09092020 by UT Media Center

Wednesday, September 2, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

Volume 139, Issue 4 3

Wednesday, Wednesday,Septemeber September 9, 2,2020 2020 utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

UT researchers perform surveillance testing to track, contain spread of COVID-19 CONNOR HOLT Staff Writer

Since the spring semester, the University of Tennessee administration, in collaboration with various officials and expert researchers, has been exploring every possible avenue for preventing the spread of COVID-19 on campus come the fall semester. Dr. Terry Hazen, governor’s chair for Environmental Biotechnology, is one of the primary researchers involved in this preventive effort. One of the methods agreed upon by him and the university was performing surveillance testing on the buildings lived in by student residents. This form of testing is entirely anonymous and doesn’t identify any single individual in order to protect student anonymity. Researchers wearing disposable Tyvek suits will be led by Facilities Services either to a valve in the low part of the building, or in some cases to a manhole on the street, where they will collect three waste-water samples for testing. These samples could be as small as 500 milliliters. They will then clean the sample, seal it and put it in a secondary container before bringing it back to their approved Biological Safety Level 2 Plus laboratory, where it will be immediately pasteurized in a 60-degree Celsius water bath for two hours. After running the three pasteurized samples through a centrifuge, filtering them and then performing reverse centrifugation, they will prepare it for real time quantitative preliminary chain reaction to identify a specific marker in the COVID-19 genome. Such tests are designed to allow the team to identify how many virus particles there are in the waste-water at a given period of time, and potentially how many people in the building are giving off those viruses. “We will also probably sequence the genome using sequencers at Oak Ridge to try and identify different strains — and the potential dominant strain — in particular buildings,” Hazen, who has an extensive history in performing this kind of research, said. If all three tests turn up positive, they will report their findings to the Student Health Center Director Dr. Spencer Gregg and to the Chancellors Cabinet. They will also immediately notify their

Sydney Goodsell / Daily Beacon other surveillance lab run by Dr. Frank Loeffler, Governor’s Chair for Microbiology and Civil and Environmental Engineering and Dr. Albrecht von Arnim, professor and associate head for Biochemistry & Cellular and Microbiology. Loeffler and Albrecht von Arnim’s surveillance lab will perform an anonymous testing method called pooled saliva testing. According to Loeffler, their current plan is to test up to 500 students per day. The laboratory will not have any personal student information and will receive tubes with barcodes. The pooled saliva testing will combine five individual samples into a combined sample, which will then be analyzed. The results will be reported daily to the Student Health Center. It’s important to note that to protect student anonymity, only the Student Health Center can decode the pooled samples and connect the test results with specific individuals. It is only Gregg’s team at the Student Health Center who will contact these students for individual testing. If the team’s goal of 500 samples per day is reached, the laboratory will be able to operate with only two lab technicians and a surveillance laboratory supervisor. However, if asked, the lab has the capability

to increase their daily output to 1,000 samples. If that happens, they would be required to increase their number of lab technicians to four. Once Hazen identifies a building, Dr. Loeffler and von Arnim’s group will immediately call up everyone in that building and will, by floor, have them spit into a collection tube. The pooled samples will help them find which floor has infected people. After that they will notify Gregg’s group and they will perform clinical laboratory industrial action certified testing on everyone living on the positive-tested floor to figure out specifically who is infected. “That potentially should save us time and money, and that’s why they’re doing this. Waste-water and saliva testing will hopefully keep us ahead of the virus in terms of asymptomatic cases and things like that,” Hazen said. This same method already allowed the University of Arizona and MIT to identify potential hot zones on their campuses before any individual showed up as a positive case, even if the individuals in question are asymptomatic. “A substantial amount of logistics is involved.” Loeffler said about managing the collaboration between all the groups. With all the moving parts, it became appar-

ent that they would require a specialized software to assist them in making sure everything runs as designed. Loeffler continued, “We received excellent support from the OIT applications group to build a computer interface that integrates the different steps of process while maintaining sample anonymity, ” Loeffler said. For the time being, however, this software is still under testing to make sure it will run as smoothly as possible. “Even with this effort, it still is dependent on student, faculty, and staff using their masks, staying socially distanced, and avoiding large crowds and parties and those sorts of things,” Hazen said. As it stands, these laboratories and tests are hoped to be up and running this week so that anonymous surveillance testing can begin as soon as possible to break the chain of infection. Their hope is to not have to shut down like other universities across the country already have, both for the sake of students and the ﬁnancial burden it would place on the university itself.

OPINIONS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 9, 2020

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Letter to the Editor: The danger of COVID-19 for the immunocompromised on campus KATIE BUSH, JUNIOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE Contributor

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder at the age of 18 months and I am terrified to set foot on campus. The administration claims that they are doing everything they can to protect students and I believe them. That being said, they are unable to control as much as is necessary. The recent suspension of six IFC and Panhellenic organizations on campus, as well as the identification of two clusters within the first two weeks of class, illustrates their seriousness. The steps they have taken are necessary, but not the full extent of what needs to happen. I would like to claim that there are just a few students who are making it harder for the rest of

us and do not deserve to call themselves Volunteers. The photos I have seen circulating of parties and crowded bars, however, say otherwise. If this were just a few students, I would not be as afraid as I am. If I catch this virus, I will die. I am 20 years old. I will never be able to drink at a bar. I will never be able to graduate from the university I love (via Zoom or otherwise). I will never be able to dance with my father at my wedding. I will never start my ﬁrst career. All of this I could lose because someone I was in class with made the choice to go to one party in a frat house or one bar on the strip. I abhor the behavior of my classmates. I am ashamed that the university has taken no responsibility for what has happened so far. I am horriﬁed that my parents may have to bury me because my fellow Vols have more con-

cern for their parties than their fellow humans. At the time I am writing this, we have nearly 1000 students in isolation and 210 conﬁrmed cases. I ask the administration, when will it be enough? When will you accept that students are not the people you thought we were? Will it take my death for you to ﬁnally put your foot down and send us home? Katie Bush is a junior in political science and can be reached at hfh875@ vols.utk.edu

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

Killer Conversations: Jun Lin’s avoidable death MOLLIE CHAMBERS Columnist

While aimlessly scrolling through my Netflix recommended, I stumbled upon a title that caught my attention, “Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.” As a cat-lover myself, I was curious as to what exactly this docu-series was about, and boy was I in for a ride. “Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer” details the internet’s manhunt for Luka Magnotta, following his involvement in several disturbing videos posted online. Magnotta’s first two videos entitled “1 boy, 2 kittens” and “Python Christmas” were posted in 2010 and featured disturbing scenes of cats being murdered and tortured. As if these videos weren’t bad enough, in 2012 Luka uploaded his final video entitled “1 lunatic, 1 ice pick” which documented the murder of Jun Lin. To make matters worse along with filming the murder, Magnotta also mailed Jun Lin’s body parts to two Vancouver schools, as well as to the Conservative and Liberal parties in Ottawa. Prior to Jun Lin’s murder, after “1 boy, 2 kittens” was uploaded, the internet went on a frenzy trying to figure out the identity of the hooded man in the video. This uproar caused former U.S. soldier Ryan Boyle to form a Facebook group entitled “Find the Kitten Vacuumer for Great Justice.” This purpose of this group at the time was to investigate the identity and whereabouts of the unidentified kitten killer and potentially stop another incident like this from taking place. After a few months of investigating the group got an anonymous tip, thought to be from Mag-

