Wednesday, April 19, 2023

CHINESE STUDENTS CUT OFF

Stripped of communications by law, students claim lack of university support

DANIEL DASSOW Editor-in-Chief

Without warning last Friday morning, hundreds of Chinese and Chinese American students were cut off from their primary means of communication with friends and family: Chinese social media apps supported by a campus Wi-Fi connection.

The day before, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the latest in a string of bills from the Tennessee state legislature aimed at limiting expression and access for a minority group. The law, which has been called a “TikTok ban,” prohibits the use of any social media app based in China on the internet networks of public colleges and universities.

State and federal officials, including President Biden, have expressed concern about the use of data collected by TikTok, the video sharing platform owned by the private Chinese company ByteDance, which has thousands of employees in the U.S. and has denied any connection to or control by the Chinese government.

But while measures against TikTok in other

states and universities, including a total ban on the app in the state of Montana, have taken aim at TikTok alone, the Tennessee General Assembly and Gov. Lee went further in singling out China and its people.

The scale of the action against Chinese apps would be roughly equivalent to the state legislature prohibiting the use of GroupMe, Slack, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Snapchat on campus internet in one swoop.

For Chinese students, the greatest loss was not TikTok, but WeChat, an app whose reach in China and among Chinese people across the world is difficult for non-Chinese people to understand. In 2018, the app became the largest standalone mobile app in the world with over 1 billion active users. It is the primary platform by which Chinese students text, call and video chat not only with each other, but with family and friends back home.

“The heartbreaking thing is that they also blocked WeChat,” said Jinning Wang, a third-year doctoral student in electrical engineering. “WeChat is the most popular social media platform in China and over the world regarding the Chinese people. I rely on this software to keep in touch with my family and

friends back home, but then you cannot access it through the UT network.”

The law took effect immediately, upending the social lives of Chinese students who spend much of their time on campus and do not have access to a personal network or a signal that can fully support their apps. Wang said he is considering transitioning to remote work so that he can maintain contact with his family.

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic and a wave of anti-Asian violence, largely in urban areas, had begun to fully wane, the law has made Chinese students begin to question if Knoxville is a place protected from anti-Chinese sentiment and legislation.

Adding to their concerns is the lack of support or communication they have received from the university. Outside of a mass email sent to the entire UT System on Friday from Chief Information Officer Ramon Padilla, Chinese students have received no communication from UT officials, according to Gao Chang, a junior studying music performance and president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association.

“I know the law is the law, but maybe there is something UT can do. The law is not very

clear. I don’t think they can make a university block all of a group of students’ connections with their family,” Chang said.

Senate Bill 0834/House Bill 1445, introduced by Senator Jon Lundberg and Representative Jeremy Faison, is part of what has become a pattern for the Republican supermajority in the Tennessee State Legislature: creating bills without collaborating or providing warning to the stakeholders, in this case Chinese students, who must deal with the fallout.

In its original form, the bill prohibited the use of video sharing platforms headquartered anywhere outside the U.S. on campus internet. It was later amended to prohibit the use of any social media app based in China on campus internet, narrowing the measure to one nation, yet broadening it to include a litany of platforms.

The law has left students unsure of what measures they can legally take to continue using their social media, including the use of a VPN, or “Virtual Personal Network,” which can negatively affect American platforms.

STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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Abby Ann Ramsey selected as 2023-2024 Editor-in-Chief

ELI BOLDT Contributor

was influential to her writing skills and was an inspiration for her to pursue writing in college.

Daniel Dassow, The Daily Beacon’s current Editor-in-Chief, described Ramsey as one of the bright spots of UT’s journalism department.

“She was the kind of staff writer that you sort of dream about when you’re section editor, not only because her stories require very little editing, but also because she had excellent news judgment,” Dassow said.

Dassow recalled when protests over masks began happening, Ramsey went to a rally downtown and walked up to “angry antimaskers” to interview them. There is no one, Dassow said, that he would want to leave The Daily Beacon leadership to more than Ramsey.

“I’m really excited to see what she does with the paper, I think she has a lot of creative energy,” Dassow said.

Ramsey is in a unique position going from Managing Editor to Editor-in-Chief, a transition that does not often happen. She is stepping into a role that, while no less demanding than Managing Editor, is what Dassow described as more public-facing and creative. Ramsey already has a year of leadership experience at The Daily Beacon that she can build upon for the coming year.

As Managing Editor, Ramsey has relearned her love and commitment to The Daily Beacon.

Her current position has taught her how to develop professional relationships with her peers and to learn interpersonal skills, as well as how to lead in a graceful and loving way.

“I really like leading people, I really like teamwork. And even though I’m not directly editing those articles and coming up with those story ideas, I get to manage the people who are and get to form those relationships inside the office,” Ramsey said.

Outside of The Daily Beacon, Ramsey spends time doing improv with Involuntary Sports Party, walking her dog and watching movies. This summer she plans to intern with Canopy Atlanta, a non-profit news organization that focuses on local journalism in the Atlanta communities.

Ramsey will lead The Daily Beacon alongside Bella Hughes — who was selected to be next year’s Managing Editor — and she is looking forward to the growth that will continue under her and Hughes’ supervision. She is going into the next year with the goals of increasing The Daily Beacon’s transparency and visibility.

“We want students to know that we’re here ... we’re covering the issues that you care about. And we’re trying to tell the stories of students on campus and in the city,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey will begin her year as Editor-inChief on May 10.

Abby Ann Ramsey, who has worked as a Staff Writer and Managing Editor for The Daily Beacon, was selected by the Student Media Board, a group of faculty, alumni and current students who interview applicants for student media leadership positions, to be next year’s Editor-in-Chief.

Ramsey, a junior at the University of Tennessee studying journalism and electronic media and religious studies, started working at The Daily Beacon her freshman year as a contributor. She then became a staff writer before applying to be Managing Editor at the end of spring semester 2022.

Ramsey recalled the difficulty of her freshman year, when the campus was dealing with COVID-19. The lack of motivation and feelings of uninvolvement affected her at the time. It was not until she was able to be in The Daily Beacon’s newsroom, at the first meeting of her sophomore year, that her excitement was rekindled.

