Wednesday, September 7, 2022 by UT Media Center

Volume 142, Issue 2 Wednesday, September 7, 2022 @utkdailybeacon|| | utdailybeacon.com BIG The Daily Beacon SQUEEZEORANGE UT has its largest student body in history. But can everyone ﬁt?

The group plans to work closely with other environmental groups on campus as well as organizations such as the Student Government Association (SGA), the Office of Sustainability and other campus legislative bodies. Their hope is that their movement can have strength in numbers, which will help to amplify voices for meaningful change.

Read more at utdailybeacon.com

“The plastic issue is so daunting that just one student organization alone cannot tackle it,” Stewart“SPEAKsaid.and the Compost Coalition are great organizations, but they have other mission statements and goals and can’t dedicate their entire time to ridding UT of plastic pollution. It’s a full time job. We ﬁll that gap and have a large executive team and membership to delegate all of the tasks that go into our campaign.” Julia Craven, junior and co-founder, described the sense of inclusivity that the organization aims to achieve.“We’rereally trying to create a single platform where students from all aspects of campus can contribute their knowledge and time,” Craven said.“Students from all disciplines of campus have expressed concern about plastic waste and consumption, and we wanted to develop an organized and effective campaign that would enable people to make a difference.”

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Plastic Free UT members at the Student Engagement Fair on Friday, Aug. 26.

“In the past, (sustainability organizations have) had discussions with Aramark and Vol Dining about phasing away from single use plastics to compostables and reusables, but it is a very slow

Student-led Plastic Free UT combats ‘daunting’ volume of waste

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While the organization is still quite young, its members have already developed a comprehensive and ambitious road map for the semester and academic year, as well as established other longterm goals. Their current focus is on spreading awareness and recruiting more students into their ranks.Harper Pertchik, junior and policy chair, explained Plastic Free UT’s plan to pass legislation with SGA and collaborate with Chancellor Donde Plowman and President Randy Boyd. “Our main goal for the semester is to sit down with Chancellor Plowman and President Boyd to inform them of our organization and its goals, as well as ask them to sign PLAN’s ‘Break Free From Plastic’ pledge,” Pertchik said.

AURORA SILAVONG Staff Writer

Every year, a select number of the University of Tennessee’s faculty are nominated and appointed as Chancellor’s Professors. These individuals are nominated by the deans of their respective colleges and recommended by the provost.Tobe considered eligible, candidates must be full-time faculty members with a minimum of ﬁve years of employment at UT. These faculty members typically have esteemed records of research and achievement, while also displaying high standards in their teaching and service to UT.After receiving the title, the Chancellor’s Professors will receive a one-time research stipend of $20,000. Then, they will begin to advise the provost, the vice chancellor for research and engagement and the chancellor on campus matters.The incoming class of Chancellor’s Professors consists of four professors: Joshua Fu, Mark Littmann, Hanno Weitering and Deb Welsh. Hanno H. Weitering, a professor of physics and astronomy, was one of the four professors chosen this year. He has been a researcher, educator and academic leader at UT since 1993. When asked about his emotions on receiving the title, Weitering spoke to the honor of both himself and his colleagues. “I am honored and humbled. I view this title as a strong affirmation of our vision for building excellence in research and education. I say ‘ours’ because this has been a collective achievement of the physics and IAMM faculty. There are many faculty colleagues who are equally deserving of this extraordinary recognition. I guess I am the lucky one this year,” Weitering said.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 7, 20222 DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION

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EDITORIAL

2022 Chancellor’s Professors announced, recipients weigh in PILCHER Staff Writer

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A new student organization has a daunting mission: to completely eliminate the University of Tennessee’s dependency on single-use plastic products.Plastic Free UT is a student-led movement aiming to make UT more eco-friendly by reducing and eventually doing away with the use of items such as plastic grocery bags and Styrofoam to-go containers.Thegroup organized out of the Compost Coalition, another student organization dedicated to sustainability at UT. Rachel Stewart, senior and co-founder of Plastic Free UT, explained how the movement ﬁrst began.“We were planning out our semester of events and advocacy for the Compost Coalition and realized what a mammoth problem single-use plastic usage was on campus,” Stewart said. Stewart is also the founder and current president of the Compost Coalition.

NEWS

KAITLYN

When asked about his new position as a Chancellor’s Professor, Weitering spoke on his hopes for the future of the university. “I have had many conversations with the upper-level administration over the years, including several conversations with the Chancellor. Many of these concerned questions on how to expand our research enterprise. I look forward to meeting on a more regular basis to brainstorm on a much broader range of issues concerning the Knoxville campus. I think I will learn a lot from the other Chancellor’s professors and collectively we’ll continue to push the envelope and make UT better and more inclusive,” Weitering said.Joining

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STORY

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Daniel Dassow

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Plastic Free UT also aims to aid in ﬁlling gaps not covered by other sustainability groups and initiatives on campus, such as Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK).

MANAGING EDITOR: Abby Ann Ramsey

Courtesy of Plastic Free UT / Photo by Jack Pitts

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With its growth, UT has bucked a national plague-time trend towards declining enrollment to report a #1 spot in the SEC for enrollment growth. Rather than recovering from the peak days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the downward trend in college enrollment only steepened in 2022.

A report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center in May found that enrollment at public four-year colleges was down 3.4% in spring 2022 when compared to spring 2021.

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The lots at University Commons and the Culinary Institute are also accessible by trolley and bus, respectively. Lots that consistently have available commuter spaces are GF2, GF3 and GF4 on Todd Helton Drive behind Fraternity Park. These lots offer commuter spaces between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., and convert to fraternity parking at night. More information on parking areas can be found on the updated UT Campus Parking Map and the official Tennessee app provides live updates on parking availability at select Accordinglots. to Moira Bindner, communications and customer service manager at Parking and Transit Services, there were 800 commuter spaces available every day last academic year between the G10 garage and the G17 garage on Terrace Avenue alone. This year, record-high retention numbers as well as ﬁrst-year enrollment, have pushed parking in many areas of campus to its limits.

A parking garage counter at the

TIMARI RAY SENIOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS so far.

At UT, on the other hand, this year’s freshman enrollment rose 14% compared to last fall. In an attempt to catch up with the growing student population, UT has already made several changes to its Campus Master Plan, which sets out short and long-term goals.

Timari Ray, a senior studying public relations, said she has had to come to campus two hours before her classes start in order to ﬁnd a space. She says the experience of students who have reportedly driven around for an hour or more and been late to class has overshadowed what should be a success on the university’s part.

With record enrollment, a new UT campus at UT Southern and an expansion of campus budgets and scholarship funding, Bindner believes UT Knoxville is getting a makeover in its Master Plan.

