Wednesday, September 29, 2021

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Volume 140, Issue 7 Wednesday, September 29, 2021

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STUDENT ACTIVISTS SP E AK O UT

Sydney Goodsell / The Daily Beacon

Nathan Lick / The Daily Beacon

Former SGA president, student leaders say UT uses student activists of color: ‘The university is taking credit’ EMMA COFFEY Staff Writer Student activists and leaders have pushed administration for various forms of social change in recent years and have had a major impact on creating an inclusive environment on campus. For one example among many, as a result of student leader and 2021 Torchbearer Maria Urias’ advocacy, Orange and White Halls were recently renamed after Black trailblazers and alumni Rita Sanders Geier and Theotis Robinson, Jr. However, some current student activists and past leaders think that the university is not giving student activists the support or recognition they deserve. Karmen Jones, UT’s 2020-2021 student body president, explained her thoughts on the university’s role on student activism, specifically on the renaming of the halls and what she sees as the reduction of Urias’ work to a footnote within the university’s celebration. Jones described her experience on UT’s renaming committee and the importance of giv-

ing credit where it is due. She said that recent graduates like herself have seen the progressive change they initiated while students but have been sidelined as the university administration centers itself. “Student representation should always be present. I was on the renaming and building committee that they have, and they didn’t bring it up one time that they were going to rename those halls,” Jones said. “After Maria graduated, that’s when they said we’re good to go and we are going to go ahead and do this ceremony. They didn’t even invite her to the ceremony. That’s the part that’s upsetting, because she advocated for that.” Jones said that the halls that were renamed are the smallest dorms on campus and that it is a simpler process to rename a hall than it is to approve a discrimination policy, like the one she worked on as student body president. When creating plans for the school year, the Student Life departments will submit a departmental program on what they want to do for the year, and then the programs will be turned in to the Vice Chancellor of Student Life. After that, the programs go straight to the Chancellor, who decides which programs will be imple-

mented. Sometimes a program can go from Multicultural Student Life (MSL) and end up in the Division of Student Success, because it is more connected to the work of the Chancellor. Jones said that ideas are being taken from students and faculty members that are part of these departments. “You have students that are coming up with these ideas and the administration is claiming that they did it, or not giving credit or support, ever. Then on the other end, you have departments that are overlooked, like MSL or the Pride Center, that are coming up with amazing ideas,” Jones said. “My main point is that the great ideas that the university is taking credit for is not coming from them going through brainstorming sessions, or experiencing racism or homophobia from first-hand experiences.” UT senior and SGA Cabinet Advisor Kendall Flores was a major part of leading last year’s protests against Melissa Hargrove, an Africana Studies professor who wrote a racial slur from the title of a song on a whiteboard during class. Both Flores and Jones said they experienced feeling overworked during this time.

“Last semester was my worst semester academically, I definitely was skipping classes for meetings and to make sure what had to be done was done,” Flores said. “You have to decide if you’re going to go to your class where cis-gender white males are always going to be able to go to because they don’t have to worry about attending these meetings.” Student leaders who are looking for change on campus report having to make a decision between prioritizing academics or fighting for change. “For those of us that may pick activism or programming, whatever our passion projects are, those of us that picked that over our academics, you’re going to pick going to a meeting on diversity and inclusion over ‘let me sit in somebody’s English class,’” Jones said. Jones stressed the importance of accounting for history correctly. She also hopes that the university will give credit to student leaders and activists in the future, which will inspire incoming students, because they will know they can achieve a certain level of reform.

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CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 29, 2021

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STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Jones said that for the few nonwhite and LGBTQ+ students that are able to have a seat at meetings, they are genuinely overworked. She talked about her mental health struggles during her term as student body president. “I’ve been very open about my mental health struggles during my presidency and my suicide attempt last year, because of the amount of work it takes,” Jones said. “I don’t think people understand how serious it is, but all this was happening with the professor while the Chancellor was doing nothing to make sure this woman would not return.” In 2019, when a blackface incident happened on campus, a committee was put together to review the student code of conduct. Jones was one of a handful of students that had to work for free to revise UT’s student code. She said it was work that an attorney or law student would do. During Jones’s time as student body president, she was running a department that oversaw between 300 and 500 students at any point in time. She said that student leaders are having to work multiple jobs because the university provides little pay for the work they are doing. “I was the first student body president to ever get a scholarship where my tuition and fees were covered, and that only happened in the spring semester after I had to literally beg for it,” Jones said. “In the fall, I was not even able to register

for spring classes on time because we were not getting paid properly ... We are sacrificing our academics and our future to make sure that the university is progressive in its thinking.” UT senior and student leader Dom Green also feels like they are being overworked by the university. “Once you’re out in the student leader/activist spotlight, you’re worked to the bone because of two things. One of them being that there’s so much work to be done. Two, the university does not want to change because in their eyes, there’s no such thing as anti-blackness, transphobia or homophobia,” Green said. “On top of all that, the marginalized people that do the work, specifically Black students, never get the recognition they deserve.” Green felt as if they were pushed into this role because of the university’s unwillingness to progress in terms of social justice. They said that it is challenging as a queer, Black person to sit there and watch their marginalized peers be ridiculed or cast aside in meetings with campus officials. According to Flores, the university does not truly wants change on campus. “The university will try to keep up appearances, but the university will never take a big step without seeing another SEC school doing it. The change that the university will make is like baby steps; here’s a crumb from this cookie that you want, maybe this will keep you quiet,” Flores said.

Similarly, Jones said that from her experience as president of the student body, the university cares more about how they are perceived by other institutions and by media outlets than their own students. “They don’t care how the student leaders that work with them everyday view them, but when we start making noise about it, then it’s an issue,” Jones said. Jones stressed the importance of accounting for history correctly. She also hopes that the university will give credit to student leaders and activists in the future, which will inspire incoming students, because they will know they can achieve a certain level of reform. “You have to demand the best out of the university, you cannot sit and wait for them to do it,” Jones said. Moving forward, Flores hopes to see the university implementing events and programs that are more specific towards different cultures, different races and different backgrounds. She recently started the initiative of opening a garden for students of color this fall to provide a safe space where minority students feel welcome. “You have to stand up for each other for anything to get done. We have to support each other and speak up for each other, whatever way we can,” Flores said.