“It was the first time people had been meeting in the office in a long time and there were a lot of people there. And I got really excited about the story ideas, and I feel like it reignited what I knew I wanted to do,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey knew from a young age that she wanted to write, what she described as “the classic English kid story” of loving and excelling in her English classes more than at the other areas of school. Her high school English teacher and newspaper advisor, Tim Vacek,

Junior Abby Ann Ramsey sits at her desk in The Daily Beacon o�ce, where she currently serves as Managing Editor.

Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

Abby Ann Ramsey and Daniel Dassow lead a brainstorming session for an upcoming special issue. Ericksen Gomez -Villeda / The Daily Beacon

Student-developed Circl app aims to grow student connections

LEAH HIBBERT Staff Writer

Have you ever tried making plans with your friends but have no idea what their schedule looks like? The new Circl app, developed by former University of Tennessee students, is aiming to solve this problem.

In the height of the pandemic, three students came together to create an app that exclusively focuses on availability and planning.

Parker Sherrill, a 2022 computer science and international business graduate, Dawson Bristow, a 2021 business analytics graduate and senior computer science major Jeffrey Kending have spent the last few years developing an app that helps to bring friends closer.

Parker Sherrill, a 2022 computer science and international business graduate, Dawson Bristow, a 2021 business analytics graduate and senior and computer science major Jeffrey Kending have spent the last few years developing the Circl app.

“I had this idea, and I knew I wanted to work on it but had no idea what to do next, so I googled how to create an app and went from there,” Bristow said.

After researching the basics of app creation, Bristow decided to reach out to Sherrill for some outlook on the cyber aspects.

“Dawson approached me during COVID with an idea for an app that centers around peoples’ schedules and availability. There’s no social media app that allows you to see the exact schedules of your friends and what they’re doing or plan to do that day,” Sherrill said.

Kending was then approached by Dawson to be the third individual on the founding team of Circl.

“The first time I met him was on a Zoom call, and the next day he was all on board to be a part of the journey,” Sherrill said.

Kending started by working part-time on small tasks, but is now en-route to a full-time position dealing with the data servers and Java implementations with the application after he graduates from Lipscomb University this May.

The intended purpose of the app is to share your schedule with friends to develop closer connections. Although many apps allow you to see other peoples locations, the two have expressed that there is not an app that updates you on what people are currently doing, their plans for the day, their class schedule or their availability.

“I had Find My Friends on for most of my buddies, but I never knew if they were actually free or not to hang out,” Bristow said.

Both Sherrill and Bristow were still finishing their undergraduate degrees when they began to develop the app, but they still managed to dedicate a significant amount of time during the week to its improvement. At first, it was

just the two of them and the Internet as their only resource. It stayed that way for a while, until the two began running tests for the app and reached out to skilled individuals on Discord for more guidance.

“These people make it possible to build these types of apps,” Sherrill said.

Sherrill and Bristow have received assistance and feedback from several of these “big-whigs,” including a computer science professor at the University of Maryland named Sheldon Linker. Linker helped Sherrill and Bristow to create the entire database needed for the application’s functionality because of the potential he saw in the app.

In the two years that the pair has been working on the application, many of the other individuals that assisted Sherrill and Bristow also saw the app’s potential and provided help without charge. Sherrill and Bristow have even landed an investor for the app, and they have many plans underway for future marketing.

The goal of Circl is to use technology in order to foster real-life interactions.

“We want people to hang out in real life rather than always being on their phones, and that is what Circl is for,” Bristow said.

The app launched in December of 2022, but in the next month or so, the app will allow for Google and Apple calendars to sync with the app, along with personalization of what friends in your Circl can see your events, schedule and daily plans.

Circl allows the user to share as much or as little as they want about their availability. You can show exactly where you are and what you’re doing, or just change your status to “busy” or “available.”

Circl even allows you to invite friends to certain events and create events of your own.

Sherrill and Bristow are also hoping to feature specific events around Knoxville, especially in popular hot-spots and bars like SoKno Taco Cantina and Literboard.

So the next time you’re stressed about mak-

ing plans, unsure if your friends are still in class or just plain want to hit up the bar for karaoke, the Circl app might be a good option for you.

Parker Sherrill, a 2022 computer science and international business graduate, Dawson Bristow, a 2021 business analytics graduate and senior and Jeffrey Kending, computer science major, have spent the last few years developing the Circl app. Courtesy of Parker Sherill

Knoxville tops U.S. metro cities in 2022 rent growth

SCOTT NAPPI Staff Writer

According to a report from the National Association of Realtors, Knoxville’s rent rate grew at a faster rate than any other metro city in the United States in 2022.

Knoxville had a growth rate of 9.6%, which was 0.5% higher than the second highest city, Fort Myers, Florida.

In college towns like Knoxville, students often look for off-campus housing, resulting in an influx in people looking for places to live. This influx is now causing a shortage of available housing in the Knoxville area.

During the 2022-23 school year, UT had a historically large freshman class, resulting in many students having to search for housing and wait in lines to obtain housing leases.

Shane Maryk, who graduated from the University of Tennessee in December of 2021 with a pre-law degree and now works in logistics, had to look for over four months to find an apartment.

“While looking for places, it seemed like it took months just to find one affordable place, and places I looked at previous years in areas like the Fort, rent raised to over $1,000,” Maryk said.

Maryk also went on to explain that although he was able to find a house, the cost often forces him to live beyond his budget.

One of the reasons rent rose was the law of supply and demand. It is known that when demand is high and supply is low prices tend to increase to meet the demands for the companies and or businesses.

Brad Bates, a real estate agent located in Maryville explained potential causes behind the rent increase after COVID-19.

“It seemed like in the world of buying properties, COVID-19 had a negative impact … Once the pandemic died down there were too many

buyers but too few properties,” Bates said.

Bates explained that the reason for the sudden increase in demand in Knoxville is that many students moved back to Knoxville after a period of living at home during COVID-19. He believes that this influx of students buying or renting properties led to a demand much higher than the available supply.

Wade Humphrey, a junior business major, intended to stay on-campus but was not able to obtain campus housing due to the influx of students.

Humphrey expressed his frustration with the current housing prices in Knoxville.

“It seemed like every place I looked was either full super quickly or ridiculously priced. The only reason why I found a place was because I had two close friends who I room with who were looking as well,” Humphrey said.

The average rent for all Knoxville apartments had a yearly rate increase of a minimum of $150. That translates to a 9% increase. According to the website data, January of 2022 had an average rent cost of $1,549, whereas January of 2023 had an average cost of $1,850.

