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Page 1

Head coach Butch Jones prepares the Vols for the game on Saturday against UMass on Sept. 19, 2017. Stu Boyd II / Contributor

Vols moving past Florida, preparing for UMass Damichael Cole Asst. Sports Editor After a loss to the Florida Gators, the Tennessee Volunteers will now return home to Neyland Stadium in a matchup against the University of Massachusetts. UMass owns a 0-4 record so far this season, but they shouldn’t be taken lightly by the Vols. Each of the Minutemen’s first four losses were by 10 points or less. “The more and more video I watch on UMass, I’m very impressed,” head coach Butch Jones said. For the Vols, they will get a chance to take the field and move on from last week’s game. All week, coaches have been preaching to

Volume 134 Issue 8

the team that the loss is now behind them and they’re moving forward. “Sunday, you put it behind you. Monday when you meet with the players, you put it behind you — and now you’re trying to focus on the next game,” Bob Shoop said. That said, here are some things to look for in the game against UMass. The Minutemen have talent: While they haven’t gotten a win this season, UMass hasn’t made it easy for any of their opponents. A large reason for that is because of the talent that they have on their team. Minutemen quarterback Andrew Ford is certainly a player to watch. Ford was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watchlist this preseason after throwing for 2,665 yards

and 26 touchdowns in 2016. Ford is a transfer from Virginia Tech and has continued to play well this season. In his first four games, Ford has thrown for 1,204 yards and six touchdowns with only one interception. “I think Ford is outstanding, the way he manages the game,” Jones said. “He’s an NFL prospect.” He’s not the only NFL draft prospect for UMass. Ford also has a very talented tight end to throw the ball to: Adam Breneman. Breneman is a Penn State transfer. He was regarded as one of the top tight ends coming out of high school. The team also has talent on defense. At cornerback, UMass has two players with

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track and field backgrounds. Especialy notable is Isaiah Rodgers, who ran the anchor leg on the 4x400 relay team in high school. “They have a corner that’ll be one of the fastest corners we will play against all year,” Jones said. Finishing offensive drives: Last weekend, the Vols threw a red zone interception for the second consecutive week. The Vols had five drives where they entered the Gators’ side of the field that resulted in zero points and two more that resulted in field goals. This week, the team will look to correct this issue against a UMass defense that has been vulnerable, giving up 38 points in two of their four games. See FOOTBALL PREVIEW on Page 2

Thursday, September 21, 2017


2

CAMPUSNEWS

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, September 21, 2017

THE DAILY BEACON STAFF

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief: Alex Holcomb Managing Editor: Rob Harvey Chief Copy Editor: Nick Karrick Engagement Editor: Rrita Hashani News Editor: Annie Tieu Asst. News Editor: Kylie Hubbard Arts & Culture Editor: Allie Clouse Sports Editor: Tyler Wombles Asst. Sports Editor: Damichael Cole Digital Producer: Bryce Bible Asst. Digital Producer: Mary Hallie Sterling Opinions Editor: Morgan Schneider Photo Editors: Emily Gowder, Adrien Terricabras Design Editors: Laurel Cooper, Lauren Mayo Production Artists: Kelly Alley, Mia Haq, Kyla johnson, Hannah Jones

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION

Student Advertising Manager: Zenobia Armstrong Media Sales Representatives: Ansley Brancoff, Amy Nelson Advertising Production: Nathaniel Alsbrooks Classified Adviser: Mandy Adams

CONTACTS To report a news item, please e-mail editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-2348 To submit a press release, please e-mail editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com To place an ad, please e-mail beaconads@utk.edu or call 865-974-5206 To place a classified ad, please e-mail orderad@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-4931 Advertising: (865) 974-5206 beaconads@utk.edu Classifieds: (865) 974-4931 orderad@utdailybeacon.com Editor-in-Chief: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com Main Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor must be exclusive to The Daily Beacon and cannot have been submitted to or published by other media. Letters should not exceed 400 words and can be edited or shortened for space. Letters can also be edited for grammar and typographical errors, and Letters that contain excessive grammatical errors can be rejected for this reason. Anonymous Letters will not be published. Authors should include their full name, mailing address, city of residence, phone number and e-mail address for verification purposes. Letters submitted without this information will not be published. The preferred method to submit a Letter to the Editor is to email the Editor-in-Chief at editorinchief@ utdailybeacon.com . 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 Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. 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

