Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Tennessee boasts successful 2023 NFL Dra , ve Vols taken o the board

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Daniel Dassow

MANAGING EDITOR: Abby Ann Ramsey

COPY CHIEF: Olivia Hayes

NEWS EDITOR: Autumn Hall

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Emma Coffey

SPORTS EDITOR: Andrew Peters

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: Eric Woods

DIGITAL PRODUCER: Lauren Ward

PHOTO EDITOR: Ericksen Gomez-Villeda

DESIGN EDITOR: Bella Hughes

PAGE DESIGNERS: Emma Fingeret, Rhylee Gross, Julia Paulman

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Jackie Dremel

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Cullen Askew

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES: Shelby Coppock, Jacob Stromatt

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION ARTISTS: Jean Mendoza, Everrett Hurst

ABOUT THE COVER: Jaylen Hyatt (11) and Hendon Hooker (5) face the crowd during the game against Alabama on October 15, 2022.

Nolan Keesee / Contributor

CONTACTS

TO REPORT A NEWS ITEM OR SUBMIT A PRESS RELEASE, please email editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com or call (865) 974-2348

TO PLACE AN AD, please email admanager@utk.edu.

LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor must be exclusive to The Daily Beacon and cannot have been submitted to or published by other media. Letters should not exceed 400 words and can be edited or shortened for space. Letters can also be edited for grammar and typographical errors, and Letters that contain excessive grammatical errors can be rejected for this reason.

Anonymous Letters will not be published. Authors should include their full name, mailing address, city of residence, phone number and e-mail address for verification purposes. Letters submitted without this information will not be published. The preferred method to submit a Letter to the Editor is to email the Editor-inChief.

CORRECTIONS POLICY:It is the Daily Beacon’s policy to quickly correct any factual errors and clarify any potentially misleading information. Errors brought to our attention by readers or staff members will be corrected and printed on page two of our publication. To report an error please send as much information as possible about where and when the error occurred to managingeditor@utdailybeacon.com, or call our newsroom at (865) 974-5206.

The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee on Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters. The offices are located at 1345 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 379960314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year or $100/semester. It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com

‘I’ve cried a lot’: PBS Ukraine correspondent Nick Schifrin discusses empathy in journalism

ALLIE CAMPBELL Contributor

PBS NewsHour’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent Nick Schifrin joined the College of Communication and Information as keynote speaker for the International Reporting Symposium on Friday afternoon to discuss his experiences covering the war in Ukraine and provide advice for journalism students on resilience.

After an introduction from doctoral student Teodora Trifonova, Schifrin emphasized the importance of asking the right question to shine light on a person’s trauma without exploiting it. In a story, Schifrin showed how the simple statement “Tell me about your son” to a grieving Ukrainian mother captured the humanity and dignity that Russian forces stole from an innocent boy.

He detailed the struggles and pain that came with telling stories in such broken parts of the world. From Pakistan and Afghanistan where he lived for four years, to Ukraine, China and several others that he visited, each of them brings a new emotional injury.

“Each trip is a scar that needs years to heal,” Schifrin said.

In 2014, he reported live from Gaza in the middle of a two-month war with Israel. He was so close to the explosions that they drowned out his own voice on a broadcast. He received a text from his mother who had been watching, which read “You cannot go before I do.”

Schifrin said the reason he is able to justify the emotional trauma, lost relationships and pain that his job as a war correspondent causes his loved ones is the purpose behind his work.

“(We) find the trauma … so we can convey it in a way that is both meaningful and memorable to audiences many thousand miles away,” Schifrin said.

The award-winning journalist’s transparency allowed the audience to see his humanity. He noted how important it is for journalists to keep themselves open to emotion. Despite the six wars that he has covered, he still feels immense pain for the people he meets.

“I’ve cried a lot in interviews over the years,” Schifrin said.

He then told the story of his trip to a small city in Ukraine called Balakliya this past October. The Ukrainian police took him to see a former police station in the middle of the town that the Russians had taken over to imprison Ukrainian people. He described this experience as a “tour into the heart of darkness.” One of the prisoners had engraved the Lord’s prayer on the cell wall, including the words “deliver us from evil.”

An audience member asked Schifrin if he spoke any other languages and if it is difficult to communicate with the people he’s interviewed. He said that while he spoke Hindi and Arabic when he was abroad, he doesn’t think it is necessary to speak the same language in order to communicate with someone with the help of a translator. Schrifin believes that if he looks someone in the eye and demonstrates a willingness to understand what they are going through, then the communication is natural.

He then led a panel discussion with four University of Tennessee scholars whose expertise lie in Ukraine, Russia and Eastern Europe in a discussion about the war in Ukraine.

Elis Vllasi, a senior research associate at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, spoke about the 20% of Ukraine, about 42,000 square miles, that is currently occupied by Russia, which is equivalent in size to the state of Tennessee.

Natalie Rice, who works with CCI Research and Innovation Center on disinformation research and warfare techniques, then spoke about the 70% of Russian people that are in support of the war effort and have been born and raised under the misinformation spread by Russian state media. Many of the older generation likely sees Putin as a source of support, so it

would be very difficult to reframe this narrative.

Nataliia Yakushko, a doctoral student in the Haslam College of Business who is from Crimea, discussed the hope that still lives within the people of Ukraine. She said they all believe in their country and they believe they will successfully take back occupied territory from Russia. She also raised the importance of journalists at this crucial time in the war.

“It’s important to show what’s actually happening,” Yakushko said.

When Lindsay Young Professor of History Vejas Liulevicius was asked about the success of Ukraine, he discussed the ways that the nation has already defied expectations.

“There’s a way in which Ukraine already has won and had a huge effect and that is to frustrate a lot of the experts,” Liulevicius said.

“Whether political experts or military experts were convinced that Kyiv would fall immediately, the leadership would scatter and some new structure would be built entirely at the whim of Putin.”

The panel members each made clear that the current war between Ukraine and Russia is being framed by the people suffering through it as a war between good and evil.

(From left to right) PBSNewsHour Foreign A�airs and Defense Correspondent Nick Schifrin, the Baker Center’s Elis Vllasi, CCI’s Natalie Rice, Ukrainian doctoral student Nataliia Yakushko and Lindsay Young Professor of History Vejas Liulevicius. Courtesy of Teodora Trifanova

Center for Financial Wellness promotes financial literacy, planning tips

KYLIA BERRY Staff Writer

Planning out your financial and educational decisions can be overwhelming. While you are still determining your financial stability, the Center for Financial Wellness strives to educate students about financial decisions so that they will be able to achieve their goals.