Across the country, pre-pandemic houses went from a near 3% of properties being listed for sale to a near 13%. This then causes an effect which causes less rental properties being listed which then causes the law of supply and demand to come into play.

“When COVID-19 started to subside, I started looking to move closer into the Knoxville area. The place I was living in when I was looking was roughly 500 more square feet, and about $500 less than my current place and it is a full bedroom smaller,” Sandy West, a general manager for a local restaurant, said.

Many people believe evidence shows that the rent prices for Knoxville will continue to increase, but many hope the next report the National Association of Realtors release will not include Knoxville.

UT Office of Sustainability hosts Earth Week events, celebrations

where student volunteers create mended outfits and model them.

Throughout the month of April, UT has been celebrating Earth Month. In tandem with UT’s Office of Sustainability and organizations in the greater Knoxville community, UT will be celebrating Earth Week from April 17-22. The week will be filled with events, programs and service opportunities to promote the goal to “Make Orange Green.”

In celebration of Earth Week, there will be a variety of events, including Micro Mobility Monday, Chalk the Rock, Green Thumb to Green Cash!, a Sustainability in Business Panel, an Earth Day Festival, Free Store Fashion Show, One Health Initiative Panel: Sustainable Development Goals and 3rd Creek Clean Up.

The Office of Sustainability has been planning these events since January, and Social Impact Coordinator Mak Harmon, along with The Free Store and Grow Lab teams, have been assisting in planning since the beginning of the planning process.

“Because the Office of Sustainability does so much on campus, we really wanted to highlight all of our various initiatives that work towards different facets of sustainability at UT,” Harmon said.

Harmon is most looking forward to the Free Store’s annual Slow Fashion Show, an event

“Since 2021, the Free Store has hosted a slow fashion show every year to eliminate the stigma surrounding secondhand items, encourage the repair and reuse of textile materials and, of course, promote the Free Store,” Harmon said.

Harmon hopes that students will be able to celebrate the Earth throughout the week, but also that they will leave events with a better understanding of UT sustainability.

“We are such an underutilized resource on campus, especially the Free Store,” Harmon said. “I’d love to see students excited about

what the (Office of Sustainability) is doing and maybe even want to get involved in one of our projects.”

Outreach Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability Aoife Whitaker shares the same sentiment.

“Though all of these events are going to be very fun and a great way for students to get involved in sustainability on campus,” Whitaker said. “We really want to highlight that the most important part in all of this is educating students and faculty and staff about how to be more sustainable and the best environmental practices.”

Whitaker has worked to make sure that all

events are first and foremost sustainable. From composting and recycling services being provided to making sure that any food they get for the events are packages as low-waste as possible, each detail has been thought out to ensure for the most environmentally friendly celebration of the Earth.

“We’re extremely excited to see it all come together to see the positive impact it has on students at UT as well as faculty, staff etc.,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker sees the main goal as sharing educational information regarding environmentalism on campus, hoping to demonstrate ways more students can be more involved.

“All of our data (through surveys and outreach) show that UT students place sustainability extremely high, second only to parking, when ranking what UT should prioritize,” Whitaker said. “We’re hoping to use these events to show how UT is working towards becoming more sustainable and ways that students can get involved in those efforts.”

Within the events, students will have the opportunity to learn about a plethora of topics that could help to contribute to a greener, more sustainable future. Beginning with a voyage to The Rock using clean transportation such as walking or biking, to learning to create your own herb garden, discussing the research going on at UT at the moment and discussing the potential intersection between business and sustainability, Earth Week is here to not just celebrate, but to

CAITLIN MULQUEEN Staff Writer

The Standard apartments in Knoxville are a popular location for students looking for offcampus housing at UT. File / The Daily Beacon

Students help themselves to free plants during the Earth Day Festival at the HSS Plaza on Friday, April 22, 2022. Edward Cruz / The Daily Beacon

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Students said that they were waiting to tell their families back home about the law, both because they did not want them to worry, and because they felt the university could provide additional support or instruction in the coming days which would make the law easier to explain.

The university has spoken out in the past when legislation targeted members of the UT community. In March 2022, after a bill concerning curricula and trainings that use “divisive concepts” was passed by the state legislature, Chancellor Donde Plowman and Provost John Zomchick released a joint statement titled “We Are Here to Support You.”

That statement, in which the leaders said they were “concerned about the potential chill that faculty and staff may feel about the outstanding work they are doing,” was released days before Gov. Lee signed the legislation into law. It was a rare critique from administrators to legislators who have the power to write the university out of the state budget.

Meanwhile, the ban on Chinese apps on campus internet was filed in January, and students did not hear from the university until Friday morning, the day after it went into effect.

“There is no time for us to react for this, immediately you lose access,” Wang said. “For the young people today, social media is important. I mean, it’s not an organ in your body, but without this, it’s challenging to be on campus.”

According to the most recent data from UT’s Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Analysis, around 1,200 students, or 3.5% of the student body, identifies as Asian or Pacific Islander. Though there are not specific data about the number of Chinese students, Chang said that number fell during the pandemic, when many students returned home during lockdowns and did not return to the U.S.

Now, as leader of the main student organization for Chinese students, he said he is unsure if he would recommend that students from China come to UT to study because of the new law.

“This policy made me feel like something’s gonna happen,” Chang said. “I don’t know what thing, but I feel bad.”

For Chang and other Chinese students, the new ban has created both new crises and everyday headaches. Wendy Dong, a sophomore studying industrial and systems engineering, said she tried to pull up sheet music on an app called XisoHongShu to practice in the music building, but because the app did not work on campus Wi-Fi and she had no signal, she had to walk an additional 15 minutes and had to leave practice early.

pecially for Chinese international students who may have used those apps their entire life,” Dong said. “It may just be TikTok that’s banned for most students at UT, but it may be an entire communication system with their family, friends, and loved ones that is banned by the school Wi-Fi.”

“I would say the more Chinese culture you were exposed to and integrated into your life, the more you are affected by this new law.”

The law arrived as diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China mount. Earlier this year, a massive Chinese spy balloon entered U.S. airspace and traveled the length of the nation before it was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a trip to Beijing in response to the diplomatic crisis.

Pentagon documents allegedly leaked by Massachusetts air national guard member Jack Teixeira suggest that the U.S. knew of a network of balloons used by the Chinese government to collect data.