The Daily Beacon is printed using soy based ink on newsprint containing recycled content, utilizing renewable sources and produced in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW continued from Page 1 Who’s out and who will replace them: The Vols have been hampered by injuries on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Latrell Williams, Evan Berry and Austin Smith will all miss Saturday’s game against UMass due to injury. Many young players who haven’t seen a great deal of playing time could be in store to see much more time on the field due to the large number of injuries.

Shoop pointed out Cheyenne Labruzza and Theo Jackson at safety as well as Quart’e Sapp at weakside linebacker. It was also revealed earlier in the week that linebacker Cortez McDowell would be out for the remainder of the season. However, that may not be the case. “We found out there’s a possibility he could return for the latter part of the season and possibly the bowl game,” Jones said.

two years with Bob Shoop’s defense. It also happened earlier in the season against Georgia Tech. The team has been giving up big plays, and that’s something they want to prevent going forward. ”You can play 55 great snaps and three bad snaps — and you stink,” Shoop said. “That’s been our Achilles’ heel for the year and a half that I’ve been here. We don’t give up just big plays, we give up catastrophic type plays.”

Avoiding the big play: Last weekend, the Vols defense was strong with the exception of a couple of big plays. That has been the case several times in the last

Kickoff: The game will be the Vols’ earliest game yet, with a 12 p.m. start. The game will be available on SEC Network.

School of Interior Design adopts new name Kylie Hubbard Asst. News Editor As of the fall 2017 semester, School of Interior Design students will be receiving degrees under a new label. On Aug. 23, the school officially changed its title to the School of Interior Architecture. David Matthews, associate dean for facilities and chairman of the School of Interior Architecture, said that the name change is a better reflection of what the students are doing. He hopes that this switch will give outsiders a greater understanding of what happens inside. “I think it’s important that when people are students at UT — when they enter a program of study — that the ideas and the way the discipline is learned is reflected in the name,” Matthews said. “The effort to get this done was largely to make sure that potential employers, potential faculty ... (and) students would all understand.” The name change has been an ongoing project with major contributions from faculty and students. “It’s been an ongoing dialogue with the faculty over those eight years now, and on and off with the students as well,” Matthews said.

back to “thatIt goes it really reflects something that we have been evolving into over a long period of time.” David Matthews, associate dean for facilities

Interior Architecture students at work in studio. Mikayla Woltman / Contributor “The name change helps us better describe the course’s study and the types of problems and design activities that the students do. We really have a faculty here that can support that focus within that study.” The final decision was made by both students and staff. Rachel Hunt, senior in interior architecture, said she has been a part of the change for more than a year. “It had been in the works for (roughly) a year and a half, and the students were kept really informed about it,” Hunt said. “They had an interest meeting where you could go and ask questions. And ultimately, we signed a paper and said this is what we want to graduate with.” This isn’t the first time that the School of Interior Architecture has experienced a name change. In 1916, UT offered design studies for the first time. And while interior design was adopted into the Arts and Crafts movement in the 1930s, the name ‘interior design’ was not used until 1978. UT’s Board of Trustees approved the move of interior design studies into the College of Architecture and Design in 1996. Matthews claimed this specific action was part of what drew him here. “There’s a natural evolution to education that

includes change,” Matthews said. “Part of what brought me to Tennessee was a very distinctive quality to the education here. And if you look at interiors programs in the nation, there are very few that are housed in colleges of architecture and design.” Matthews said that the school has been evolving, creating a curriculum that prompted a name change, rather than a name change that prompted a curriculum change. The program focuses on math, computer skills and other technical skills that combine with the artistic and aesthetic side of the discipline. “The name change didn’t create any curricular changes,” Matthews said. “It goes back to that it really reflects something that we have been evolving into over a long period of time.” Hunt believes the name change reflects the work that she and her peers already do and hopes it will aid them beyond graduation as they move further into their careers. “I am excited about it because the name change to ‘architecture’ at the end just reflects more of what we do,” Hunt said. “We still completely focus on the interior experience and the way people interact. We also get a technical side of it that is very important to what we do as well, so it really shows the balance that is there.”