Involuntary Sports Party improv troupe entertains audience JAKE BEAUMIER Contributor

In a darkened Lindsay Young Auditorium Sunday night, the Involuntary Sports Party (ISP) improv team took the stage to bring back some of the joy another Volunteer team lost to Florida the day before. Overcoming some early technical difficulties — don’t open the emergency exit mid-show — and aided by lively audience interaction, the ISP put on an hour-long escape from reality enjoyed CORRECTIONS POLICY:It is the Daily Beacon’s policy to by groups of friends and date-nighters alike. quickly correct any factual errors and clarify any potentially After the show, ISP President Bridget Nagdemisleading information. Errors brought to our attention by man and Vice-President Hunter Allen explained readers or sta� members will be corrected and printed on what improv as an art is, how ISP goes about its page two of our publication. To report an error please send as much information as possible about where and when the performances and the tight-knit bonds its memerror occurred to managingeditor@utdailybeacon.com, or call bers share that make their shows so enjoyable. our newsroom at (865) 974-5206. “(Improv) is a form of comedy that relies on The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University impromptu storytelling to serve as the basis of of Tennessee on Monday and Thursday during the fall and the plot,” said Allen. “ISP is a long form improv spring semesters. The o�ces are located at 1345 Circle Park group that basically just plays a lot of game, has Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 379960314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via a lot of fun.” mail subscription for $200/year or $100/semester. It is also “We make stuff up on the spot to try to make available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com people laugh,” said Nagdeman. If the viewer had walked in mid-show, however, it would be an understandable mistake to think The Daily Beacon is printed using soy based ink on newsprint conthat the act was entirely scripted. ISP’s members taining recycled content, utilizing renewable sources and produced in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner. play off one another seamlessly and seem very

comfortable both in the spotlight and within the structure of their performance. The show opened with some audience participation in the form of quick quips from cast members based on words provided by the crowd. From there, it progressed through several imaginative and entertaining “games,” including a quirky house party, a pseudo-NPR show featuring dinosaur police and some lego-people drama worthy of “Days of Our Lives.” When asked about how they develop their show structure and create new and exciting scenarios, Allen and Nagdeman explained that as a group ISP has some long-standing traditions but that nothing ever becomes stale. “For the most part, the games have stayed relatively the same,” said Nagdeman. “We follow what our predecessors have set before us.” “It’s a fun legacy to hold,” said Allen. While the main cast of ISP are the performers who took the stage on Sunday, the club is open to all with an interest in trying their hand at the art form. ISP hosts public, Monday-night workshops led by the central group where anyone can show up and go through creative exercises, work on comedy skills and make friends. In explaining how ISP operates as a club, Nagdeman discussed the different levels of involvement that students can have.

ISP presents “What’s Your Sign?”: a Comedy Improv Show in the Lindsay Young Auditorium on Sept. 26, 2021. Jake Beaumier / Contributor

“I definitely think it is something for everybody,” Nagdeman said. “You can come and play, but then if you really are serious about it you can audition, and it’s a big commitment. The key to improv is being vulnerable and being a good team player.” “Speaking personally, it’s as close to a second family as I have on campus and having workshops where we have other people from campus come on,” Allen said. “It’s really like a big family reunion for the entire campus. We have open arms to everyone, make sure everyone’s included and it’s an amazing community experience.” ISP can be reached @ispimprov on Instagram, their Vol link page or at their Monday night workshops at 7 p.m. in HSS-53B.


CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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Daily Beacon alumna Erin Zammett Ruddy talks life skills DANIEL DASSOW Campus News Editor

On Sept. 23, longtime magazine writer and editor Erin Zammett Ruddy (‘00) shared lifestyle advice from a panel of invisible experts at the Student Union Auditorium. They were the scores of experts she spoke with while writing her latest book “The Little Book of Life Skills,” and their ranks include icons like Bobby Flay, Hoda Kotb, Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz and Ariana Huffington. Though the book, an easy-to-read series of how-to’s from icing layer cakes to defrosting meat to forgiving someone and letting go, was originally published in Sept. 2020, Zammett Ruddy was unable to have any in-person book events for a year. In fact, Thursday night marked her first event for the book outside of New York City, where she lives with her husband and three children. After 20 years as a journalist and editor, Zammett Ruddy decided to utilize her network of lifestyle experts to write a collection of life skills, as taught by the people who know the best tips. “The Little Book of Life Skills” is self-help reimagined, a comprehensive guide of bite-sized advice from experts that is not replicable by any Google search. “That was the most exciting part of writing this book, was getting to talk to all these people about the thing that they’re most passionate about and

having them tell me all about it,” Zammett Ruddy said. “I reference this book all the time. I’m not even kidding, I wrote it for myself.” The book is structured to follow a day, beginning with a sleep doctor’s advice on how to get out of bed and ending with an organizing mogul’s tips for reviewing your day. It is both a distillation and a culmination of all that Zammett Ruddy has learned about doing life well and achieving lasting happiness. “I didn’t want to be more efficient so that I could post about my perfect life on Instagram or watch more Netflix,” Zammett Ruddy said. “I wanted to do it because I wanted to be more streamlined so that I could just have more happiness and more peace. I mean, that really is the ultimate goal for all of us.” During her time at UT, Zammett Ruddy played volleyball and worked as the entertainment editor for the Daily Beacon. Before “The Little Book of Life Skills,” Zammett Ruddy was best known as a lifestyle journalist and editor at Glamour, where she went to work shortly after graduating. Though she now realizes the great fortune of landing the job so early, Zammett Ruddy recalled her first day at the magazine, when she worried she had made a career mistake. “I was sitting there next to my boss who was in an office and the photo editor, first day on the job, photo editor stands up and she’s like, ‘Oh my God, Jennifer Anniston cut her hair!’ And the place

went wild,” Zammett Ruddy said. “Everyone was running. I think she was on our cover and she had longer hair and so it was gonna be a whole thing, we were gonna feel like we were late.” “I remember calling my parents and saying to them, ‘I think I made a mistake.’” But it didn’t take long for Zammett Ruddy to love her job at Glamour. It was the early aughts, the heyday of the glossy magazine, and Glamour had enough money to fly Zammett Ruddy and her colleagues on splashy larks across the country for even small stories, like to Miami for pedestrian interviews. She acknowledged the parallels to the 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada,” in which a dowdy aspiring journalist turns high fashion after landing a job at a cutthroat fashion magazine. While her clothes may not have become as glamorous as Anne Hathaway’s in the movie, she was still in the arena of legends. “I remember riding an elevator with Anna Wintour once in Gap jeans and Nikes and I was so, just like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God,’” Zammett Ruddy said, referencing a run-in with the titanic editorin-chief of Vogue. “She didn’t see me of course, she had her glasses on. She doesn’t see people, I don’t think. I was just a lowly assistant. But it made for a good anecdote.” Glamour was not merely the place Zammett Ruddy worked, a magazine populated by some of the smartest people in the industry. After she was

Erin Zammett Ruddy talks about her new book on Sept. 23, 2021. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / Contributor diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at 23, the staff at Glamour helped Zammett Ruddy access a new medication that had just been featured in their print edition. They had become a family to her. “Glamour, this place that initially was talking about Jennifer Anniston’s hair, became this leukemia command station. The editor-in-chief got on the phone with Sloan Kettering and they got on the phone with the writer and they got me in touch with the doctor who developed the drug and we all kind of went to work … Spoiler alert, I’m still here. I was able to get on the drug.”

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CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 29, 2021

On campus students report facing food insecurity, offer ideas for a fix ASHLEIGH NICHOLSON Contributor

Food insecurity has been an immense issue for students across campus, specifically on weekends since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With staff shortages, earlier closing hours and capacity limitations, it is harder than ever for students to get food on campus. Most dining halls and on-campus restaurants that accept dining dollars, flex dollars or meal equivalency swipes are open seven days a week, but close at 8 p.m. or earlier on weekdays, making it hard for students who work late, off-campus jobs to get food at night.

Students enjoy Rocky Top Dining by using their meal plan, Dining or Flex dollars, or a credit or debit card. Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

These locations also limit their hours on weekends, making it difficult for students who live on campus, the majority of whom are firstyear students, to access the food they need. While P.O.D. markets located around campus are open later during the week — including one located in Hodges Library open 24 hours — they are closed on weekends. Freshman Alexa Buskirk lives in university housing on campus and takes advantage of the seven-day meal plan provided by the university. Buskirk described how food insecurity is seen throughout campus. “Food insecurity is seen on campus through the lack of dining options, the long lines — it makes it really hard for students to get food,” Buskirk said. “People need more healthy vegan, vegetarian items in the dining hall because honestly, I don’t feel like there are a lot — there are not enough things to fit everyone’s dietary needs, and I think this contributes to the problem.” Buskirk said students feel the impact of food insecurity specifically on weekends. “I think that I am especially food insecure on weekends when the P.O.D. markets are closed and the dining hall hours are very limited — I can’t go eat at the time that I want to,” Buskirk said. Freshman Owen Brooke also believes that

food insecurity on campus increases during the weekend. “Food insecurity is more present on campus on the weekends because kids don’t have as many opportunities for meals as they do throughout the week,” Brooke said. Buskirk and Brooke agree that COVID-19 has had a big impact on food insecurity across campus, specifically because of labor shortages. “Food insecurity is just an effect of COVID(-19) — people are either scared or not motivated to go back to work in that environment,” Buskirk said. The students made several suggestions for how the campus can attempt to combat this issue. “I think campus can help to solve this issue by first assessing the population of food insecure people, asking them what their immediate needs are and then working from there,” Brooke said. At a time when Vol Dining has increased their starting salary and has offered access to free food in an attempt to attract student workers, Buskirk said that more could be done to entice students. “They could try to motivate students to work at the dining locations so that more can be open, they can have longer hours,” Buskirk

said. Both students also suggested educating more students on the locations of food pantries like the Big Orange Pantry and programs like Food4All which are available to all students, as well as making those options available on weekends. Currently, Big Orange Pantry operates on every weekday afternoon except Tuesday. Food insecurity on campus is a small part of a much bigger problem, but the students agree that assessing one problem at a time is a good place to start. On campus resources for food insecure students include Big Orange Pantry, which works with the Culinary Institute on the Food4All program to offer ready-made meals to students, as well as Smokey’s Pantry.

Meals prepared from unused dining hall food by chef Tyler White and student volunteers in the new Food4All program Courtesy of Tyler White


Wednesday, September 29, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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CITY NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Neverfull Waffles: Unique waffles and passionate, young entrepreneurs ABBY ANN RAMSEY Contributor

Did you know you can get a “Super Groovy Extra Funky Party Waffle” filled with Fruity Pebbles cereal delivered at 2 a.m. when you’re in the midst of studying for an exam? You might be even more surprised to find out that college-aged students are the ones making your party waffle and delivering it directly to your doorstep. Bryce “NF Trill” Vickers, Jonathan “Goose” Spencer and Elton “Don” Nkwembe started the business Neverfull Waffles in Jan. 2019 with the goal of selling specialty waffles to people both near and far away from UT campus. Nkwembe has taken a step back from the business since it started, while Joseph O’Connell has stepped in to help remotely. Vickers, a senior business marketing major at UT, says that this business was not really a goal of his until Nkwembe came home with a waffle maker, and he and all his friends were getting pretty accustomed to regularly eating waffles. “And then one day, Don decided to put a little twist on it and make a strawberry waffle. I thought it was stupid, I was like why would you

NeverFull Wa�es is run by UT students studying in the Haslam College of Busi- ness. Courtesy of @neverfullwa�es on Instagram

do that, you’re gonna mess my breakfast up but whatever,” Vickers said. “So he did it, it came out great, so I was like okay, we might be onto something.” After letting people try the waffles and receiving positive feedback, Neverfull Waffles was born. The business took a brief hiatus from Oct. 2019 to Jan. 2021 while looking for a commercial kitchen to work from, but they now use Real Good Kitchen in Knoxville to create the waffles and deliver them to customers. “It’s a fun journey because this just happened out of nowhere,” Vickers said. As a senior in college, Vickers has to balance

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both running a fully incorporated business and keeping up with 15-18 hours of classes each semester. Complicating it further, he and the rest of the team have essentially had to teach themselves everything they know about running the business. “It’s a lot, but you figure it out as you go, and that’s what we’re best at,” Vickers said. “Just tackling and figuring things out as we go.” The Neverfull Waffles’ passion for entrepreneurship and gift for filling students’ desires is prevalent in their business and advertising. Hollie Sikes, a junior architecture major and supporter of the business, admires how much the founders love and pursue Neverfull

Waffles. “I think it’s a testament to the power of young people to find voids in public interest and fill them,” Sikes said. “There’s serious evidence of commitment to the idea, and you can tell they really love it and are proud of their business. The fact that, that shines through is motivation enough to buy from them.” Not only do the people running Neverfull Waffles get hands-on experience in learning how a business works, they also are exposed to new people and experiences all the time. “You get to meet a ton of people, see a lot of different faces, get a lot of different perspectives from all the people you meet not just around campus, but around Knoxville as well,” Vickers said. “It’s really eye opening and you get not only to connect with people, but it really helps me expand my thinking” Vickers plans on graduating this year, but by no means does that mean he wants to graduate from Neverfull Waffles. He hopes to continue learning about how to manage and grow a business to its fullest potential. “Ever since the beginning, ever since day one, the goal has been to get to the top, to be global,” Vickers said.


CITY NEWS

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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Firebirds Wood Fired Grill spreads its wings into Knoxville KEENAN THOMAS Staff Writer

On Aug. 2, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill jumped into Knoxville’s restaurant scene. Based in North Carolina, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill started in 2000. It has since grown over time, with this Knoxville location acting as their 53rd. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday at 7641 Kingston Pike, right across from West Town Mall. General manager Josh Kritner talked about opening a location in Knoxville. He said that it has been a two-year process to open this location. “Knoxville is a food city,” Kritner said. “It’s a growing city. Knoxville is now the third largest growing city in the state of Tennessee. So with the food aspect and the amount of growth here, and having our home office right up the road in North Carolina, it just made sense to put one here finally.” Since this location opened on Aug. 2, Kritner said that they have been well received, with consistent business and full reservations. “The community brought us in with open

arms,” Kritner said. “We had one of the largest openings in company history when we opened up. Even going through the COVID-19 pandemic, our opening was blown out. Going into a Monday on Aug. 2 and having full reservations all day and all night for the last month has been great. The community has welcomed us with open arms.” Firebirds’ menu offers a variety of options, including salads, seafood, 21-day dry-aged steak, chicken and pasta, which they cook on wood fired grills with an in-house butcher. They also have a full drink menu including specialty cocktails, like the Double Black Diamond. Kritner described the food that they serve. “It’s American cuisine, so we’re known for our steaks and our seafood with bold flavors, and we use fresh herbs in our kitchen. Take your typical steakhouse with a modern flair, a lot of flavor, a lot of bold, robust coming out of the menu, and you have us,” Kritner said. Kritner also talked about why the ribeye is his favorite item on the menu. “Our ribeyes are fantastic,” Kritner said. “We have a new one, it’s a Cajun Ribeye, it comes in a 16-ounce, it’s got a New Orleans Cajun butter that goes on top of it. It’s fantastic.” Executive chef Adam Guess gave some in-

sight into the kitchen of Firebirds. Working in kitchens for over 20 years, he joined Firebirds nearly a year and a half ago. He has worked at the Chattanooga and Brentwood, Tennessee, locations, as well as the location in Birmingham, Alabama. “I love working in the kitchen,” Guess said. “Food has been a passion of mine since birth almost, so I love it.” He spoke about some of his favorite aspects about working at Firebirds, mainly about the quality of food that they cook. “Doing everything from fresh,” Guess said. “A lot of companies nowadays are doing frozen products, pre-portion products, stuff like that. That’s why I think this brand is growing, because they’re doing things fresh. I mean, anybody can pull something out of a bag, so that doesn’t interest me. Actually cooking, that’s what interests me.” Guess shared how the treatment of the kitchen staff is what drew him to Firebirds, as they make sure they are well and getting paid appropriately. He talked about how he is trying to break the mold in Knoxville by paying a higher starting wage than most Knoxville kitchens. “It was a growing company, and they really treat their people good,” Guess said. “I left my last company because they don’t treat

their people very good.” Kritner talked about one last special aspect about their menu, a drink called Alex’s Fresh Squeezed Lemonade. They donate $1.25 from every lemonade sold to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for childhood cancer treatments and families affected by childhood cancer. “We are big with Alex’s Lemonade Stand (ALS) and the fight against childhood cancer,” Kritner said. “We do a huge event every year called ‘Lemonade Days for ALS,’ and so far, we’ve raised over $2.2 million alone to help fight childhood cancer.” Kritner hopes that through a word-ofmouth marketing strategy, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill will continue to serve Knoxville and become a go-to restaurant in the city. “It’s a perfect place for a date night, it’s a perfect place for a corporate meeting or it’s a great place to actually come in here and sit at the bar and watch the game,” Kritner said. “It is polished dining. It is somewhat casual. But you can come in here and have a $200 bottle of wine and sit there with your spouse and have a great dinner and a great date night. Or you can come in here with three guys, sit at the bar and still watch the game and have a beer. So, it’s the balance of both worlds.”


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OPINIONS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Film According to Grant: ‘The Lighthouse’

GRANT T. MITCHELL Columnist Willem Dafoe has been a staple in Hollywood for a long time, but within the last decade since the advent and popularization of social media, his star has ascended to legendary status. With the prevalence of meme-culture abounding, Willem Dafoe’s more colorful performances have been brought to light through social media and made him into a cult-classic actor. It also helps that at 65 years old, Dafoe is at the top of his game as a character actor, utilizing all of his decades of experience to bring

forth powerful and memorable performances in all of his works. A recent film that came out and was as bizarre as some of Dafoe’s past performances was 2019’s “The Lighthouse,” which Dafoe starred in alongside Robert Pattinson. When watching “The Lighthouse,” you get the distinct feeling that the calm and relatively normal introduction to the period piece is a calm before the storm. It most definitely is. Pattinson’s and Dafoe’s characters have a bit of a tenuous relationship. Dafoe’s character, Thomas, is an experienced lighthouse worker and orders around Pattinson’s Ephraim because of this seniority. While the tension never, in its entirety, leaves the film, a more psychological element does enter into the film in a very real way. At first, it’s through odd dreams at night and strange sounds heard during the day by Pattinson’s character, but very quickly, these mysterious dreams and noises fester and grow into what appears to be a form of cabin-fever. When Dafoe and Pattinson have a confrontation regarding Dafoe’s exclusive work in the lighthouse and Pattinson’s hallucinations, the situation deescalates as Dafoe comforts Pat-

tinson and reminds him they will be leaving soon. Shortly thereafter, the two men engage in a wild night of drinking as they celebrate their planned, morning departure. But the ship never comes. What ensues is the two men attempting to continue with their duties as they hope for a rescue from their island, all the while their nightly drinking intensifies, ultimately carrying into the daytime for Pattinson. The real turning point for the film comes when, during one of the all-night drinking sessions, Pattinson’s character reveals he has been a criminal and has adopted an alias in which he is currently working under. At which point Dafoe, who was moments before laying on the floor inebriated and essentially incapacitated, vanishes and remains only as a disembodied voice asking Pattinson, “Why’d you spill your beans?” From there, the literal actions and plot of the film are anyone’s guess. What I love about “The Lighthouse” is how it delves into the subject of insanity of its characters and their situation. It begins with slight incongruences between the characters and their identities, and then slowly transitions to full-blown insanity.

Unlike many films or shows that want to get to the juicy parts quickly, “The Lighthouse” takes its time and waits to hit you with its true meaning and intentions until you are already hooked by its seemingly innocuous plot and characters. In that sense, this black-and-white film very much reminds me of the classic tales told in both 1960’s “The Twilight Zone,” as well as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” because it builds up a world that seems normal at first, but ends so vaguely and strangely that the entire film/ episode feels like it was a mental exercise posed to philosophy students. “The Lighthouse” makes great work of this odd atmosphere and its excellent actors and creates an abstract cinematic world that is as bizarre as it is interesting and unforgettable. Grant T. Mitchell is a senior majoring in public relations. He can be reached at gmitch16@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.

Forecasting Fantasy: Kupp and Williams are league winners

DANIEL SCRUGHAM Columnist Week three was an incredible week of NFL football. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker made the longest field goal in NFL history, a 66-yarder on the last play of the game to defeat Dan Campbell’s resilient Lions team. Last year’s Super Bowl teams, the Chiefs and the Buccaneer’s, were both upset after outstanding performances from Chargers QB Justin Herbert and Rams QB Matthew Stafford. For fantasy football, wide receiver (WR) breakouts were the story of the week. Cooper Kupp has now firmly established himself as

Matthew Stafford’s number one target in Los Angeles. Stafford has looked outstanding on his new team, and his hyper-targeting of Kupp will make Kupp this year’s version of 2020 Stefon Diggs. I have Kupp ranked as a top-5 receiver moving forward. The other LA team has seen Mike Williams transform into a top-12 fantasy WR. New Chargers coach Brandon Staley is using Williams on short and medium routes for the first time in his career. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are both borderline WR1s (top-12 WRs) who should be in your lineup every week. One last shoutout to DJ Moore, who was my bold prediction — along with Tee Higgins — for jumping into the WR1 tier. It now seems he has emerged as Sam Darnold’s top target. Moore is averaging 10.3 receptions/game and that number has risen every game. He is a WR1 going forward and was a tremendous steal in drafts. Injury Updates Dalvin Cook — Cook was out with an ankle injury and should be back next week. Sitting him on Sunday was precautionary. Level of concern: Mild Christian McCaffrey — McCaffrey suffered a hamstring injury, but doctors say it is less

than a grade one. He will not be placed on IR and should return after one to two weeks. CMC owners should still try to get Chuba Hubbard if possible. Level of concern: Mild A.J. Brown — Brown left in the first half with a strained hamstring. He is now considered week-to-week. The Titans passing offense has not looked great, and Brown has dropped to around the WR15-20 range moving forward. Level of concern: Moderate JuJu Smith-Schuster — JuJu left the game Sunday with bruised ribs and is now considered day-to-day. He should return, but Ben Roethisberger has looked horrible and I do not want any part of this offense right now except for Najee Harris, who has greatly benefitted from Big Ben’s struggles. Level of concern: Severe Waiver Wire Advice The pickup of the week is Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard. After McCaffrey went down, Hubbard saw 38 snaps to Royce Freeman’s 11 and recorded 11 rushes and 5 targets, mostly in the second half. While McCaffrey has not been placed on IR and the hamstring injury has been ruled less than a grade one, a re-injury is always possible.

Hubbard is available in 60% of Sleeper leagues and is worth at least 40% of your FAAB and potentially up to 100% of your FAAB if you are the McCaffrey owner. It depends on how much you are willing to spend on someone who may only give you one to two weeks of production but has the potential for more. This may seem too expensive, but you need to have the clear No. 1 RB in the NFL handcuffed, and if you do not, you must pay up to get Hubbard.

Daniel Scrugham is a junior at the Haslam College of Business majoring in business analytics. Shoot him your fantasy questions at dscrugha@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.

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CITY NEWS

Wednesday, September 29 , 2021 • The Daily Beacon

Knoxville’s best food trucks ABBY ANN RAMSEY Contributor

Knoxville is full of great food. In fact, you can’t walk more than a few yards downtown without passing a local restaurant. However, these restaurants are not the only places you can find some of the best food in the city. Food trucks have been on the rise in recent years, and they have been so successful in Knoxville that many have opened their own storefronts. CJ’s Tacos and Fai Thai, both located on Gay Street, started out as food trucks. Many food trucks in Knoxville go slightly unnoticed despite their incredible cuisine. The five food trucks listed below are just a few examples of some spectacular trucks to get a bite from.

KNOX WURST Ironically enough, Knox Wurst is far from the worst food truck in Knoxville. Perhaps the only food truck in the city that can offer a wide variety of craft sausages and bratwurst, the truck opened in 2018. They offer classic brats along with more unique options, like “currywurst” and Bavarian pretzels. They also have smash burgers, a wide variety of sides and vegan options. Knox Wurst frequents Central Filling Station and also posts its parking locations on its Instagram, @knoxwurst.

location on Kingston Pike where the Chickfil-A in Bearden used to be. You can order everything from street tacos to the best mulitas in town. Be sure to check out this hidden gem of Knoxville!

SMASH KNOXVILLE If you’re looking for somewhere new, Smash Knoxville serves smash burgers and has quickly become a popular burger spot in the city. Usually parked at the Crafty Bastard, this truck offers two patties on almost every burger option and has an extensive list of topping options. Smash Knoxville will open a new location when the new food hall, Marble City Market, opens up next Monday.

PENNE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS If you need an option outside of all the taco and burger trucks, you’re not alone. Luckily, Penne For Your Thoughts changes their mostly Italian menu almost daily, offering everything from pasta to sandwiches. Visit their website or their Instagram, @ pennetruck, to find out where you can catch them next.

Courtesy of Penne For Your Thought’s o�cial Facebook @pennetruck Courtesy of Knox Wurst’s o�cial Facebook @ KnoxvilleWurst

TAQUERIA LA HERRADURA As a family-owned business with three locations, Taqueria La Herradura offers some of the most authentic Mexican food in Knoxville. They have a food truck by the Rooms To Go store on Kingston Pike, and they also have a dine-in restaurant on Broadway. This summer, they opened an express

SUGAR QUEEN After bratwurst, tacos, burgers and pasta, you will obviously need something for dessert. The Sugar Queen will gladly give you one of the best donuts in Knoxville. The Sugar Queen is passionate about good food and was opened by a mother and her three daughters. Bigger than your face and definitely more buttery than your standard Krispy Kreme donut, Sugar Queen donuts will blow your mind. Check out their Instagram @thesugarqueendoughnutry to see where they’ll be parked.

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SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Vols hope to avoid mistakes at Mizzou JOSH LANE Sports Editor

Tennessee will wrap up its early-season road trip Saturday in Columbia, Missouri, while looking to get another win in their matchup against Mizzou. The Vols (2-2, 0-1 SEC) dropped their first SEC game of the season to Florida last Saturday, a 38-14 loss that extended their losing streak against the Gators to five consecutive games. There were some promising signs for the Vols — they even led in the second quarter — but old problems resurfaced, and the Gators scored 28 unanswered points to complete the comeback in dominating fashion. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel went with Hendon Hooker under center for the second game in a row, as he felt Joe Milton III was not 100% ready to play. Hooker showed some flashes of why the Vols are high on him — 2 passing touchdowns including a 75-yard touchdown strike to JaVonta Payton. But after the 2 scoring drives, Hooker was unable to string anything together, and left the game with an injury in the fourth. Hooker’s status for Mizzou remains in the air. Heupel did not give an update on the Virginia Tech transfer, other than that he was not in concussion protocol. Heupel would not speak to a potential battle between Milton and Hooker, should both be cleared Saturday, meaning the Vols will have quarterback drama for the fourth straight game week. “I’m not going to speak to situations that aren’t real at this point,” Heupel said. “So we’ll see where we’re at during the course of the week and go from there.” Hooker’s inconsistency was far from the Vols’ most pressing issue. That was the penalties, dropped passes, overthrows and other controllable mistakes that they have dealt with all year. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to execute on the field,” Heupel said. “Handle the environment, handle the competitive situation. Throw and catch it. Things that we’ve seen those individuals do at a high level. At the end of the day, we’ve got to go perform on Saturday and finish plays.” The good news for the Vols is that those mistakes are all preventable, nothing practice and discipline can’t fix. With a daunting SEC slate on the horizon, their trip to Mizzou is the perfect opportunity to do so. Mizzou (2-2, 0-1 SEC) has struggled in its own right to start 2021, the biggest reason being a defense that ranks last in the SEC in total defense, behind even Vanderbilt. In the Tigers’ loss at Boston College last Saturday, they allowed 450 yards of total offense,

275 of which came on the ground. Boston College running back Patrick Garwo, who had 2 rushing touchdowns and 433 yards to his career entering the day, ran for 175 yards and 2 scores. Tennessee has been solid on the ground thus far, but Mizzou presents an opportunity for the Vols to assert their dominance in the trenches. Tiyon Evans and Jabari Small shouldering the load would go a long way for Tennessee and whichever inconsistent, partially injured quarterback starts. Tennessee should be able to score enough points on that bad Mizzou defense, but stopping the Tigers’ attack will be a challenge. Mizzou is led on offense by quarterback Connor Bazelak and running back Tyler Badie, both of whom are having excellent seasons. Bazelak has thrown for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in 4 games, and Badie has rushed for 417 yards and another 5 scores. Mizzou is averaging 483 yards of total offense per game and has outscored opponents 155-128 despite a 2-2 record. “For them offensively, everything goes through that running back (Badie),” Heupel said. “Whether it’s the run game, or being heavily involved in the pass game. The guy’s been dynamic, near the top of the country in total yards and productivity. He’s a really good football player, and wants the ball in his hands, being electric and making guys miss.” It’s not a given that the Vols can win on the road against the high-scoring Mizzou offense — the Vols enter the game as a 3-point underdog — but if they’re able to correct the minute details that snowballed into a loss against Florida, they can stop the same collapse that burned them last season. “Tough moments for multiple guys. Don’t let a moment define you. As you move forward, you define those moments. So your practice habits and how you approach everything you do ends up showing up.” Heupel said.

2021

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FOOTBALL

PICK ‘EM

Ethan Stone Asst. Sports (19-9) Tennessee (24) vs. Mizzou (20) Arkansas vs. Georgia Michigan vs. Wisconsin Cincinatti vs. Notre Dame Ole Miss vs. Alabama Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Auburn vs. LSU

Caleigh Rozmenoski Copy Chief (18-10) Tennessee (36) vs. Mizzou (12) Arkansas vs. Georgia Michigan vs. Wisconsin Cincinatti vs. Notre Dame Ole Miss vs. Alabama Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Auburn vs. LSU

Josh Lane Sports Editor (18-10) Tennessee (27) vs. Mizzou (24) Arkansas vs. Georgia Michigan vs. Wisconsin Cincinatti vs. Notre Dame Ole Miss vs. Alabama Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Auburn vs. LSU

Ben Goldberger Opinions Editor (17-11) Tennessee (31) vs. Mizzou (28) Arkansas vs. Georgia Michigan vs. Wisconsin Cincinatti vs. Notre Dame Ole Miss vs. Alabama Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Auburn vs. LSU

Sarah Rainey Editor-in-Chief (15-13) Tennessee (24) vs. Mizzou (21) Arkansas vs. Georgia Michigan vs. Wisconsin Cincinatti vs. Notre Dame Ole Miss vs. Alabama Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Auburn vs. LSU

Alexandra Ashmore Photo Editor (14-14) Quarterback Hendon Hooker #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Golden Eagles and the Tennessee Volunteers Andrew Ferguson / Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee (42) vs. Mizzou (15) Arkansas vs. Georgia Michigan vs. Wisconsin Cincinatti vs. Notre Dame Ole Miss vs. Alabama Baylor vs. Oklahoma State Auburn vs. LSU


SPORTS

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

11

What the Vols can learn from their last game against Missouri ETHAN STONE Assistant Sports Editor

Alontae Taylor was frustrated after Tennessee’s week four loss to Florida. “We will not fall apart this year,” Taylor said. “You can quote me on that. We will not fall apart this year.” This isn’t a random assurance from Taylor. He knows the significance of keeping a positive attitude heading into the rest of the SEC slate. Taylor is one of the only starters left from the Mizzou game last year. Jarrett Guarantano, Eric Gray and Josh Palmer all led statistical categories for the Vols in a 35-12 victory over the Tigers. It may be a different team, but the stakes remain mostly the same: This is a mustwin game for head coach Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers. Here’s two things Tennessee can learn from its last matchup against Mizzou. The season is never over A journey back in time to Tennessee’s game against Missouri in week two of 2020 is like stepping into a completely different world. For one, Jeremy Pruitt was still the head

The Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Florida Gators on September 25, 2021 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Andrew Furguson / Tennessee Athletics coach. The public view of him, at that point, was still mostly positive. Just a week earlier, Pruitt had received a two-year extension through 2025, including a $400,000 pay increase from 2020 to 2021. It was right after the Mizzou game that everything started to go downhill for Pruitt — and the program in general. The Vols, with a promising season ahead of them at 2-0, lost six straight games after besting the Tigers in Knoxville. This year, the Vols may be ready to turn another corner against the Tigers, this time for good rather than worse. Tennessee is still in the early stages of the season and still form-

ing an identity on offense. The small mistakes and penalties that have plagued Tennessee still have a chance to be resolved before the Vols enter the bulk of their SEC slate. Week five’s matchup against Mizzou is where that starts. Like last year, the Tigers are a beatable foe with a formidable offense and a less than formidable defense. Tennessee’s mindset heading into this week could be huge in determining how the rest of its season pans out. Turnovers, penalties and small mistakes can make or break an evenly-matched game

Tennessee opens as 3-point underdogs against Mizzou next Saturday. The Tigers are looking to rebound after a back-breaking loss to Boston College in week four. The Tigers finished last year with a 5-5 record, two wins ahead of the Vols. This placed them firmly above Tennessee in the SEC East standings. On paper, the Vols and Tigers played a very similar game last year. Both quarterbacks had a 60% completion rate for around 200 yards. Tigers, quarterback Connor Bazelak threw an interception, and Jarrett Guarantano did not. That, paired with the Tigers’ turnover on downs late in play, ultimately lost the game for the Tigers. Tennessee played a relatively mistake-free game with minimal penalties and zero turnovers in 60 minutes of play. General Neyland’s first game maxim reads, “The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win,” after all. The Vols have failed to take that advice as of late, though. The Vols have done a good job of limiting crucial turnovers but penalties, dropped passes and miscues have kept the Vols from their true potential in the early going of 2021. It’s easier said than done, of course, but Tennessee cannot keep hindering themselves against an evenly-matched opponent if it wants to take that next step mid-season.

‘We’re here for each other’: Culture shift crucial to women’s golf JOSH LANE Sports Editor

Not many people get the opportunity to play a collegiate sport. Even fewer get to coach at that level. So when Diana Cantu got the chance to return to her alma mater as the head women’s golf coach, she didn’t hesitate. “Tennessee is home sweet home to me. I’m just excited to be back,” Cantu said. Cantu was hired in June as Tennessee’s fourth all-time women’s golf coach. She spent four seasons on Rocky Top as a student-athlete, where she played 130 career rounds — the fifth-most in Lady Vol program history — and was a part of three teams that advanced to the NCAA Championships (2007, 2009, 2010). She even took home All-SEC honors in the 2009 season. Cantu, a native of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, spent the past seven seasons as the women’s golf head coach at the University of Maryland. Under her guidance, Maryland recorded its best-ever finish at the Big 10 Championships — second — and advanced to the NCAA Championships as a team for the first time in program history. The Terrapins also earned their best-ever national ranking at No.

14, and Cantu was selected as the Big Ten Coach of the Year because of it. Cantu’s return to Tennessee coincides as with the program’s 30th season of existence. She inherited the golf team after longtime head coach Judi Pavon’s contract was not renewed last year. Cantu’s goal now is to restore Tennessee back to the powerhouse in women’s golf that it was in the early 2000s, as the Lady Vols have not had a top-5 SEC finish since the 2014-15 season. For Cantu, the program’s turnaround starts with a shift in culture. “I think letting them know that we care more about them as people than the score that they post, really having a team environment with everybody having each other’s backs is going to help them be comfortable with each other and know that even when we have a bad day, we’re here for each other,” Cantu said in her introductory press conference in August. “What we’re going to do is learn from that day and work to get better. I think that’s going to let them play freely and play better golf.” Just four weeks into her Tennessee tenure, Cantu has already seen some signs of success. In the Lady Vols’ most recent tournament, the 24th annual Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Cham-

pionship, the Lady Vols finished day one tied with BYU for first at +3. Senior Mikayla Bardwell and sophomore Vanessa Gilly led the Lady Vols in the first two rounds then tied for seventh place going into round three. And Tennessee’s bottom-two finishers, Bailey Davis and Kayla Holden, only shot three over for the day. But as Cantu learned, change doesn’t come immediately, it’s a slow process. After their great first day of play, the Lady Vols slid to a sixth-place finish in the tournament. Bardwell, who was Tennessee’s top performer on day one, finished the tournament seven over par. Gilly had the Lady Vols’ best showing at +3. Finishing strong is something Cantu knows her team needs to work on. She knows what it takes too, since she won the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship twice in her years as a student-athlete. “We’ve only been practicing for four weeks,” Cantu said, after day one of the tournament. “We just got started with the season and we’ve got a long way to go, but this is a good team with a strong foundation. It’s just about making the little things better and more polished, then we’ll be good to go.” Despite the slow finish, women’s golf is

on the upswing at Tennessee. The MercedesBenz Collegiate Championship was held at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville for the first time since 2019, after the pandemic shut it down a year ago. Despite the rain that poured all day, fans still came to show their support for the team and its new coach, and so did new Athletic Director Danny White. “We just feel super supported,” Cantu said. “Danny wants to win, and that’s what we want to do. And we will get there. It’s just great to see that he’s invested in our team, and that he sees the vision that we have as well.” Since the Mercedes-Benz Championship was Tennessee’s only tournament in its home city of Knoxville, the Lady Vols might have felt extra pressure to represent themselves, and the city, well in front of the other 16 competing schools.

STORY CONTINUED ONLINE Read more at utdailybeacon.com


12

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Graduate transfer Runnels leading Lady Vols both on and off the court TOMMY JANKOWSKI Contributor

The Tennessee volleyball team is off to a strong start to the 2021 season, currently ranked No. 21 in the country with only two top-10 losses. One of the main reasons for the Lady Vols’ early success is graduate transfer Breanna Runnels. Runnels grew up in Bakersfield, California, where she was a star at Bakersfield Volleyball Club and Independence High School. Runnels was a two time captain, two time all-area selection and the 2014 team MVP. “Growing up I also played basketball and ran track, but volleyball was always my niche so I stuck with it,” Runnels said. “Playing at Bakersfield Volleyball Club, I looked up to some of the older players, and my coach really helped pave the way for me to continue my career.” That’s exactly what Runnels did — she attended Colorado State as a freshman. Runnels redshirted her first season, where she refined her game and improved her hitting so she could make an impact when it was her time.

“Redshirting was difficult at first, because I didn’t understand what it meant,” Runnels said. “But I think that was the year my game really started to develop.” When Runnels finally did hit the floor at Colorado State, she did not disappoint. In her redshirt freshman year, Runnels led the team with 367 kills — a school record for kills as a freshman and also second in school history by any player in one season. Runnels’ performance was good enough to earn her 2017 Mountain West Conference Newcomer of the Year along with AllConference honors. Runnels continued this success throughout her career at Colorado State. In her sophomore campaign, she led Colorado State and the Mountain West Conference with 454 kills, which stood as the most in a single season in the modernscoring era. She led the team again in kills as both a junior and senior, earned All-Conference honors all four seasons, and in 2019, was named to AVCA All-Pacific North Region team. Runnels wasted no time making her presence felt in her first season on Rocky Top. In her very first match wearing orange and white, Runnels tied with teammate Morgahn Fingall for the team lead with 17

kills. “I’d say the strength of this team has been our hitting on offense,” Tennessee head coach Eve Rackham Watt said. “We really have multiple options for the first time in a while and that has really helped us.” Runnels is currently second on the team in kills behind Fingall, who is the current SEC leader in that category. Despite her massive contribution on the court, Runnels’ impact goes far beyond just the stat sheet. “We hit the lottery with Breanna,” