounding community. Sound familiar?

Those in their second year or beyond at UT may have come across Honey Magazine since its establishment in 2019. Their first and only print issue “Awaken” was made available to students in Fall 2021 and featured articles relating to fashion, lifestyle, social issues and more. While Honey is no longer active, fans of the magazine need not fear.

Although it has a different name and overall aesthetic, Ablaze is essentially a rebranding of Honey. Like Honey, Ablaze believes in the overarching goal of empowering a collective female voice, but this time around it plans to do so using a more organized and intentional approach.

Editor-in-Chief Sydney Burzynski, a senior advertising major, describes Ablaze as Honey’s older sister – one that is “more experienced, more knowledgeable and more professional.”

“There were several motivating factors behind the choice to undergo a rebrand, but the primary reason was the need to grow and change,” Burzynski said. “This desire corresponded to the transition of power both internally and externally.”

sign team. In Spring 2022, she decided she wanted to be more involved with the magazine and joined the ad sales team. When the former editor-in-chief resigned, Burzynski applied for the position and was chosen by the Office of Student Media after a series of interviews.

The physical differences between Honey and Ablaze are obvious to outsiders. These include a switch from a warm-toned color palette to a cooler one with more jewel tones, a new logo and, of course, a new name.

However, according to Burzynski, a lot more went into the rebranding process than what meets the eye, such as conducting research regarding the magazine’s target audience.

Though Ablaze is now established in the Office of Student Media, the rebranding process remains ongoing. Two main objectives are left on Ablaze’s to-do list: establishing the magazine in the community through repeated exposure and brand awareness, as well as producing the first print publication.

Burzynski has high hopes for the impact Ablaze will have on UT’s campus and student media in general.

“Most importantly, I want the magazine to function as a community of people with like-minded values and interests who come together for a sole purpose,” Burzynski said. “Secondly, I want the club to serve a practical purpose … a place for one to develop hands-on skills that will correlate – whether directly or indirectly – to their future career.”

Like Burzynski, Leigh Shields, a junior cinema studies major, was involved with Honey before transitioning to Ablaze. Shields joined the photography department in January 2021 and has held the position of Photo Editor since May 2021.

“I was initially told about the rebrand during my interview for the photography editor position before the fall semester of 2022,” Shields said. “The idea of rebranding was intimidating and I felt apprehensive after knowing the extensive work put into Honey.”

As the sole photographer for Honey’s “Awaken” issue due to a lack of staff, Shields felt the visuals in the print publication were monotonous and limited in creativity as a result of wanting to stick to a certain look that fit the Honey brand.

“While our magazine branding is important, the Ablaze issue will incorporate a variety of aesthetics and photography styles

to create greater visual interest,” Shields said. “I cannot wait to showcase the work and unique visions of the talented photographers on the team.”

Shields believes the transition from Honey to Ablaze has led to greater collaboration among different departments that allow them to overlap with each other rather than separate into distinctive bubbles. She described the overall transition as daunting yet rewarding.

“The rebrand has been difficult in the sense of figuring out what core characteristics of Honey to maintain and what changes needed to be made for the magazine to adapt to its evolving staff,” Shields said.

“For the sake of its longevity and to keep content fresh, I hope to see a continuation of diverse content that reflects the changing interests of its demographic.”

Students interested in joining Ablaze are encouraged to apply on their website. Opportunities are available in departments devoted to content creation, graphic design, photo and video, social media and ad sales. No experience is required – just the desire to learn and grow.

Ablaze’s debut print issue is expected to be released in May 2023. To stay updated, follow @ablazeutk on their various social media, including Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Burzynski first joined Honey Magazine in Fall 2021 as a member of the graphic de-

“The idea of rebranding was intimidating and I felt apprehensive after knowing the extensive work put into Honey.”

LEIGH SHIELDS

Photo Editor, Ablaze

(From left to right) Ablaze Editor-in-Chief Sydney Burzynski, Content Editor Abby Madan, Graphic Design Editor Holly Sarah Liban, Photo Editor Leigh Shields and Social Media Editor Alison Price. Courtesy of Leigh Shields / Ablaze

Brittany Broski to headline first night of CEB’s ‘Spring Comedy Series’

REAGAN DESOTO Staff Writer

notable celebrities including Harry Styles, the Jonas Brothers, Orville Peck, Trixie Mattel and Rhett and Link.