ARTS&CULTURE

Thursday, September 21, 2017 • The Daily Beacon

3

UPerk to provide open community through coffee Neeley Moore Copy Editor “A place to be.” The simple mission of UPerk, a recently opened coffee shop along Melrose Avenue, is to welcome students from all walks of life and offer a community space on campus. The coffeehouse is located at UKirk Presbyterian Campus Ministry, but students may come in via a separate entrance. Andy Morgan, minister of UKirk, claims that UPerk stemmed out of UKirk’s desire for students to find community, regardless of differences and religious beliefs. “We don’t want the group to be a homogeneous group of people,” Morgan said. Though located at UKirk’s house, UPerk is detached from the church. The idea was first proposed by the UKirk staff to further their mission for unity. Mary Grace Reynolds, an employee at UPerk and intern for UKirk, shared that the coffeehouse strives to be a place for everyone. “Our vision is people will approach us with their honest selves without feeling they have to moderate who they are,” Reynolds said. “We believe everyone should have a place they can

be, a place they can be a friend, a place they can study, a place where they can meet, a place they can come home, a place they can be valued (and) a place they can be caffeinated.” Once UKirk staff decided to extend their vision of solidarity to all of campus, Andy Morgan applied for a grant. Work on UPerk began shortly after that. A kitchen sink and plumbing were added to the living room of the house, originally built in 1906, creating the home for the future coffeehouse. UPerk serves a unique blend of coffee from Vienna Coffee House in Maryville. Vienna’s Ethiopian blends are locally roasted and are part of the fair-trade market, which strives to make sure coffee workers are treated humainly and support small family coffee producers. The company created an exclusive blend just for UPerk that can only be tasted and bought at the coffeehouse. Aside from coffee, UPerk’s menu consists of cold brew, teas and hot cocoa. Flavored syrups, creamers and sugar are also offered for customers to personalize their orders. A unique aspect of UPerk is that the price for each product is donation-based, with a suggested amount of $1. In giving to the coffee house, it gives towards the coffee. Students who support and buy coffee are keeping UPerk functioning

by pouring in and then getting to enjoy the benefits of the shop. Thus far, many students have accepted UPerk enthusiastically. Reynolds hopes for more foot traffic as news of the coffee house travels through campus. Ultimately, UPerk is designed for people to invest in others: mentors to meet with students and even for professors and faculty to hold office hours. UPerk’s sun room is usually closed off for meetings. The coffee house is also open for event booking, including panels, group talks and discussions. Students enjoy a new place to study and lounge One upcoming event at between classes at UPerk. Annie Carter / Contributor UPerk is a lecture given by Events like this that encourage discussion are Alla Soroka, the East Tennessee Peacemaker of the heart of UPerk, according to Reynolds. the Year. Soroka has worked with at-risk children “Coffee is a natural social lubricant for many,” in Ukraine since 2005. On Sept. 26, UPerk will host Soroka’s talk Reynolds said. “In the future, I hope it’s a venue on peacemaking and nonviolence for youth at to attract all. A place for anyone who wants a good cup of coffee or a place to sit is welcome 6 p.m. in these doors.”