The CFW offers students access to financial aid tools and calculators to better foresee their financial standing.

“We recognize that every student is in a different place in their financial wellness and, therefore, needs different types of support and information,” Philippa Satterwhite, coordinator for financial wellness and education in the Center for Financial Wellness, said.

Your financial decisions are critical for a successful and stress-free college experience.

Aliah Mahalati, a junior majoring in political science and theater, went to a CFW seminar and believes the information she learned to be valuable.

“I think that the information and recommendations that they gave us were definitely helpful, and although it was information I already knew and was practicing, I believe it could make a huge difference for a new student

trying to navigate finances for the first time,” Mahalati said.

The CFW understands the difficulty of navigating through the finances that college students encounter.

“The financial aid process can be very complicated for a first-time student, but we work hard at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to provide as many resources as possible to assist them,” Satterwhite said.

One of the resources provided by the CFW is CashCourse which helps to inform students about their financial decisions. The CashCourse website acknowledges the importance of financial literacy in the 21st century. The website offers a self-guided interactive website to help students budget, review terms of student loans and good credit and recognize theft and scams the students may face. Students can create a free account using their UT email address.

“CashCourse provides all students at UT the opportunity to take a self-guided course on the topics they would like to know more about and can learn at a time that is most convenient to them,” Satterwhite said.

Students are provided with a net price and loan calculator to shed light on financial success. The net price calculator estimates your financial aid and out-of-pocket costs based on the information you enter about yourself and

your family. The loan calculator helps families identify the best loan for their academic goals. The CFW team is committed to providing the next and most adequate financial plan to support you and your family.

“The calculators on the Center for Financial Wellness website are meant to help students better understand how much they are borrowing and how long it will take to repay their loans,” Satterwhite said.

The Center offers an interactive spending plan to identify your sources of income and expenses throughout your education. Spending plans help identify our patterns of costs and differentiate between our needs and wants. The program allows students to manage their finances and spend according to their budget effectively.

The CFW also has a list of unfamiliar termsto help search for financial aid information with CFW’s financial tools. The center has broken down the words to assist you with your financial success. Understanding these terms will allow students to make well-informed financial decisions.

The University of Tennessee strives to provide 85% of undergraduates with financial aid and scholarships. In the center, students can evaluate their eligibility for different scholarship types.

“A mission of the Center for Financial Well-

ness is to provide our campus and community with resources to educate and guide them when navigating financial decision-making by gaining financial literacy knowledge and money management skills, to encourage productive lifelong financial habits and practices and to advocate for a broader campus-wide culture of financial literacy and wellness,” Satterwhite said.

Philippa Satterwhite, coordinator of financial wellness and education, welcomes students to the Cones and Loans event in Hodges Library on April 25. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

UT works with Native tribes to return thousands of ancestors, objects home

Ellen Lofaro, director of repatriation for UT, said that ProPublica’s data, drawn from the National Park Service, focuses on one step of the lengthy process of repatriation.

Under the federal law, the first step of repatriation is the creation of inventories and summaries of all ancestors and funerary objects, which are submitted to the national NAGPRA office. Then, the process of consulting with tribal nations and receiving claims from the tribes begins. Once tribal and institutional representatives have met and consulted, a repatriation notice is drafted and published in the Federal Register. Only once these steps have been completed can the physical return of ancestral remains and objects begin.

ProPublica drew data from notices published in the Federal Register to determine how many ancestral remains had been made available for return.

Repatriation is a years-long process that relies on the development of relationships between museums and universities and tribal representatives. Anytime UT has hosted NAGPRA-related meetings, Lofaro, who holds a doctorate in anthropology, said the university has invited all 21 tribal nations with ancestral land ties to Tennessee.

Shortly after Lofaro took on her role as director of repatriation in 2020, UT received several large claims from tribal representatives, which represented around 15 years of work ahead.

“The scope of the work is a challenge,” Lofaro said. “We still have decades of work to complete these repatriations due to several factors, including Tribal consultation, the number of claims, and the formal paperwork process. Often, Native Nations will delay placing a NAGPRA claim until they have a suitable reburial area, which can take years, sometimes decades, to obtain.”

reimagined its 22-year-old “Archaeology & the Native Peoples of Tennessee” exhibit as a space where emptiness and transition are put on display.

Renamed “Repatriation of Archaeology & the Native Peoples of Tennessee,” the exhibit features quotes from tribal representatives and many empty display cases which once housed hundreds of funerary objects.

The space is markedly candid in its presentation of the process of repatriation, which typically happens behind walls and archive doors. It also tells the story of how the ancestral remains came to UT and the museum, a history in which the Tennessee Valley Authority destroyed Native cultural sites before damning large swaths of the state for hydroelectric power in the 1930s. The university held a contract with the agency as a repository of exhumed remains and objects.

These contracts and the arrival of ancestors to UT happened before McClung Museum was opened in 1963. The museum has never displayed ancestral remains for public viewing.

The repatriation exhibit inhabits a space in transition, as the museum prepares for its upcoming exhibit titled “A Sense of Indigenous Place: Native American Voices and the Mound at the University of Tennessee,” which is scheduled to open in January 2025.

Lisa King, an associate professor of English at UT and an expert in Indigenous museum spaces, is leading the development of the exhibit, which will highlight the significance of the university’s oldest monument, a Native American burial mound on the Ag Campus which dates back to as early as 600 C.E., as well as Indigenous placemaking practices.

While some mainstay artifacts of the old exhibit — notably the too-large-to-move, 32-foot-6-inch canoe — will stay in the mound exhibit, many parts of the space will be updated.

and to land,” King said.

As it has developed, the exhibit has received $445,000 from two grants, one from the Henry Luce Foundation and the other from the Terra Foundation for American Art. This funding will go towards the creation of the museum space and of a digital exhibit that will make the information and artifacts available to a much wider audience.

The work of returning ancestors and their sacred objects home is emotionally hefty, and it brings into play a central question about what kinds of knowledge non-Native peoples and non-members of tribal nations are allowed access to.

Miranda Panther, NAGPRA officer for the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, lives in the EBCI’s territory of the Qualla Boundary in western North Carolina and is married to a member of the tribe. Her job is to submit all repatriation claims and see the work of NAGPRA through to the end.

“It’s a human rights issue,” Panther said. “I think everyone should feel emotional about it, just imagining boxes upon boxes of people and their belongings just sitting on shelves waiting … for someone to care enough or be patient enough to be able to get them back.”