An SEC grad herself, Broski graduated from Texas A&M in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Prior to becoming an Internet meme, she worked at a bank in her home state where she was promptly fired after her employer found out about her viral video and online success.

From there, she decided to get involved in social media full time, posting anything from “get ready with me” videos to full-blown hysterical meltdowns on TikTok LIVE. Broski has also gained traction on YouTube, surpassing 1.2 million subscribers in the last three years.

Though Broski may not be a household name, her combined 657 million likes on TikTok make her pretty recognizable to anyone who uses the social media site.

Senior public relations student Lindsey Duncan is thrilled about the upcoming show.

“I was so excited when I first heard rumors of Brittany coming here last semester,” Duncan said. “When I found out she was actually coming this spring, I was elated. She’s always been a social media presence that I’ve kept up with on TikTok, YouTube and her podcast ‘Violating Community Guidelines.’ She’s such a breath of fresh air and a light in the world of content creators — this is an event I wouldn’t miss for the world.”

After the successful performance of YouTube comedian Noel Miller at last year’s comedy series, the students involved at the Campus Events Board knew they wanted Broski involved this semester.

“It came from the students — their idea of who they thought would attract a large crowd based on student interest and the popularity of Brittany,” Foulke said, the associate director of the Center for Student Engagement.

The Campus Events Board opens its Spring Comedy Series on Wednesday, March 22, with a performance by TikTok personality and comedian Brittany Broski at the Student Union Auditorium. While some people may still refer to her as “kombucha girl,” referencing her first viral video from 2019, Broski rose to fame on the social media platform and garnered a loyal following of fans who label themselves “subjects” of “Broski Nation.”

With over 7.2 million followers on her main account and 4.2 million followers on her second account @lostmymarblesagain, the 25-year-old Texan has evolved into one of the biggest stars on the app. This year, she is recognized in Forbes’s “30 Under 30” for her content creation and has starred in Super Bowl commercials, walked and interviewed on red carpets, hosted and guest appeared on several podcasts and more.

Her relatable, witty, unapologetically herself content has granted her the opportunity to meet

“We try to think about bringing in a diverse group of people and not just bringing in your typical, well known, mainstream comedians, so we try and think outside of the box to really elevate all kinds of comedians,” Foulke said.

Broski wrapped up her live comedy tour, “Violating Community Guidelines” with her podcast co-host Sarah Schauer in December of 2022.

Brittany Broski is set to headline the first night of CEB’s comedy series on March 22. Courtesy of IMDb

“She’s such a breath of fresh air and a light in the world of content creators.”

LINDSEY DUNCAN SENIOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS

Local artist J.M. speaks on vulnerability, Nashville, new EP copy

ADAM DELAHOUSSAYE Contributor

that feels a lot more tender. It’s jumpy, warm, almost soothing. It’s the kind of diversion that makes J.M.’s small yet versatile catalog so inviting. For new listeners, he’s chosen a rather intriguing descriptor to get people intrigued in what he’s doing.

“Emo R&B is what I usually tell people,” said the 22-year-old J.M. “It’s kind of hard to narrow it down to one specific genre. In general it’s kind of got that emo tone to it, but it’s rooted in R&B if you break down the musicality of it. The chord progressions, vocal runs and stuff. There’s also some hyperpop, too, so maybe call it ‘hyperR&B’ if that’s even a thing.”

As wildly different as all three of those monikers are from one another, they somehow all seem to take shape throughout what we’ve been exposed to of his efforts thus far. J.M.’s single “Paralyzed,” which was released back in January, takes the fervor that comes with alternative and hyperpop trends and slows them down to a more intimate, immediately observable speed. An ode to being lovestruck, the track holds nothing back in its delivery and presentation, yet it does so in a way that doesn’t feel in over its own head. Still, as J.M. would put it, “there’s a heaviness to it.”

Labrinth will come to mind for others in terms of similarities as it does for him, yet he’s not willing to paint himself into that corner entirely.

“I think it’d be really hard to listen to what I have out and right now and go, ‘Oh if you like that then you’ll like this person and that person,’” J.M. said. “And I guess I’m still figuring that out for myself, and figuring out my sound overall.”