In March, President Xi Jinping of China visited President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Moscow, appearing to solidify their shared commitment of combatting U.S. influence as Russia’s offensive in Ukraine continues into its second year.

and lawmakers from both parties, and has revitalized sentiments that were popularized during the Trump administration and the era of the China Initiative, a Justice Department program built to counter Chinese espionage and theft of intellectual property that was ended in February 2022.

The first person to stand trial under the China Initiative was Anming Hu, an associate professor of engineering at UT and an expert in nanomanufacturing, who was arrested in 2020 on charges that he had not disclosed a connection with a Chinese university.

After multiple prosections by the Justice Department failed to procure enough evidence to convict Hu, he was acquitted in September 2021. A month later, Provost Zomchick offered to reinstate Hu to his former position and support his efforts to rebuild his career. The offer came after faculty publicly spoke out against the university for not protecting the tenured professor’s position or reinstating him sooner.

Dong, who spent the early part of her childhood in China before immigrating with her family to the U.S., said the law is particularly acute for international students.

“This law is more than a ‘TikTok ban,’ es-

The Biden administration has attempted to find ways of limiting American entanglements in the Chinese economy, including increased tariffs and limits on American investments in China, at a time when both nations face possible recessions.

Policy aimed at controlling Chinese influence has gained traction among U.S. officials

Though he is hesitant to say so, Wang said he sensed anti-Chinese racism when he read the list of banned apps on the UT System announcement, which included Sina Weibo, a popular platform similar to Twitter that has over 500 million users. He said that a slate of policies that would keep Chinese students away from UT is “the very last thing we want to see.”

“We don’t want to think that, but it’s hard not to think so,” Wang said. “We are all Volunteers, we are all working on the UT campus, but suddenly, the Wi-Fi networks separated part of us out.”

Jinning Wang (left), a third year doctoral student in electrical engineering, and Gao Chang (right), a junior studying music performance and president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, stand outside Hodges Library. Daniel Dassow / The Daily Beacon

“There is no time for us to react for this, immediately you lose access.”

JINNING WANG

Doctoral student, Electrical Engineering

“This law is more than a ‘TikTok ban,’ especially for Chinese international students who may have used those apps their entire life.”

WENDY DONG

Sophomore, Industrial and Systems Engineering

UT announces federal work-study pay increase

LEAH HIBBERT Staff Writer

man physics major, said.

Week of 4/17/23 - 4/23/23

On July 1, the minimum hiring wage for student employees will rise to $11 an hour, up from the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Wages for student on-campus work-study employees will increase from $9 an hour to $11 an hour, while wages for off-campus work-study employees will increase from $13 an hour to $16 an hour.

The Federal Work-Study Program on campus allows students to work either full or part-time jobs to lower their tuition expense. The program is need based, but eligible students earn an average of $3,000 a year toward their tuition costs. Most students work less than 30 hours a week, and their pay is deposited into their tuition balance every other week.

“Student employment opportunities can provide benefits for students, including eliminating the need to travel off-campus for work, flexible scheduling around their classes and exams and experience learning and building skill sets that will benefit them while at the university and in their future career path,” a release from the student employment office said.

The wage increase will likely encourage more students to work on-campus jobs and relieve stress of students enrolled in federal aid programs.

“It’s nice honestly because we don’t get tips at the cafe so being able to get a fair amount without tips has been really great,” MJ Lane, a fresh-

In recent years, members of the Student Government Association have pushed for change, with a proposed wage increase to benefit the overall student body. The federal minimum wage in the state of Tennessee is $7.25 an hour. Due to UT being a public state university, the same minimum wage was in effect on campus until Chancellor Donde Plowman raised it to $13 an hour in 2021 for non-student employees.

Patrick Angelaccio, a senior social work major, wrote and proposed the bill in hopes that hard-working students could be recognized and promoted for their contributions on campus.

“The main idea behind the bill is that we were seeing huge levels of pressure on students for where and how they are getting their money. Students are giving up their free time and forgoing higher pay in order to work on campus. I wrote the bill, so seeing it pass has been a huge win for students, people on campus and people that help make this university,” Angelaccio said.

Considering UT is public, the university is only required to pay the federal minimum wage. This voluntary increase allows students to maximize their work and school balance while alleviating financial stress.

Alexandra Crowled, a junior forensic anthropology major, explained her feelings on the pay increase.

“This is great because we do a lot of extra work for what we’re paid. Especially when it comes to extra stuff like inventory and restocking and don’t get compensated for it. I think we just need to continue to make changes like this. I know people that make way less than me for doing

The Weekly Crossword

Phoenix relocates, finding new home in English department

REAGAN DESOTO Staff Writer

Organizing and operating a magazine is no cheap venture, and Phoenix Literary Arts Magazine knows that. While the publication is student-run with no real faculty involvement, it has sometimes struggled financially to meet the needs that it takes to publish a physical magazine issue.

For the last several years, the Phoenix has had its roots in the Office of Student Media, but this month, the magazine relocated to the English department where money will no longer be a concern.

Prose Editor Case Pharr is excited for the magazine’s new home and hopes that these new resources will elevate the publication to the next level.

“I think the biggest change for us is that funding is going to be readily available so we’ll be able to publish with a lot more frequency and also we’ll be very sure we can publish print magazines because in the past it’s been kind of like ‘oh we don’t know where the money is gonna come from’ to put people’s stuff into print,” Pharr said.

Alongside funding, the English department

will also provide the Phoenix with a creative writing mentor to provide insight into the actual publication process.

The magazine will still remain student-run, with staff members and contributors still being able to come up with their own stories and design the issues themselves. However, the mentor is there to guide them when needed. The magazine’s office will also be relocated to

McClung Tower.

The Phoenix prides itself on displaying an array of artistic and literary talents within the UT community, and Pharr says that the magazine is a great place for students to get exposure for their work. Unlike other student media outlets such as The Daily Beacon, the Phoenix focuses more on artistic expression like art, poetry, prose and culture rather than

news reporting.

The publication has previously been home to works from renowned author Cormac McCarthy and former Knoxville poet laureate, Marilyn Kallet.