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ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, September 21, 2017

‘The Tiger Hunter’ cast and crew visit Knoxville for premiere Dena Baker Contributor Lena Khan’s “The Tiger Hunter” premiered in Knoxville Monday night. Stars of the film, including Jon Heder, known from “Napoleon Dynamite”; Karen David, known from “Once Upon a Time” and Rizwan Manji, known from “The Wolf of Wall Street”, walked the red carpet before the exclusive showing. The opening night was held in the city to publicize the comedy, officially releasing in theaters Friday, Sept. 22. Executive producer and Knoxville native Nadeem Siddiqi hosted the event in a place both dear to his heart and relevant to the film. “I think because the movie was executiveproduced and funded out of Knoxville, it just felt really good to premiere it here in Knoxville and to bring it to the hometown to help launch the project,” Siddiqi said. Siddiqi shared his wisdom as an executive producer and described his experience working with the team and cast of “The Tiger Hunter.” “I think as executive producer working with (the team), the most important thing was to find really great talent,” Siddiqi said. “Lena was so capable, and (producer) Megha Kadakia was so capable. That whole team of actors and

everybody was just so talented. They were such fun people to be around, and the best thing is to be around really fun, competent people.” Siddiqi also spoke on the significance of reallife experiences of immigrants in The United States, a theme explored in the film. “I felt like the story needed to be told,” Siddiqi said. “First of all, the opportunity needed to be given (to tell the story) It’s a real story of immigration, a great life lesson packed into that movie. It just felt like the right project to be a part of.” Long before show time, a crowd of people gathered along Gay Street waiting to enter the Regal Riviera Stadium 8 theater in anticipation of the celebrities’ arrival. Khan and Kadakia were the first to arrive. Later, Heder, Manji and David arrived in an SUV, thrilled to see their enthusiastic supporters. Once inside, fans were given an opportunity to take pictures with the stars and get autographs. Everyone eventually made their way to the theater for the exclusive showing of “The Tiger Hunter.” The film told the story of an ambitious immigrant named Sami Malik, played by Danny Pudi, who travelled from India to America in order to pursue his dreams of becoming a highly success-

ful engineer and impressing his lover’s father. The film followed his struggles as an immigrant and as an Indian living in American society. It lightheartedly illustrated the hardships that many foreign immigrants face. Viewers gave hearty applause after the screening. The director, producers and actors then took the stage to speak about their experiences during production of “The Tiger Hunter.” Indian food and social culture had a heavy presence in the film; accordingly, Heder spoke about his experiences with food on set and filming in India. “Eating in scenes isn’t the best because it’s all set food,” Heder said. “It’s cold, and we take really small bites for the sake of continuity. But we were eating Indian food, and it was so good … The part of the movie we filmed in India was such an adventure.” David shared a few words on her personal experience with immigration. “My parents left India when I was a baby,” David said. “They had to live off of $20 because they had to leave all their assets behind, so my father actually kept one $20 bill and framed it … It’s still in my house somewhere.” Khan also gave advice to aspiring filmmakers in the audience. “Surround yourself with mentors … Make content and submit it to film festivals, compete

Knoxvillian producer Nadeem Siddiqqi appeared at “The Tiger Hunter” premiere. Dena Baker / The Daily Beacon and get your name out there,” Khan said. Khan closed with a few remarks about his view of the weekend. “It’s events like this that make a difference, so spreading news by word of mouth is helpful,” Khan said. “This opening weekend is what matters, so make sure to tell everyone you know to come see it.”