As J.M. continues to navigate and iron out the kinks in his sound, he’s also been navigating through his new home in Nashville. Originally from Jamestown, New York, J.M. moved to Music City to attend Belmont University as well as pursue a career in music. While Nashville seems to favor its vocalists that order their BBQ with a side of twang, J.M. still feels that the alternative scene is one that can bloom alongside the city’s country roots. As the city’s grown in recent years, subsequently its reach into different genres has expanded.

definitely here.”

When it comes to artistry, vulnerability is the name of the game for J.M. A lot of his more recent tracks detail emotion usually pushed to the back of the mind for the sake of sanity, yet here they find room to bloom. It’s a credit to good writing as well as a willingness to be as open as possible for the sake of gravity. Inspiration comes from where it’s expected with J.M.

Relationship issues, mental health and the whirlwind of being in your early 20s all play parts in the journey through his psyche. Yet it’s not the material here that matters as much as the delivery.

“F**king hate myself to death!” pronounces self-proclaimed R&B and emo up-and-comer J.M. on his newest single “You Said.” The delivery of this rather vexed line sports a demeanor

While stylistically varied, heavy is still the perfect blanket adjective to throw over the songwriter. In regards to his approach to production and delivery, he likes to think that the artist

“I feel like it is harder for the independent artists that do alternative things around here to be as involved in the industry on a professional level. I feel like we’re really gonna have to pave that way for ourselves,” J.M. said. “But I mean, if you were to research ‘top hyper pop artists’ right now, I think there are like three that came from Belmont. Like we have crazy talent coming from these little pockets. It’s not as talked about, this other half of the industry, and it’s hard to compete with places like Los Angeles, but the talent is

“My main thing is, if I’m showing you an emotion you’re gonna get the full extent of that emotion. ‘Paralyzed,’ for example, it’s that paralysis due to too much feeling. I think you’re gonna get a lot of that on this new EP that’s coming out, a lot of intense introspection,” J.M. said. His newest project and debut EP “Sorry, Didn’t Realize You Cared” is expecting its release to come at the end of the month. If this longerform project shares a shred of the sentiment that his few singles have, we’re bound to be in for a journey through emotional extremism, accompanied by a production style and quality that compliments the weight of feeling as much as J.M.’s falsetto does.

Unique Knoxville restaurants to check out this spring

The weather has been extra heavenly here on Rocky Top recently. The groundhog may have been lying to us. An extra six weeks of winter? Yeah, right.

The warmth spring brings tends to inspire the desire to step out of the house and go for food and drinks with friends. If you and your friends are the type to spend a good chunk of time trying to pick a spot, look no further — this is the place for you. To narrow down your search, here’s a list of the best Knoxville restaurants to check out this spring.

Central Filling Station

The first worthy spot on the list is Knoxville’s most unique outdoor dining experience Central Filling Station. The filling station is a rustic outdoor venue filled with a variety of food trucks, heaps of available seating, interactive activities like cornhole and a Before-I-Die wall and events including live music and trivia. It’s like multiple restaurants wrapped into one. This interesting spot is located close to campus at 900 N. Central Street.

This is perfect if you and your friends have different tastes or food cravings as there is something for every taste bud. To-go food and drinks

are available if you don’t have time to hang around. Some of their food truck vendors include Just Say Queso, Knox Dough, Penne For Your Thoughts, BUNNZ, CJ’s Tacos and many more. It is a pet-friendly area which is a huge bonus for animal lovers.

ment says, “Corners, in their very essence, are places of intersection, where streets going in opposite directions cross paths and overlap. Corner 16 is that place of overlap for friends to intersect their busy lives and spend time enjoying good company and good food.”

Sounds like it aligns with busy college students looking for a place to wind down with good friends and good eats.

Lakeside Tavern

Coming in third on the list is Lakeside Tavern, which offers waterfront dining overlooking Fort Loudon Lake. Although it is somewhat far from UT, it is worth it for the views and yummy food.

If you want to start Wine Wednesday early, Lakeside Tavern offers half-priced wine every Monday. They offer a variety of appetizers, salads and entrees. Menu highlights include their stone oven pizzas, fresh seafood and handhelds such as burgers and sandwiches.

“founded by two brothers who grew up living the surf and punk-rock life of the 1980s in Daytona Beach, Florida.”