“I think it’s just a better fit — I mean-student media is not as literary if that makes sense so like it isn’t associated with art and it’s more journalism and I don’t think that the Phoenix is really, very much about journalism so I think it’s just a better fit and makes more sense for us,” Pharr said on the transition from the Office of Student Media to the English Department. Staff members and readers alike are looking forward to the oversight change of the magazine. Junior English major and avid reader of the Phoenix Anna Quinn French is delighted about the adjustment.

“I think that the move to being under the English department is fantastic. The magazine has been running for such a long time so this, in my opinion, is long overdue. The students who contribute to and work on the staff are immensely talented, and I am excited to see what they do in the future,” French said. Submissions for the spring 2023 issue are now closed, and it is unsure whether or not the issue will be offered in print by the end of the semester, however, the issue will be published and distributed in the fall.

UT Ice Vols fostering unique culture on campus, community

hockey club.

Senior forward John Bunch has been playing for 18 years, four of which have been with the Ice Vols. Bunch also served as assistant captain in the 2022-23 season.

Instagram.

For the first time in 14 years, Tennessee Hockey, better known as the Ice Vols, competed at the national championship to top off a season of excitement and success. As the team has achieved seemingly exponential prosperity throughout the last few seasons, UT’s hockey club has become a spectacle on campus.

UT’s hockey club has been around since 1966 and is the oldest hockey program in the southeastern United States. Their “barn,” or where you can see them play, is at the Civic Coliseum. The Ice Vols practice there twice a week and play games most weekends throughout the season, which typically lasts seven months – September through March. Additionally, everything that goes on off the ice is entirely student-led and operated.

The nature of the club has fostered a unique culture not just within the team, but also around UT and the greater Knoxville community.

Andrew King, a center, just finished his fifth season playing for Tennessee, though hockey has been a part of his life since he was just three years old. After realizing that NCAA Division I hockey wasn’t in his future, the long-time Vol fan knew that he wanted to join the Tennessee

“All my family attended UT and I wanted to participate in the engineering program here, so being able to play hockey while being at UT is just the cherry on top,” Bunch said.

This is the story that most of the Ice Vols can relate to, best put into words by club president and senior forward, Benjamin Northern.

“Hockey and Tennessee have always been the two things I’ve been most passionate about. I always wanted to be a part of this team,” Northern said.

Throughout the years that Bunch, Northern and King have donned the orange and white checkerboard sweaters, the shift in atmosphere has been undeniable.

“My freshman year, our record was 2-20,” King said. “Our average crowd for home was around 50 to 75, made up of mostly team family. As we have progressed in team results and off-ice operations, we have steadily grown in home game attendance and social media following.”

From internet trends to getting the word out about game dates, times and ways to watch, much of the journey on Hockey Top throughout the season is documented on the team’s social media presence on TikTok, Twitter and

“I think both our success and our team behind the scenes has helped grow the organization,” Bunch said. “Most of the team’s recognition can be credited to the club’s officers over the last few years such as Camrun Martz who spent the last several years growing the team’s social media and organizing team events.”

Off the ice, Northern has helped in running the club as well by serving as president.

“Every day, something new comes up that I get to take care of,” Northern said. “Almost all of my free time outside of class goes back into administrative work for the club, usually spending five or six hours per day working on something. To me, it’s not just work to keep me busy. It’s a passion and I truly enjoy what I get to do to help build and grow the club.”

As competition and success on Hockey Top has improved, and as the word has spread, the atmosphere in the Civic Coliseum has reflected as much. Everyone who loves the Big Orange knows their way to a Tennessee Hockey game.

Star basketball player for the Volunteers, Josiah-Jordan James attended a press conference repping the Ice Vols’ sweater. Cedric Tillman and Hendon Hooker have dropped the puck at the Civic Coliseum as well.

“The team always loves when fans come out to the home games,” King said. “Having a great crowd feeds the team to perform at a high level. The same goes for big names coming out

like Hendon Hooker and Cedric Tillman. We are a part of one of the most powerful college fanbases in Vol Nation, and being a part of that is a great honor.”

Good atmospheres and fun times aside, the Ice Vols were able to transfer the buzz around the team into wins on the ice, an effort that culminated in a birth to nationals, and their journey to the competition in West Chester, Pennsylvania, was representative of the comradery among Vol Nation.

An entirely student-run organization, it was up to fundraising and donations to fund the Ice Vols’ trip to the tournament. Setting up a GoFundMe with a goal of $18,000, the team exceeded their goal by more than $3,000 after a massive outpour of support from the community.

“Tennessee has the best fan base of any college, and they love to back their teams,” Northern said. “The support from our community helped us to give our best efforts against some great teams.”

Bunch described seeing the impact over the years as “crazy.”

“During my freshman year any time I mentioned to someone I was on the hockey team, they would say, ‘UT has a hockey team?’” Bunch said. “We hadn’t been thinking about our impact until we realized the change in what people know about the club.”

Phoenix Literary Arts Magazine Editor-in-Chief Sadie Kimbrough (right) and Art Editor Diana Dalton (left) oversee the Issue 64 Exhibit at Gallery 1010 in Knoxville, TN. Friday, Feb. 17. Edward Cruz / The Daily Beacon

CAITLIN MULQUEEN Staff Writer

McClung Museum receives grant to aid in launching Native American mound exhibit

CAITLIN MULQUEEN Staff Writer

The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture received a grant of $145,000 from the Terra Foundation for American Art in support of the upcoming exhibition: “A Sense of Indigenous Place: Native American Voices and the Mound at University of Tennessee.”

The exhibition is co-curated with Native artists of four Native Nations as well as curator in McClung Museum, Cat Shteynberg, and associate professor in English Lisa King.

The project began after King attended a conference in Philadelphia and came back to Rocky Top with an idea.

“I had seen a small exhibition on mounds there and it ended with a video on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the mound (on campus),” King said. “I thought that it’s wild — I came all the way to Pennsylvania only to see the story of where I live. So that really got me thinking.”

The epiphany came in the fall of 2019, just after professor Claudio Gómez had been inaugurated as the new director of McClung. King pitched the idea to Gómez and Shteynberg.

Shteynberg, King and others working on the exhibition began reaching out to Native

Nations that have a historic connection to Knox County, hearing back from four: Cherokee Nation, Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation and Muscogee Nation.

Shteynberg explained the co-curation plan strayed from the norm in museums, especially academic museums, citing the obsession in academics with the primacy put on the individual scholar.

