As the people of Iran rise up against a brutal regime, Iranian students join the fight from thousands of miles away.
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Like a promotion to the majors, my time at The Daily Beacon is coming to an end. I promise, that’s my last bad sports metaphor.
Last week I accepted a full-time sports reporting position with The Daily Times in Maryville. For me, it was everything I could have hoped for in a job straight out of college – and in this case, three months before I graduate.
I was never eager to leave the Knoxville area, and the Times afforded me the opportunity to stay where I am. I was born and raised in Blount County not far from Maryville, and my family has deep roots in the area. A chance to stay in a community I love while being beneficial to my career was an offer too good to pass.
Which leads me to the second reason I took the job – the teams I’ll get to cover. That’s what it’s all about in this field.
I had covered a lot of entertaining and successful teams in my time in student media at Tennessee, but I was mentally prepared to leave them behind if that’s what it came to after graduation. Not every sports writing job is for a conference championship basketball or baseball team, or even an SEC football program on the rise. Those jobs are few and far between, so I was ready to earn my keep, so to speak. Start small and work my way up.
But with the Times, I will get to keep covering Tennessee football and what hopefully will be a successful campaign. I’ll get to cover one of the most historic basketball programs in the country with the Lady Vols in the winter, and potentially even Tennessee baseball in the spring after one of the greatest seasons in the history of the sport at the collegiate level.
While those beats are certainly the most glamorous aspects of the job, a part that I enjoy equally as much is covering Blount County prep sports.
Blount County has an incredible rivalry with the Battle of Pistol Creek – Alcoa-Maryville –two of the best high school teams in the state just four miles from each other. In my mind – admittedly, a mind that never grew up loving college sports as much as my peers did – it’s hard to beat the atmosphere of a Friday night, high school football game.
Add those incredible high school football environments on an already long list of pros, and the Times job was too perfect to pass up. Plus, my boss will be Troy Provost-Heron, a former Beacon Sports Editor. I’ve gotten to know Troy over the past two years between Tennessee baseball and freelance prep football work for the Times. I’m glad to consider him a friend and mentor, and I’m excited to work with him going forward.
I would not be comfortable leaving the Beacon so suddenly if I was not confident in the hands it will be left in. I have so much faith in Andrew Peters, who will be taking over the sports department.
Andrew is experienced, and he is a terrific writer. I was really impressed with him last spring when he did an excellent job covering baseball when I know it isn’t his favorite sport. He is a good person and a friend, and I wish I could have worked with him for longer than a month-and-a-half, but there is no one I would rather have run the sports department.
I can’t say enough good things about my time in student media. I think about all the opportunities I have been blessed with because of the Beacon – from my first official assignment covering women’s tennis in 2020 before the pandemic, to an SEC Championship in Tampa to, most recently, the Florida win – I could not have imagined a better career. I believe with complete confidence that I would not have a job offer if not for the Beacon.
So get involved somewhere, anywhere. You never know where it will take you.
The Tennessee baseball team celebrates winning the SEC Tournament after taking down Florida 8-5 in the title game Sunday, May 29 at The Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama. Josh Lane / The Daily Beacon
Ethan Stone (left) and Josh Lane (right) at the SEC basketball tournamnet in Tampa Florida on March 10, 2022.
Courtesy of Josh Lane
On Thursday, the University of Tennessee held a memorial dedication ceremony hon oring Volunteers who died while serving in the Armed Forces.
The Armed Forces Veterans Memorial is dedicated to all UT alumni, staff and student veterans who have died in the line of duty since World War I. There are currently 365 honorees and more will be recognized after being verified.
A replica of the memorial was unveiled at the dedication. The real memorial, a 13-ton Tennessee marble sculpture, is still in the process of being constructed.
The names of the honorees will be on the back of the memorial, which will be placed in front of the Fred D. Brown residence hall.
The project officer, retired Lt. Col. Logan W. Hickman Jr., explained that the military community donated a collective $120,000 for the memorial.
“What we wanted to do was make it every man’s memorial, we didn’t have anybody come in and write a real big check,” Hick man said.
Representatives Dave Wright and Glo ria Johnson were in attendance, as well as many veterans and the families of some of the honorees.
A joint color guard of Army and Air Force
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets presented the flags of the United States of America, Tennessee and UT. Matthew Tolson, a first-year graduate student, sang the national anthem and Rev. Charla Sherbakoff performed an invocation.
Hickman welcomed the family mem bers of honorees, spoke about the inspi ration behind the memorial and thanked those involved in the creation of it. The president of the UTK Alumni Board, re tired Maj. Gen. William Gary Beard, intro duced the keynote speaker, retired Gen. B. B. Bell.
Bell spoke of how the Tennessee Volun teers got their name and connected Civil War volunteers to UT veterans.
“Tennessee Volunteers were, and are, the bedrock of Americans’ freedom,” Bell said.
War actors gave first-person accounts of several honorees’ experiences, including second Lt. William H. Eckel, reenacted by Luke Williams.
“He sacrificed himself for his platoon. He put aside his education and risked his life, and ultimately gave it for his country,” Wil liams said.
“Freedom isn’t free … it’s more of a real ization that people who’ve died for you went to the same college you’re going to.”
Kelly Ann Shipe, a piper, played “Amaz ing Grace” during a moment of reverence.
Chancellor Donde Plowman gave a speech before unveiling the replica of the memorial.
“Today we honor, and we remember those Volunteers from World War I to the present that gave their life for our country … I am grateful every single day for their cour age,” Plowman said.