Their creative style influenced their unique selection of hotdogs, sandwiches and nachos. Sauce options are never ending and made-fromscratch. Curious Dog offers a large selection of creatively crafted, funky hotdog builds. Hotdog options are themed after various cultures. The following are examples of culture-filled, tasty dogs: The “Better Than A Chicago,” the “N.Y.C,” the “Tennessee Tailgater,” the “Knoxville,” the “Daytona” and the “Hawaiian.”

There are bicycles hanging on the wall and refrigerators filled with all the canned beers you could imagine. There are over 200 options of packaged beer, and they also have a few draft options.

Scrambled Jake’s

Corner 16

This restaurant, located in Northshore, is known for its large turf-covered outdoor patio with fire pits, cornhole, giant tic-tac-toe, soccer balls and footballs. Nothing beats patio seating on a nice spring day. Corner 16’s mission state-

Delicious desserts worth mentioning are the creme brulee cheesecake, Kahlua fudge brownie and two layer key lime pie. Due to its romantic ambience, this spot is screaming date night — to watch the sunset over the water of course.

Curious Dog

Another must-try is Curious Dog, located on the first floor of the historic JFG building.

According to their website, the restaurant was

Last, but certainly not least, is Scrambled Jake’s Breakfast Company. This breakfast establishment provides the perfect selection of greasy eats after a long night out and quiet patio seating to soak up some sun.

The restaurant came to life during the summer of 2017. Their menu includes all the signature breakfast dishes you can think of ranging from the summershine benny, sin-o-man roll, naan breakfast pizza and a breakfast burrito. Happy eating!

Courtesy of J.M.

CHLOE COLE Contributor

Central Filling Station is located in north Knoxville off of N Central Street. File / The Daily Beacon

Opinion: The continued oppression of Indigenous bodies

PILAR GARCIA Columnist

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, uncertainty has become a common feeling when reading the news. Maintaining the sovereignty of bodies has become a necessity in the face of legal threats, but bodies aren’t the only thing SCOTUS is in the process of overturning.

In the initial SCOTUS decision draft, Justice Alito refers to the small number of children available for adoption as the “domestic supply of

infants” while comparing this to the number of women who were interested in adopting children. Alito’s phrasing is appalling to the general public, that those who have birthed children, whether or not of their desire to keep the child postpartum, are but a number in the adoption industry. However, the “domestic supply of infants” brings up another unforgivable past transgression to Indigenous peoples. Many children were sent to boarding or residential schools, such as Carlisle Indian Industrial School, to rid themselves of their Indigenous practices, to “kill the Indian, and save the man” within Native Americans. Post-removal of Indigenous children, Native nations were concerned with continuing Indigenous heritage and practices. They sought legal protections for Indigenous children to ensure they would remain within their tribal communities, which sparked the creation of the Indian Child Welfare Act. ICWA was enacted in 1978 to protect children placed for adoption or removed from their homes, typically children who lived on Indigenous reservations with their birth parents. After the movement of Indigenous peoples away from their homelands, these reservations became reluctant homes. Regardless of how poverty enraptured communities, Indigenous peoples sought to thrive and ensure they would continue their cultural and spiritual practices for the new generations. With this reasoning, im-

poverishment and otherwise, foster care tended to favor taking away children from Native homes almost three times more than their white counterparts. Tribal nations introduced ICWA for tribal nations to protect the younger generations of Natives to ensure the continuation of traditions and sovereignty of the land.

In June of 2022, ICWA was presented to the Supreme Court under the guise of “reverse racism,” that white families are less likely to adopt Native children compared to tribes deciding to place these children within their tribal communities, ensuring the continuation of cultural practices.

ICWA was passed as a protective measure to prevent adoption agencies from removing Indigenous children from their homes, communities and culture and placing them with white families.

Before ICWA, 90% of placements for Native children in foster homes were displaced into non-Native homes, even if other tribal members and relatives were willing and able to care for them.

The overturn of Roe v. Wade guarantees that the wording “domestic supply of infants” is intentional — that those with reproductive capabilities are vessels, particularly Natives, other minority groups and those affected by poverty and income inequality. The discrepancy in the U.S. justice system falls on the shoulders of BI-

POC, who are forced to stagger under the weight of a society that deems them more as bodies than people.

Previously granted protections are being overturned at a staggering rate, leaving the public to wonder what protections will be next on the chopping block.

Indigenous children deserve better. They deserve to be in stable and secure households which encourage their Indigenous culture and heritage, not those that reflect the values of previous boarding schools by issuing complete removal and separation.