King explained a sense of responsibility to educate on the matter.

“The project, in its essence, was born by thinking through UT’s responsibilities to Indigenous peoples, thinking about doing better with education on Indigenous cities around campus and thinking about how McClung can be a major supporter of that … We have to recognize that the money disbursed to revitalize UT came from expropriated Indigenous land,” King said in reference to the Morrill Land-Grants act of 1862.

The act took part in resuscitating UT in the aftermath of the Civil War, with much of the land that the university sold belonging to Indigenous people across the United States. Ultimately, UT was built on Cherokee land.

“I can’t dictate anyone’s response,” Shteynburg said. “But what I really hope is that we all understand that we work, we play, we study and we live on land that has

a strong, strong connection, a spiritual connection, a homeland connection for so many different Native Nations and a lot of this land was taken away from them and it’s important to be aware of that.”

The exhibition will feature contemporary work done by Native artists about mounds. There will also be Native languages translating parts of the explanatory texts in the space, video interviews with the co-curators and a website will be created alongside the exhibition that will remain as an educational resource beyond the two years that the exhibit will be on display in McClung Museum.

“I think this can serve both native and non-native students. We want native students to feel welcome and recognized on campus — seen and supported,” King said. King explained the mound as a central point in drawing our attention to the university’s indigenous history.

“It’s not meant to guilt people or anything like that. It’s meant to call attention to something that needs it. An education means understanding your connection to the world and your connection to histories,” King said. “If you come to UT this is part of your history whether you’re Native or not.”

Nightlife and nibbles: 6 cool, entertaining spots downtown

changes every so often, can be found on the bar’s Instagram and Facebook posts.

Pilot Light

One of the best things about campus is its close proximity to downtown Knoxville. Step outside, and there are bites and brews right on one’s doorstep.

With so many choices, it can be overwhelming when it comes to picking your next spot to explore. Luckily, there are a variety of websites and blogs dedicated to the best Knoxville has to offer. Visit Knoxville and the Downtown Knoxville Alliance website are both great sites to visit for more information.

Harrogate’s Lounge

Tucked next to Suttree’s High Gravity Tavern and connected to it via a sliding door, Harrogate’s Lounge is a combination bar and arcade. Featuring a modest collection of pinball machines and classic arcade machines, patrons can get their competitive spirit on while sipping on a couple of drinks.

Hungry for more? Take a visit to neighboring Suttree’s for a nice, hot bowl of ramen.

Knox Box Karaoke

This is the home of Knoxville’s underground karaoke scene — literally.

Knox Box’s basement location offers visitors of all vocal abilities the chance to unleash

their inner rockstar. The karaoke bar offers a robust selection of songs across a variety of genres, as well as a decent drinks and appetizers menu. It also regularly hosts events and themed nights, including drag and charity nights.

For more information, be sure to check out their Instagram and Facebook.

Red Panda Grocery

Despite the influx of new residential developments, downtown’s Old City neighborhood went without a grocery store for years.

Enter Jesse Newmister, chef-owner of the

beloved Kaizen izakaya. In the winter of 2022, Newmister opened Red Panda Grocery just a few steps away from Kaizen, finally gracing Old City residents with a convenient, one-stop shop for groceries. The shop also boasts a deli counter and a rotating hot food menu.

Peter Kern Library

One of Knoxville’s best kept secrets, the Peter Kern Library speakeasy is located within the dazzling Oliver Hotel. It is the only one of its kind in the city, and entrance can only be gained through uttering a code to the bouncer. The code, usually a four-digit number that

For over two decades, Pilot Light has been Knoxville’s premier spot for indie and experimental music. Situated in the Old City, this is the city’s mecca for anybody interested in local talent. Entry to performances is typically around $10, although there are several nights that are free to the public.

Pilot Light operates as a non-profit venue and depends on the generosity of the community. Those interested in helping preserve Knoxville’s local music scene are encouraged to donate via Paypal.

Union Ave Books

Maybe nightlife is not your thing. Downtown still has you covered.

Union Ave Books is an independent, woman-owned bookstore right around the corner from Market Square with an impressive selection of literature for every kind of reader. For those looking to get more involved, the store offers a book club program in partnership with Knox Brew Hub.

The bookstore also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including workshops and book signings.

AURORA SILAVONG Staff Writer

Interior of Union Ave Books, which offers a large selection of books, games, decor and more. File / The Daily Beacon

A repatriation notice in the exhibit on the Native Peoples of Tennessee at McClung Museum on June 27, 2022. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton puts on a charade amid scandals

WILL BOWEN Columnist

How would you feel if your representative did not live in the district he claimed to represent? This is the reality for 78,000 Cumberland County and eastern Putnam County residents.

Cameron Sexton is the speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing the 25th House district, consisting of Cumberland County and parts of Putnam County.

Heightened scrutiny has been brought upon the Speaker after the unjust expulsion of Representatives Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis after they participated in a peaceful protest on the House floor, much of which was during a recess called by Speaker Sexton mere seconds into the disruption. The representatives were quickly reinstated by their respective county commissioners.

According to the Capitol website, until recently, the Speaker listed 186 Homestead Drive in Crossville as his official residence. This makes sense, as Crossville is within the 25th House district. However, according to records, Speaker Sexton sold this home in 2020 and bought a small condo in Cumberland County, which is listed as his primary residence.

However, areport published by journalist Judd Legum revealed that Sexton’s youngest child is enrolled at Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy, a private Christian school near Goodlettsville, 123 miles by car from Crossville. If the speaker lived in Crossville, why would he drive 246 miles round-trip to send his children to school?

When pressed on this issue by NewsChannel 5 Investigative Journalist Phil Williams, Sexton admitted that he and his family do live in Nashville. There are several lawmakers who own homes or condos in Nashville to be used during the time that the General Assembly is in session. However, Sexton lives in Nashville full time. He argues that this is acceptable because his duties as Speaker require him to be in Nashville very often. However, this response still does not explain why he lives in Nashville year-round, as opposed to only while the General Assembly is in session.

Furthermore, according to Cumberland County property tax data, the Sextons have unpaid property taxes on their Crossville residence dating back to 2021. Even Sexton’s Nashville home, which he purchased in 2021, has unpaid property taxes dating back to 2022, according to a new report published by Legum on April 13.

The most damning issue revealed is Cameron’s per diem payments from the legisla-

ture. For example, according to the 2022 House Ledger Sheet, Sexton reported working on official business just 42 days outside of the fourmonth legislative session. But when he is not conducting official business, Sexton still appears to live in Nashville.

This presents a problem due to representatives living in and around Davidson County being entitled to a much lower rate for transportation to the Capitol. In 2021, Sexton reported around $30,000 in travel expenses for a 230-mile round trip, presumably once a week while in session. However, seeing that the speaker lives in Nashville the majority of the time, this money has been, in a sense, stolen from the state because, even though the money was written off as travel expenses as it should be if the speaker is living in Nashville full time as he stated, he will have received far too much money for travel from Crossville when, in reality, he lives in Davidson County.

When the House is up for reelection next year, do not be surprised if challenges to the Speaker’s residency are utilized by Democratic opponents such as Anne Ferrell Quillen, the chair of the Cumberland County Democratic Party and two-time nominee challenging Sexton, or even individuals within his own party who are tired of the charade and want to see a transition of power.

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.

East Tennessee Maverick: Tennessee Three and the state of democracy

Black lawmakers, along with the threat to oust Knoxville’s own Gloria Johnson, has forever stained Tennessee’s reputation to the outside world. Some may say the messy ordeal is over now with the reinstatement of Jones and Pearson, but this could not be further from the truth. The threat to Tennessee’s democracy is still a clear and present danger.

Firstly, we cannot forget why the Tennessee Three protested on the House floor to begin with — the brutal deaths of three kids and three staff members at Covenant School in Nashville. State House Republicans decided to create a political sideshow to distract our state from talk of desperately needed gun reform.

blood. These expulsion processes would not have taken place if these lawmakers were white Republicans. The House GOP has no qualms with attempting to quash rising, progressive Black leaders.

Thirdly, laying aside the blatant discrimination, the unnecessary expulsions were an attack on democracy itself. Around 210,000 citizens would have completely lost their representation if all three were expelled. When their constituents were able to have a say, after the expulsions of Jones and Pearson, the Nashville Metro Council and Shelby County Commission each voted unanimously to reinstate their lawmaker.

However, the expulsion process can still be abused again. Tennessee’s democracy is still threatened. That is why we, the young generation and students of our state, must continue to rally. This is why we must vote. Our protest must continue, for this is what democracy looks like.

So to my fellow students, we must close ranks and stand shoulder-to-shoulder to stop the conservative-induced backsliding of democracy in Tennessee. We can either be active and climb upwards into a bright new day, or we can ignore these injustices and fall back into a time that our ancestors so desperately fought to scale out of.

The Tennessee General Assembly’s blatant disregard of democracy with the expulsions of Justin Jones and Justin Pearson grabbed front-page headlines and the national spotlight of the American conscience.

The unjust expulsions of these two young

Instead of a distraction, this political maneuvering was seen by students and commonsense citizens for what it really was: a brazen attempt at a scare tactic to forcefully silence the opposition. The Tennessee GOP has established a dangerous precedent nationwide that extreme political retribution can be used to crack down on those they disagree with. A simple breaking of House rules, which had no precedent for expulsion in our entire state’s history, was met with the nuclear option because of who the protesting lawmakers were and what they represent.

Secondly, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson are both among the legislature’s youngest Black Democrats and have activism in their

Lastly, in their expulsions of Jones and Pearson, Speaker Sexton and the House Republicans attempted to silence the voice of the next generation. Our generation. They sought to destroy the youth’s momentum that is pleading for gun reform, but they have failed. Jones and Pearson have not been silenced. We have not been silenced.

In the past few weeks, there has been an awakening. The young generation of Tennessee, particularly among the students, has plainly seen the authoritarian and racist actions committed by the General Assembly. This movement cannot be stomped out by disinformation, fascist abuse of power or wicked scare tactics.

Rally on campus, rally to the Capitol and, most importantly, rally to the ballot box. The movement can only succeed when each person makes that small individual choice to lift up others. So I ask of you: rally.

Will Bowen is a sophomore studying political science. He can be reached at wbowen1@vols.utk.edu.

WALKER KINSLER Columnist

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 is a sophomore studying political science. He can be reached at wkinsler@vols.utk.edu.

Columnist Will Bowen writes that Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Cameron Sexton, does not live in the district he represents. Rough Tough, Real Stu� photography / Creative Commons

Gloria Johnson, Tennessee State Representative from Knoxville, speaks at the United Campus Workers rally at the Torchbearer on UTK’s campus.

Edward Cruz / The Daily Beacon

‘Something Special’

CALEB JARREAU Staff Writer

Larry Simcox took a trip up to Louisville, Kentucky, to watch a kid play in 1989. The kid grew up Catholic, and both of his parents were from Indiana. Notre Dame wanted him to play baseball, and that seemed like the easy choice.

Simcox – then infield coach for Tennessee – wanted the kid bad. A young Chris Burke had impressed the infield coach, who had recruited the likes of Todd Helton. Then head coach Rod Delmonico, the coach who brought the Vols to Omaha three times in 10 years, also liked what he saw in Burke.

The coaches brought Burke down to Knoxville. Little did they know then, Burke would become one of the most decorated players in Tennessee history and a Tennessee Athletics Hall of Famer.

“You could tell that he was just, a baseball guy,” Simcox recalled in a conversation with The Daily Beacon. “I mean, the questions he asked and things of that nature. I remember writing in my notes when I talked to him the first time, ‘This guy’s a baseball rat.’”

Simcox called Burke the first day he could with the recruiting calendar — July 1. Burke questioned Simcox about Tennessee’s program and its play style. Where would Burke fit into that program?

“He was always mature above his age,” Simcox said.”You’re talking to a 17-yearold kid … You just knew he understood the game.”

The decision for Burke came down to Tennessee and Notre Dame. The Catholic kid from northern Kentucky shocked his family. He wanted to play for the Vols.

“What parents would let their kid go to Tennessee when they had Notre Dame?” Burke said. “Like, who, who would do that? My parents did.”

Burke joined a Tennessee team that had been at the top of college baseball. Delmonico had just led Tennessee to its second College World Series appearance and three SEC championships. They had produced top talent like the 1995 National Player of the Year Helton and first-round draft pick R.A. Dickey.

Tennessee’s playstyle fit Burke. The Vols loved to run, steal bases and play gritty baseball. He wanted to be a part of that.