“Being a Volunteer means stepping for ward in courage to serve and to lead. I can think of no greater example of this than those who serve our country.”
A wreath was laid by the National Society
of the Daughters of the American Revolu tion.
The East Tennessee Veterans Honor Guard played “Taps” before the joint color guard of Army and Air Force Reserve Offi cers’ Training Corps cadets retired the col ors.
A reception was held immediately after, allowing attendees to mingle and share their experiences with one another.
The Armed Forces Veterans Memorial unveiling on Sept. 22, 2022 honored all former UT students, faculty and staff since World War One. Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon
ROTC students participate in prayer honoring students, faculty and staff who died serving the United States in military service. Sept. 22, 2022. Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon
When she was 14 or 15 years old, Mahshid Mokhtarnejad was hanging out with two friends in the Iranian city of Urmia when a woman from the so-called “morality police” attacked the girls, saying their clothes didn’t adhere to the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for girls and women. After yelling “I told you to cover your hair!” the woman began beating them.
Mokhtarnejad was able to run away, but the police took her friends. They broke one girl’s nose and beat the other girl on her legs, saying her capris were not long enough.
Beatings are a frequent occurrence in the streets of Iran under the ultra conservative Islamic Republic, a government which sends its morality police into the streets to enforce the country’s strict laws on dress and behavior.
Now a doctoral student at UT, Mokhtarnejad was joined by dozens of other Iranian students and supporters on Saturday in Krutch Park to call on Americans to support the people of Iran in their current uprising against Ayatollah Ali Khameini and his government’s rule of terror.
On Sept. 13 in the capital city of Tehran, another young woman was arrested by the morality police and beaten for not wearing her head covering according to the law. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman, named Mahsa Amini, later fell into a coma and died on Sept. 16.
Since the news of her death, protests have torn across Iran, touching every part of a nation whose people feel that their government is more invested in beating and killing them than representing their interests.
To join in the protests from afar, students stood with posters and handed out flyers to passersby decked in Vols or Gators apparel ahead of UT’s win against Florida. They held a banner to the Gay Street traffic which read “Honk your horn if human rights are important to you” and sang the classic Persian protest song Yare Dabestani Man, or “My GradeSchool Friend.”
Much of their material showed Amini with her hair free of any covering and flowing in the wind.
Compulsory hijab, or head covering – a pillar of the Islamic Republic that has ruled since the Iranian Revolution in 1979 – is the symbol of a fight that extends to widespread food and water shortages, stunning inflation and a broader system of human rights violations.
“Suppressing women is the base of this government, so they won’t accept women to lose their hijab,” Mokhtarnejad said. “They started this revolution with suppressing women, so they can’t be easy on it … They are shaking, they are so strict on it.”
“I am proud that my hair shakes this regime.”
The movement is not anti-hijab, but anticompulsory hijab. Lena, an Iranian student who does wear a hijab and requested that her family name be omitted, came to the protest to fight for the freedom to make these choices.
“I like freedom for hijab and I don’t like hijab for force. Anyone who would like to have hijab, she can have hijab,” she said. “I want to show that everybody should have the choice of deciding their clothes. And if they can decide what to wear, it is even easier for me to leave (Iran), because I can leave there with a good conscience.”
The presence of hijabi women at protests across the world reflects the unprecedented diversity of the uprising.
The protests in Iran are the largest in over a decade and have brought together Iranians of every stripe, from the wealthy to the poor, and from conservative Muslims in rural areas to secular city-dwellers.
United by a feeling that they have nothing left to lose but their lives, thousands have taken to the streets to burn hijabs, fight the police by hand and chant calls for the death of Supreme Leader Khamenei and an end to the theocratic regime he governs.
Like other protests in the country’s recent history, including the pivotal “Green Movement” of 2009, the uprisings have been met with swift and deadly attacks from government police forces.
Participants held signs during the protest on Sept. 24, 2022. Ericksen Gomez- Villeda / The Daily Beacon
“Suppressing women is the base of the this government, so they wont accept women to lose their hijab.”
Mahshid Mokhtarnejad, UT doctoral studentIranian students hold signs in Charles Krutch Park on Sept. 24 to commemorate the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody under the Islamic Republic of Iran and the protests that have followed. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon
Reports show that dozens of demonstrators have been killed by police. According to an Ira nian security advisor, Khamenei has said that burning hijabs is a crime punishable by death and may be planning a massacre in an attempt to put down the protests.
Though the government has shut down in ternet access and restricted use of messaging apps in an effort to close Iran off from the rest of the world, social media apps like Twitter and Instagram are awash with graphic images and videos of police brutality against protestors.
“I was crying last night,” Azarang Asadi, a doctoral student at UT said. “It’s so hard that you can see others are fighting and there’s nothing you can do and people are dying, and they’re just so young. It just feels so hard for me, especially having family back there, them not being safe. It’s very hard for all of us.”
For Iranian students abroad, spreading in formation about the protests online has be come a way to support the movement from thousands of miles away. It has also become a full-time job.
“Right now, they’re killing people in the streets. They’re just basically shooting them, the military is shooting them. Even though they’re brave women and men back home in Iran and they’re fighting, but still, once you know that you might get killed, it might stop you,” Asadi said.
towards their police vans — luxury vehicles paid for by the government — and the men force them into the vans if they don’t go will ingly.
Mokhtarnejad’s crime was wearing nail pol ish.