So, what can you do about ICWA and the issues at hand?

Begin with engaging in conversations by listening to Indigenous voices and following organizations, such as the Association on American Indian Affairs, with multiple resources for those wanting to learn.

Opinion: East Tennessee Maverick: UT doesn’t need more guns on campus

The solution to gun violence isn’t more guns, but Tennessee Republicans think so and want students involved. A bill submitted by GOP members of the state’s General Assembly in January, HB0977/SB0827, would change the law to allow students to carry guns on a college campus.

While students would still have to get training and a permit, this is a horrendous idea. The fact is: more firearms leads to more deaths. An increase of guns on campus will inevitably lead to an increase of gun-related deaths at UT. College campuses in particular are a terrible place for guns, as the majority of gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Bringing them to a place where workload, stress and anxiety are high is a recipe for tragedy. Suicides increase when easy suicide methods are available.

The most common argument for students to carry guns on campus is to prevent school shootings – to be the good guy with the gun. However, this should not be the case. Students shouldn’t have to be responsible for the public’s safety here in America. We should not be forced to become cops, being compelled to keep order. It is the government’s job to protect our fellow students, not random people.

Yet, Tennessee Republicans want our state to

revert back to the Wild West, where every man openly wears a pistol on his hip in public spaces like the grocery store, wary of confrontation. They are okay with forcing every person to rely on carrying open deadly firearms to feel safe. No one in this modern day and our developed country should be forced to rely on guns because of government inaction.

Our Republican legislators act like public shootings, such as school shootings, are unpreventable and that individual self-defense is the only response. Yet these same legislators won’t even consider banning assault rifles and highcapacity magazines; weapons that are, by design, made to kill a lot of human beings in a short time span. Our state and federal government need to take the proactive charge in being responsible for public safety by banning assault weapons and enforcing stricter regulation.

Additionally, allowing students to carry guns on campus would create two classes of people: those who have the potential to use deadly force and those who do not. The ability to take a life automatically puts one student at a higher position over others. Freedom of speech and expression could become dramatically curtailed. If a noncarrying student gets into a heated disagreement with another student they know has a gun, they are effectively silenced. Why risk it? Even with the permit, not all students are always level-headed and mentally sound. One confrontation about an unintentional shoulder check could lead to a fatal

incident.

At the same time, just the appearance of students carrying firearms on campus will be unsettling for much of the student body and facility. Having a gun just feet away from you in class would make the majority of us uncomfortable. It would also be a massive acknowledgement of this country’s failure to proactively protect its students. Arming students when not even beginning to tackle gun control is a gigantic embarrassment of our legislative bodies.

At the end of the day, the want to arm students is the product of conservative Second Amendment purists who put access to guns above the need to regulate and prevent mass shootings. This unhealthy case of identity politics puts personal beliefs and desires over children’s safety. But all rights must be regulated. You have to register to vote, and you can’t yell fire in a crowded building. Why are conservatives okay with these, but so many resist even the simplest regulation for guns?

Tennessee Republicans in the General Assembly should stay away from this bill, and we need to speak out against it in public and at its legislative committee meetings. Our legislature’s GOP members should focus their efforts on preventing mass shootings, instead of telling us they are inevitable.

We live in one of the most developed societies in all of history, let’s start acting like it and prevent mass shootings before they happen.

wkinsler@vols.utk.edu.

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

WALKER KINSLER Columnist

Walker Kinsler is a sophomore studying political science. He can be reached at

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.

Pilar Garcia is a senior studying English and journalism and electronic media. They can be reached at pgarcia3@vols.utk.edu.

A participant climbs the Rock to paint it for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Photo courtesy of McClung Museum

Vols begin SEC Tournament title defense without Zeigler

ERIC WOODS Assistant Sports Editor

After a season filled with adversity and injuries, the No. 17 Vols will be putting everything to the test as the postseason is officially here. Starting with the SEC Tournament, Tennessee eyes to recapture the triumph it experienced last year when the Vols defeated Texas A&M to claim their first title since 1979.

Tennessee seemed to be a shoe-in for the No. 1 or No. 2 seed after a 7-1 start to SEC action, but injuries to Josiah-Jordan James, Julian Phillips and Tyreke Key led to some unfortunate losses.

With the Vols finally getting all of those guys back, the regular season had one more blow to land: Zakai Zeigler tearing his ACL. While it’s not a death sentence moving forward, Zeigler’s injury strikes at the very heart of Tennessee basketball.