OPINIONS

Thursday, September 21, 2017 • The Daily Beacon

5

Everything is not so much better on TV Elle Johnson I Learned Something Today

Remember when — in the midst of the most recent presidential election — Jimmy Fallon brought Donald Trump onto his talk show, only to tousle the then-candidate’s hair rather than making any effort toward a substantial criticism? The lack of severity was immediately condemned by political activists and the general public alike. Today, eight months into the Trump presidency, the act is seen as one of the stepping stones toward the normalization of Donald Trump and his political policies in our society. Ever since then, late-night talk show hosts and comedians have followed a general pattern to success and praise: making critical jokes about the Trump administration is good, and normalizing or ignoring the situation is bad. Each week, a new celebrity goes viral with their hot take on Donald Trump; and similarly, it is difficult to find a show not humorously criticizing Trump any given night on primetime network television. Turning my television on to the primetime Emmy Awards this past Sunday evening, I was not sure what to expect. The past few years, awards shows have served as a platform from which to serve criticisms of our nation to a wide audience, ranging from discussions about politics to discussions about race and gender. After a tremulous eight months of the Trump presidency, it was clear that broad criticisms would be raised. However, above all other traditional forms of media consumption, television has been left to gain the most from the Trump presidency. Consider the late-night talk show hosts, such as Emmy host Stephen Colbert, who have experienced resurgence in popularity over the past year thanks solely to their witty remarks on Donald Trump.

Consider the widely acclaimed political Emmy nominees, “Veep” and “House of Cards,” whose plot lines and characters were undeniably influenced by our current political climate. Finally, and perhaps most directly, Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon each took home Emmys last Sunday night for their frequent portrayals of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on “Saturday Night Live.” I was left to wonder: would the Emmys this year serve as a real platform to censure and condemn the dehumanizing qualities of our current administration, or would it only continue the cycle of humorous criticism for continued sake of viral success? While the show’s opening number exclaimed that “everything is better on TV,” this year’s Emmys only reinforced celebrities benefitting off of Trump’s administration. Sure, everything may be better on TV for them, but for the remainder of the general population affected daily by their degrading policies, it’s simply not. I’m not saying that we should stop using television to discuss and criticize politics. Talking and raising awareness about an issue is half the battle in creating change, and television can serve as an excellent platform for that. However, bringing former White House Communications Director Sean Spicer out on stage to make a pointless joke does not serve as a valid criticism. It only served to improve ratings and normalize the tyranny of the Trump administration. It wasn’t even a funny joke. Recently, we’ve allowed celebrities to become our champions of social justice. However, the injustices that we are currently fighting rarely affect these voices that we adhere to. As inequalities widen and jokes disguised as criticisms are spread, those at the top continue to gain more money, fame

“ Recently, we’ve allowed celebrities to become our champions of social justice. However, the injustices that we are currently fighting rarely affect these voices that we adhere to.” and praise, while those wronged are left to rot in the holes dug by our own society. In my eyes, television’s current criticisms are no different than Jimmy Fallon tousling Donald Trump’s comb-over. True, everything may be better on TV, but when we discuss real issues facing Americans every day, we must be raw, honest and concise in what messages are being spread. It’s time that we get serious, and it’s time to hold those at the top accountable to their influence on our nation. Elle Johnson is a senior in College Scholars and can be reached at ejohn100@ vols.utk.edu

Columns 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.


PUZZLES&GAMES

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, September 21, 2017

STR8TS No. 1028

Medium

5 7

Previous solution - Easy

8 9 9 8 7 6 4 6 3 4 2 5

6 6 2

5 1 7 6 9 3

5

2

8 5

7 6

Š 2017 Syndicated Puzzles

2 7

6 8 7

3 2 3 4

<RX FDQ ÂżQG PRUH KHOS WLSV DQG KLQWV DW www.str8ts.com

6 7 8 9 5 1 4 3 2

7 6 5 5 4 3 8 9 8 9 4 6 7

3 2 3 4 9 1 1 4 2 2 3 5 6 8 6 7 7 9 8 5

How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These QHHG WR EH ÂżOOHG LQ ZLWK QXPEHUV WKDW complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

SUDOKU No. 1028

8

Very Hard

8 3 5 6 2 9 7 1 4

3 5 4 7 4 6

7

9 3

Previous solution - Tough

2 3 1 7

9

8 5

2 5 2 6

4 1

5 2 3 8

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

9 7 1 3 5 4 8 2 6

6 4 2 8 1 7 3 5 9

4 9 8 5 7 1 2 6 3

1 6 3 4 8 2 5 9 7

2 5 7 9 3 6 1 4 8

3 2 9 1 6 8 4 7 5

7 8 4 2 9 5 6 3 1

5 1 6 7 4 3 9 8 2

7R FRPSOHWH 6XGRNX ÂżOO WKH ERDUG by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