Under the Islamic Republic, people are rou tinely whipped and beaten by police for infrac tions like drinking alcohol or being seen in public with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Students studying abroad are often detained in airports on reentry to Iran, questioned and sometimes taken to prison.
Repression has made the Islamic Republic a caricature of itself, one that is unable to instill the same kind of fear in its fed-up citizens as it was once capable of.
“Now I feel that if I die, I don’t care. My blood is not thicker than other people,” Mokhtarne jad said.
“I am done. I am done with suppression, I am done with injustice, I am done with dis crimination. I am about to lose my hope. But this one, I hope more people hear about us. We are fighting. Just hear us. Don’t support our re gime.”
Journalists and activists have called on Pres ident Biden and other Western political leaders to cut diplomatic ties with Iran, including with its president, Ebrahim Raisi, an ultraconserva tive Islamist selected by the Supreme Leader.
Much more than his predecessor Hassan Rouhani, Raisi has imposed strict enforcement of the Islamic Republic’s laws on dress and behavior. He has also doubled down on antiAmerican rhetoric, which he employed during an address on Wednesday before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Morteza Asgari, research scientist at UT
“I hope this time people don’t stop, but you never know.”
Though hope is a difficult scrap in a country with a long history of short-lived uprisings met with deadly force, some say there is cause for hope.
One Persian chant used by protestors claims this year as the “year of blood,” signaling the imminent overthrow of Khamenei and his government, weakened by relentless sanc tions. The health of the Supreme Leader has also deteriorated, opening the door for a new leader of the Islamic Republic for the first time since 1989.
“I’m definitely sure something is gonna happen and that hope is growing and it just brings more people together,” said Morteza Asgari, a research scientist at UT. “This year, I would say all these protests and marching in the streets and chanting, people are more united.”
The memories of Iranian students are a tap estry interwoven with trauma at the hands of their government.
Mokhtarnejad was only 12 when she was first attacked by the morality police. The units are typically composed of women and men. The women accost offenders and guide them
Iranian students said Raisi’s speech at the U.N. was a “disgrace” and a “joke,” a sign that Western leaders have been too lenient on a leader who has ordered the killing of his own people.
As Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said in an op-ed for the Washington Post, the uprisings represent an opportunity for Biden and other heads of state to support the people of Iran rather than simply opposing their gov ernment – a move that could lead to the top pling of the Islamic Republic and a reshaping of politics in the Middle East.
In the meantime, Iranian students say the best way to support the movement is to el evate the news following Mahsa Amini’s death, to spread her name through the viral hashtag #MahsaAmini and to join the voices of million across the world in opposing a government completely at odds with its own people.
Asgari used to protest in the streets on Iran with his family and friends. Now, as some of them risk their lives to stand up to the govern ment, he joins them from Knoxville.
“I really miss those days that I was able to be beside them, to join them in the street, and not just in the media by tweeting,” he said. “So that’s why I think all these people came today, just to show them we are distant from you, but we are with you.”
Iranian protesters hold up signs in support of Mahsa Amini and others who have been sup pressed by the Islamic Regime. At Charles Krutch Park, Saturday Sept. 24, 2022. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon“That’s why I think all these people came today, just to show them that we are distant from you, but we are with you.”
The Laurel Theater – once a Presbyterian church – has been through many changes and still stands with the beautiful mosaics it came with.
With a capacity size of over 200, it became the perfect place to bring back a genre of mu sic for an “old school” demographic. However, due to the pandemic, the Laurel Theater had to halt performances in 2020.
The theater is opening back up to the public on Oct. 8 with their first concert in around two years.
“These are the first live concerts with an au dience that we are having since March 2020,” Toby Koosman, second folklorist at the the ater, said. “And we have done some online concerts. We have radio programming.”
Koosman says the main reason that they have waited so long to become live in-person again is because most of their performers and audience members are older, and the concerts are often very intimate.
“We’ve been very conservative about activi ties during COVID,” Koosman said.
Though they’re reopening, Koosman said he is a little nervous, but hopeful.
“We were hoping to open up and do this a year ago, you know, when everyone was opti mistic that the pandemic would be in the rear view mirror and then all these variants came back, you know,” Koosman said. “I think we feel now that things have cooled down enough. But this is not our first period of extended clo sure, you know. We’re an old organization. We go back to 1969.”
With only two staff members and 20 rotat ing volunteers, the Laurel Theater has been able to stay afloat even during times of online performances and still get the help they need to keep up the theater.
The theater mainly holds concert functions, and two of their dances are held three times a week, which have live music and recorded mu sic. One of their affiliate groups meet Monday nights for contradance, which is a set dance related to an English form of square dancing.
Louis Gross has been a volunteer for the Theater since 1979. By day, Gross is an emeri tus Chancellor’s professor of ecology and evo lutionary. This summer he retired after being a part of UT’s faculty for 43 years. By night, he has been the sound engineer for Laurel’s con certs since 1982.
“Our mission is to promote traditional per forming arts from Southern Appalachia. We’re very focused on old time and regional music,
mostly acoustic. And so we have some concerts, and we’re going to be having some regular jam sessions. They’re open to anyone,” Gross said.
Koosman also mentions that they host old harping singing, which is a form of sacred mu sic sung in groups using a simplified type of musical notation that makes it easier for peo ple to harmonize.
With the acoustics a Presbyterian church has, the theater has been renowned for its great sound for any bluegrass or traditional musi cians that have stepped foot at Laurel.
“It’s what we call a very live hall. So that means it’s got lots of natural reverb,” Gross said. “(The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville) is sort of the home of country music, and you know, very traditional. And so the Nashville musicians when they come through Knoxville to play dubbed it as the mini-Ryman because it has that feeling of the Ryman, but it’s much smaller.”
Koosman expects some “big sellers” will be Jeff Barbara and Sarah Pirkle, playing Sat urday, Oct. 8 and John McCutcheon, playing Saturday, Dec. 3.
“We are very excited to be opening again. I’m feeling pretty, pretty optimistic. Looking forward to seeing the same faces, new faces,” Koosman said.
Most shows are either free or have discount
ed prices for college students and seniors.
For more information the Historic Laurel Theater provides their Facebook page and of ficial website for directions and upcoming events.
‘The historic Laurel Theatre is owned and operated by Jubilee Community Arts, a re gional, community cultural center dedicated to preserving and presenting the traditional arts of the Southern Appalachians,’ accord ing to the theatre’s official Facebook. Street view on Tuesday Sept. 20, 2022. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon
Attendees at the Accession Council of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms on Sept. 10, 2022. Katie Chan / Creative Commons
After 70 years of ruling the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8 in her home at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her funeral was held on Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. at Westminster Abbey
in London.
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning monarch in U.K. history, and her death means the start of a new era. Following her death, Crown Prince Charles acceded to the throne, becoming King Charles III.
The royal family transitioned from a politi cal ruling house to a constitutional monarchy during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Now, the monarch is a symbol of stability and nonparti san leadership during disorienting times rath er than the enactor of any real political power.
History professor Vejas Liulevicius ex plained the function of the modern-day mon archy.
“[The role of the monarchy] is the cer emonial side of things, from the monarch’s speeches to patronage of charities, that looms largest here,” Liulevicius said.
“Not raw political power as in earlier mon archies. That’s the essential deal of being a constitutional monarchy.”
The monarch is also important in creating national wealth and bringing tourism to the U.K. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was the first to be televised internationally, and since then, the U.K.’s monarchy has become more public than ever before.
Because of this publicity and her role as symbol of stability, Queen Elizabeth II became beloved by the citizens of the U.K. during her reign. The late queen played her role remark
ably well, but questions arise as to whether King Charles III can do the job as well as his mother.
European Politics Professor Ian Down de scribed common fears surrounding King Charles’ transition into power.
“There is a big question mark over the ex tent to which Charles can play the same role as successfully as his mother did,” Down said.
question of whether Wales will officially be come represented in the Royal Standard, while some believe that there will be a push for inde pendence from the other countries in the UK.
The Queen was the official head of state for 15 other independent countries at her time of death, and there is speculation that some will try to become republics without King Charles III as the head of state. The government of the Bahamas will be holding a referendum to make this decision, and others may follow.
“Jamaica is almost certainly going to do the same thing as the Bahamas,” Down said.
“We can expect the debate about whether the monarch should be head of state in Aus tralia, but I don’t know that we’ll see a lot of change in Canada or New Zealand.”
“Charles, in his time as Prince of Wales, has been very outspoken, and he is at a disadvan tage because of the events of the 1990s and his divorce from Diana. Those have tarnished him somewhat.”
Change in the U.K. will mostly consist of symbolic alterations, such as the transition from the monarch’s image on money and stamps, as well as some changes within the Royal Standard. Many Britons have raised the
Students at the University of Tennessee are able to learn firsthand about the transition from monarch to monarch through Professor Liulevicius’s HIEU 384 class, History of Mon archy in Modern Europe. By living through the death of Queen Elizabeth II, they are able to ap ply their knowledge from the course to the his tory happening today.
“(The class) was just getting started when we heard the change of the monarchs in the UK,” Liulevicius said.
“Students have been following both the older history and the present day, which is a unique experience for the students, and for me.”
“There is a big question mark over the extent to which Charles can play the same role as successfully as his mother did”
Ian Down, European Politics Professor
AURORA SILAVONG Staff Writer
Celebrated actor and comedian Kevin Hart will be coming to Thompson-Boling Arena on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. The stop is part of his “Reality Check” tour.
Hart’s management announced an eightstop extension to the tour on Monday, Sept. 12.
Tickets went on sale Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. EST and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. There are multiple tiers of VIP packages available, which all include access to a pre-show lounge, red carpet entry to the event and a crowd-free merchandise shopping experience. The two highest tiers also include an NFT, which will be redeemable 24 hours after the show. None of the VIP packages include interaction with the artist.
Those interested in attending should familiarize themselves with Thompson-Boling Arena policies, especially its clear bag and alcohol policies.
In an interesting move, use of mobile phones will not be allowed in the performance space. Guests will be asked to secure their phones in Yondr pouches, and mobile phone usage will only be allowed in restricted areas. Anybody seen using their phone in an unauthorized space will be escorted out of the venue.
Yondr pouches lock when guests enter an event and can only be unlocked when they exit the space. The technology, which debuted in 2014, has been used by other artists for their performances, including Childish Gambino and The Lumineers. It has also seen use in schools, libraries and courtrooms across the
country.
Artists who choose to use the Yondr pouches at their performances argue that a cell phonefree environment boosts enjoyment and participation.
“The focus and the crowds are so much better and so much more attentive,” comedian Michael Che said in a testimonial posted to the Yondr site. “It’s different. It’s night and day.”
However, some have raised concerns over safety. There have been several incidents at performance venues around the world and being able to communicate with loved ones outside is a priority for many potential attendees.
“I would not go,” senior Sophia Sparks said. “If I need to use my phone, I’m going to use it. If my family messaged me about something, I’d want to be able to check and see if everything was ok without being afraid of being kicked out.”
Senior Mollie Chambers also agreed with Sparks on the phone-free policy.
“I also wouldn’t attend,” Chambers said. “It’s scary and off-putting he’s not allowing phones.”
Hart is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today. His last tour, the 2017 “Irresponsible” tour, sold out several prominent venues across North America, Europe, Asia,and Oceania. He has been nominated for two Grammy awards for his comedy albums and two Primetime Emmys for his film and TV work.
His recent work includes providing the voice for Ace the Bat-Hound in the 2022 movie “DC League of Super-Pets” and playing Roland in the upcoming “Borderlands” movie based on the video game franchise.
Actor and comedian Kevin Hart speaks at the dedication of a mural in his likeness in Philadelphia on July 6, 2017. Jared Piper / Creative Commons.
UT Alumna Monica Brashears’ debut novel “House of Cotton” is set to be released every where April 4, 2023.
Brashears graduated from UT in 2019 with a double major in English and Africana Studies and a concentration in creative writing.
Brashears’ passion lies in writing books, but she is also interested in delving into screen writing. Though her dream of writing has been with her since the fifth grade, she finally began her first book several years later.
Shortly after Brashears graduated, she moved to Syracuse, New York, for the MFA program in creative writing. In March 2020, she began writing “House of Cotton,” a fai rytale setting inspired by the environment of her childhood in rural Tennessee.
“The novel began as a short story in a cre ative writing workshop at UT, led by Chris He bert,” Brashears said.
Hebert is an assistant professor at UT who has written several books, including “Angels of Detroit” and “The Boiling Season.”
Eventually that one writing workshop bloomed into the Black Southern Gothic novel “House of Cotton” is today.
Hebert said he was mentoring Brashears throughout the entire process. Undergradu
ates who continue to graduate programs and creative writing will go to people like Hebert for advice and recommendations.
“We really encourage our students to be in touch with us throughout the process,” Hebert said. “Especially the ones who go on to, you know, pursue writing further … We often hear back from them again, or later in the process when they have books that they want to pub lish. And it’s not unusual for them to come to us looking for advice with seeking agents and editors.”
Tennessee and Appalachia are always present in my writing,” Brashears said. “Each time I’m back, I leave with some narrative, especially in the summer. I think the secret to good fiction lives wherever plants sprout, generally.”
The first draft was completed only within a month, but she says the revisions took much longer. Now with her first book ready to go, she is onto a second. However, Brashears said that getting a book published wasn’t easy initially.
themselves back from a great work.
“I think we feel there’s something about ex pressing yourself creatively that opens you up to unpredictable things, like you don’t know how people are going to feel, how they’re going to react, what they’re going to think of you, and I think a lot of us respond to that by being just kind of, you know, protective of ourselves,”
Hebert said.
Hebert had many conversations with Brashears about graduate school, agents and publishing later in the process. He said he saw her potential very early on.
“I just remember the very first thing that Monica ever wrote in one of my classes. I think it was a kid who was just running through a market, and it was just really rich and vivid and descriptive, and it really came to life,” Hebert said. “And that’s something that she really in stinctively knew how to do.”
Hebert said that is something he usually has to work really hard with — getting new writers to be concrete and use their senses.
Because of Brashears’ sense of boldness and vulnerability, she can be very candid and per sonal in her writing — something that Hebert says most writers are afraid to do.
Brashears grew up in the Appalachian area in Tennessee, inspiring the setting and plot of her book. She finds most of her book ideas come from her upbringing. Brashears was sur rounded by numerous fairytales, blossoming some fairytale genres into her own book. This brought a personification and whimsy of the “real-life” portions of the book while covering more bleak topics such as death and funerals.
“The environment always felt magical to me as a child, and that wonder never went away.
“The first draft was a strange sort of mad ness, and I only wanted to finish and finish well. The revision process was pretty frustrat ing because I hadn’t really significantly revised before ‘House of Cotton.’ So, it was a learning process that I resisted until it eventually, and thankfully, clicked for me,” Brashears said.
Though her second book is not a sequel to “House of Cotton,” the worlds are connected.
“This novel is a trailer park noir with a mys terious murder, obsessive characters and lots of glamour,” Brashears said.
Brashears also spoke about her time as a stu dent at UT.
“My time at UT was very precious and went by so quickly. I hadn’t experienced much of the world at that point, but through the courses I took, I was able to explore a bit. In retrospect, I was so eager to encounter newness in any form – UT offered that for me,” Brashears said.
Brashears advises up-and-coming writers at UT to be as generative as possible and read a lot, but also to go do something fun. She said to have a balance between passion and child hood, using it to inspire. Childhood can be used as a way of reconnecting to a more playful and creative time.
“Live ... and pay attention to moments of longing, and then maybe bring that to the page,” Brashears said.
Hebert also said that writers should not be afraid to be bold. Most artists tend to feel timid about their work because of self-expression, but that can be just the very thing holding
Hebert said that it takes a brave writer who can say what is on their mind and to not worry about what people will think because those are the things that readers remember. He empha sized the importance of writing that takes risks.
As someone who has desired to be a writer since the fifth grade, Brashears said having a novel about to be published feels stunning and wonderful.
Brashears’ book is currently available for preorder on platforms such as Amazon, Tar get and Barnes & Noble. TODAY also released a small excerpt during their personal interview, as well.
“She’s amazing and she’s gonna take over the world. Monica’s the next big thing and I’m really, really, really proud of her,” Hebert said.
LAUREN WARD Contributor“House of Cotton,” the debut novel from UT alumna Monica Brashears, is set to be re leased on April 4, 2023.
Courtesy of Monica BrashearsThe writer Monica Brashears (USA), New York, New York, April 14, 2022. Photograph © Beowulf Sheehan (Printed with permission)
“This novel is a trailer park noir with a mysterious murder, obsessive characters and lots of glamour.”
Monica Brashears (‘19), Author
“I just remember the very first thing that Monica ever wrote in one of my classes. I think it was a kid who was just running through a market, and it was just really rich and vivid and descriptive, and it really came to life.”
Christopher Hebert, Asst. Prof. of English
Creative writing faculty saw a promising novelist. Now literary critics do, too.
The Lifelong Learning Book Club came together on Tuesday for their first discussion of the semester.
A small group made up of professors and students met on Zoom to talk about the first three chapters of this semester’s book pick: “Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom” by Kelly Hogan and Viji Sathy.
The two people at the head of this book club are Bob DuBois and Brianne Dosch.
DuBois is a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Tennessee. He is associate of undergraduate studies in psychology and serves as the coordinator for UT’s research methods course. Prior to UT, DuBois was an instructor at Waukesha Technical College in Wisconsin for over a decade. He is a first-generation college graduate, and usually goes by the affectionate title “Dr. Bob.”
Dosch is the psychology and neuroscience librarian at Hodges Library.
“My job is to make sure that the psychology and neuroscience faculty, staff and students are getting what they need from the library. That’s how Dr. Bob and I got connected,” Dosch said.
The book club has been at UT for three years now, but DuBois has been doing it for over a decade. It was a project DuBois founded and ran at the community college where he previously worked. When he arrived at UT, he wanted to continue the project here.
Dosch saw the need for the community the book club could create, and the two of them worked to continue the club. She described this book club as not only a place to talk about books, but also somewhere to discuss important events and issues facing the country. As she expressed how higher education and libraries are places under threat, she stressed the need to have a community that is supportive.
Most of the people who engage in this book club are professors, but DuBois and Dosch try to involve as many people as possible.
“I would say the biggest thing is I think that sometimes faculty … we might get accused of not actually thinking carefully and deliberately about becoming better and really being student-centered. And I think there are a lot of people like me … very devoted to learning,” Dubois said.
DuBois credited the book club as raising topics central to current issues experienced on campus. During the pandemic the group was able to discuss problems and solutions to online learning. This semester’s topic is inclusive teaching.
The current read is “Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom.” The authors, Sathy and Hogan,
Books are a vessel of knowlegde that can build community on campus.
File/ The Daily Beacon
are both associate deans and professors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
This book is available as an ebook and can be accessed through UT’s libraries.
Sathy is a psychology research methods professor who has recently gotten attention because she has created a large course with great student success.
Sathy and Hogan wrote the book from personal experiences in the classroom; it is built from their failures and successes. The book has concrete strategies for simple things that help make sure as many students are succeeding, learning and feeling connected.
“I think it’s timely because I think we’re really good at using those words: diversity, equity, inclusion. And rarely is it defined,” Dosch said.
The first meeting was focused on opening up about how professors and students view inclusive learning, as well as misconceptions people have about it.
“People can actually leave and make a change to their course. Even after today’s discussion, people could, potentially, next class actually start implementing some of what they’ve learned,” DuBois said.
The book club is only through the first few chapters but will continue to meet throughout the rest of the semester to continue the discussion. DuBois hopes he can bring one or both of the authors down to talk.
Dosch and DuBois want more students to join. It’s their experiences and perspectives that can lead instructors toward a more inclusive classroom.
“Just because we’re faculty doesn’t mean we can’t learn from students,” Dosch said.
The wildly controversial release of CD Projekt Red’s “crown jewel” video game just under 2 years ago, known as Cyberpunk 2077, left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. Another respected developer had manipulated consumers in marketing their unfinished product and effectively sold an unpolished, boring, buggy mess of a game.
Even if you were to look past all of the game’s technical flaws, the story itself was not nearly as extraordinary as the developers might have wanted you to believe. Your “choices’’ pretty much brought you to the same end result, no matter what, and the game was so linear, cliche and bland that you couldn’t help but doze off during the more narrative-driven aspects of the game. What appeared to be an interesting world to explore with boundless potential fell short and became another forgotten disaster.
Strangely enough, CD Projekt doubled down, commissioning a reputable Japanese animation studio, Studio Trigger. Mainly known for its work on the popular anime Kill La Kill, Trigger is wellrespected in the world of animation. Development on this commission, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was pretty underground until now, the series’ release.
Surprisingly, the show really holds its own. It’s well-paced, action-packed, dramatic, and exciting. I’d even recommend it to non-anime fans, as the plot feels pretty easy to follow and features a standard rags-to-riches story that anyone can appreciate. One thing should be clear: you do not need to be at all familiar with the original game to enjoy the show. This is a complete standalone story and is accessible to all audiences.
Overall, there’s a ton of instantly likable characters, and an engaging setting that’ll keep you hooked before you realize you’ve binged all 10 episodes. The series really does feel like it ends in the blink of an eye, and that’s not entirely due to its short runtime. The amount of commitment the show asks for is marginal, so you shouldn’t be too disappointed, even if you don’t end up liking it. For this review, I watched the “sub,” of the anime, rather than the “dub.” Both versions are great, but I’m more partial to the sub. Voice actors mentioned will be from the sub.
Enter David Martinez, played by KENN, a street-smart kid struggling to manage his overwhelming debt. After a particularly unfortunate series of events, David’s life is completely changed
as he’s forced to adapt to Night City’s brutal society. After being recruited by a mysterious pickpocket named Lucy, played by Aoi Yuki, David joins a gang of hardened “cyberpunks” who seek loads of cash through questionable means. As time draws on, the jobs become increasingly dangerous, and a more sinister plot begins to unveil itself.
The show’s cast of characters is its strongest component. The character arcs and the relationships between them are some of the most compelling aspects of the show, featuring some satisfying and poetic scenes throughout the narrative. All of the players weave seamlessly into the overarching plot, each contributing their own unique personality, giving the show plenty of flavor. I was personally a fan of Rebecca, played by Tomoyo Kurosawa, a lovable trigger-happy young cyberpunk with overwhelming compassion.
The animation, as expected of Studio Trigger, is beautiful. Every shot feels masterfully handcrafted and could work as standalone art pieces. The amount of care that went into the series’ creation is extremely apparent here and makes the entire experience really easy on the eyes.
The score is certainly nothing to scoff at, the tonal choices enhanced many of the more emotional sequences. It can be really easy to get absorbed into the show because of the music alone, which doesn’t disappoint. Littered with some smooth electric/pop beats, you’ll be transported to the world of Night City, with contemplative tracks that make you ponder the big picture. The feature track, “I Really Want to Stay at Your House,” is a fan-favorite, capturing the essence of the show in one musical feature.
Overall, anime fan or not, I highly recommend the show. Any sci-fi fan should appreciate Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and I wouldn’t even stop there. The show offers so much depth that anyone can get something they love out of it, regardless of how they feel about foreign styles of animation. I could easily see this as being a gateway to audiences appreciating other titans in the anime genre, broadening the horizons of many and exposing more adventurous viewers to some really memorable stories.
against Akron with a first quarter injury, Jabari
No. 8 Tennessee improved to 4-0 with a 38-33 win over rival Florida Saturday, mark ing another completed benchmark for the Josh Heupel era.
The Vols played a complete game, avoiding a catastrophic collapse in the final seconds, and now have reached their highest ranking since 2006.
Here’s how the Vols graded out.
Hendon Hooker gave Tennessee another complete performance on Saturday, making up for some defensive lapses by leading the of fense to a great game.
The veteran quarterback notched 349 yards and two passing touchdowns, while also lead ing the Vols in rushing yards with 113 and pick ing up a touchdown on the ground.
Hooker was efficient and effective with 22 completions on 29 attempts. He had a few un derthrows and a fumble that ultimately didn’t matter, but besides that he was perfect.
And for what it’s worth, Hooker’s Heisman odds got better after his performance on Sat urday.
Running Backs: AAfter missing most of Tennessee’s game
Small returned to the field for the Vols and had a solid game. He picked up 90 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts, including a big 39yard run that set up a touchdown to give the Vols a 14-point swing out of halftime. Small also had a receiving touchdown.
Jaylen Wright didn’t have big yardage, but he was key in securing a few first downs and he punched in a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
With Tennessee’s best receiver out on Sat urday, the Vols wide receivers had to step up to make up for the absence of Cedric Tillman. They did just that, and Bru McCoy led the way.
The USC transfer had his best game at Ten nessee so far, picking up 102 yards and a touch down, including a big 70-yard reception.
Ramel Keyton and Jacob Warren both had catches for 40+ yards that set up touchdowns and Jalin Hyatt did the dirty work with short, quick catches to gain yardage.
Tennessee’s offensive line protected the backfield well for the most part, but Florida’s strong defensive line managed to penetrate the line a few times.
Hooker was sacked three times and fumbled after a Florida defender was able to get to him and knock the ball out as he was trying to pass, which were all faults of the offensive line.
Heading into the game, one of the keys for the Vols was shutting down quarterback An thony Richardson and forcing him to throw the ball. The front seven did that for the most part, but Richardson still picked up 62 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
Tennessee sacked Richardson just once, but the stat sheet doesn’t show the amount of pressure the defensive line applied each play, leading to 20 incompletions for Richardson. Omari Thomas also forced a Richardson fumble in the red zone late in the game.
The defensive line also had the game-saving play. On Florida’s Hail Mary at the end of the game, the defensive line got to Richardson fast and forced him to throw an interception.
Tennessee’s secondary was its worst unit on Saturday.
Florida’s first touchdown set the tone for what most of the game would look like for the Vols’ secondary. Richardson completed a short pass to Keon Zipperer, who proceeded to avoid tackles from three Vol defenders in open field, and score.
Tennessee’s secondary allowed 453 pass ing yards and two passing touchdowns from a quarterback who hadn’t throw a passing touchdown coming into the game. If the Vols offense hadn’t had a great performance, the secondary would have been to blame for a loss.
Jimmy Holiday is proving to be a solid kick returner for Tennessee. Both of his returns on Saturday were for over 30 yards and gave Ten nessee an advantage to start the drive.
Chase McGrath nailed his one field goal and the Vols didn’t punt once.
The Vols’ special teams almost allowed Florida to win the game in the finale moments. The Gators’ onside kick at the end of the game was perfect and Tennessee couldn’t recover it, which led to one more shot at a win. Luckily for the Vols, Florida didn’t make the Vols pay for the recovered onside kick.
Heupel is doing everything right. He has the approval of his team, the fans and the media. On Saturday, he found a way to win – some thing all good coaches are able to do.
Any struggles the Vols had on Saturday came from a lack of execution, not from poor coach ing. Tennessee should feel confident in its head coach heading into the brunt of the season.
The Vols had their struggles, but they found a way to win. They are proving to be one of the top teams in the SEC and are being recognized for their play.
The win was key for morale, momentum and confidence heading into the bye week.
Quarterback Hendon Hooker No. 5 of the Ten nessee Volunteers rushes past rival Florida on Sept. 24, 2022. Nolan Keesee / Contributor Wide Receiver Jimmy Holiday No. 6 of the Tennessee Volunteers moves swiftly passedthe Florida Gators during the rival game. Nolan Keesee / Contributor The defense of the Tennessee Volunteers sworm a offensive Florida player during the game between the Florida Gators and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Nolan Keesee / Contributor
For the first time since 2016, Tennessee is ranked inside the top 10. The no. 8 ranking is the eighth time the Vols have been in the top 10 this century, and is their highest ranking since 2006.
Here’s a look at some of Tennessee’s most recent top-10 teams.
Butch Jones gave Vol fans lots of hope in 2016. Coming off a solid team in 2015, Tennessee had a realistic chance of winning the SEC East in 2016.
Led by quarterback Josh Dobbs, the Vols jumped off to a 5-0 start after defeating their three non-conference foes before scoring 38 straight points to come back and win against Florida for the first time since 2004. The Vols then went into Sanford Stadium and beat Georgia on a Hail Mary from Dobbs to Jauan Jennings. The win put Tennessee at No. 9 in the AP Poll.
After the win at Georgia came monumental collapse. The Vols lost to Texas A&M in overtime the next week, sparking a 4-4 finish to the season with losses to unranked South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
The Vols had six players drafted to the NFL following this season, including Dobbs, Alvin Kamara and Derek Barnett.
Tennessee started off the 2006 season with a big win over No. 9 Cal before losing in Week 3 to Florida. Tennessee then won five straight games, including a win over No. 10 Georgia and the most recent win against Alabama. The Vols win streak moved them as high as No. 7 in the AP Poll.
Tennessee lost to LSU and Arkansas before losing to Penn State in the Outback bowl.
This Vols team was led by a high-powered offense sparked by quarterback Erik Ainge and running back Arian Foster.
Tennessee entered the 2005 season with its highest ranking of the century at No. 3, but the Vols quickly proved that they were not the top-ranked team that they seemed to be in preseason.
The Vols started off the season barely scraping by UAB before losing to Florida in Week 2.
Tennessee had a ranked win over LSU in Week 3, but went on to lose four straight games to plummet down and out of the AP Poll.
Tennessee finished the season 5-6 with just three SEC wins.
Tennessee put together a solid season in 2004, starting with a win over No. 11 Florida in Week 2. The Vols had some big wins over Georgia and Alabama, and their only losses were to No. 8 Auburn and Notre Dame, but the Vols reached the top 10 just once this season.
Tennessee played Auburn in the SEC Championship game, losing 28-38, before defeating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
Similar to many of these Tennessee teams, the 2003 squad started out hot and defeated Florida, garnishing a top-10 ranking. The Vols then lost two straight games to unranked Auburn and No. 8 Georgia.
Those were the only regular-season losses that year, and the Vols closed out the season on a six-game win streak before losing the Peach Bowl to Clemson. Tennessee climbed as high as No. 6 in the AP Poll this season.
The 2002 Vols started out the season at No. 4, but quickly lost their top-10 ranking. They won their first two games before losing to Florida in Week 3, which was followed by losses to Georgia and Alabama in Weeks 6 and 7. They fell out of the rankings completely with a loss to Miami.
The Vols did make it to the Peach Bowl but were blown out 3-30 by Maryland.
Perhaps the most successful Tennessee football team of the 21st Century, the 2001 Vols, led by head coach Phillip Fulmer, had just one regular season loss to Georgia. The Vols cruised through the regular season on their way to an SEC Championship game.
Tennessee, ranked No. 2 heading into the game, lost the SEC Championship to LSU 31-21. The Vols won the Florida Citrus Bowl against Michigan.
Tennessee had three first-round draft picks after the season in John Henderson, Donté Stallworth and Albert Haynesworth.
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Alabama vs. Arkansas
Oklahoma State vs. Baylor
Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State
LSU vs. Auburn NC State vs. Clemson
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Alabama vs. Arkansas Oklahoma State vs. Baylor
Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State LSU vs. Auburn NC State vs. Clemson
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Alabama vs. Arkansas Oklahoma State vs. Baylor
Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State LSU vs. Auburn NC State vs. Clemson
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Alabama vs. Arkansas Oklahoma State vs. Baylor Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State LSU vs. Auburn NC State vs. Clemson
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Alabama vs. Arkansas Oklahoma State vs. Baylor Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State
LSU vs. Auburn NC State vs. Clemson
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Alabama vs. Arkansas Oklahoma State vs. Baylor
Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State LSU vs. Auburn NC State vs. Clemson
Kailee Harris Digital Producer (16-12) Andrew Peters Asst. Sports Editor (18-10) Jack Church Contributor (22-6) Josh Lane Sports Editor (17-11) Bella Hughes Design Editor (16-12) Eric Woods Staff Writer (23-5)