Though many students propose building new garages or digging deeper to add more levels under existing garages, that kind of construction can be fraught. Bindner said the sticker price on a parking garage is around $10,000 a space, and since Parking and Transit Services is an auxiliary campus unit, they must foot the bill for construction of new garages.There is also the chance of literally falling into a sinkhole should a construction crew dig below a garage. The ﬁrst contractor on the construction of Thompson-Boling Arena, B. B. Andersen, had to give up the project after spending thousands of dollars ﬁlling a cavern below the stadium with concrete. Jakob Mikres, a fourth year architecture student and chair of the SGA campus infrastructure committee, believes UT needs to focus on optimizing the pedestrian and biking experience on campus if it wants to ease headaches over parking. “While I understand that the economics of new parking can be hard to justify, at a minimum UT should improve information availability, educate students on parking options, connect and optimize walking and bike transportation options and increase awareness of the T Link,” Mikres said. “But without improved parking availability in high demand areas, these are truly just temporary band aid solutions as demand increases.”

Parking has been a nightmare

Several perimeter lots, including those for commuters at University Commons, Church Street United Methodist Church and the UT Culinary Institute on Neyland Drive, offer students parking within walking distance of campus with a reduced price parking permit.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 • The Daily Beacon 3NEWS

Parking squeezes into ‘Extreme Campus Makeover’ era as reliable lots fill up Word spread across campus like news of a bad omen: the screen that tracks available parking spaces in the G10 parking garage flashed the word “FULL” in the first week of class. The expansive parking structure, also called Neyland Parking Garage, is no longer a reliable last resort for commuter parking. At peak hours this year, even a large garage tucked into a corner of campus fills up. The struggle of many students to find parking close to class or their job is related to rapid growth in the student body, as UT welcomes its largest ever student body and a record-breaking freshman class of around 6,785Thestudents.annualpressure on parking is compounded by a full return of students to campus in the ebbing of the COVID-19 pandemic, as most classes return to an in-person modality and campus welcomes nearly 40,000 students, staff and faculty each day.

DANIEL DASSOW Editor-in-Chief Neyland Parking spots Aug. 20, 2021.

Among these goals is the construction of two new dorm buildings and the acquisition of leases for additional parking aread.

Voted

“Parking has been a nightmare so far and that has shifted students perspective negatively when thinking about this milestone that we should all honor,” Ray said. “I am hoping that the university will take the time to address this issue as it greatly affects current and new tuition-paying students.”

Garage shows available

“The kids we have now never knew a campus that was at capacity, and when they were freshmen in 2019, they were in the dorms, so they weren’t commuters. They didn’t really experience that,” Bindner said. “So this year, I think for many, it’s sticker shock or whiplash. They’re just like, ‘What’s going on? This is not the UT I know.’” In many of his public addresses on the state of the university system since taking office, UT System President Randy Boyd has claimed the 2020s as the “greatest decade” in the history of the university.

Some parking areas have gone underutilized as more convenient spaces grow scarce.

“Remember the old television show Extreme Home Makeover? This is like Extreme University Makeover, but in a good way. I mean, we are improving facilities, we are attracting amazing students and we are attracting research dollars,” Bindner said. “I want to be at a place that is growing and learning and challenging its community.” Bindner said the complex puzzle of providing enough parking for tens of thousands of people at walkable distance is an integral part of acclimating to the change and growth that UT is undergoing.

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon MOIRA BINDNER Communications and Customer Service Manager, Parking and Transit Remember the old television show Extreme Home Makeover? This is like Extreme University Makeover, but in a good way.

Come

Plowman speaks on campus growth: ‘It’s tight, I’ll grant you that’

A: I think there are two things that have fueled that growth, at least two things. I’m really proud of the programs we have. Every university has great programs. I think we have amazing programs that are just now getting national attention. But more specifically, I think there are two things. I go out and I ask parents all the time, “Why did you choose the University of Tennessee?” And whether they’re from out of state or in state, I want to know what the answer is. I was at move-in day this year and I asked them all, “why did you choose us?” And I heard things again and again like, “My daughter just wants to be a Volunteer.” So I do think the way we are really focusing on the Volunteer experience, it means something different to come to school and be on this campus, to be on Rocky Top, to go to Torch Night. I don’t know other universities that do something like Torch Night. You promise to step forward and serve and lead and light the way. I think there’s something to that. I think secondly, we have had a very inten tional strategic enrollment strategy. Some of that started before I got here, investing in out-of-state recruiters, for example. But we also have recruiters all over the state of Tennessee. So right now, we have a total of 26 recruiters who don’t live in Knoxville, and they’re spreading the word about this place. When I talk to the out-of-state parents, they will say, “You know, my daughter, she just had this thing about coming to Tennessee. And then we came down here for a visit, it was done, we’re coming. It was beautiful and the people were so friendly.” They always talk about our campus tours, which are lead by students. So our students are attracting other students.

Q: Oh, that’s an acronym? I didn’t know “woo” was an acronym.

In a wide-ranging interview on Sept. 1 in the Daily Beacon office, Chancellor Donde Plowman discussed her memories of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the power of CliftonStrengths, her proposals for academic restructuring and the growth of the student body, which is now at a record size in her fourth year as leader of UT Knoxville. This segment from the full interview has been edited for length and clarity. To watch clips from the interview or to listen to the full audio, visit the Daily Beacon’s YouTube page or podcast pages on Spotify, iTunes and the Podcast app.

A: Yeah, and we make a big deal out of that, that it means something to be a Volunteer.

DANIEL DASSOW Editor-in-Chief Chancellor Donde Plowman answers questions during an interview with Daniel Dassow, Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beacon, on Sept. 1, 2022.

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 7, 20224

A: So, let’s just, I’ll just tell you what my top five strengths are and how it helps me every day. I am strategic, achiever, positiv ity, futuristic, maximizer and my sixth one is woo, winning others over.

Q: So do you think it matters that it’s the Volunteers, and not an animal or some other mascot? You think that makes a difference?

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon NEWS DONDE PLOWMAN CHANCELLOR, UT KNOXVILLE We’re also retaining a lot more of the students who were here last year... that’s because we’ve put all these efforts into student success.

Q: If you had dropped me here today, there would be more face masks, there would be maybe a little bit more social dis tancing – we’re still staying cautious – but it does really feel like fall of 2019. One thing I think that does feel different, and this is quickly becoming a hallmark of your tenure as chancellor, is the growth. So many people onAndcampus.that has gone against the national averages, the national numbers. So nation wide, we’ve hemorrhaged about 1.3 million college students since the beginning of the pandemic, and even for four-year public in stitutions, they’ve lost about 3.5% of their enrollment. But our freshman class this year is 14% bigger than it was last year, and I think people are looking at this wondering, how UT is managing to be No. 1 in the SEC for growth? What have you had to focus on during your tenure to make that happen?