Newly honored member of the All-SEC first team Santiago Vescovi has had to take the large part of Zeigler’s role, which means he is going to be the key to the Vols’ success moving forward.

“We definitely miss Z out there. We all feel it,” Vescovi said. “It’s just a different role that I have to play this time especially when I have to play point guard. It just feels different without

him on the court. We just have to adapt and find other ways to win.”

Rick Barnes has been talking about resiliency for the past month, so can the Vols overcome one last hurdle and make a run back to the conference championship and perhaps a deep run in the NCAA Tournament?

“I think they do know that every game has to be a championship game,” Barnes said. “It has to be and the effort and the details and getting ready for a mindset that that’s what it is because a week from now, it is real.”

From this point forward, a loss means an abrupt end to the season, and a win means that the fight goes on.

“You can either have two or 10 games. But to do that you have to have everybody. We can’t be talking about inconsistencies. We can’t. This is a new start to the third part of the season that you go into and it’s time for everybody to where we can’t be talking about inconsistencies or not understanding roles, whatever. It’s time everybody does exactly what this team needs them to do to help us move on.”

After falling to the No. 5 seed on Saturday, Tennessee (22-9, 11-7 SEC) lost the doublebye and will play either Ole Miss (11-20, 3-15 SEC) or South Carolina (11-20, 4-14 SEC) at 3 p.m. EST.

Despite their less than appealing record, the Rebels took the Vols down to the wire to open

conference play in Oxford, even leading by 10 points late in the first half. Ultimately, Tennessee came out with a narrow 63-59 victory, and a neutral site should fare better for it.

On the flip side, the Vols have absolutely dominated the Gamecocks with their physicality this season, winning the two matchups by a combined 83 points. While anything can happen in basketball, it’s fair to assume that the Vols would rather face South Carolina.

Should the Vols win their first matchup, they will see Missouri (23-8, 11-7 SEC), who snagged the fourth seed from them thanks to their buzzer-beating win over Tennessee, which eventually broke the tie between the two.

From there, Tennessee will have to see how the rest of the tournament plays out. Alabama is the general favorite to win it all, but no team has separated itself on a higher level.

The SEC is extremely deep this year, but it is also wide open. Even without Zeigler, the Vols are the healthiest they have been since the beginning of February in a time where they were considered to be a top seed in the SEC.

If the Vols are able to find a working offense without Zeigler, then the madness could be in their favor.

“I do know that a lot of what we went through in February, with the injuries, kept guys from getting in a rhythm and wondering,” Barnes said. “Because they work so hard

and it’s hard on them when they want to play, more than you can even imagine. They’ve faced some adversity and it’s tough. But I’ve said these guys have been resilient. You guys were here watching them today, they were working, will continue to work. I do think that we have a confident basketball team.”

No.5 Zakai Zeigler is helped off the court by Tennessee training staff after injuring his leg in the first half against Arkansas at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tuesday Feb. 28, 2023. Cole Moore / Contributor

Lady Vols build confidence, earn respect at SEC Tournament

CALEB JARREAU Staff Writer

Tennessee has filtered out the outside noise.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Lady Vols had a lot of questions to answer heading into the SEC Tournament, and they came away with some answers.

Tennessee (23-11) answered what happens when they’re at their best, they can compete with the best team on the biggest stage. But Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper said the Lady Vols weren’t at their best in the SEC Championship against South Carolina (32-0) in Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

The undefeated No. 1 Gamecocks took home the SEC Championship 74-58, getting revenge for being upset a year ago. The Lady Vols made a run at the title, tying the game at 21 in the second quarter, but they couldn’t close the gap.

But no one has been able to close the gap against South Carolina. SEC All-Tournament team nominee Rickea Jackson came away from the game with newfound confidence.

“Playing the number one team in the country, coming within the point margin we did,” Jackson said. “I feel like it builds our confidence knowing we can compete with them.”

The Lady Vols have been overlooked this season. Remaining unranked for almost the entirety of the season while finishing third in the SEC,

South Carolina did not overlook the Lady Vols like national polls have. Two time reigning National Player of the Year Aliyah Boston made it clear the mutual respect she shares with Tennessee, particularly with Jackson and Tennessee guard Jordan Horston.