notta himself, that the man in the videos was Luka Magnotta. After finding the killer’s identity, the group repeatedly reported their findings to the police only to be ignored. While the contents of Magnotta’s videos were disturbing, the most disheartening element of this series for me was the fact that Jun Lin’s death could have been avoided. I believe there were many early signs of Magnotta’s dangerous tendencies that were ignored by those around him, and which ultimately cost Jun Lin his life. Magnotta’s Prior Conviction In 2005 Magnotta impersonated a woman to commit $10,000 worth of credit card fraud. However, Magnotta’s shopping spree was short-lived and he was ultimately convicted on one count of impersonation and three counts of fraud. Magnotta’s lawyer was able to shorten his sentence by presenting a medical report showing Magnotta’s extensive psychiatric issues getting him a 9-month conditional sentence and a year of probation. This was on the condition that he would seek counseling and regularly take his medication. The documentary makes it clear that no one in Magnotta’s life helped him cope with his illness, which could have attributed to Lin’s death years later. Another interesting element of Magnotta’s first conviction was that the woman he was impersonating was a close friend that he had met online. While the woman was 21 years old when the impersonation took place, court documents show that she had the mental capacity of a child. I believe Magnotta sought out a vulnerable person online who he could take advantage of, which showcases Magnotta’s manipulative tendencies — the same ones he used to take advantage of Jun Lin.

Wannabe Celebrity Several years after being charged with fraud, Magnotta’s life took a drastic turn. Suddenly it seemed like all he cared about was being a celebrity. He changed his name, for no apparent reason, from Eric Clinton Kirk Newman to Luka Magnotta, a more “celebrity-esk” name. After this sudden name change Magnotta became a self-proclaimed plastic surgery addict. He began getting copious amounts of surgeries and was seemingly obsessed with looking perfect. Magnotta then launched his own modeling career and began auditioning for dozens of reality television shows, notably all of which he was denied from. This drastic personality shift raises major red ﬂags for me. The tendencies Magnotta was exhibiting were bizarre and I wish someone in his life would have caught onto them. I believe if someone attempted to get through to him at this point in his life, Lin’s death could have been avoided. Internet Addiction During his youth, Luka Magnotta worked as an escort, stripper and porn actor. While working in these industries, Magnotta used the internet to meet the majority of his clientele. Every aspect of his adult personality revolved around the internet.

STORY CONTINUED ONLINE Read more at utdailybeacon.com Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

CAMPUS NEWS

1 GUIDED BY VOICES 2 GLASS ANIMALS 3

BULLY

BASTILLE

LOYAL LOBOS

GIRL FRIDAY

METZ

8 BAND OF HEATHENS 9 10

VIDEO AGE

CLIPPING.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

Haslam family makes $40 million donation to UT Haslam College of Business AURORA SILAVONG Contributor

This month, the Haslam family has made a large ﬁnancial gift to the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee. In a statement issued by the Haslam family, they stressed the importance of investing in UT students in order to support a better future. “We are grateful for the opportunity to continue our commitment to the university through the Haslam College of Business and hope this gift will enrich the lives of students for generations to come,” the statement said. “By investing in these students, we are building the future leaders, entrepreneurs and philanthropists of our community, state and country.” The generous gift, amounting to $40 million dollars, will go broadly towards various initiatives in the College of Business, such as hiring faculty and improving learning environments. Some of the money will also go towards expanding pre-collegiate programming aimed at attracting high-potential students to the university. Additionally, some of the money will go to undergraduate honors programming, although it is not known at this time which programs will receive the funds or how much will be allocated to them. “There’s nothing ear-marked for the Global Leadership Scholars,” Dr. Mark A. Moon, director of the Greg and Lisa Smith Global Leadership Scholars program, said. “Other than it throws more money into the college as a whole.” The GLS program is considered the official honors program of the business college and was established a decade ago by a similar gift from Walmart Executive and UT alum Greg Smith. The recent gift is a continuation of the Haslams’ long-standing relationship with the university. In 2014, a similar donation led to a decision to rename the college in their honor. That investment greatly helped expand the college, transforming it to a center for world-class education for business students. “It also signiﬁcantly increased the college’s ability to attract and retain high quality faculty by increasing our competitiveness vis a vis other top ranked business schools,” Stephen L. Mangum, who serves as the dean of the college, said. “Becoming a named business school has in and of itself contributed to the school’s standing among major business schools around the country.” A feature of the gift is that it encourages other philanthropists in the community to give through matching, where their contributions are matched by the Haslam family. This effectively doubles the impact of these other donations. “This feature of the gift agreement invites other donors to consider contributions to these same initiatives, knowing that the impact of their donation will be leveraged and increased in im-

Lailah Blackwell / The Daily Beacon pact by Haslam Family investments in these same areas,” Mangum said. In total, the Haslam family has invested ap-

proximately $100 million in the university’s business program.

THE DAILY BEACON’S

COMING

September 23rd

CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Associate Dean of Students speaks out on Greek life during COVID DANIEL DASSOW Staff Writer

Of all student organizations, fraternities and sororities may stand to lose the most due to COVID-related conduct policies. Events that were once everyday parts of the Greek experience — drinking at crowded bars, taking pictures with dozens of unmasked sisters or hosting massive house parties — are now conduct violations worthy of suspension. The day after classes began, Chancellor Donde Plowman released a statement warning student organizations against hosting social events that could endanger the campus community. But less than a week later, on Aug. 26, the Office of the Chancellor released another statement announcing that six student organizations had been suspended due to violations to COVID-19 safety policies. The announcement left out the fact that all six organizations were Greek: fraternities Alpha Tau Omega, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha and sorority Chi Omega. Though the office of Student Conduct and Community Standards is unable to comment on ongoing investigations and many students in

suspended fraternities and sororities are not permitted to speak out on the issue, some students involved in other chapters report that Greek organizations are taking COVID guidelines seriously for the most part. Charlie Evans, junior and member of Sigma Nu fraternity, says that his chapter and many others have made changes to adapt to life with COVID. “I’ve been to the house a few times and guys do wear masks like they’re supposed to. … Obviously that isn’t the case for the few fraternities that are under investigation,” Evans said. “There are a bunch of signs in the house about wearing a mask, and there’s a max capacity for the house that’s being enforced, and our chapter’s [meetings] are on Zoom.” Acknowledging that fraternities are likely taking fewer precautions than sororities, Evans still thinks that the majority of Greek organizations are respecting the new guidelines. He also hopes that the recent suspensions will be a warning to other fraternities and sororities to take the new regulations seriously. “I think it is pretty fair to be trying to limit fraternities in this way. … Just because as a whole, that’s a big student organization that UT can limit and regulate,” Evans said. “I imagine if there were no limits or restrictions on Greek life, the cases would be a lot higher in Knoxville.”