A: I don’t know how we missed you, be cause now, every entering freshman takes their strengths. And that’s become kind of a hallmark.

Q: So why do you value Clifton Strengths so much?

I think we’re getting better about talking about what that does mean. But there’s one other thing I want to say … we’re also retain ing more of the students who were here last year than we ever have, so we’re up about 2,000 students. I’m gonna give you rough estimates. About 1,000 of those are new stu dents, first-year students. The rest of them are that many more students who decided to come back. So our retention has gone up, considerably. And that’s because we’ve put all these efforts into student success. Students now have a career, they have success teams that chase after them. They take their strengths. You did it, I’m sure. You should know your top five strengths. If you don’t, that’s ok. You know, I’ve never done Clifton Strengths. A: You haven’t? I’ve done Enneagram, Meyers-Briggs, I have not done Clifton Strengths.

A: Yeah. I thought it was just like, “woo!” A: No. Like in the song? No, it means you’re good at persuading people, selling, communicating, that kind of thing. So that’s my top six strengths. My entire cabinet has to have their strengths taken. And I have a grid that shows what everybody is, we all have it.

Students walk on Pedestrian Walkway between classes on Sept. 6, 2022. Fueled by a 14% increase in the freshman class and record retention numbers, UT welcomed its largest-ever student body in fall 2022. “We didn’t think we were going to grow that much. Our predictive models this year did not come in like they have every single year before,” Chancellor Plowman said. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda 4 We didn’t think we were going to grow that much. Our predictive models this year did not come in like they have every single year before.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 • The Daily Beacon 5

A: I would love it if they could. What happens is, each of our campuses has a unique mission, so you know, this year, we notified a number of students on the waiting list, there is space for you at UT Martin, for example, there’s hous ing. I don’t know how many took them up on that. Just typically the people who apply to UT Knoxville don’t apply to UT Martin. UT Martin is a wonderful campus. It feels like a small pri vate school. It’s beautiful.

Q: So next year won’t be 14% growth? That was unexpected. We didn’t think we were going to grow that much. Our predic tive models this year did not come in like they have every single year before. And it’s, we’ve just become really popular, in every state in the country and in every county in the state of Ten nessee. We’re up in Tennesseans, and we’re up in out-of-state students. So let me tell you the reason I don’t think we’ve exceeded capacity. Last year, at the beginning of the year, we had a lot of long lines around food, you remember that? People were complaining about food. I did a few 180s and walked out of the din ing halls. So what you see this year is 50 robots deliv ering food. That was gradual over the last year. What you see are five food trucks here all the time. What you see is the dining halls are still operating. So we anticipated that need early and I think we’re doing ok with that. Let’s talk about parking. I was teaching class yesterday and some body asked me a question and at the end of it, I said, “Is this a parking question?” and she goes “yes it is.”

At the beginning of every school year, we get a lot of questions about parking. Every univer sity in the country does. Yes, these problems are not unique to UT. No, it’s the usual complaint about universi ties. I had it when I went to school. I had it when I got my PhD at the University of Texas. You had to walk 40 acres to get across. All the student parking at Texas was all around the perimeter.

So we’ve been monitoring during those peak periods, cause I’ll get a nasty text or tweet or something and I take a screenshot of the tweet and send it to somebody and say, “Is this re ally happening?” And we look at the app and we can see there are still parking spaces in this garage, this garage, this garage, this garage. Not the one you wanted, but we know we have enough capacity at peak time.

But the issue is, we are engaging in full-force planning in the next set of dorms, we have ap proval for two more dorms. We’re working with private investors who are building, we’re working with the city to try to attract private investors to build apartments for upperclass men, so we’ve got a lot of things underway. But it’s tight this year, it is tight. And we had a lot of students who we could’ve admitted who we did not. They were on the waiting list and eventu ally, we had to say to them, you’ll need to find something else.

There’s less crossover between applicants?

And so one of the things we’re working on here is helping students, so we have an app. Have you used the app for parking?

Yeah, it’s beautiful, it’s in West Tennessee. But students apply to, we don’t really, I wish it did work more that way.

NEWS

We now have transfer students who are having to live in a Holiday Inn off campus. It’s functioning as a dorm. We have students living at Quarry Trail. There’s plans to build a bridge across the river to expand campus southward. So I think a lot of people look at these things … and think, is this sustain able? Are we growing too fast, and what’s the calculation there? Why accept more students than can be housed currently on campus? So, we have housed everyone who wanted a room, including the use of the “Voliday Inn.” And here’s the thing: we have so many jobs that need to be filled in the state of Ten nessee that I feel this great obligation. It’s the mission, to get capable people into this university and get them out in four years and into the beginning of a good life, which starts with a good job. So that’s part of it. It’s not just growth for the sake of growth, it’s growth because we can grow. We’re in very high demand. Now, we do not want to exceed our capacity. Q: But you don’t think we’ve exceeded our current capacity? I think we’re close.

Yeah, cause people, students are just looking for different things.

Q: Have you been getting a lot of them?

Q: Do you see the other campuses in UT, UT Chattanooga, UT Martin, as there in a way to release the pressure off the flagship campus?

I’ve used the app for T bus, I’ve not used it for parking.

/ The Daily Beacon STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE

Q: The growth, from your team and the news and information team at UT, is tout ed, it’s celebrated, it’s an accomplishment against other universities, but it does cause a lot of logistical problems, and these are being felt by students on a day-to-day basis.

A: The idea is, you can be successful re gardless of what category of strengths you have. The successful people leverage their strengths. So part of what we want entering freshmen to realize, cause a lot of entering freshmen, I don’t know if you felt this way, but you can get here, especially as a first gen eration student and feel like, I don’t know if I belong here. Like my confidence, I don’t re ally have the confidence. But soon as you be gin to realize, ok, I am kind of good at these things, I’m gonna use that to be successful in college. So I think that’s a combination of factors that are fueling our growth. And then Tennessee is a great place to live, it’s beautiful. There’s lots of good jobs in Tennessee after you graduate.

It’s tight, I’ll grant you that, but there’s some that are zero, there’s others that aren’t.

DONDE PLOWMAN CHANCELLOR, UT KNOXVILLE

And so, if I hire a new vice chancellor, I hire a new athletic director – Danny White, he’s taken it. I can tell you what his strengths are. And we look at that together and say as leaders, how does this help us, where are the gaps, where is it we’re not as strong, and what are we gonna do about that? So it’s helped me as a leader. So it helps you understand each other as a team.