7

Š 2017 Syndicated Puzzles

6

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts, Sudoku and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store at www.str8ts.com

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Zin alternative 4 With 6-Down, “Dancing Queenâ€? musical 9 One of the Three Musketeers 14 Baton Rouge sch. 15 “See you!â€? 16 Main impact 17 “Shocking!,â€? to an astronomer? 19 Camping craft 20 Secures, as an area, with “offâ€? 21 Duracell designation 23 Cincinnati sitcom station 24 Mine finds 25 “Shocking!,â€? to an Ohio tourist? 28 Gen ___ 29 Zest 30 Pommes frites seasoning 31 Stimpy’s TV pal 32 Strange 34 “Nothing runs like a ___â€? (ad slogan) 36 “Shocking!,â€? to a seamstress? 39 Childish comeback

41 Primitive fishing tool 42 Teachers’ org. 43 Sloth, for one 46 What some shoulders and pants do 47 English head 50 “Shocking!,� to a teetotaler? 53 Something to watch on the telly, with “the� 54 End in ___ 55 White wine aperitif 56 Make a case (for) 57 Wanders 59 “Shocking!,� to a Thanksgiving guest? 62 Jurassic Park inhabitants, for short 63 Mandel of “America’s Got Talent� 64 Uno + due 65 One may be rolling or skipped 66 Bit of campaign nastiness 67 Multivolume ref.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE T Y P O

R A I N

E L K S

K E E P L M A C E A S O F G I F T O A F O N E T E U W A S T H U H I D O Z I P

W I P L E C A O S P L M A O N L E E S P T I S E

A N N A N B E D A C E M E S B N T A I A N D A I T E R R I N E N R S A I S T A T U L T A N I A T T L

E L K E

P I E R

S E T S

P U G R E A N T T E S R O O A U C N E D

A L G A E

T E S T S

T R I O

S N A G

A L A S

P E R M I T M E

1

2

3

4

14

5

6

7

24

25

22

26

12

13

48

49

23 27

29

30

32

31

33

36

34 37

40

35

38

41

42

43

44

45

51

46

47

52

54 57

11

19 21

28

10

16

18

20

50

9

15

17

39

8

53

55 58

56 59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

DOWN 1 Bleach brand 2 Enjoying Fleet Week, say 3 Part of a pinball machine 4 Atomic ___ 5 Big letters in home security 6 See 4-Across 7 “Slow and steady wins the race,� e.g. 8 Some lab tests 9 “The Goldbergs� network 10 Net that netted Dory in “Finding Nemo� 11 Hid out, with “down� 12 Yet to be delivered 13 Start of a manual

22 Got rid of the munchies 25 Marijuana, slangily 26 Onetime Ron Howard role 27 Racetrack has-been 29 Boehner’s predecessor as House leader 32 “Strange Magic� band, for short 33 Mag heads 35 At any time, to poets 36 Lingua di Luigi 37 Quiet place to pray 38 Tail end 39 To the center 40 Make sure something gets done 44 It’s usually not

45 Sounds from a stable 47 Smooth, in music 48 Entirety of a composer’s works 49 Followed instructions 51 Car that’s hardly a peach 52 Racetrack sound 53 “I can’t f-f-feel my f-f-feet!� 56 Ending with teen 58 Chicago-toIndianapolis dir. 60 Be in the red