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It is perhaps unsurprising that fraternities and sororities, known for frequent in-person gatherings and a casual relationship with student conduct policies, should be the organizations facing suspension. However, according to Associate Dean of Students Lamar Bryant, who oversees the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, the guidelines for Greek organizations are the same as for any other student organization. When asked if he believes Greek organizations pose a unique threat to the safety of UT’s campus, Bryant emphasized that all student organizations have potential to spread the virus. “Student organizations, in general, inherently have various forms of risk, which is why we do our best to educate students on how they need to manage their organizations, and things that they can do to mitigate some of the risk, especially in light of a pandemic,” he said. The guidelines given to student organizations are based on information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and on UT’s policies, both of which are subject to constant change. In a “Virtual Engagement Guide” released by the Center for Student Engagement, which is also overseen by Bryant’s office, the center delineates new requirements for student organizations, which include a 50-person limit on in-person

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events and mask wearing. Several of the new requirements ask fraternities and sororities to maintain a new level of control over their in-person gatherings. “In order to keep record of student contact, we are requiring student organizations to take an account of who is attending their events,” one policy on the guide reads. Policies such as these indicate that the bar for student conduct violations from organizations has seldom been lower than it is now, when fraternities and sororities are expected to keep track of who walks through their front door, an idea that may have been unthinkable to many Greek organizations only a year ago. One area of Greek life that was deeply affected by COVID regulations was recruitment, wherein fraternities and sororities choose new students to join them, often through large-scale social events. Though much of the process happened online, it was at the end of this recruitment process that six Greek organizations were suspended. Bryant says that the Interfraternity Council (IFC) generally has less structure and guidance than Panhellenic, and that while certain rounds of fraternity recruitment were virtual, there were lapses in caution throughout the process.

STORY CONTINUED ONLINE Read more at utdailybeacon.com

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CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

TEDxUTK: ‘Amid the Pandemic’ gives students a voice EMILY STILES Contributor

Student organization TEDxUTK hosted their ﬁrst event of the semester this Tuesday night, aptly titled ‘Amid the Pandemic.’ As a 100% student-run organization, TEDxUTK provides a space for Vols to inspire new conversations that focus on issues affecting the UT community. Organization co-director Cat Trieu said that the purpose of TEDxUTK is “spreading diverse ideas that need to be heard.” In the past, TEDxUTK has organized live TEDx events for the community. In light of the pandemic, they have decided to now conduct virtual events called “salons.” These are not typical TEDx conferences, but collaborative discussions between students. After a brief introduction to the organization’s leadership, the group of virtual attendees was shown a clip from Susan David’s 2017 TEDWomen conference presentation titled “The Gift

and Power of Emotional Courage.” Speaking on her own experiences with social and political unrest, David offered her perspective on the unexpected events life can throw our way. “Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life,” David added as her poignant closing advice. The group of virtual attendees then indulged in thoughtful conversation about their own COVID-19 experiences, and how the virus has affected their lives. There were many discussion questions proposed over the evening, but the conversation seemed to stay on the topics of mental health, emotions and how people are dealing with these in their day to day lives. A few attendees mentioned their respective majors and ﬁelds of interests, and how these have been affected by COVID-19. It appeared that some individuals had been caused to change the plans they initially had for themselves before the pandemic, such as choosing to attend grad school upon graduation rather than heading straight into the job market. “My plans have shifted. I’m trying to re-orient myself and ﬁnd the best path for me now,” Sreya

Kumpatla, an aerospace engineering major, said, For some, this re-orientation seemed to include graduate school, a venture that they may not have otherwise considered. “The safest bet is to keep investing in my education,” Kumpatla said. Other people claimed to have found silver linings in new hobbies. Such as “I have learned to use cooking as a de-stressor,” Varun Rangnekar said Though there were many different points of view regarding the pandemic’s effect on people,

one thing is certain: Every student that attended the salon Tuesday evening had suffered some academic or professional loss due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, the evening did not close on a bad note. The mutual experiences created an open atmosphere for a constructive conversation that ultimately united all participants. You can attend TEDxUTK’s next virtual salon, or learn more about their organization on Instagram @tedxutk or on their website.

Contact tracing slowing down Vols’ fall practice RYAN SCHUMPERT Sports Editor

Tennessee hit the practice field for practice number 10 of fall camp Saturday, but the Vols were far from full strength when they took the field at Neyland Stadium. “We were gonna scrimmage Wednesday and ended up backing it up to today, but we didn’t scrimmage,” Pruitt said. “We have way too many guys out. We had 44 players not practice today, and they haven’t practiced for the last three or four practices. All those guys are not COVIDrelated. … I don’t know the exact number COVID related, but I think it’s close to 27-28 when you talk about quarantining people also.” Pruitt added that “about seven or eight” players are currently positive. The majority of problems for Tennessee have come from contact tracing and players having to quarantine for two weeks. “The big issue for us has really been the contact tracing,” Pruitt said. “That’s where we’ve had, I believe to this day, we’ve had 48 guys miss at least 14 days through the quarantine, and four of those guys have been quarantined twice.” The undermanned practice was just the third on the week as the Vols have been dealing with number problems going back

Connor Morss / Daily Beacon

to last weekend when the Vols canceled their Friday practice. Tennessee has practiced 10 times in just over three weeks with only six of those practices coming in full pads. That’s a serious problem for Tennessee given that Pruitt stated those 44 have missed “the last three or four practices.” Could that be a bit of hyperbole from Pruitt? Certainly, but even if a third of the team — 28 players — have missed half of UT’s full contact practices that’s a major setback.

That problem is magnified with Pruitt believing that they wouldn’t use their full allotment of practices. “With the contact tracing and the numbers as they add up it’s been very tough to prepare our team,” Pruitt said. “We get 25 practices; we’ll probably end up practicing 20-22 times unless something changes over the next few weeks. We’re learning as we go.” Despite the amount of Vols that have been in contact with someone that’s test-

ed positive he doesn’t believe his players aren’t taking the issue seriously. “I think our guys are trying to do the right thing,” Pruitt said. “If someone that you live with gets it, you’re in quarantine. At least in our county that’s how it is, and it might be like that everywhere, I don’t know. We’ve had some of that. I don’t think it’s something where our players aren’t being responsible. I definitely don’t think that. … We try to be as safe as we can but there’s no guarantees.”

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Linebackers young but talented ahead of 2020 season JEFFREY RUSSELL Staff Writer

One of the biggest questions facing the 2020 Tennessee Volunteers is how they will replace linebackers Daniel Bituli and Darrell Taylor. Returning starter sophomore Henry To’o To’o will take over the on-field defensive signal calling duties from his inside linebacker position, while also trying to become one of the leaders on the defense. As a freshman, To’o To’o started 12 games at one of the inside linebacker spots and played in all 13 games. He finished second among SEC freshmen in tackles and fourth among FBS freshmen. To’o To’o earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors and was named a Freshman All-American. “The first thing with Henry is he’s changed his body. He’s shredded some body fat and added some muscle. He’s gotten quicker at the point of attack. He’s a lot better laterally, changing directions and covering the running backs out of the backfield,” defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley said. “He’s doing a really good job of trying to take on the leadership role of Daniel [Bituli],

Nigel [Warrior] and Darrell [Taylor]. Those were three really good leaders that we lost, and that’s one thing we’re trying to develop during camp is everybody doing things the right way all the time on and off the field.” While To’o To’o will fill the leadership void left by Bituli in the middle of the defense, one of the young linebackers will need to step up into the other starting inside linebacker spot. Sophomore Quavaris Crouch and recently reinstated junior Jeremy Banks have stepped up to the plate and have been in an intense competition since the start of camp to get the starting spot next to To’o To’o while sophomore Aaron Beasley is solidifying his role as To’o To’o’s backup. “It’s an open competition,” Ansley said. “Quavaris Crouch, who played at inside backer and outside backer, has kind of been a journeyman his first year. We are kind of getting him stationary at the inside backer position, the money position, which is a really good spot for him. Backing him up right now is Jeremy Banks.” “They’re fighting tooth and nail for that one position. Behind Henry [To’o To’o], a guy like Aaron Beasley, he’s kind of a tweener who’s played safety and played linebacker. Now he’s full-time linebacker rotation.