Market Square In the middle of downtown Knoxville is Market Square, a collection of some of the best shops and restaurants Knoxville has to offer. With shops like Mast General and Fizz, and restaurants like Cafe 4 and Tupelo Honey, it is a great place to visit any day of the year. However, the stage at the forefront makes it a fantastic venue for the events it hosts, like jazz concerts in the square and Friday Art Walk starting Sept. 2. Be sure to visit the square on a Saturday to support local farmers in the Square. When you need to take a break from the great food and shopping, feel free to take a brief walk through the garden.

Ijams Nature Center Ijams Nature Center is a nonproﬁt nature center. It is a beautiful park with 10 miles of trails. The park is just right off from the city in South Knoxville, but you would not know it from being there. Ijams also offers bikes and canoe rentals. This is a great place to go if you, or your dog, are needing a nature walk to clear your head, as well as a change of scenery — and what beautiful scenery it is.

HANNAH COBB Contributor

Only a mile from campus, Market Square contains a collection of storefronts and eateries. File / The Daily Beacon

A twist on the classic movie theater experience, Cinnebarre combines going to a restaurant and seeing the latest movies. While sitting in a pleather, reclining seat, a waiter will take your order during the previews. Reﬁlls on candy, popcorn and drinks are served in the bar in the lobby. Make sure to get there on time because they stop taking orders 10 minutes after the official start time of the movie, that way you do not have to hear whispers or watch people walk in front of the screen during the show. The best part: free reﬁlls on movie theater popcorn.

New 988 lifeline provides support for individuals experiencing mental health crises

5 things to do in Knoxville to shake up your weekend

NAMI provides and supports Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs that help to improve communication between mental health providers, law enforcement, hospital emergency services and families in need. The Tennessee organization is hoping to continue to work towards a better system of mental health aid by working with policy makers and the larger community of Tennessee.

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 7, 20226 NEWS

On July 15, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was renamed and their toll-free nationwide telephone number was changed to 9-8-8. This change was a result of The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which required all telephone services and text providers in the U.S to activate the number. The lifeline consists of over 200 state and local call centers.TheNational Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots organization committed to improving and aiding in the lives of individuals with serious mental illnesses and their families. The alliance was founded in 1979, and its members strive to shed light on mental illnesses and their effects. When asked about his emotions towards the new lifeline, Jesús Mora, a junior studying criminology, explained the importance of the emotional support it offers. “Many people located in the area and all over the country experience mental health issues or crises on a daily basis. This hotline and all of the people behind it will save many lives and offer better help to individuals who struggle with their mental health and their families who are very much affected by it,” MoraNAMIsaid.has various organizations within every state, including Tennessee. NAMI Tennessee is working to raise awareness of the lifeline. There are currently 6 call centers within Tennessee that are available 24/7 to anyone who is experiencing any kind of emotional stress or who is concerned about a lovedTheone.executive director of NAMI Tennessee, Jeff Fladen spoke on the changes and assistance that this will bring to Tennessee. “If you or anyone you know is experiencing some kind of mental distress, you can call or text 988, and you will be greeted with compassionate and accessible mental health professionals on the other end of the line. For far too long, this burden has fallen on our 911 operators and ﬁrst responders, and they are ﬁnally getting some much-needed help,” Fladen said.

Allen Bartels, the Board President of NAMI Tennessee, described the organization’s thankfulness for the assistance from their partners.“Weknow that 988 is going to save countless lives … we applaud all of the partners and agencies that are working together to provide this invaluable resource to people experiencing a mental health crisis,” Bartels said. The 10-digit Lifeline number 1-800-273TALK (8255) will continue to be operational and will route calls to 988 indeﬁnitely. Veterans, service members and their families can also still reach the Veterans Crisis Line with the current phone number 1-800-273-8255.

Knoxville is a vibrant town offering many exciting experiences, from exploring the beautiful, mountainous skyline to a bustling farmer’s market in the heart of its city. Whatever intrigues you — whether it be a unique take on sports like the brand-new Top Golf or the Gravity Ropes course at Main Event — Knoxville has something to offer you. Here are five of the best things you can do in Knoxville right now. Main Event This is the perfect place to go if you are looking for variety. Main Event has some of the most fun attractions in one place, just off of Kingston Pike. At the front is the game floor, with classics like Pacman and DonkeyKong, but also featuring some exciting newer games like Star Wars Battle Pod and Dance Dance Revolution. Right on top of the game floor is the Gravity Ropes obstacle course if you’re into something a little more daring. Behind the game floor is laser tag, right next to the bowling lanes. When you feel tired of all the gaming and bowling, you can grab something to eat — or drink, for those of you 21 and up — at the sports bar. Top Golf Brand new to Knoxville is the exciting Top Golf. It is a modern new take on the golf game — and fun for everyone. You do not have to be a golf professional to have fun at Top Golf — just go, do your best and have fun. Do not worry about keeping score because the microchipped golf balls keep score for you. Reservations or walk-ins are accepted.

Cinnebarre

Olivia Martin, a sophomore elementary education major, explained the change that the new number will bring. “Struggling with mental health isn’t uncommon these days, especially for college students or anybody struggling financially. So for them to offer this hotline and focus completely on mental health will definitely benefit many people and the ones close to them,” Martin said. To learn more about the NAMI association and how to get involved, visit their official website.

KAITLYN PILCHER Staff Writer

If you are brand new to Knoxville, or even a long-time local, it can be hard to ﬁnd something to do in the city. With so much to do, the choices can be overwhelming.

“Down in Austin, I went to an indepen dent bookstore every day … I would just go and look at books and read. Nick would do the same in San Antonio,” Fry said.

Bridgette Enevoldsen, a junior here at UT, shares why she was happy to see the exhibit shedding light on repatriation.

ADELE FERGUSON

In a residential area off of Kingston Pike is a new hidden gem, Bear Den Books, which is an independent bookstore that opened on July 9. The shop is located at 1200 Kenesaw Avenue, which is in the heart of the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood. This specific neighbor

Knoxville locals Tina and Dave Becker vis ited the stonework section of the museum, and they discussed what brought them to the exhibit.

“When we first moved out here, one of the locals told us about finding arrowheads and beads in freshly-plowed cornfields. We’ve actually gone out and found some, and that’s kind of exciting to us, picking up something no one else has probably touched in 10,000 years,” T. Becker said. Artifacts possibly discovered by locals like the Beckers are displayed throughout the rest of the exhibit as well. Deeper in the exhibition, illuminated boxes within the floor capture your attention, one displaying an earth oven another containing posthole patterns. Placing these boxes in the floor helps recreate the environment that Na tive Americans lived in more accurately, and therefore helps visitors thoroughly immerse themselves within the exhibit. After walking through the entirety of the exhibition, visitors are left with a greater un derstanding of how Native Americans had to adapt their culture and creations to the in creasing changes around them. The greatest cultural shifts are displayed at the end of the exhibit, at the arrival of Europeans and the colonization of America. The exhibit illustrates that colonization not only permanently changed the culture of Na tive Americans — it also set into motion the eventual robbery of artifacts from a society deemed uncivilized by its colonizers. NAGPRA and repatriation exist today because of cul ture captors’ resistance to return what right fully belongs to the Native American people.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 • The Daily Beacon 7

In terms of selection, the shop boasts an impressive selection of youth and middlegrade books, as well as popular fiction and nonfiction books — most focusing on high lighting local spots.