“We had a lot of success at that time and were winning at a high level,” Simcox said. “He wanted to come in and be part of that, and we’re glad we got him.”

Burke had a bone to pick going into col-

lege. He didn’t get drafted out of high school, which was unexpected for the prospect out of St. Xavier High School, which has produced athletes like former Red Sox pitcher Paul Byrd and former NBA player Scott Padgett. The 5-foot-11 infielder was told by a professional scout that he was not projectable to the big league.

“You don’t say that to Chris Burke, because he’s going to carry that chip on his shoulder to rest his career,” Simcox said.

Burke took that chip on his shoulder and hit the ground running his freshman year.

He was named a freshman All-American in 1999, leading Tennessee offensively with a .372 batting average. He broke the freshman record for hits (87) and doubles (25).

“From day one he came here, he was a hard worker,” Simcox said. “He was a hard worker in the weight room. I probably hit more ground balls to that guy in three years than any other player I’ve ever coached.”

After a successful summer playing in the Great Lakes League, Burke built on his freshman-year success. Playing second base and batting leadoff, he started all 63 games for the Vols in 2000.

In the midst of “gorilla ball” and BESR bats, Burke hit .401 as a sophomore and led the SEC with 109 hits.

Burke finished as the club’s leading hitter, leading the United States to a gold medal in the Honkbal Tournament in Haarlem, The Netherlands. His play for Team USA got the attention of professional scouts.

The scouts watched as Burke began his junior season, a season that would go down as one of the best individual seasons in Tennessee history.

“He told me one day after we got through taking ground balls, he said, ‘Slim, I don’t want there to be one play that I can’t make,’” Simcox recalled. “And that’s kind of where he was. Whether it was a backhand slow roller ball at the middle, whatever it was, he wanted to be able to make that play. Because he took a lot of pride in his game.”

Burke became the first Vol to hit for the cycle his junior year against Vanderbilt, a year where he was responsible for 24.4% of the Vols’ run production.

While hitting leadoff his junior year, Burke reached base more than 50% of the time.

“We didn’t want to ever get in the game in the ninth inning, and he’s on deck when the game’s over,” Simcox said. “So we tried to lead him off to get him up there as many times as we could. He was a catalyst.”

Burke etched his name in the record books during his junior season. He still holds the re-

cord for runs scored (224), hits (314), singles (199), doubles (72), triples (17), total bases (498) and extra-base hits (115). During his junior season alone, he led the NCAA in hits (118), runs scored (105) and runs per game (1.57).

Despite all his accolades and accomplishments, nothing stands out more than game two of the 2001 Super Regionals. Tennessee took a trip to East Carolina, also a program in its heyday at the time. After winning a backand-forth offensive matchup in game one, the Vols were locked in a pitcher’s duel.

“Chris is one of the best competitors I’ve ever coached,” Simcox said. “He hated to lose. He never took an at-bat off. We could be playing in Omaha, we could be playing the opening weekend series of that season or we could have been intrasquading in February and it’s 20 degrees. He never wanted to lose an at-bat. He was that kind of competitor.”

Batting lead-off, Burke drew a walk in the bottom of the eighth to bring Stevie Daniel up to bat. Daniel was up with the bases loaded and a chance for Tennessee to take the lead.

Simcox, coaching third base, watched Daniel strike out his first two times to the plate.

“I walked over there to him after he struck out the second time,” Simcox said. “I said, ‘Hey, keep your head up. We’re gonna need a big bat out of you before this game’s over,’ because I knew it was gonna be that kind of game. I mean, it was a packed house and intense.”

Daniel cranked a home run off of East Carolina’s scoreboard to put the Vols up 6-3 going into the last half inning. Burke remembers the memory of rounding the bases, imagining a trip to the College World Series.

“We’re going to the World Series, it was the first time I’d really let my mind get there,” Burke said. “We went out there and got three outs in the ninth and, and headed to Omaha. So I would say that to me, that’s the memory that’s probably the most vivid.”

Burke was the soul of that 2001 team that earned a trip to Omaha. His banner season would go without hardware, but Tennessee flashed its offense in the College World Series.

The Vols scored 48 runs to fight through the loser’s bracket and become one of the final four teams alive. Eventual National Champion Miami ousted Tennessee, and ended Burke’s career at Tennessee.

Burke went on to get drafted 10th overall by the Houston Astros and played five years in Major League Baseball. He had his name etched into Tennessee Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2013.

On Friday, Burke returned to Tennessee to be inducted into the UT Athletics Hall of Fame on the 10-year anniversary of his induction into the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame.

Burke fought back tears in his acceptance speech as he thanked his wife and family for their support. His voice cracked as he thanked the coaches who offered the Catholic kid from Louisville a chance to play SEC Baseball.

“Why did he offer me a scholarship?”

Burke said in his speech on Friday night. “It was the perfect place for me to play. (Simcox) and Coach Delmonico were the perfect coaches for me to play for. A little dude who loves to run, loves to swing and bat, probably bigger than I probably should’ve, but they never told me not to. Thankful for that.”

Today, Burke’s voice can be heard all over ESPN broadcasts as he shares his love for college baseball. More often than not, Burke is in the booth at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

“He’s been a great ambassador for the University of Tennessee,” Simcox said. “When he does SEC network, that’s just another example of his knowledge and excitement that he has for college baseball.”

As Tony Vitello raises Tennessee baseball back onto the national stage, Burke gets a first-hand view from the broadcasting booth and someone who now gets to cover the sport.

As he shares stories of the Vols’ success under Vitello, he gets to tell stories about Delmonico’s success at Tennessee — the coach who made Tennessee baseball something “special,” as Burke told it. Simocox and Delmonico took the Vols to Omaha three times in 10 years.

“That’s a big deal,” Burke said. With his records still intact at Tennessee, Burke can add another illustrious thing to his collegiate baseball career – Tennessee Athletics Hall of Famer.

“I’m just so proud of him,” Simcox said. “He comes from a great family. The family was always very supportive. I’m just so proud of him because of the career he had, the kind of character he had. He’s been such a great ambassador for Tennessee baseball.”

How a kid from Louisville became one of the greatest baseball players in Tennessee history.

Chris Burke (right) stands next to former Vols’ assistant coach Larry Simcox (left). Courtesy of Larry Simcox