“Tough players make great plays and that’s just who they are,” Boston said of Horston and Jackson. “As the game went on, we tried to make it more difficult. If they hit a shot, they hit a shot, and we just take the ball out and go down. It’s not like we can stop them, because they’re great.”

Jackson and Horston combined for 36 of Tennessee’s 58 points. Both players echoed the same message after Sunday – they are OK with being overlooked.

“I’m not holding my head on this loss,” Horston said. “That’s the number one team in the country, and we were hanging with them. Once we clean up what we need to clean up, we can beat them, but we’re happy being the underdogs.”

Tennessee has had close losses and games where the should’ve triumphed over teams ranked above them. The Lady Vols finally got that ranked win. Taking down No. 4 LSU on Saturday felt like a culmination of the whole season.

Following the win by hanging with South Carolina on Sunday boosts Tennessee’s ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

“At the end of the day, South Carolina is the number one team,” Tennessee forward Jillian

Hollingshead said. “Knowing we can run with them, knowing we can compete with them, just trying our hardest. The sky is the limit for our team and we’re just going to keep on going.”

The Lady Vols got validation for their tough season at the SEC Tournament: a run that will boost their seeding, and a run that has given the team a blueprint on what they need to do to win.

Everyone in the locker room echoed the same

message on Sunday, the best is yet to come for Tennessee.

“I think we have had some really good basketball, and we’ve shown a lot of grit,” Harper said. “I think we have come a long way. I’m excited for the journey to continue, to see what this team can do. I think they really believe in each other, and they believe in this basketball team.”

No. 25 Jordan Horston, attempts a shot during a game against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks at Thompson-Boling Arena, Feb. 23, 2023. Cole Moore / Contributor

The Madness Report: Tennessee bracket projections one week from NCAA Tournament

ANDREW PETERS AND CALEB JARREAU Sport Editor and Staff Writer

Just over a week from the NCAA Tournament, Tennessee’s standing in the bracket is becoming clearer every day.

The Vols are preparing to begin their final push towards getting a higher seed as they begin the SEC Tournament in Nashville this week. A deep run could move them as high as a No. 2 seed, but an early exit could knock them down.

The Lady Vols only did themselves favors in the SEC Tournament, making a run to the championship with a win over LSU on the way.

Here is where major bracket projections put the Vols and Lady Vols.

In ESPN’s Bracketology, the Vols are projected as a No. 3 seed, where they have been consistently over the past few weeks following a five-loss February.

Tennessee would play in the East Region, where the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are Houston and Baylor, respectively. The Vols would take on Louisiana in the first round in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Why this bracket favors the Vols Tennessee’s path to the Elite Eight would be a fairly clear one in this bracket. Tennessee’s defense would have no problems with Louisiana in the first round, and the Vols should be able to handle one of Rutgers, Nevada or Creighton — all teams who have cooled down over the past month.

Baylor has defeated some good teams this year, but the Vols match up well on paper. The Bears don’t score the ball at an incredibly high mark, so Tennessee could likely outscore them if the Vols’ defense shows up.

Why this bracket doesn’t favor the Vols If Tennessee makes the Elite Eight, its run will probably end there.

Assuming it doesn’t get upset in an earlier round, the Vols would have to get through Houston to make it to the Final Four. The Cougars have looked like one of the best teams in basketball this season and boast a highly-athletic, high-scoring roster that also defends at a high mark.

The Cougars have all the makings of a Final Four team, with a top-five offense and defense in KenPom. The only slight against Houston is that it hasn’t faced the same level of competition as its Power 5 counterparts.

The Lady Vols (23-11) made a run in the SEC Tournament, upsetting LSU and finishing runner-up to undefeated South Carolina. Their run earned them No. 23 in the AP Poll.

In most projections, Tennessee is hovering between being a four-seed and a fiveseed. A chance to host the first weekend of the tournament comes with earning one of the coveted top-16 seeds, or for the Lady Vols, a four-seed.

Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper was adamant over the weekend that the Lady Vols have done enough to host the first weekend. She cited Tennessee’s NET Ranking, which has consistently been in the top16. Currently, it sits at No. 15.

Charlie Creme of ESPN however has held firm in his Bracketology this week. Despite Tennessee’s SEC Tournament run, he has not moved them from being a five-seed in Villanova’s region.