“We had our first event a couple of Satur days ago — a children’s author, Katie Cate, read her book ‘Have You Seen A Black Bear,’ and the kids loved it,” Fry said. “We looked out the window and saw an army of strollers headed our way. We had a great turnout ... Se quoyah Hills has been super welcoming.” The owners plan to hold events for other age ranges, including the college crowd. The goal is to give students a space to find a book or just relax. There is also a coffee shop and The Plaid Apron close by, making it a great area for college students to go and visit. Bear Den Books is also an important place for local authors of color.

“It’s honestly really nice to see some of the changes that have been made. The things that have happened are being acknowledged and not glossed over anymore,” Enevoldsen said. Contributor Bear Den Books to unite community, encourage literary diversity

“We have a large selection of books written by people of color and are committed to sup porting local authors of color as well. We’re constantly working to find new and old books written by people of color,” Fry said.

Fellow UT alumni Kaitlyn Sage Patter son and Bear Den Books customer is a local author and currently works as the develop mental director at_We Need Diverse Books, which specializes in supporting diversity in the literary world.

After this act went into effect in 1990, many items once in UT’s artifact collection are now in the process of being returned to the tribes from which they originated. Visitors can see the effect of NAGPRA in the exhibit while walking past display cases filled with arti facts, some spots left empty with only a red label reading, “Object removed for repatria tion.”Upon entering the exhibit, visitors are first greeted by a bronze bust of Sequoyah, the creator of the Cherokee writing system. Opening the exhibit with this noteworthy Na tive American figure sets the tone for the rest of the exhibition, which prominently features advancement in creation throughout Native American society. These advancements are skillfully high lighted through the numerous interactive features the exhibit includes. In the stone work section arrowheads are displayed along with written descriptions and a video dem onstrating how arrowheads were made using the stone tools on display.

The quaint shop was started by friends and UT alumni Nick Wendell and Tex Fry. The idea for Bear Den Books came about while the two lived in different parts of Texas.

hood was one of the first suburbs in Knoxville and is home to a sizable elementary school.

“We Need Diverse Books works with par ents, educators and librarians to help bring diverse books into classrooms and into un derserved populations,” Patterson said. “We work with authors to help them through out their career, through our Black creatives fund, our Native fund and our mentorships.” Patterson explained that currently, au thors of color are having issues with getting their books onto shelves at big-name book sellers.“Last week we got news from Barnes and Nobles that they are cutting back on buy ing middle-grade and children’s book titles. Which means diverse voices will be side lined,” Patterson said. “I see that with one of our Co-Founders, Dhonielle Clayton. Her book ‘The Marvellers’ hit the New York Times Bestseller list, but they may have five copies in a Barnes and Noble. While another white author will have 25 or 30.”

“We definitely want to listen to our com munity. We want to hear what people want to read, and what they would like us to carry.”

Exhibit displays Native American artifacts during repatriation project

KAT BRICKLE Contributor ARTS & CULTURE UT Alum Tex Fry is the co-founder and coowner of Bear Den Books. Fry is pictured in the shop on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. Edward Cruz / The Daily Beacon

Bear Den Books functions differently from the big names and is an asset to authors of color — as an independent bookstore, Bear Den Books chooses the authors they sell in stead of relying on a corporate office.

Shopping local and getting books from independent bookstores such as Bear Den Books not only helps diversify the stories books are telling, but they also support the community.“Wewant to give authors of all back grounds a platform. We’re certainly hoping to support local underrepresented authors by carrying their work and having them in for events,” Fry said.

This experience inspired the duo to give a little gift back to a place that means much to them. Fry explained that while there are a few bookstores downtown, there are little to none on the west side of Knoxville.

“You’re getting to interact with the own ers and form community at our store,” Fry said. “We have shelves with our own personal favorites — and are planning on guest pick shelves. We are always happy to special order books for folks as well.” Bear Den Books is currently in collabora tion with the Knoxville History Project, which is an educational nonprofit whose mission is to research and promote the history of Knox ville.“Nick and I are both history nerds … we love to take deep dives into what Knoxville was like in the 1800s … we love carrying books like that, books that go deep into the history of Knoxville,” Fry said. Not only does the store simply sell books, but the shop also offers events such as storytimes for children and author readings.

Throughout the month of August, UT’s McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture has housed Native American artifacts in the “Repatriation of Archaeology & the Na tive Peoples of Tennessee” exhibit. The collection includes items from a wide array of Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Musco gee, Osage and Seminole. The earliest artifact in the exhibit dates back to approximately 12,000 years ago, and the end of the exhibit delves into the acculturation of Native Ameri cans due to European colonization. Interspersed between murals illustrating Native Americans’ past, the exhibit incorpo rates the present with enlarged quotes from Native American leaders today. Including these quotes in the exhibit gives voice to Na tive Americans themselves on the importance of repatriation, a topic which is the focal point of the exhibit. At first glance, the exhibit seems to mainly focus on Native American artifacts. Yet upon closer inspection, visitors can see that repa triation is heavily explored throughout each section of the exhibit. Printed in large type on the walls, visi tors learn what repatriation is and how it is implemented within the exhibition itself. Ad ditionally, visitors also learn about the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Christian

2022 New Grounds Music Festival (Sept. 17-18)

Greta Van Fleet (Sept. 28) Grammy award-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet will be performing at ThompsonBoling Arena on Sept. 28 as part of their “Dreams in Gold” tour. They will be joined by alternative band Houndmouth and blues sing er-songwriter Robert Finley. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster. At this time, there are no plans for ticket sales at the box office.

The future of the students here at UT is promising with the events and opportuni ties planned, and it leaves it up to students whether or not they utilize these events to jumpstart their lives. College is temporary but the professional journey afterwards, most certainly, is not.

Of. The tour coincides with the release of her newest album “The Loneliest Time,” which is scheduled to drop on Oct. 21. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster. Be aware there may be a slight delay for mobile ticket deliveries, although purchased tickets should be available at least 24 hours before the concert.

Keith Urban is bringing his “Speed of Now” world tour to Thompson-Boling Arena on Oct. 14. He will be joined by Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, as well as breakout country singer Ingrid Andress. Fans will be treated to new music off his new album, “The Speed of Now Part 1,” as well as old favorites.