Panther has worked closely with King, Lofaro and the staff at McClung to organize meetings with tribal representatives and process the many rounds of paperwork required by law. But what she does not have access to as a nontribal member is the ceremony that comes at the end of repatriation: the return of ancestors back into the land that gave them life.

In 1990, Congress passed landmark legislation requiring government agencies, museums and universities to facilitate the return of Indigenous ancestral remains and funerary objects in their holdings to the tribes where they rightfully belong.

Over 30 years later, institutions across the country, including UT, are ramping up their efforts to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, better known as NAGPRA.

UT sits among the institutions with the most Native American ancestral remains and funerary objects in its holding. Earlier this year, the nonprofit investigative journalism group ProPublica launched a multifaceted, data-driven series called The Repatriation Project, which revealed that UT places 7th in the nation for the most remains not yet made available for return to tribal nations.

As of Dec. 9, 2022, the university held 4,329 Native remains that had not yet been made available for return.

UT has made recent progress on repatriation through the NAGPRA process. Since 2016, the university has repatriated more than 2,100 ancestral remains and 15,000 funerary objects to Native tribes, increasing the university’s repatriation claims from 4% to 37% complete.

“We will continue to build relationships and consult with Native Nations every step of the way,” Lofaro said. “The work is important, and we are dedicated to continuing to make progress.”

Alongside staff and faculty at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, Lofaro and the Department of Anthropology are currently working with four tribal nations: the Cherokee Nation, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, all of which have ancestral land ties to Knox County.

McClung Museum has played a central role not only in facilitating the repatriation process, but in making the work visible and legible to a public audience. In August 2022, the museum

A visitor to the old archaeological exhibit may have left with the sense that Native American peoples’ history ended at colonization. In fact, timelines in the exhibit which compared historical periods in Tennessee to major world events ended at Columbus’s arrival in the New World. Murals on the walls, which will be removed in the new exhibit, depicted scenes of prehistoric Indigenous life in North America, including woolly mammoths and the production of arrowheads.

The exhibit did not present factually inaccurate information, but King said it told a curated story of Native peoples that did not include their lives in the present day. She hopes the new exhibit spaces, conceived in direct consultation with tribal nations, will tell a different story.

“Rather than having a visual representation of a frozen past, or an end, instead, you see culture coming in to the present, that Tribal nations are alive and they’re thriving and they’re still very much connected to culture, to practice

“We don’t have a specific ceremony for NAGPRA reburials because, you know, Indigenous people could have never imagined that their graves would be desecrated or robbed in the future, so they didn’t have any kind of ceremony set aside for that type of event,” Panther said.

Lofaro and McClung Museum recommend that students visit the repatriation exhibit to get a fuller sense of the emotional heft and importance of the process.

For Pilar Garcia, a senior studying English and the leader of the Native American Student Association, walking into the new space was an emotional journey.

Garcia, a descendant of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, was especially impacted by a quote from Johi Griffin Jr., historical sites keeper in EBCI’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office, which now covers an exhibit wall: “I believe that that there is no greater honor than having the responsibility of returning our ancestors back to where they belong, in Mother Earth and not on a shelf.”

“I came here with a friend and I saw how much had changed and I cried,” Garcia said. “I started crying right there.”

DANIEL DASSOW Editor-in-Chief

Lisa King admires the original Archeology and the Native Peoples of Tennessee exhibit on July 27, 2022. Ericksen GomezVilleda / The Daily Beacon

MFLL becomes Department of World Languages and Cultures, introduces Korean

nificant need for translators to help individuals and families with limited English proficiency.”

The Modern Foreign Languages and Literature department has undergone a few changes.

For starters, the department was recently renamed as “World Languages and Cultures” (WLC). This decision was made, in part, due to increasingly negative connotations surrounding the word “foreign.”

“As a department, we decided that the expression ‘Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures’ does not adequately convey the scope of our mission and curriculum,” Luis Cano, department head and professor of Spanish, said. “The term ‘foreign’ is becoming increasingly problematic, suggesting a division of the world into the United States and everyone else.”

Cano explained that the adjective “modern” has often been associated with European languages and is a negative influence to perception of other languages.

In addition to the name change, the program will undergo an array of other changes as it continues to grow and evolve. In August, the interdisciplinary Asian Studies program will move to WLC. Additionally, the department will begin offering introductory Korean

language and culture courses.

Another new feature will be an increased focus on translation. Graduate students will be able to pursue a translation certification starting in fall 2023, and the undergraduate curriculum will place a greater emphasis on practical translation.

“In conjunction with our current com-

munity outreach and experiential learning projects, we expect this new development will further strengthen our ties with the community,” Cano said. “It will offer students added opportunities to consolidate their language skills while supporting various social-focused organizations in East Tennessee with a sig-

Study abroad will continue to be a large part of the program. The department is adding a new Japan study abroad opportunity for summer 2023, alongside maintaining its current programs in Costa Rica, Chile, France, Germany and Italy.

All of these decisions were made following dialogue between faculty, students, alumni and staff.

Małgorzata Citko-DuPlantis, an assistant professor of Japanese and a new member to the UT community, says she is happy that her input was considered despite her being new and that it demonstrated the commitment the department has to inclusivity and cooperation.

“It shows that we, as a department, can come together and agree on the direction of our vision and adjust our curriculums, as well as look into the future aware of the inevitable change,” Citko-DuPlantis said. “I’m very fortunate to be a faculty member in such an open, friendly and inclusive environment.”

The WLC department will host a meet-andgreet on Wednesday, May 3 at the HSS Amphitheater from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The community is encouraged to stop by and meet faculty and staff, as well as take part in games, food and music.

Taylor Swift shatters records and expectations at Eras Tour in Atlanta

Since Taylor Swift’s “Reputation Tour” in 2018, the singer has released four albums and rerecorded two others, so it is safe to say there is a lot to catch up on. The “Eras Tour” offers the unique opportunity for fans to experience Taylor Swift’s 10 studio albums.

The “Eras Tour” consists of 52 dates and 20 stadiums starting at State Farm Arena in Arizona. From April 28-30, Taylor Swift visited Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta to perform three sold out shows to nearly 300,000 people over the span of the weekend.

Walking into the stadium, the energy was high. The lines for merchandise seemed endless. People complimented outfits and costumes. A community was brought together by a love for Taylor Swift.

The opening acts featured up-and-coming artists Gracie Abrams and Beebadoobee who performed as people filed into the stadium.

Everyone anxiously awaited as a countdown was shown on the screen as the timer ticked down until 7:51 p.m. — seven plus five plus one equals 13, Taylor Swift’s lucky number.

For over three hours, Taylor Swift had everyone on their feet to celebrate her past 17 years of music. Every audience member was given a wristband

that lit up, and the entire stadium was connected in a brilliant light show.

Starting off with hits from “Lover,” including “You Need to Calm Down” and “The Man,” Taylor Swift made a statement with bedazzled Louboutin boots.

Moving into a forest scene with fake trees and cloaks, Taylor Swift performed hits from “Evermore.” The album was created during the pandemic, and Swift expressed how much she had hoped to perform live again.

“During the pandemic, no one knew what live music was going to look like … And especially while writing this song, I wanted so badly to sing it to you all,” Swift said before signing “Champagne

Problems” and playing the accompaniment on the piano.

While singing “Champagne Problems,” the audience lit up the stadium with phone lights. Swift was taken aback by the gesture.

“Did you guys plan that?” Swift said.

The concert continued with captivating dances and visual effects. During performances of “Look What You Made Me Do,” the different versions of Taylor Swift were re-enacted, hinting at the song’s music video. There were pyrotechnics used during “Bad Blood” as the screens showed the “Eras House” burning down. The finale songs from “Midnights” included fireworks in the experience.

Swift’s outfits ranged from sparkly bodysuits to a ball gown as well as the iconic t-shirt for “22” and gold fringe dress for “Fearless.” Audience members’ outfits are also worth noting, often featuring sequin, costumes from the music videos and the occasional play on words based on song lyrics.

With every performance, Swift performs two “surprise songs” that are only performed in that particular show. Many audience members were guessing which songs she would choose.

“I think it’ll be a song from her original album, like ‘Teardrops on my Guitar,’” one audience member said.

For this performance, the surprise songs were “The Other Side of the Door” from “Fearless” and “Coney Island” from “Evermore.”

“I can’t believe you guys actually know this song,” Swift said while performing “The Other Side of the Door.”

As Swift performed the full 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” many audience members were vocal about their disliking of Swift’s ex, Jake Gyllenhaal, who the song is rumored to be about.

“Give her the scarf back, Jake!” One near-by audience member shouted.

Overall, the vast range of music genres and styles appealed to a diverse community that were all brought together by Taylor Swift. The show was nostalgic and fresh at the same time and will likely continue breaking records as the tour continues.

ANDI JONES Contributor

On April 28-30, Taylor Swift visited Mercedes Benz Stadium in Georgia to perform three sold-out shows to nearly 300,000 people over the span of the weekend. Andi Jones / Contributor

AURORA SILAVONG Staff Writer

Foreign language students pose with their national flags after performing in MFLL’s talent show in Cox Auditorium. Daniel Dassow / The Daily Beacon

Graduate assistants, integral part of teaching force, petition for higher pay

DANIEL DASSOW Editor-in-Chief

On April 25, over 75 staff, faculty and students rallied in McClung Plaza in support of a petition from United Campus Workers that calls for an increase to base stipends and cost of living adjustments for graduate teaching assistants and associates, students who often serve as primary instructors for 100 and 200-level courses.

According to data from UT’s Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Analysis, the median pay for the university’s 1,154 graduate teaching assistants is $18,000. While this figure represents a 4% increase in median pay since 2019, the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors estimates that rents have increased around 47% in that same time. In 2022, rent growth in Knoxville outpaced every other city in the U.S. with a 9.6% growth rate.

At the rally, students shared stories about rent payments higher than their minimum monthly stipends of $1,200 a month, or $14,400 a year. Students reported the difficulties of getting medical care or childcare in addition to their stress over increasing housing costs and decreasing housing availability, as

In their petition, which has received over 1,000 signatures, graduate students and organizers call for Chancellor Donde Plowman to raise the base stipend for graduate assistantships to $24,000 a year and to factor annual cost of living increases into stipend adjustments.

Ryan Ackett, a doctoral student in soil science and co-chair of the Graduate Committee of United Campus Workers, said he had heard many stories like these while working on the campaign.

“I’ve heard from fellow graduate students who don’t know how they are going to afford rent next year, who have been pushed out of their apartments, who are drowning in thousands of dollars of credit card debt, who are on food stamps or get all their groceries from food pantries,” Ackett said.

Around 40% of the 6,766 graduate and professional students enrolled at UT hold assistantships for research and teaching. Last May, the university announced that its budget for the 2022-23 academic year would eliminate mandatory fees for graduate assistants, a major victory for United Campus Workers and the Graduate Student Senate that saves students around $2,000 annually.

The students, faculty and staff who took the petition to Chancellor Donde Plowman’s office following the rally said that the eliminated fees do not account for their increased teaching and research loads, as well as cost of living.

“We do the research, we teach the classes, we grade the papers that bring this university

millions of dollar,” Ackett said. “The university can make this change for us.”

As the undergraduate student population grows, graduate students are assigned to fill instructional gaps in related fields. Elisha Brooks, a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Mathematics, was told he would teach two sections of a statistics course this semester, though he has never taken a statistics class himself.

At the rally, Brooks shared some numbers he’d run relating to his contribution as instructor for the two sections, which include around 65 students and close to 200 assignments to grade each week. Though he estimates his courses bring in over $147,000 in tuition in one year, his base stipend is $20,800 a year, or around 14% of the tuition yield.

“Without us, this school wouldn’t function,” Brooks said. “Thousands of undergrads are being taught and brining money into this school. That’s labor that we’re performing for this school. We need to be paid fairly for the labor that we do. Otherwise, that’s just theft, I don’t know how else to call it.”

At a time in higher education when more courses are being taught by graduate students and non-tenure-track faculty while administrative salaries and budgets increase, Brooks said that graduate students need to continue to petition for increased pay.

“We need to demand what is ours, demand what is fair, and keep the pressure on them,” Brooks said. “They’re not gonna care if we don’t make them care.”

Graduate students, staff and faculty gather in McClung Plaza to petition for higher pay for graduate assistants on April 25. Daniel Dassow / The Daily Beacon

popular stores, brands with best student discounts

counts include reduced rates on computers, iPads and even Apple Music and Apple TV+.

Converse

Week of 5/1/23 - 5/7/23

Being a college student can be very expensive, so it is important to take advantage of every deal you can find. Many students aren’t aware of the many discounts they can receive by presenting their student ID. So, here is a list of some of the best discounts you should take advantage of.

To unlock these student discounts, create an account with UNiDAYS, which is a completely free site that is a guide to student discounts. Most shops use this site to help verify that you are a student. Other sites might require you to create an account through SheerID or Student Beans, which are both free to join. These sites also offer various discounts throughout the year on their website that are exclusive to their members.

Adidas

Adidas is one of the leading athletic brands that sells products from tennis shoes to athletic wear and sports equipment. Students are offered 15% off as well as free shipping once they have verified their university through UNiDAYS. Some exclusions may apply, so be sure to pay attention to the fine print. These discounts can be applied at checkout or through the UNiDAYS website.

Amazon

Amazon offers students some of the best discounts. Not only do students get six months of Amazon Primefor free, but after the six-month free trial, students are offered a discounted rate of $7.49 a month for Amazon Prime. But, they also offer weekly promos to students which may include 15% off on computers, cell phones and more.

American Eagle and Aerie

American Eagle owns Aerie, so they can normally be found connected to each other. American Eagle focuses on trending clothes while Aerie sells intimate wear and lifestyle products. Students can receive a 20% discount online and in-store by verifying their status through UNiDAYS. These discounts can be applied at checkout or through the UNiDAYS website. In stores, students can present their UNiDAYS account to the workers to receive a discount.

Apple

Apple offers students many discounts throughout the year. These discounts are available to current and new college students and even their parents. Some dis-

Converse has been one of the most popular shoe brands of this generation and is easily one of the most recognizable shoes today. Students can receive 20% off online purchases when they verify their status through SheerID. Students will need to verify their status prior to checkout through this link.

Kate Spade

Kate Spade is known worldwide for its high-class handbags and purses, alongside sunglasses, hats and other accessories. Students can receive 10% off on select products when they verify their status through UNiDAYS. This discount is only available for online purchases. Kate Spade also offers a 15% discount with a Student Beans account.

Levi’s

Levi’s is one of the largest name-brand companies and a front-runner in jeanswear. On select apparel, students can receive up to 25% off by logging in through SheerID. This discount only applies to online purchases. Students can unlock their discount by following the directions on this page.

Nike

Nike – one of UT’s top sponsorships– is the number one athletic brand worldwide and also offers students one of the most generous discount plans. Once every 30 days, students can receive up to 10% off their online purchases by logging in through SheerID. Every month students will need to reverify their status through this link to receive a new discount.

Sperry

Sperry is the leading boating shoe but has become a daily wear for many students. Sperry offers students a 15% discount on online purchases once they verify their student ID through the customer service page. Once students verify their status, this discount can be applied to most purchases.

UGG

UGG has been a lifetime favorite shoe for many, not only for comfort but for daily wear. Students can receive 10% off any full-priced styles online by verifying their student status through UNiDAYS. Students will need to verify their status on UGG’s promotions page prior to checkout to receive a discount.

The Weekly Crossword by Margie E. Burke

Clarence Brown Theatre’s ‘Hair’ review: High energy cast, music

ABBIE SMITH Staff Writer

The musical “Hair” premiered at Clarence Brown Theatre on Friday, April 21. The musical is set in 1968 and focuses on the lives of a group of self-proclaimed “hippies” as they explore themes of sex, drugs and protest.

The story primarily follows a character named Claude, played by Owen Squire Smith, who struggles with the decision of joining the army when he is drafted for the Vietnam War. Other characters include the eccentric Berger (Robert Parker Jenkins), political activist Sheila (Christine Sage), Mick Jagger-loving Woof (Hogan Wayland) and pregnant Jeanie (Allison Bunch). Claude and Berger are the focal points of the story, though Claude’s problems are the main reason this story progresses.

Berger seems to be there for fun- he’s a character who offers advice to Claude and has a good time. He’s a little crazy, but it makes for a good show. Jenkins, the actor who plays Berger, embodied Berger well. In my opinion, his curly mullet was the cherry on top of the character, there was just something about it that fit. Jenkins also has an incredible singing voice with a wide range that never failed to surprise me.

As for the character whose singing voice car-

ried the show, in my opinion — Aleah Vassell, who played Dionne, took the cake. When she sang “Aquarius,” the first song of the show, I elbowed the friend with whom I went to the show, and I said “She’s got some chops on her!” She added depth to most songs, though I will never forget the goosebumps on my arms when I heard her sing “Aquarius.”

“Aquarius” was not the only song that gave me goosebumps. Every single one of these songs were fun and easy to listen to. They were catchy, especially songs like “Hashish,” “Hair” and “Black Boys/White Boys.”

Some moments in the musical were outdated but relevant for the time that the musical represented. It was jarring to hear slurs when I

wasn’t expecting it, but their use was relevant within the musical.

As for plot: it was hard to follow. I’ve talked to friends about it who have seen the musical before and they informed me that this is a “no plot” musical — there’s a problem, but not much seems to coincide with that problem. Claude’s story is all about what he’ll do, but the other stories of the many other members of the tribe were never explained. Berger mentioned in passing that he was expelled from high school, and there’s a song that references that as well, but there was nothing revolving around that detail. The story of “Hair” is, in my opinion, a bunch of little details trying to masquerade as a plot.

Overall, I would recommend this show.

The cast is phenomenal. There’s laughter, serious moments, audience interaction and anything else that you could desire while watching this show. Before the show even began, there were cast members wandering through the audience and talking to audience members while in character. My friend and I even got some face paint from one of the members of the Tribe — she drew orange peace signs and swirls on our cheeks, and it was fun to experience.

The costumes are some of the most fun, intricate and coveted costumes I have ever seen. Sheila’s jean jumpsuit stands out in particular. No one dresses up how people used to, and seeing this late ‘60s, early ‘70s fashion was very interesting and made me want to go to a vintage store or dig through the attics of my older relatives.

The music does not put you to sleep. There are times where I’ve watched musicals and caught my head tipping halfway through the show because the music is lulling me to sleep. This musical does not do that. The audience remains engaged the whole time because of the high energy that this music, and the cast performing it, brings to the show.

“Hair” will be shown until May 7 at Clarence Brown Theatre on campus and more information can be found here. Get your inner hippie on and enjoy the show.

8 coffee shops, productive spaces to visit during finals season

With finals coming up, it is important to find a productive space to start studying. If you are looking for places outside of your home or the library, here are eight coffee shops to check out in the area.

Likewise Coffee

This cute coffee shop is located alongside Raising a Voice, a non-profit organization. All profits from Likewise coffee go toward Raising a Voice so every cup of coffee is going toward a charitable cause. Likewise coffee is less than 10 minutes from campus, located near Caswell Park. Likewise offers unique coffee flavorings such as honey hazelnut and blueberry as well as $3 bagels.

Mahalo Coffee Shop

Located in Market Square, Mahalo is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. most days. The Australian-inspired decor and beachy music can help ease finals stress and remind you that summer is just around the corner. The current seasonal options include the coconut mocha and coco cabana.

Capybara Coffee

Capybara Coffee is a hidden gem in the

University Commons with a friendly and warm environment open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. most days. The recently released refreshing spring drinks including the cascara fizz and strawberry rosemary matcha. Although there are not any live capybaras, there are many pictures of the animals and various greenery to liven the study mood.

Honeybee Coffee Co.

Honeybee Coffee Co. has multiple locations in Knoxville, including one located across the river for residents not wanting to commute back over the bridge. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. most days, Honeybee is another great spot for a full day of studying. In addition to the usual cafe snacks, Honeybee Coffee Co. also offers flatbreads, such as the White Lotus featuring a white pesto base with roasted tomatoes, banana peppers and sausage.

Poindexter Coffee: Graduate Hotel

Poindexter coffee is a great option for the early risers, opening at 6 a.m. Poindexter is conveniently located inside the Graduate hotel on the strip, and while they stop serving at 1 p.m., seating is available all day. Poindexter serves the usual coffees and espresso drinks with breakfast pastries and snacks, including gluten-free bread for avocado toast.

Peet’s in Stokley

Peet’s is the latest addition to Stokley and provides easily accessible coffee on campus. Peet’s is known for its dark roasts, which means stronger coffee for a greater caffeine boost. The installment of Peet’s is one part of Vol Dining’s efforts to add more plantbased items to students, and Peet’s will be the sixth cafe on campus.

Golden Roast Melrose

Tried and true, Golden Roast on Melrose had to make the list. Golden Roast is located on the strip and is frequently crowded due to its unique flavors and numerous coffee tabs held there. Golden Roast has many popular signature drinks including the cookie butter mocha and big orange mocha. They recently released their spring items: the iced bramble, a blackberry latte with honey drizzle and the spring frost, a matcha with peppermint.

Awaken Coffee

Awaken Coffee in Old City provides a nearby option that still feels like a trip off campus. Open 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. most days, Awaken is great for all-day study sessions. Awaken coffee offers a large variety of flavors, including rose, lavender and cherry. During study breaks, enjoy one

of their muffins, or you can step out and visit one of the many Old City restaurants.

ANDI JONES Contributor

The cast of Clarence Brown Theatre’s latest production “Hair” performs a musical number. Courtesy of Ella Marston

Students meet and study in Awaken Coffee located in the Old City. File / The Daily Beacon

An appeal to UT after evaluating Chinese app ban

JINNING WANG Guest Columnist

Tennessee State legislation

SB 0843 was filed for introduction on Jan. 30 to prohibit a public institution of higher education that provides internet access to students, faculty, staff or the general public from allowing an individual to access a video platform using the institution’s network if the video platform is owned by a company headquartered outside of the United States.

Then, Amendment 1 was made to the bill on March 2 to specify the range as social media platforms operated or hosted by a company based in the People’s Republic of China.

UT’s Swift Response to TikTok Law

Following the signing of the law by Gov. Bill Lee on April 13, Ramon Padilla, CIO and Vice Chancellor for IT and Innovation, on behalf of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, send out an email on April 14 at 9:10 a.m. to inform the implemented TikTok law on the University of Tennessee System.

With zero prior notice to students, UT blocked access to WeChat, Sina Weibo, Tencent QQ, Tencent Video, Xiao HongShu, Douban, Zhihu, Meituan and Toutiao on campus Wi-Fi.

Potential Inappropriate Aspects of the Policy

While the policy of blocking access to certain social media platforms may have been implemented with good intentions, there are potential aspects of the policy that could be deemed inappropriate or concerning.

The policy was put into effect without prior notification or discussion with the entire university community, which has led to confusion and frustration among students, faculty and staff.

The lack of transparency and inclusivity in the decision-making process for implementing the policy has raised concerns about the university’s commitment to engaging all members of the community in issues that affect them.

In order to foster a more inclusive and transparent decision-making process, it is imperative that the university actively engages with all members of the community, especially international students and scholars, during policy development and implementation. This will ensure that the university takes into account diverse perspectives and promotes a culture of inclusivity and fairness.

Disproportionate Reaction to the Law

The law in question pertains specifically to social media platforms, yet the university’s ban encompasses a broad range of apps without providing detailed justification. For example, WeChat is primarily a private messaging service for person-to-person communication rather than a social media platform.

As guided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, the social media platforms from China are listed as Douban, Qzone (QQ), Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo and Youku.

Further, it guided the applicants by saying, “Please provide the name of the platform and the associated unique social media identifier (username or handle) for each social media platform you would like to list. This does not include private messaging on person-to-person messaging services, such as WhatsApp.”

UT’s ban seems to be a disproportionate reaction to the law that only concerns social media platforms. This is especially concerning because WeChat is primarily a private messaging service and not a social media platform like those listed on the DS-160 form. Furthermore, the lack of clear reasoning for the selected apps raises concerns about the negative impact on individuals who rely on these apps for personal communication.

Appeal to UT

Following an examination of the concerns raised by the university community in response to the recent policy of blocking certain social media platforms, I, as a Volunteer, strongly urge the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to take action and reevaluate the policy.

It is crucial to listen to the voices of the com-

munity members and address their concerns in a transparent and inclusive manner. A reevaluation of the policy may involve refining or modifying it to ensure that it aligns with the university’s values of promoting inclusivity, respect and diversity.

While the university has a duty to comply with state law, it is equally important to safeguard individual rights, ensuring that the rights of all Volunteers, including specific groups, are not infringed upon.

The university can explore a better action, to follow the coexistence of the university’s duty to comply with state law and its obligation to safeguard individual rights.

Mitigating Negative Effects

Moreover, the author appeals to the university to actively work on mitigating the negative consequences resulting from the policy’s implementation.

This may involve revising the policy to determine a reasonable list of banned apps on campus. To achieve this, the university should proactively engage with affected students and scholars to understand the extent of the impact and address their concerns accordingly.

Additionally, the university should explore offering alternative resources and support to those affected by the policy, such as providing supplementary assistance and access to other social media platforms.

By taking these steps, the university can demonstrate its unwavering commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for all students, regardless of their country of origin.

Acknowledgment

As a proud Volunteer, the author would like to express gratitude to UT, for its ongo-

ing support in promoting a safe and inclusive academic and study environment for all members of the university community.

Further, the author would like to express his appreciation for the help from other Volunteers, including but not limited to the timely report from The Daily Beacon and the Center for Global Engagement’s upcoming Listening Session to Support the Chinese Community.

As we strive for a more balanced approach in addressing various concerns, we acknowledge and appreciate the university’s steadfast commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community through its policies and initiatives.