We have four really good guys that are playing and rotating through, and the cream will rise to the top of who the best man is. The best two will play.” In his freshman season, Crouch played in 13 games and totaled 28 tackles between his time at inside and outside linebacker. His speed and incredible power will be great assets to the defense. Before his dismissal in 2019, Banks was starting to find his stride at inside linebacker using his football instinct to grab two-interceptions against Chattanooga. His development will be key to Tennessee’s success. At outside linebacker, Tennessee will need to replace their most prolific pass rusher since Derek Barnett in Darrell Taylor. In his senior season, Taylor totaled 46 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Replacing that kind of production won’t be easy, so look for the Vols to take a pass-rushing by committee approach. “Losing a guy like Darrell, a secondround draft pick and one of the top ends in the draft last year, it’s going to be tough to replace that kind of production, that kind of talent,” Ansley said. “It’s going to be kind of by committee. We have guys that played a little bit last year and we need younger guys to step forward. Kivon Bennett has pass-

SPORTS

rushing ability. Deandre Johnson has passrushing ability. Both of those guys are redshirt juniors, so they’ve been here for four years. Backing them up, giving some push is Roman Harrison and John Mincey is playing out there. Morven Joseph and Tyler Baron are two young guys that we need to continue to develop and bring along to add more pass rushers to our staple of guys.” Bennett had a solid 2019 totaling six tackles for losses and 27 tackles total. Another good offseason could lead to Bennett being a breakout star in 2020. Johnson played in all 13 games last season accumulating 13 tackles and 4.5 TFLs and with a more expansive role in 2020, he can flourish. Harrison and Mincey played important depth roles at outside linebacker in 2019, and becoming more important parts of the rotation in 2020 will give Tennessee more variety in the pass rush. The development of young pass rushers Joseph and Baron, highly touted recruits out of Florida and Knoxville respectively, could bring unexpected depth to a defensive that would gladly take it. Tennessee’s success this year will be predicated on the development and progression of a young but capable front seven.

Vols coaches talk upcoming season RYAN CREWS Sports Editor

Today, Tennessee football assistant coaches Tee Martin, Chris Weinke and Shelton Felton spoke to the media on a variety of issues, and below are the highlights. Martin On his impressions of the new wide receivers: “We wanted to replace the size that we lost with Jauan [Jennings] and then [Marquez Callaway] as the starters, but also upgrade in the speed department. We want to push the ball downfield vertically, and we want to create matchup mismatches on offense, and you can’t do it without speed. So, the addition of Velus Jones, a transfer from USC who is someone I’m familiar with, who’s a 4.3 [40-yard dash] waking up in the morning, Jalin Hyatt, having the addition of Jimmy Holiday, Jimmy Calloway – those guys can absolutely run. So, we’re moving guys around. The one thing that I’ve been noticing about them, if you just had to sum it up in a few words, is that they can run.” On transfer receiver Velus Jones: “Definitely will be a threat in the kick return game, both as a kickoff returner and a punt returner. The one thing that you can’t replace when guys transfer, what you can’t underestimate, is

experience. Even though he’s new to our system, he’s played college football at a major level and he’s played in some big moments and been called on in some big moments. He’s new, just like the true freshmen are, but the one thing that he has a leg up is that he’s been in college football for a few years, he’s a veteran, so he’s able to plug and play at different positions without panicking because he’s been there before.” Weinke On Jarrett Guarantano’s growth going into the 2020 season: “You look back and in any situation you run Tennessee quarterbacks, running backs and centers go through drills during spring practice. into, the struggles we had early in the season, March 10, 2020. you can’t allow those to snowball. It was constant Ryan Crews / The Daily Beacon communication with him, regardless of what happened, if he was pulled or had an opportunity hurts for a guy that was able to come in early and playing a lot of guys, we haven’t really dialed in on to start or came into a game. There was communot be able to go through spring ball hurts you a a No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 guy, we are just playing rotanication with him every day that he had to stay little bit in terms of your growth and development. tional. Deandre Johnson is doing a great job, Kivon the course and believe in himself. As we all know, I think the biggest thing for him is he’s learning Bennett is also doing a great job. Roman Harris is whoever’s played this position, there are times a new language. We always say that, ‘Hey, when a force to be reckoned with. We are getting a lot of that you’re playing with a whole lot of confidence you’re not sure, you’re going to probably play a work out of John Mincey. Moving J.J. Peterson over and there are other times that you’re not playing little bit slower.’ I think the biggest thing for him there to get some reps over there at times. The with any confidence. I think that was probably the is to continue to progress, continue to learn the young guys. Tyler Baron and Morven Joseph are case early on with him when we lost early. But, system. He can make all of the throws. There’s no some guys. Right now, we are doing everything by credit to him, he stayed the course. I feel like he doubt about it.” committee and focusing on the details and doing started to gain more confidence and finished the everything right. As Coach Pruitt said, we are goseason off right.” Felton ing to play the best man and the best person. As of On whom will feature as outside linebacker: right now, we are a committee.” On freshman Harrison Bailey: “We lost a great player in Darrell Taylor. We are “He did miss a little bit of time and that always

SPORTS

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

This Week in Sports: MLB trade deadline, playoffs roll on JEFFREY RUSSELL Staff Writer

In The Daily Beacon’s newest installment titled This Week in Sports, we take a look at the top sports stories around the nation. NBA After a player led boycott in protest of racial inequality, NBA players returned to the court this past weekend to continue the playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers ﬁnished off their opening-round series in dominant fashion with multipoint wins to move on to the second round. On Sunday, the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors started their second-round series in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart, would put together a masterful team performance, gaining a controlling win in game one. Both teams would return to the court on Tuesday night and while the Raptors would put forth a much better effort, they were once again stopped in their tracks by Tatum, who totaled a game-high 34 points. Tuesday night also saw the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz take the court for an all-important game seven after the Nuggets fought their way back from a three games to one deﬁ-

cit. Young stars Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell would once again put on a show but game seven belonged to Murray and the Nuggets as they defeated the Jazz 80-78. After Oklahoma City fought back to even the series at three, the Rockets pulled through for a tight, 104-102, game seven win. MLB As the MLB nears the middle of their shortened 60 game season, teams prepared for what they should do before Monday’s trade deadline. While many teams only made minor trades or singular transactions, one team, the San Diego Padres, swung for the fences. The Padres were the talk of the MLB as they made multiple trades to acquire quality pitchers Mike Clevinger and Trevor Rosenthal from the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals respectively. The Padres didn’t stop there as they also acquired ﬁrst baseman Mitch Moreland and utility player Austin Nola along with a few other key pieces to sure up their lineup, all while not losing the top four prospects in their farm system. So look for the Padres to not only be contenders this season but for seasons to come. NHL The NHL continues to push through the playoffs as they are slowly approaching the conference ﬁnals. In the Eastern Conference bubble in Toron-

to, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Boston Bruins in ﬁve games to secure their spot in the Eastern Conference ﬁnal. The Lightning awaits the winner of the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers series which the Islanders lead three games to two. The Islanders will try to eliminate the Flyers on Thursday night in game six. In the Western Conference bubble in Edmonton, the Las Vegas Golden Knights lead the Vancouver Canucks three games to two. The Canucks will try and evade elimination in

game six on Thursday night. The Dallas Stars also lead the Colorado Avalanche three games to two with the Stars looking to punch their ticket to the Western Conference ﬁnal on Friday night in game six. MLS In Major League Soccer, Atlanta United has agreed in principle on Wednesday to sell midﬁelder Gonzalo “Pity” Martínez to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassar for a reported fee of $18 million.

Uncertainty around COVID-19 assists Pons’ return to UT RYAN SCHUMPERT Sports Editor

Sydney Goodsell / Photo Editor Aug. 3 was a long and tumultuous day for Tennessee basketball. On one of college basketball’s biggest days of the year, the deadline for prospects to remove their name from the NBA

Draft and return to school, Vol fans wait was the longest as Yves Pons mulled the decision over. It was a day that included a report Pons was returning to school, followed by a quick “maybe not.” The waiting was well worth it for Tennessee coaches and fans alike, as Pons elected to return for his senior season. “On the morning of the deadline, I did not know what I was going to do because I was still getting some feedback from my agent and the NBA,” Pons said. “It was hard to make a decision ahead of that so that’s why we waited until the deadline.” “The process was really hard, on top of making a decision. There were some days where I wanted to come back and some days where felt like it was time for me to go. There was a lot of ups and downs in terms of deciding.” COVID-19 made a difficult decision for Pons even harder, adding uncertainty to the draft process and what his ﬁrst professional season would look like. The NBA Draft would be pushed back four months, players weren’t allowed to work out in front of scouts, the NBA Combine, which Pons received an invite to, was pushed back after the deadline to make a decision and how the G-League’s look next season all created uncer-

tainty for Pons. “It was hard to know if there was going to be an NBA G-League or not, because they did not mention the G-League at all,” Pons said. “For guys like me, who would spend some of my rookie year in the G-League, it was hard to know where I would develop my game.” “They told me I’d spend a lot of time practicing with the team and stuff, but at the end of the day, we need to play basketball. We didn’t have any guarantee that they were going to draft me. … Without workouts there was no way to increase my stock.” One part of the draft process that went on despite COVID-19 was interviews. Pons said he was able to meet with around 15 different NBA coaches, discussing topics from Pons’ past in Europe to parts of his game to work on. The reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year said coaches told him he needed to show more consistency with his 3-point shooting and improvement in his ball handling, while comparing his game to former Rick Barnes forward P.J. Tucker. Tucker is far from the only player Barnes has put in the NBA and Pons took advantage of that, talking to his former Tennessee teammates now

in the NBA or G-League about their experiences. “I took information from anywhere, so of course I called Grant Williams,” Pons said. “We had a good conversation. I talked to Jordan Bone, too, and tried to talk to Kyle [Alexander] too, They really gave me some feedback because they have different contracts with the NBA. They had different perspectives on the NBA, so they really helped me out with this process and I’m thankful for that.” As a France native, the idea of playing professionally overseas seemed like a possible middle ground for Pons throughout the draft process. Pons gave legitimacy to that idea, due to the decline of COVID-19 in Europe. “That was a serious second option,” Pons said. “Obviously with the COVID-19 here — in the other countries, they have it under control with less cases. Overseas, they know they’re going to play basketball at some point, and they’re going to have a season because they have the cases under control. That was a serious case to consider. Financially, it was a good thing to go play over there.” It took a lot of waiting and there was more involved than most might realize, but Yves Pons will play his ﬁnal season at Tennessee. No one inside Pratt Pavilion is complaining.

CITY NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Knoxville Emporium Center September exhibition art review: A stunning experience CONNOR HOLT Staff Writer

The works of nine phenomenal artists are currently on display by the Arts and Culture Alliance at the Knoxville Emporium Center on Gay Street. This gallery will be open for viewing by scheduled appointment Monday through Friday during regular business hours, while Wednesdays are open for walk-in viewing. Though it will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, visitors are encouraged to go and browse the artists’ works between now and Sept. 25. Furthermore, these works are for sale, and you don’t want to miss out on the potential perfect piece. That being said, the gallery is divided into ﬁve sections: Robert Felker and Allen Monsarrat’s “Magic in Everyday Life;” works created by David A. Johnson and Christopher Mitchell; “Birds of Seven Islands” by Ken Jenkins, Ron McConathy and Clay Thurston ; Tracye Sowders’ “Sheltered Wanderlust” and “Linked” by Ryan-Ashley Anderson. Starting left of the entrance, Tracye Sowders’ “Sheltered Wanderlust” is a peek into a fantastical world of watercolor, where vibrancy is ever present and hot and cold contrast marvelously. Many of the pieces, such as “Thea Witch Cardinal,” depict women surrounded by surreal splashes of color, decorated in jewelry. They often are either sleeping or staring back at the viewer, all of them making one ask what kind of world they come from. There is a spiritualism that is present among all the pieces, whether its in the abstract imagery of what might be nature, the soul or some-

thing in between, or even in the animals surrounded by nature. There are also pieces that present our own world in the same vibrancy. These are watercolors of cafes and drinks, basic, everyday locations or objects, but juxtaposed next to the fantastical. Such placement shows the transience of the surreal and the natural that only fluidity of water can capture. To the right, Ryan-Ashley Anderson’s “Linked” showcases her jewelry making in unique ways, linking objects together using techniques one wouldn’t expect. For this gallery, Anderson uses a mixed-media approach to push her craft ever forward. Anderson’s work is delicate, and her experience shows in every piece. The best feature for the set, however, is in the way that she combines each material to develop her unique artistic expression. Her section is settled right by a window, so the light of the late-day sun peers in and casts its beams across her jewelry. Such light reflects off the metals that were used and often catches the eye from the upper sections of the Emporium Center. From the left side of that upper section is “Birds of Seven Islands.” There, viewers can browse through the many hyper-defined photographs of birds native to Knox County that make their home at Friends of Seven Islands State Birding Park. Though not all two-hundred something distinct native species are represented in the gallery, there is a diverse array of gorgeous birds in snapshot. Some had been photographed in motion, soaring through blue skies, while others chirped on berry branches. Both fierce birds of prey and fragile, common birds

are present, and all provide a life and beauty of their own. “Barn Owls” by Ken Jenkins is particularly alluring as the wide, black eyes of two owls stare with tilted heads toward the lens. A rustic, inquisitive aura exudes from it that makes one look back at the owls with an equal curiosity. To the right of the upper section, the photography by David A. Johnson and Christopher Mitchell is displayed. Johnson’s photography of the Standard Knitting Mill is oddly surreal. There are numerous pieces that give one the feeling of gazing into an alternate reality, where the natural dilapidation of the mill has warped its architecture in mind-bending ways. The ﬂoors ripple like waves and walls seem to melt like wax from a candle stick. There is a subtle beauty that has developed from the mill’s abandonment that Johnson has captured to marvelous effect. Meanwhile, on the diagonally opposite walls, Christopher Mitchell captures life in the moment. His photographs, almost all in black and white, depict humans of varying backgrounds in their daily lives, some posed, some ostensibly candid. The prominent use of black and white mutes the differences between them all, but also promotes the similarities. Humble is perhaps the best word to describe these snapshots in time. On the lower ﬂoor, “Magic in Everyday Life” by Robert Felker and Allen Monsarrat captures the urban and rural sectors of Knoxville and other locations around the world, though many aren’t far from home. Just as the title implies, the pieces show the peacefulness of nature, the simplicity of tight,

urban pathways, the human experience and the beauty that can be found in the simplest of locales. Felker’s “Tree of Forgiveness,” a massive oil painting on canvas, is the most stunning of his own works. His skill at blending autumn colors and capturing the details of the natural world are all too stunning. Often his environments appear blocky, yet it can be difficult to discern them from our own reality due to the incredible lengths of detail he riddles the pieces with. The basic landscapes, while both lacking human activity, are full of natural energy that one can’t help to admire. Meanwhile, Allen Monsarrat chose to depict humanity amidst his high-walled urban roadways. Though some are empty alleyways, “Pohkara Illuminated” depicts congested roads at night with the brake lights of cars and motorcycles reflecting against the dark road. There’s a fundamental beauty in the mundanity of all the locations represented. Just as the title of the gallery suggests, the magic of the everyday is the forefront of the experience. Monsarrat’s paintings and pastel speak to the viewer at a fundamental level, because they reflect the human experience that all of us have lived within, creating a nostalgic relatability that can’t be captured in words. Simply put, the Knoxville Emporium Center is a must see thanks to the prolific array of exquisite, soul-prodding art it has on display. Furthermore, the pieces available for viewing are changed regularly, with the next opening in early October. Entrance is free and open to the public on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the price for the respective art is listed beneath its other information.

PUZZLES & GAMES

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

the daily beacon

crossword & sudoku

your morning coffee’s best friend.

Daily Egyptian 9/14 Crossword 4

STR8TS No. 505

Easy

8 7

3 7 6

5 8 4 1 2

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

1 4 3 3 2

Previous solution - Medium

5 9

You can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com

6 9 3 8 4 5 2 7 1

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

Across

2 3 1 6 9 7 8 4

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 need to be filled in with numbers that 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 6

Tough

4 5 6 3 2 1

3 6 1 5 7 8 2 9 4

4 1 7 2 8 4 2 7 1 2 8 3 6 3 2 8 6 1 7 3 2 The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Previous solution - Medium

8 7 2 3 4 9 6 5 1

9 5 4 1 6 2 7 8 3

5 8 9 4 2 1 3 7 6

6 2 3 8 5 7 4 1 9

4 1 7 9 3 6 8 2 5

1 9 6 2 8 4 5 3 7

2 4 5 7 9 3 1 6 8

7 3 8 6 1 5 9 4 2

No. 505

PuzzleJunction.c

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

1 Glum 5 Hunt of “Mad About You” 10 Young alpaca 14 Ultimatum word 15 Dwelling 16 Difﬁcult 17 Bank holding 18 Trend 19 Calculus calculation 20 “___ of the Flies” 21 Short stories? 23 Sea eagle 25 Grimm character 26 Fairs 30 Engraves 35 Begrudge 36 Scraped (out) 38 Long sandwich 39 Choir voices 40 Televise 41 Parches 42 Stead 43 Dangerous time 44 Campbell of “Party of Five” 45 Schoolwork 47 Rejected 49 Took the bait 51 Epoch 52 Lower than 39 Across 57 Horn, for one 61 Sock problem 62 Bumbling 63 From square one 64 Soon, to a bard 65 See eye to eye 66 Patella’s place 67 Get together

21 23 26

38 41

51 55

68 Weighed down 69 Corn units Down 1 Small wooded hollow 2 Mixed bag 3 Conniver 4 Tryst 5 Cuban capital 6 Black, to poets 7 Theater box 8 Draw forth 9 Ribbed 10 Powwow 11 Uncommon

12 Angers 13 Nabokov novel 22 Frequently, in verse 24 Some stingers 26 Misrepresent 27 Starts a pot 28 Interpret 29 Winter Olympian 31 Bakery buy 32 Throw with effort 33 Guessed wrong 34 Plea at sea 37 Irish offshoot 39 Entirely 41 Like a bug in a rug

43 The "S" in Ulysses S. Grant 46 ___-Wan Kenobi 48 Buckle 50 Neighbor of Fiji 52 Matter of contention 53 Burn balm 54 Monthly expense 55 Social misﬁt 56 Fencing sword 58 Ballerina Pavlova 59 House of Lords member 60 Lady bighorns 61 Lunch meat

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

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CITY NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 9, 2020

‘Tenet’ review: Confusing yet enjoyable JAKE YODER City News Editor

Time doesn’t really make much sense. We simplify it and view it as a line that only moves forward, but many scientists studying time see it in a much different way. It flows forward, backwards and all around us in ways that are almost impossible to understand. Similarly, writer/director Christopher Nolan’s new film “Tenet” doesn’t make much sense either, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good time. After a CIA mission goes awry, an agent known only as “The Protagonist” takes a cyanide pill in order to prevent enemy agents from getting information from him. Instead of dying, he wakes from a medically induced coma and is informed that the mission was a test.

He is now part of a group known as “Tenet,” an agency dedicated to saving the world from items that are being sent from the future with deadly intent. I struggled for longer than necessary trying to sum up the plot of “Tenet” in one paragraph. Honestly, the film can get so complicated that I struggle to believe that anyone watching could pick up on the entirety of the plot. For most of “Tenet,” however, all you need to know is that bad guys from the future are sending bad things to the past and the good guys have to stop it. While I can get behind high concept science fiction, I question the point of it all if the audience can’t figure out what is happen for 70% of the film. Maybe I’m just too stupid to understand “Tenet,” but I had to talk things out with others who saw the film and read about it online to get anything more than a slight un-

derstanding of the plot, which I can’t say is a good thing. “Tenet” may just be the best-looking film I have ever seen. Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema, the film’s cinematographer, created some of the most visually pleasing scenes ever put to film. Each location the main cast visits manages to be visually distinct and impressive while sticking to the same style, making each new shot feel better than the last. By incorporating the concept of inverted time, Nolan is able to create action in a way that I have never seen before. Though the film is most definitely littered with CGI, none of it is noticeable, making it seem like the filmmakers actually figured out how to makes time flow in reverse. “Tenet” is absolutely worth seeing for its action alone, especially on an IMAX screen. Though I may not have understood what was happening in “Tenet” more often than

Mask up: Where to get masks in Knoxville KEENAN THOMAS Contributor

at 402 S. Gay St. sells reusable masks. They range in price between $4 and $9. They also sell mask filters for $6.