Heavy metal outfit Five Finger Death Punch (5FDP) will stop at Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 17. They will be joined by country-rock artists Brantley Gilbert and Cory Marks. 5FDP is touring to promote their new album, After life, which recently came out on Aug. 19.

Phillip Phillips (Oct. 28) Phillip Phillips, winner of the 11th season of “American Idol,” will perform at the Bijou Theater on Oct. 28 as part of his “Where We Came From” tour. The concert will be opened by New York-based pop-rock band American Authors. A VIP package is available for pur chase, which includes access to a Q-and-A session with the singer, as well as a pre-show soundcheck.

Concerts are finally coming back to Knox ville. There are several big names coming to this little corner of Tennessee in the coming months, and there will be something for ev eryone — rock, country, pop and more. While the CDC has loosened its COVID-19 guidelines, it is important that concertgoers learn about each event and venue’s specific guidelines, as well as any clear bag and alcohol policies.More concerts and other events can be found on the Visit Knoxville event calendar.

This job fair not only came with the po tential to benefit the students, but it also encouraged a desired partnership between the employers and the future of the job force. It intertwined two entities that can both aid each other in their pursuits.

Part-time job fair connects students with potential opportunities

New Grounds is a relatively new musical festival, having only put on its first festival in 2019. Its mission is to provide emerging artists the opportunity to perform before large audi ences in a real festival setting. It will be held at Lakeshore Park, with a free shuttle service from the University Commons shopping cen ter courtesy of Knoxville Tours. Tickets can be purchased online via the fes tival website.

Culture Champion and HR generalist at the Graduate Hotel, Cailtyn Baker, shared her thoughts on the fair and her experience as an alumni of the university.

The week will begin with Engineering and STEM related fields, and then move to busi ness-related majors and a virtual fair with employers of all industries.

The local service manager at Dayton Freight, Stephen Berk, expressed her excite ment for the incoming students.

Something for everyone: 7 concerts coming to Knoxville this semester

“I was in between classes and heard about the fair and decided to come stop in. I just got a job at the TRECs on campus, but I am see ing if there are any potential jobs for me that could lead to something bigger,” Difulvio said.However, the part-time job fair on Tues day was not the only event planned this se mester to jumpstart this conversation. Be ginning Monday, Sept. 26, the Center for Career and Development’s Fall Job Fair Week will kick off, holding four different fairs throughout the week.

The whole purpose is to prepare students for what is to come after they get their diploma and enter the real-world job market. Job fairs bring together the employer and the em ployee in a professional environment where a conversation is had that could change the trajectory of a student’s career.

“We choose UT students because it gives them an opportunity to gain real world ex perience, but more importantly, it gives us the chance to develop these students in our house management program which will hopefully lead to a long-term partnership,” BerkFindingsaid. work experience and building a resume as an undergraduate can be chal lenging, especially when it comes to working around a class schedule and juggling other jobs. The decision to have a specific parttime job fair was a strategic way to open av enues for students to get the experience they need for their futures and degrees, without the stress of working full-time.

“We look for UT students because the hospitality field is something they can re ally grow into. I am a fellow alumni and so are my colleagues, so we really try to help UT students out and give them opportunities,” BakerThesaid.jobfair’s goal is to spark an initiative within students to pursue further education with the influence of employers. Like Baker, any student at the fair could be on their way to grad school because of that one day they went to a job fair. With countless employer booths, there were many opportunities available to stu dents with any major. Students who attended also displayed enthusiasm about the experience. Andrea Difulvio, a senior at UT, was whimsically there but nevertheless, motivated.

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 7, 20228 ARTS & CULTURE

The Tennessee Valley Fair returns to Chil howee Park on Sept. 9 and it will run until Sept. 18. The fair’s beloved concert series will feature big stars in the rock and country music scenes, including Brett Michaels and Joan Jett. The concerts will be held in the evening at the park’s open-air Homer Hamilton Amphithe ater.Tickets for the concerts can be purchased through the fair’s website. Be aware fair ad mission is not included with a concert ticket purchase, and concert-goers must purchase fair admission to gain entry to every concert.

Carly Rae Jepsen (Oct. 4) The Tennessee Theater will be hosting Ca nadian pop sensation Carly Rae Jepsen on Oct. 4 as part of her “So Nice” tour. She will be joined by indie dream-pop singer Empress

CHRISTIAN KYLE Contributor Culture Champion and HR generalist Caitlyn Baker returns to UT as an alumna to speak to students at the part time job fair in the Student Union on Tuesday Aug. 30, 2022. Kyle

AURORA SILAVONG Staff Writer Evan Saucedo, lead singer for ‘Uptown Funk,’ portrays a convincing Bruno Mars while performing at the 2019 Tennessee Valley Fair. File / The Daily Beacon

On August 30, 2022 the Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration held a part-time job fair in the Student Union building from 1-4 p.m. which brought in dif ferent employers from across the Knoxville area, and with that, job opportunities came forth.Every year, college campuses hold job fairs to enrich the experience of their students.

Keith Urban (Oct. 14)

Five Finger Death Punch (Nov. 17)

/ The Daily Beacon

Tennessee Valley Fair (Sept. 9-18)

Pitt faced much stiffer competition than the Vols did in its season-opener and stepped up to the test, as the Panthers defeated a promising West Virginia team 38-31 last Thursday in the first meeting of the Backyard Brawl in 11 years.

/ The Daily Beacon

Alexandra

Tennessee is looking for its first win in the all-time series against a new-look Pitt team that — despite the conversations outside the program — looked for real as it took care of business in week one.

“The tempo of the ballgame we’re going to see from them will be a little bit different,” He upel said. “Got to do a great job of being physi cal with the front seven in particular, but really the entire defensive unit.”

The Tennessee Volunteers took its first loss of the season against the Pittsburg Panthers (4134) in Neyland Stadium on Saturday Sept. 11, 2021.Kailee Harris / The Daily Beacon

Pitt was one of Tennessee’s five regularseason losses a year ago, and more than any other defeat, it was one the Vols could have won. An injury to Joe Milton allowed Hendon Hooker to take the reins at quarterback in the second quarter, and he nearly guided the Vols to a comeback. The Vols, however, hurt them selves as they came up short. Special teams penalties and a fourth-quar ter Hooker interception let Pitt escape Knox ville with a 41-34 win. Heupel knows that the loss — his first at Tennessee — will not impact their meeting a year later, but there are lessons the Vols can take into the 2022 matchup. “Just understanding the type of game that is going to be played,” Heupel said. “They are smart, tough and competitive. The little things are going to add up to the big things that show up on the scoreboard.”

Lady Vols dismantle in-state foe Tennessee Tech in game of firsts

The Vols did not have much of a chance to prove their run defense against Ball State.