Why this bracket favors the Lady Vols Tennessee’s first-round matchup is 12th-seeded Toledo. Toledo does not pose much of a threat to the Lady Vols. They are a smaller team and dropped games to midmajor opponents

Not to count out the Rockets, they gave

both Duke and Penn State a scare during the regular season, but their lack of size would hurt them against Tennessee.

Fourth-seeded Villanova awaits the Lady Vols in the round of 32. Tennessee would likely outsize the Wildcats, but it would be a tough away matchup.

The one-seed on this side is Virginia Tech. The Lady Vols took the Hoosiers down to the wire in Thompson-Boling before losing by three.

Why this bracket doesn’t favor the Lady Vols

Traveling to Villanova is not ideal for Tennessee. The Wildcats finished runnerup to UConn in the Big East and have consistently been one of the better teams in college basketball and finished the year 26-8.

If the Lady Vols made it out of the region, they would be forced to travel to Seattle for the Sweet-16 as opposed to Greenville.

The ACC Champions in Virginia Tech also stand in-between Tennessee and a ring. The Hoosiers are hot right now and would be a tough matchup.

Tennessee will find out its seeding on Sunday, March 12, after the men’s bracket is released.

Griffin Merritt finding new role, childlike excitement in first season at Tennessee

When he arrived at Tennessee, he realized quickly the Vols are so much more than the cocky villains of college baseball that he observed from the outside last year.

night. He gave them a lot to cheer for on Saturday when he hit his first home run as a Vol in the bottom of the seventh to give the Vols a commanding 7-2 lead.

Griffin Merritt had an ideal situation heading into his graduate season at Cincinnati.

The outfielder was coming off a year where he picked up 63 hits, 53 RBIs and 19 home runs. He was preparing for one final push at getting his draft stock up while playing for a team poised to have a solid season.

But he didn’t want to have a mediocre, comfortable season. He wanted a challenge. He wanted to win. That desire brought him to Tennessee this offseason.

Merritt knew Tennessee was the right place for him as he watched the 2022 team torch opponents night in and night out while playing with passion and a clear love for the game. While most outsiders frowned upon the Vols’ bad-boy attitude led by guys like Drew Gilbert and Jordan Beck, Merritt saw it as something he wanted to get in on.

“I knew the reputation Tennessee had coming in, and honestly, I kind of liked it,” Merritt said. “It’s part of the reason I’m here. I’m kind of a fiery competitor myself, and I want to win as badly as anyone else. So I kind of wanted to be surrounded by people with the same mindset.”

Inside the locker room, Tennessee has players that want to get better and want others to get better. There are no draft projections, player ratings or personal awards among the team. It’s just a group of guys trying to win.

“We have a lot of players that are going to be big leaguers for a long time, but there’s no egos,” Merritt said. “People drop their egos. We’re here to play to win. We’re here where there’s no finger-pointing. It’s everyone on the same track with the same goal.”

Having played a few weekends at Lindsey Nelson Stadium now, Merritt has also realized that the passion embodied by the players has also translated to the fanbase, which piled over 3,000 people into the stadium on Saturday.

“Looking up in the stands from right field today and seeing the crowd and how engaged they are and how people are valuing this team — they should,” Merritt said. “People here work hard and go about things the right way. The coaching staff is special and it’s a good place to play baseball, I’ll tell you that.”

Now Merritt is looking to continue to give those fans something to cheer for every

He is also looking to help a team that was historically good a season ago not take a major drop off in success. The Vols lost a lot of veterans at the end of last season and are now a young, inexperienced team rather than the seasoned one they were a year ago.

Merritt is hoping to combat the drop off in vets with his own college baseball experience. Though he has only played at Tennessee for a fall season and some change, his years at Cincinnati brought him wisdom that he wants to share with the younger guys on his team.

That leadership role isn’t necessarily his first role for Tennessee, but it is one he has learned to love in his short time with the Vols.

“I think it’s given me a second role on the team,” Merritt said. “Everybody probably looks at me and says ‘OK that kid needs to play good outfield and drive in runs in the middle of the lineup.’ But what they don’t see is, in that locker room I have a lot of experience that I’ve learned the hard way and the good way that’s kind of piled up that I can dump off on these guys.”

ANDREW PETERS Sports Editor

No. 16 Gri�n Merritt gets ready to bat against Alabama A&M at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Tuesday Feb. 21, 2023. Ericksen GomezVilleda / The Daily Beacon