SPORTS

Thursday, September 21, 2017 • The Daily Beacon

SOCCER

Neal takes big steps on and off the field McKenzie Sherman Contributor

With dual citizenship in the United States and Liberia, Tennessee soccer player and track and field athlete Maya Neal considers both locations her home. After a trip to South Africa, Neal was inspired by an idea that formulated in her mind. Shortly after, her dream began to come into motion. “I saw that there were people in need of other things,” Neal said. “I thought that the best way I could (help) was with sporting equipment, because that is something that brings the world together.” After rallying up some help from others, Neal began to collect shoes: tennis shoes, cleats, lacrosse shoes and basketball shoes. Anything that was donated was to be sent to Liberia so that those there could enjoy sports as much as she does. “I did so because I obviously have a lot (of shoes). I had nothing to do with them besides give them to other people, because you are put on Earth to make the world a better place or leave it better than you found it,” Neal said. “I felt there was no better way to do that than to give back to others.” Even with her initial total at 170 pairs of shoes, Neal has reached out through social media to gain more attention for her efforts. Former teammates, people she has met at camps, family members and even strangers have pitched in. Earlier in the year, Tennessee soccer head coach Brian Pensky spoke of Neal’s efforts. “Maya is a pretty unique individual,” Pensky said. “What she just said (about the donations) speaks to her maturity and wisdom in terms of wanting to leave the world a better place than she found it. “Her mind is always racing, in terms of making the world a better place and making sure people are treated fairly. We’re in a tough climate right now as it relates to that topic.” Along with her work off the field, Neal has made strides on them in both soccer and track and field. As a track and field athlete in the 2017 season, Neal scored 3,618 points in the pentathalon at the SEC Indoor championships. In outdoor competition, her goals were

even more astounding: Neal set four personal bests, recorded the seventh-best heptathalon mark in school history and placed sixth overall at the SEC Championship. During her redshirt freshman year on the soccer field, Neal was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and finished fourth on the roster with three goals. This season, she was named to the 2017 SEC Preseason Watch List and is part of a Tennessee defense that has recorded seven consecutive shutouts thus far. “The fact that she is great in both sports, that’s why she does both. It’s pretty simple,” Pensky said. “We get her for half a year, track gets her for half a year. She does commit 100 percent of her time to track when she is with the track team and 100 percent of her time to soccer when she is with soccer.” Neal feels that being a multi-sport athlete gives her the chance to do what she loves. “Not one comes before the other as far as prioritizing or liking one more than the other. What made me choose to do both is the fact that I can’t choose either one,” Neal stated. Just like her choice to compete in both sports, Neal’s concern and caring for others is simple to her. She does it because she can and because she wants to. “I just thought that was the best way I could give back and impact peoples’ lives,” Neal said.

that “theI thought best way I could (help) was with sporting equipment, because that is something that brings the world together.” Maya Neal, UT soccer player

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2017 FOOTBALL PICK’EMS Damichael Cole - Asst. Sports Editor

1

UMass vs. Tennessee Auburn vs. Missouri Mississippi State 38 vs. Georgia 24 Florida vs. Kentucky TCU vs. Oklahoma State Oregon vs. Arizona State

Kylie Hubbard - Asst. News Editor

2

UMass vs. Tennessee Auburn vs. Missouri Mississippi State 35 vs. Georgia 21 Florida vs. Kentucky TCU vs. Oklahoma State Oregon vs. Arizona State

Tyler Wombles - Sports Editor

3

UMass vs. Tennessee Auburn vs. Missouri Mississippi State 31 vs. Georgia 38 Florida vs. Kentucky TCU vs. Oklahoma State Oregon vs. Arizona State

Nick Karrick - Chief Copy Editor

4

UMass vs. Tennessee Auburn vs. Missouri Mississippi State 41 vs. Georgia 34 Florida vs. Kentucky TCU vs. Oklahoma State Oregon vs. Arizona State

Rob Harvey - Managing Editor

5

UMass vs. Tennessee Auburn vs. Missouri Mississippi State 27 vs. Georgia 30 Florida vs. Kentucky TCU vs. Oklahoma State Oregon vs. Arizona State

Alex Holcomb - Editor-in-Chief UMass vs. Tennessee Auburn vs. Missouri Mississippi State 24 vs. Georgia 30 Florida vs. Kentucky TCU vs. Oklahoma State Oregon vs. Arizona State

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, September 21, 2017


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