Tennessee limited Ball State to 74 total yards on the ground and 2.7 per carry, though one discouraging sign was the absence of pressure on Tennessee’s part. The Vols were unable to break through Ball State’s undistinguished of fensive line, as they recorded two total tackles for loss and no sacks against the Cardinals.

Pitt’s potent offense, led by a ground attack carrying the momentum, is just the challenge the Vols want to face to prove themselves real competitors in 2022.

JOSH LANE Sports Editor

The final two goals for the Vols were also firsts. Three minutes after Fusco’s goal, Mack enzie George punched in a header off a cross from Maria Nelson for her first goal of the season. In the 74th minute, freshman Macaira Midgley scored her first collegiate goal to set the score at 7-0.

The Panthers’ offense did not feel the loss of Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison, their two biggest playmakers from 2021, as they totaled 384 yards in the win. Starting quarterback Ke don Slovis did well in his season-debut, com pleting 66.7 percent of his passes for 308 yards and a touchdown, but Pitt made its mark on the ground.Running back Rodney Hammond Jr. shined in the opener, rushing for three touchdowns and 74 yards while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. The Panthers struggled to amass rush ing yards outside of Hammond, but they did score one more touchdown from Daniel Carter.

ERIC WOODS Staff Writer Jaida Thomas makes her way past a Tennes see Tech defender on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022 at Regal Soccer Stadium. Ashmore

After handling Ball State with ease last Thursday, Tennessee (1-0) will go on the road to face No. 17 Pitt (1-0) for the second Johnny Majors Classic at Acrisure Stadium in Pitts burgh, in what will be a telling game for the 2022“ThisVols.is a big game for us, obviously,” Ten nessee head coach Josh Heupel said. “First road test for us against a really good football team.”

Tennessee has two games before SEC ac tion begins. The Lady Vols will look to continue their win streak on Thursday at 7 p.m. EST ver sus Kennesaw State at Regal Soccer Stadium.

Tennessee women’s soccer (2-2-1) deliv ered its most complete performance of the season on Sunday night. After a series of rough starts to begin the season, sophomores Jordan Fusco and Taylor Huff had the Lady Vols rolling out of the gates with two goals within the first four minutes of the game. Fusco kicked things off with her first goal of the season, shortly followed by Huff just 38 seconds later in Tennessee’s 7-0 victory over Tennessee Tech (1-3-2). Following a disappointing first half in last weeks contest against Bowling Green, head coach Joe Kirt has talked about a standard for his team that has yet to be met. “We talked about it before the game asking, ‘Which team is going to show up (tonight) and what are you guys going to hold yourself to,’” Kirt said. “‘Are we going to be the first half team from Wednesday or the second half?’ And today it was the second half. They were focused and ready to go from the first five minutes and they were dialed in.” It was a game of many firsts for Tennessee beginning with Fusco’s goal. In the 26th min ute, fifth-year senior Abbey Burdette found the back of the net for the first time this season off a Claudia Dipasupil corner kick, setting the score at 3-0 in the Lady Vols favor. Just three minutes later, redshirt-junior Jaida Thomas scored Tennessee’s final goal of the half, putting them up 4-0. The goal so lidified her place at third in the all-time goals list, breaking a tie between her and VFL Laura Lauter Smith. Thomas is off to a fiery start to the season, scoring at least one goal in each of her last four games. In the second half, Fusco once again opened the half with her second goal of the game from 22 yards out in the 53rd minute to set the score at 5-0.“It(the goals) felt so good,” Fusco said. “I think my shots the last two games have been a little off, so it was good to finally to calm and place them right.”

The Lady Vols are starting to hit their stride at the right time as SEC play looms. Each game has looked like a step forward as the program works out the kinks that come with a coaching change.“Everything that we’ve been doing has been according to plan,” Kirt said. “We’ve talked about getting better every game in all areas on and off the field. The results from the first few games weren’t we wanted them to be, but overall the process has been really consistent.”

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 • The Daily Beacon 9SPORTS Vols set for first road test of season at 2nd Johnny Majors Classic

Milton made the most of his time Thurs day night, going 8-9 passing with 113 yards and a touchdown — a 53-yard passing touchdown to Jimmy Holiday. Overall, the Vols’ quarterbacks were great Thursday night. Running Backs: B While the backfield was definitely over shadowed by the passing game Thursday night, there is still a lot of good to be said about Tennessee’s running backs. Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright were great and showed that they can be a dangerous backfield duo. The two combined for 149 yards and each had a touchdown. Freshman Dylan Sampson came in and showed that he can be a solid third op tion for the Vols, picking up 32 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive Line: B+ Ball State’s defensive line is not compa rable to the SEC defensive lines Tennessee will face later in the season, but give the Cardinals some credit. Their defensive line is experienced and solid overall. That being said, Tennessee’s offensive line looked good on Thursday night. Hooker was sacked just once and it was well outside of the pocket. There were just two tackles for loss. The offensive line did its job. The Vols will have their hands full next week with Pitt’s experienced defensive line, and that will be a good chance to get a true evaluation of the offensive line.

Special Teams :A Tennessee didn’t get much of a chance to show off its special teams Thursday night. Paxton Brooks punted twice for an av erage of 46.5 yards. Chase McGrath nailed a 33-yard field goal. Holiday returned one kickoff for 16 yards. The Vols’ special teams will get their chance to shine — there just wasn’t much of a place for them on Thursday.

Jalin Hyatt started what went on to be an outstanding game from the receivers. He cut a route short on the first play of the game to get open, then dodged a Ball State defender and dove into the end zone for Tennessee’s first touchdown on its first offensive play.

The coaches job in a season opener is to make sure the team gets in and gets out eas ily and injury free. Heupel’s team was prepared, calm, cool and collected in the easy win over Ball State.

Receivers: A+

Tennessee’s receivers were the story Thursday night. 10 different receivers had catches against Ball State, a testament to both Hooker and Milton as well as the Vols’ depth in the receiver position.

Tennessee gave up just 74 rushing yards and held Ball State to an average of 2.7 yards per carry. The front seven also did a good job of putting pressure on Ball State quarter back John Paddock, which helped force two interceptions.

Here’s how Tennessee graded out on Thursday night.

Secondary: BBall State took advantage of a Vols’ sec ondary that is still figuring things out. Pad dock threw for 269 yards and a touchdown on Thursday night. The Vols secondary did pull in two in terceptions against Ball State — one on the first play of the game.

Alexandra Ashmore / Daily Beacon Wide reciever Cedric Tillman No. 4 during the Vols’ 2022 season-opener against Ball State on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Neyland Stadium. Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 7, 202210 SPORTS Football grades:

ANDREW PETERS Assistant Sports Editor Trevon Flowers No. 1 makes a tackle against Ball State in Neyland Stadium on Sept. 1, 2022.

The

Tennessee’s secondary was its weakest link a season ago, but it seems to have im proved some over the offseason. It still has much work to do however, especially if it wants to compete with the SEC’s best.

Cedric Tillman was the No. 1 option for the Vols as he racked up 69 yards on six catches. Holiday and Walker Merrill both scored their first career touchdowns. Ten nessee’s highly-anticipated transfer Bru McCoy pulled in three catches for 42 yards. The Vols will undoubtedly see better de fenses than Ball State, but their performance in game one was a great place to start.

Overall :A You can’t ask much more of Tennessee than to get a huge win over a non-Power 5 opponent in week one while also making sure players stay healthy before a big game nextTennesseeweek. was great on Thursday and gained some always-important confidence early on.

Quarterback: A+ Hendon Hooker picked up right where he started a season ago. He was an efficient 18-25 with 222 passing yards and a pair of passing touchdowns. He also rushed for two touchdowns on the night. Hooker, who enters the season with big expectations both within the fanbase and nationally, looked great on Thursday. He only had one bad throw where he aired the ball out just a little too far, but besides that he was very accurate throwing the ball. He was patient in the pocket all night. When routes folded, he improvised and made plays out of nothing, a tell-tale sign of a mature quarterback. The game was over at halftime with the Vols up 38-0, and Hooker’s backup Joe Mil ton came in in the third quarter.

To no one’s surprise, Tennessee plowed through its week one opponent, defeating Ball State 59-10. The lopsided win will be a confidence booster heading into an early road test next week at Pittsburgh and it also gave the Vols a chance to get some nerves out after a long offseason.

Coaching :A Tennessee came into its season opener amped up and full of energy. Head coach Josh Heupel made sure the Vols kept their composure and didn’t let the excitement lead to sloppy play.

Front Seven: B+ Like the offensive line, it’s hard to evalu ate the defensive line in games against low er caliber teams, but the Vols’ defensive line looked solid on Thursday.

Hooker, receivers win first game

Kailee Harris Digital Producer (6-1) Bella Hughes Design Editor (5-2) Eric Woods Staff Writer (7-0)

These kind of second quarter performances are what Tennessee needs when it gets into games against stronger, conference opponents. Sharing the Love Hooker and Joe Milton made their receivers happy Thursday night. 10 different receivers out of 11 possible had catches against Ball State.

Notebook: Vols glide past Ball State

Tennessee handled its first game of the season with ease Thursday night, defeating Ball State 59-10 in a bright display of the Vols’ new and improved offense. While still early, the Vols showed flashes of greatness on both sides of the ball and gave fans a lot to look forward to this season. “I’m really happy with a lot of things. Offense, defense, special teams,” head coach Josh Heupel said. “I thought there was a lot to be really excited about.” Here are three takeaways from Tennessee’s first game of the season.

Vols Hit the Ground Running

Tennessee 31 vs. Pitt 38 Alabama vs. Texas South Carolina vs. Arkansas Kentucky vs. Florida Baylor vs. BYU Houston vs. Texas Tech Iowa State vs. Iowa

Cedric Tillman led the way with six receptions for 69 yards. Hyatt, Walker Merrill and Jimmy Holiday all had receiving touchdowns on the game. Merrill and Holiday’s touchdowns were both the ﬁrst of their careers.

Hooker, who played until halfway through the third quarter, was 18-25 passing with two passing touchdowns. He also had a pair of rushingMiltontouchdowns.was8-9with 113 yards and a touchdown after coming in for Hooker in the third.

“We’ve felt like he has grown since the time he got back in January,” Heupel said. “Joe (Milton) tonight showed some of the things we had seen during the course of training camp, which was extremely positive to see.”

Josh Lane Sports Editor (4-3) Andrew Peters Asst. Sports Editor (5-2) Jack Church Contributor (7-0)

The first two plays set the tone for the game as Tennessee remained in control for the entirety of the game. No Second-Quarter Woes Second quarters defined Tennessee last season, and not in a good way. The Vols were significantly worse in the second quarter than in any other quarter.

PICK

After a long offseason, there was no doubt that Tennessee was fired up and ready to get things started this season. The Vols wasted no time, and their first play of the season was an interception.BallState tried to pull a reverse flea flicker and it backfired, as Tennessee’s Tamarion McDonald intercepted the ball and gave the Vols great field position to start the game.

McDonald’s early interception gave the impression that he can takeover where Theo Jackson left “Theoff.way Theo (Jackson) played a year ago, McDonald didn’t get a lot of opportunities,” Heupel said. “It was great to see him start the ballgame the way that he did because of what he’s done leading up to it.”

Tennessee’s offense followed in the defense’s footsteps and was also quick to get going.Hendon Hooker connected with Jalin Hyatt on the ﬁrst offensive play of the game for a 23yard passing touchdown.

SPORTS

2022 ‘EM FOOTBALL

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 • The Daily Beacon 11

On Thursday the Vols showed some signs that they might be leaving poor second quarter performances in 2021.

The second quarter ended up being Tennessee’s best quarter against Ball State, as the Vols outscored the Cardinals 21-0 to make it a 38-0 lead at the half.

“That’s kind of my thing,” Hooker said. “I love to spread the ball around and get the ball in play-makers’ hands. Tonight I got a chance to do that and they all made plays.”

ANDREW PETERS Assistant Sports Editor

KNOXVILLE, TN - No. 2 Jabari Small tackled by a Ball State University safety during the Vols’ opener in Neyland Stadium on Thursday Sep. 1, 2022. Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon Tennessee 24 vs. Pitt 31 Alabama vs. Texas South Carolina vs. Arkansas Kentucky vs. Florida Baylor vs. BYU Houston vs. Texas Tech Iowa State vs. Iowa Tennessee 38 vs. Pitt 21 Alabama vs. Texas South Carolina vs. Arkansas Kentucky vs. Florida Baylor vs. BYU Houston vs. Texas Tech Iowa State vs. Iowa Tennessee 34 vs. Pitt 31 Alabama vs. Texas South Carolina vs. Arkansas Kentucky vs. Florida Baylor vs. BYU Houston vs. Texas Tech Iowa State vs. Iowa Tennessee 34 vs. Pitt 28 Alabama vs. Texas South Carolina vs. Arkansas Kentucky vs. Florida Baylor vs. BYU Houston vs. Texas Tech Iowa State vs. Iowa Tennessee 40 vs. Pitt 36 Alabama vs. Texas South Carolina vs. Arkansas Kentucky vs. Florida Baylor vs. BYU Houston vs. Texas Tech Iowa State vs. Iowa

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 7, 202212