Masks are required if you want to be on campus, even if you’re only going in for one class. At this point, you would be hard pressed to find a store that doesn’t sell masks. It doesn’t hurt to get an extra mask or two, so here’s a list of places in and around Knoxville that give and sell masks.

The Market The Market, located at 504 S Gay St., sells a variety of masks. They have reusable, one-use and multi-packs for sale, ranging in price from $3 to $15. If you’re looking for a quick mask pickup, you’ll find what you’re looking for at The Market.

UT’s campus In an effort to help students, wellness kits including masks and hand sanitizer will be distributed on campus. They can be obtained at the Student Union Information Desk along with the TRECS and the Frieson Black Cultural Center — you just need to go up and ask for one. If you’re living on campus, it’s similar to the one you should have received on move-in day.

Union Ave Books Union Ave Books, located at 517 Union Ave., sells both books and masks. Their masks are only sold in-store and sell for $5. They also sell masks with book covers printed on them for $12, but they are currently out of stock.

Knox County Health Department Students and citizens can also get a free face mask from the Knox County Health Department every weekday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m at their main office, located at 140 Dameron Ave. Their website also includes instructions on how to make homemade masks. Honeymouth Honeymouth is a local shop located at 125 S. Central St. in the Old City. They sell handmade cloth masks for $14 in-store, online and through Golden Roast Coffee. For each mask sold, they will donate two more masks. If you want to find custom or personalized masks, you can find them here. Mast General Store Both online and in-store, Mast General Store

Other retailers If none of these options work for you, several retail stores around Knoxville sell both reusable masks and surgical masks in bulk. Walmart sells cloth masks around their stores, ranging between $4 and $7. Target also sells cloth masks for around $5. Walgreens sells reusable masks individually and in large packs, including a 10 pack of Hanes masks for $20. Even Kroger sells reusable masks, priced at $15 for a three pack. Along with cloth and reusable masks, all of these stores sell surgical masks in bulk. They typically are priced at $1.50 for one mask, $16 for 20 and $35 for 50, with slight variations. Your best bet for surgical masks would be either Walgreens or CVS Pharmacy, as they frequently keep these in stock. This is just a small list of locations in and around Knoxville that sell or give masks. For the health and safety of others, remember to mask up.

Sydney Goodsell, Contributor

not, I am still able to acknowledge the acting chops of everyone in the film. John David Washington and Robert Pattinson lead the cast, brilliantly conveying some of the most intense emotions of their careers. There isn’t a single bad performance in this film, which is impressive considering some of the complicated lines almost every actor is forced to spout out at one time or another. While “Tenet” may not have been the next great science fiction film I was hoping it would be, it still managed to be entertaining for the bulk of its 150-minute runtime. If you want to see some of the best action in cinematic history, “Tenet” is definitely worth your time, but be prepared to walk out of the theater with more questions in your head than answers. 3.5/5 Torches

CITY NEWS

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

How and where to vote in Knoxville KEENAN THOMAS Contributor

Voting is an important freedom that we have as Americans. This year, we get to express that freedom in a presidential election that is less than two months away. But before that, you need to be prepared. Voters need two items with them when they vote: a voter registration card and a state or federal issued ID. If you are not registered to vote or if you are unsure that you are, you can register online. It takes only a few minutes. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5 and it takes about two weeks for your registration card to arrive in the mail. Along with this, voting locations only accept state or federally issued photo ID, so you cannot use a student ID. You can use a Tennessee driver license, a U.S. passport, a photo ID from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, a photo ID from the federal or state government, a military photo ID or a Tennessee handgun carry permit with a photo. As long as it’s either from Tennessee or the federal government, you are can use it. If you’re planning on voting, these are the locations where you can vote in Knoxville and Knox County. Voting in Knox County There are a total of 93 precincts in Knox County. Each precinct has its own voting location. If you are planning on voting on Nov.

3, you have to go to your voting location with your registration and valid photo ID. There are two ways to find out your specific voting location. The first is on your voter registration card. On one side, it has your precinct number, voting location and city district information; this is who you can vote for relative to your precinct. The other way is through KGIS. They have a voting location search on their website. All you need to do is input your address and it will tell you everything you need to know about your precinct and voting location, including who will be on your ballot. You can find it here. Early Voting Locations Early voting begins on Oct. 14 and ends on Oct. 29. Unlike the precincts, you can go to any early voting location as long as you have your voter registration card and a valid photo ID. There are three early voting locations in the city of Knoxville. The first is in the CityCounty Building at 400 W. Hill Ave. in the Small Assembly Room. The second is in Love Kitchen at 2418 Martin Luther King Jr Ave, and the third is in New Harvest Park at 4775 New Harvest Lane. The others are located slightly outside of Knoxville proper. There is one in Asheville at the Carter Branch Library at 9036 Asheville Highway. Another one is in Farragut Town Hall at 11408 Municipal Center Drive. The Halls Recreation Center at 6933 Recreation Lane. is also an early voting location.

Courtesy of Lawand Yaseen

You can also vote early at the Karns Senior Center at 8042 Oak Ridge Highway. The Meridian Baptist Church at 6513 Chapman Highway is another option. There is an early voting location at 1645 Downtown W. Blvd. in the strip mall, and, finally, there is an early voting location in the Knoxville Expo Center at 5441 Clinton Highway. If you plan on voting early, you will need to register to vote before Oct. 5. Absentee Ballots If you are not planning on voting in person at all, you can request an absentee ballot. The deadline to register for one is Oct. 5 and the deadline to request a ballot is Oct. 27, but it would be better to request one earlier if you can. However, you need to fall under at least one of the requirements to be eligible

for this kind of ballot. A list of the requirements can be found online. A new requirement is if you are hospitalized, at risk of infection or are a caretaker of a hospitalized person, you are eligible for an absentee ballot. You can also request an absentee ballot if you are a student that is attending an out of county university. So, if you are a University of Tennessee student that isn’t from Knox County, you can get an absentee ballot. You can request online. You need to send it in seven days before the election. You can read more on the Tennessee Secretary of State website. We have the freedom as Americans to vote in an election. Get out there and vote!

Beacon Beats: Declan McKenna’s ‘Zeros’ MADELYN MUSCHEK Staff Writer

“Zeros,” Declan McKenna’s sophomore album, comes three years after McKenna’s first album, 2017’s “What Do You Think About The Car” continuing his road to success. McKenna’s fame began with his 2015 single, “Brazil” which quickly garnered him attention, launching him into the spotlight. “Brazil”, a political song about the scandal involving FIFA and Brazil, is still McKenna’s biggest hit. Now, “Zeros” continues McKenna’s journey in fine-tuning his sound. Half of the 10-song album was released in “Rapture,” the preceding EP, earlier this year. “Zeros” begins with optimism in “You Better Believe!!!” The song is upbeat, feeling very pop for McKenna, who’s made his successes off of his modern indie sounds. It’s a song about youth, ambition, excitement and an eventual fall. Even as early as this first song, we

see that McKenna is exploring deeper themes, including death, violence and religion in “You Better Believe!!!” In “Be an Astronaut,” the second song off the album, McKenna channels a Bowie-esque sound, in both the subject matter as well as the musical composition. It’s a slower, more piano-heavy song, making it feel very 80’s while also discussing the carelessness of youth. The lead single of the album, “Beautiful Faces” is a song that touches both in alternative and indie sounds, showcasing McKenna’s talent in both areas and emphasizing the style his music is now taking on. The song, while upbeat, tells a story of fame, partying and how temporary both of those things are. In this way, the music and the lyrics seem not to match, but they complement each other in harmony. “Zeros” ends with “Eventually, Darling,” a love song, or a song about the lack thereof. It feels like genuine, honest, McKenna, a glimpse into his experiences and past relationships. As McKenna discusses love and all its complications, we can see him in a way that feels real and expressive, like his music is a reflection of

his life and emotions. Overall, the album is melancholy. On the surface, the songs feel happy, catchy and upbeat. However, more often than not, a deeper, ,and sometimes darker, meaning lies beneath. For McKenna, this theme fits well with his other music. Even “Brazil” has the same feeling of initial catchiness, but with a closer look, the subject of the song is much deeper. In “Zeros,” McKenna refines his style of

music, in both the composition and lyricism of each song. Each song tells a different story, but almost as if all out of the same book. “Zeros” is an honest description of McKenna’s growth as an artist and as a person. As he matures, his indie sound follows in maturation, creating a sense of intentional movement only toward an upward trend of honesty, melancholy, realism and his talent for diving deep.

CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Creative Writing Program kicks off virtual reading series with poet Iliana Rocha DANIEL DASSOW Staff Writer

From the first words out of poet Iliana Rocha’s mouth at her reading Monday night, it was clear that the new online modality of the event would cause some problems. “My Zoom is screaming at me that my connection is unstable,” she said, with two portraits of chihuahuas hanging on the mantle above her; her own chihuahua would later sit on her lap. Indeed, while she read four of her poems to members of an invisible audience over a Zoom call and answered their questions, Rocha, a new assistant professor in the Creative Writing Program, would occasionally freeze and have to go back and repeat some lyrical lines about domestic violence or Astros baseball. But the new medium for the CWP’s annual reading series also came with several benefits. Rocha was able to share her screen so that viewers could read her poetry along with her,

and the chat function was full of encouraging comments and analyses by panelists and audience members. Ashley Dailey, a second year MFA student at UT who moderated the event, introduced Rocha as an accomplished and dynamic poet, whose debut collection “Karankawa” won the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry in 2014 and who holds a PhD in literature and creative writing from Western Michigan University. “Iliana embraces the power of metaphor, constructing a feeling from the unexpected, a feeling that refuses to explain itself, instead inviting the reader to rest in the surreal and uncanny,” Dailey said. “Karankawa’s poems are brave, with legged flames, naked mermaids, colliding comets and lots of stilettos.” As she read three new poems from her inprogress collection “Ours” and one from her forthcoming collection “The Many Deaths of Inocencio Rodriguez,” Rocha’s identity as a poet unafraid to explore deep strains of violence against immigrants and women of color became the dominant theme of the night. When asked about her evolution as a poet, Rocha said that she had to write her first two collections in order to get to the point where she could investigate and come to terms with

the violence perpetrated against her and other women of color. “I think ultimately, if I could trace a through line from my first collection to the one I’m currently working on, I was always working toward dropping off the affability and going more into the core of the violence,” Rocha said. The stories of oppressed people have captivated Rocha’s work since the beginning of her career. Her debut collection “Karankawa,” named for the indigenous people who once lived in the area of Texas where Rocha grew up, was inspired by a Texas history class the poet took in high school, which she says misrepresented the Karankawa as a fearsome and violent people. “They were really peaceful, and it got me thinking about the people in positions of power who are in charge of writing history, and the damage that is done when oppressed people are not in charge of their own narratives,” she said. One thing is clear: Rocha has since taken charge of her own narrative and that of her community as the child of Mexican immigrants. “The Many Deaths of Inocencio Rodriguez,” which will be published by Tupelo Press in

2021, is rooted in the mysterious death of Rocha’s grandfather at the hands of police in 1971. The collection which she is currently working on will be called “Ours,” and will shift from an “I” narration to a “we” narration, as Rocha gives a voice to women of color like herself who have experienced violence. Rocha says that she does not back down from addressing current events in her work, because her “raison d’être” is to speak the truth about their culture. “Poets are cultural notetakers, and I am an activist first and foremost and a poet second,” Rocha said. “For me, it’s impossible not to make the personal political and not to engage in the current conversations happening in the poetry world, so many of which are centered on politics, on anti-blackness, on police violence, on representation. So for me, it’s a natural move to also join those conversations.” The next installment of the Creative Writing Program’s reading series will be on Sept. 21 and will feature visiting writer Rebecca Gayle Howell.

How UT Student Health Center is handling COVID-19, testing information LEXIE MARTIN Contributor

The Student Health Center is known for their many resources. They are a sick and primary care clinic, women’s health clinic, they handle sports medicine and physical therapy as well as counseling. Now, they also provide COVID-19 related services, such as telemedicine. With telemedicine, which just started on April 1, 2020, students only need to make a phone call to a triage nurse to schedule an appointment. When it comes to COVID testing, the Student Health Center will administer tests for anyone who is looking to be tested on campus. Maddie Stephens, the PR specialist for UT Communications, said this is just one of the services that they are offering alongside telemedicine. “Some COVID-specific services offered for students include testing for all symptomatic students, asymptomatic students who are close contacts of a COVID-19 case and students identified in a positive pool through the campus health surveillance testing program,” Stephens said. One way that they are testing for COVID is through campus wastewater, which is the surveillance testing program Stephens mentioned. If they find something that looks like COVID, they will do a saliva surveillance for that area.

From there, they will contact the individuals in question and put them in a group to be tested for the virus. As of now, the Student Health Center is busy with getting students who need to be tested in, and this is due to the new clustering that has been found through Greek life as well as the increase in cases since move in and the start of the fall semester. They ask that students and faculty do their Daily Health Screenings and respond as soon as possible when contacted by a contact tracer or by the center themselves. On Sept. 4, Donde Plowman held another COVID-19 update live stream. The focus was on the new clustering and also the large increase in cases since Aug. 31. During this live stream, Dr. Spencer Gregg joined Plowman and discussed some of the recent case findings. “Most of our recent positive cases still tie back to the events that occurred over the proceeding weeks, and it’s been primarily due to group gatherings,” Gregg said. Because of this new finding, the Student Health Center is doing what they can to have contact tracers reach out to students as well as to get students in to be tested. As of Sept. 7, there are 600 active cases on campus. Eight are employees, while 592 are students. Since Aug. 31, there has been a steady increase of over 400 cases. If a student or faculty member needs to selfisolate, they must fill out a self-isolation form.

Caitlyn Jordan / Daily Beacon UT is asking that students self-isolate if they are having symptoms, waiting for test results, coming back to the U.S. from traveling abroad, returning from a river or ocean cruise or if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive or is awaiting results. Students can self-isolate at home or in their residence hall if able and are advised to only leave their room or house when absolutely necessary.

If a student wishes to be tested, they must call to make an appointment. The appointment itself doesn’t cost anything, but the test does, and it will be billed to the insurance provider that student uses. So, students must have their health insurance information card with them at the appointment. To make an appointment, students can call the Student Health Center at (865) 974-3135. Their hours are Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m.; Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.