The Center for Global Engagement will host a listening session to support the Chinese community on campus this Friday, May 5 from 3-4 p.m. in Student Union room 362A. Those who wish to attend may fill out this form on the center’s website.

Want to send in a letter to the Beacon? Read through our editorial policies and submit a letter online.

Mr. Wang is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Electrical Engineering. He can be reached at jwang175@ 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.

TikTok, owned by the private Chinese company ByteDance, was singled out along with other Chinese apps in a new state law. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda/ The Daily Beacon

Tennessee football sees 5 top-100 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft

ERIC WOODS Assistant Sports Editor

For the first time since 2017, the Vols produced a first-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The fruits of the program-changing 2022 season are beginning to pay off, and it’s just the beginning.

While it wasn’t a historic draft in terms of numbers for Tennessee football, the program produced five top-100 picks — something that hasn’t happened since 2007 during the Phillip Fulmer days.

Day one was off to a promising start when Darnell Wright was drafted No. 10 overall to the Chicago Bears.

“They know what I can be. I haven’t even reached my (potential),” Wright said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “I’m just scratching the surface of what I can be. I think they know that. And I know that. It’s going to be fun.”

Rounds two and three were off to a slow start having not heard a player called in 57 picks. However, the tides quickly turned in the favor of Tennessee football with the 68th overall pick in the third round.

It was finally time for the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Hendon Hooker, to hear his name called, going to the Detroit Lions. The move seems to be a

perfect fit for Hooker. He will be given ample time to heal from the ACL-tear he suffered in November, but he is not stuck behind a long term starter as a backup.

Hooker slid a bit further than expected, and current Lions’ quarterback Jared Goff helped produce one of the best offenses in the NFL. However, Goff is not without his flaws, and Hooker could possibly challenge Goff for the starting spot either late in the 2023 season or for the 2024 season.

“It’s been a grind and I just take it day by day and whenever I’m ready to rock and roll that’s going to be a site to see,” Hooker said.

From there, Tennessee would hear three more of its players called in the next 10 picks. Hooker’s counterparts out wide, who helped the well-oiled machine that was the Vols’ offense run, became the first pair of wide receivers to be drafted the same year.

At picks 73 and 74, Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman heard their names called back-toback, respectively. Both produced 1000-yard campaigns in their time with the program with Tillman’s coming in 2021 and Hyatt’s in 2022.

Reigning Biletnikoff Award winner Hyatt went to the New York Giants, and his name is forever imprinted in the heart of Rocky Top with his five-touchdown performance against Alabama. Hyatt’s 4.40 speed gives quarterback Daniel Jones something he hasn’t yet had in his

time with the NFL: a deep-threat.

Hyatt, like Hooker fell deeper in the draft than expected, but Jones immediately reached out to him via text, saying: “Are you ready.”

“I’m ready. I’ve been ready my whole life,” Hyatt said. “I’m going to be an asset for him. That’s what I want to be. ”

Tillman is a much different prospect than Hyatt. He’s a physical receiver but lacks the track speed. However, he makes up for it in intangibles and route-running and could prove vital for a Cleveland Browns team in need of weapons.

Though he battled ankle injuries all year, the fact that Tillman was still taken in the top-100 speaks volumes to his talent.

“Going to the league, it’s a different type of game,” Tillman said. “Route running is going to be an important key, so I’m going to learn from one of the best in Amari Cooper, and that’s going to be dope.”

The Tennessee offense dominated the draft, but edge rusher Byron Young was the last Vol to hear his name called at pick 77 to the Los Angeles Rams.

Young skyrocketed up draft boards by having one of the best performances at his position in the Draft Combine highlighted by a 4.43 40-yard dash. Despite the lack of polish at 25, he will have an opportunity to become a very capable pro purely thanks to his physical tools.

How loss to Tennessee Tech turned Tennessee baseball’s season

called it, Eberhardt was not a player favorite.

The ride home from Fayetteville was quiet. Tennessee had just gotten swept by Arkansas to start the season 5-10 in SEC play.

To make matters worse, the Vols got routed on their home field against Tennessee Tech. With the postseason – and even a trip to the SEC Tournament – in question, it was time for Tennessee to “become a team.”

Part of that process included a get-together between the players, spending time getting to know each other. With all of the newcomers and unfamiliar faces, it has taken longer than expected for head coach Tony Vitello’s squad to gel.

“We had a little team meeting,” Christian Moore said. “Not like a team meeting, but we had a lot of guys at someone’s house. We just sat there and just talked, chopped it up. Guys, just doing what we do. That was definitely huge for us and everything kind of switched.”

Tennessee strength and conditioning coach Quentin Eberhardt, or Vitello’s “executioner,” also played a role in Tennessee turning it around. That included some team punishment.

Eberhardt rejoined the team in the offseason after a short stint with the Cubs. The coach has been a favorite among players. During a “tough two days,” as Griffin Merritt

“He’s as big into team chemistry and personal growth as he is muscle growth, which is really rare for that position,” Vitello said. “He took it upon himself to put in a little extra work with those guys and also just kind of talk about how they need to approach things and I’ll be dang, every team I’ve been a part of, if they’re going to be good they gotta find their best combination of being really relaxed and loose.”

Whether it was the team hanging out, or Eberhardt’s team punishment, it worked.

Since that loss to Tennessee Tech, the Vols have gone on a seven-game win streak which featured sweeps over No. 5 Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. They scored 83 runs over those seven games.

“We started to become a team, I think that’s what we were missing in the beginning of the season,” Moore said. “Now, we don’t have to worry about getting a hit here because maybe the guy next to us might not. Now, we know my brother behind me has my back if I don’t do the job I know he will. I think coming together as a team is definitely huge for us. We spent a lot of time together.”

The two sweeps have brought Tennessee to 11-10 in SEC play. Tennessee also moved back into the rankings, currently sitting at No. 24. Despite finally reaching that mark, there is no time for celebration for Vitello.

“I think what you want to do is take a moment to recognize the SEC schedule is a

grind,” Vitello said. “But sometimes when you get pushed up to the Thursday through Saturday series it allows for a more relaxed Sunday with family, friends, girlfriends, whoever it might be. It’ll be good for our guys.”

The postseason pictures became a lot clearer for the Vols.

The magic number for teams in the past in SEC play was 14-16 to make the postseason. A couple of weeks ago, that seemed like a far reach for this Tennessee team.

Vitello has been adamant throughout the tough stretch that the best baseball was ahead

for Tennessee. The best baseball has arrived at a crucial time for the Vols.

“The results will fluctuate a little bit,” Vitello said. “There’s challenges ahead of us, but I do think we have a picture of what it looks like when we show up to the park with our right approach or best attitude, where guys need to be is getting closer but not a finished product. And like I said, marching towards May, I think we got good ball ahead of us, we just need to keep playing baseball and not complicate things.”

Darnell Wright (58) performs position based drills during a NFL Pro Day at Anderson Training Center, March 30, 2023. Cole Moore / Contributor

CALEB JARREAU Staff Writer

Christian Moore blasts a home run during a win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on April 28, 2023. Jackson Mccarter/ Contributor

Notebook: Tennessee baseball sweeps Mississippi State, continues to regain grip on season

ERIC WOODS Assistant Sports Editor

The Vols completed a second-straight sweep over an SEC foe when they dismantled Mississippi State by a combined score of 33-17. Things finally seem to be coming together for Tennessee baseball at the perfect time when they need to play their best baseball with a month left of play.

“You look at the way they’ve come together the last couple of weeks, it’s been fun to see how they feed off of each other,” head coach Tony Vitello said. “They pick each other up, and it takes some time. If you’re in a new relationship, which obviously, I am no expert, you’ve got to navigate through some waters and figure out some give and take.”

Here are some takeaways from the Vols’ weekend sweep over Mississippi State.

Timely hits return

The theme of the season has been the lack of hits, and more importantly, the lack of timely hits with runners on base and hits with two outs has plagued the Vols all season.

Last weekend, the Vols scored a total of 18 runs — over half of their total — with two outs. The Vols batted 14-of-37 (.378) in those

situations, and they batted 13-of-36 (.361) with runners in scoring position.

On Saturday, the Vols blasted two three-run homers with two outs en route to the 13-2 runrule that secured the sweep. Leaving runners on base has been a looming issue all season, but they have been well past those problems as of late. The hits were coming, but not the runs. Now, the runners that have been left on base had already driven in a run.

The Vols are

back on track to make the postseason

It was looking like Tennessee was in jeopardy of missing the postseason a few short weeks ago. A four-game losing streak and three straight series losses to SEC foes were making sure of that — not to mention a 5-10 start to SEC play.

However, even though the team was playing bad, it was clear that the Vols were not a bad team. Glimpses of the potential had been on display in the final games of series with Florida and LSU.

What was unclear was if Tennessee would reach its potential. If it did, would it be too late in the season?

But after the sweep, the Vols have finally climbed above .500 in SEC play for the first time this year, and they are back in the driver’s seat on the road to the postseason.

Christian Moore breaks out of slump

Since an 0-for-5 opening game of the Florida series, Christian Moore has been in the midst of a brutal hitting slump where he batted just 3-of-36 (.083) in SEC games heading into game two of the Mississippi State series. He was clearly frustrated with each strikeout, ground out or flyout.

He had a vent session with batting coach Josh Elander while continuing to work things out in the cages, and everything changed for him.

Something switched on Friday night and he finished the series on a 4-of-9 tear with three home runs and six RBIs.

Moore is someone who was expected to be at the top in terms of production in the beginning of the year, but has been very inconsistent at times. If he can use this past weekend and build off it, then the potential of the team becomes much higher.

“There’s challenges ahead of us, but I do think we have a picture of what it looks like when we show up to the park with our right approach or best attitude,” Vitello said. “Where guys need to be is getting closer but not a finished product. And like I said, marching towards May, I think we got good ball ahead of us, we just need to keep playing baseball and not complicate things.”

Notebook: Tennessee loses first conference series to Arkansas

Tennessee’s pitchers to throw more innings than usual in the regular season.

For the first time in 2023, the No. 3 Lady Vols lost a conference series, losing the last two games of the three-game set at Arkansas.

A strong pitching performance from Ashley Rogers saw Tennessee win Saturday’s series opener 3-1. On Sunday, a four-run sixth inning by Arkansas helped the Razorbacks defeat the Lady Vols 6-4. In Monday’s series finale, Arkansas pitchers Hannah Camenzind and Chenise Delce combined for a shutout in the rubber match, helping the Razorbacks to a 2-0 win to clinch the series.

Here are three takeaways from the weekend in Fayetteville.

Hitting streaky at times

The performance of the Lady Vol lineup let down the pitching this week, as Tennessee hitters only scored seven runs across the three games. The lineup as a whole could only muster a batting average of .211 while also drawing five walks.

This sort of performance is not completely out of the ordinary for Tennessee, as downball pitchers have provided issues for the lineup all year. Whether it was Alex Salter of Alabama, Madison Preston of Texas A&M or Dariana Orme of Baylor, the lineup struggled hitting against pitchers who had a strong mentality of

throwing low in the zone. Reigning SEC pitcher of the year Chenise Delce was no exception, as she allowed only five earned runs in 11.1 innings of work.

As Tennessee moves into the postseason, the quality of pitching from the opposition will only improve. Hitting coach Chris Malveaux needs to continue to work with the Tennessee lineup and adjust, as he has done all year with great success.

Pitching by committee remains strategy

The days of Rogers pitching complete games twice each weekend are long gone, as the start-

ing rotation of Rogers, Payton Gottshall and Karlyn Pickens has become concrete over the course of the season.

As was the case early in conference play, Rogers pitched the first game. Gottshall was the starter in game two, while Pickens closed the series, with Rogers available from the bullpen if necessary. This combination has worked well all season for the Lady Vols, and although Tennessee did suffer a series loss, pitching was by no means the issue.

Sporting three strong pitchers will be vital to the success of the Lady Vols in postseason play, as multiple games in short windows will force

SEC Championship, top eight seed still within reach

Even with the series loss, the Lady Vols still control their own destiny towards a first SEC regular season championship since 2007.

A series win against South Carolina would clinch the championship for the Lady Volunteers, while there are still paths to earning the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament based on the results of the Georgia vs. LSU series in Baton Rouge.

After the series loss, the Lady Vols currently sit at No. 11 in the RPI, which similarly to the NET in basketball, is used by the tournament committee as the main basis for determining seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

A top-eight seed, which is still possible for Tennessee, would make the Lady Vols guaranteed hosts for the Super Regional round of the tournament, were they to advance past the regional round for the first time since 2019.

As Tennessee looks to make its first Women’s College World Series appearance since 2015, the difference between a super regional at home or on the road could prove vital to an eighth appearance in Oklahoma City.

Christian Moore (1) swings at a pitch during a game against the Gonzaga University Bulldogs at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on March 5. Cole Moore / Contributor

JACK CHURCH Staff Writer

Ashley Rogers (14) pitches against Jacksonville State at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Sunday March 5, 2023. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon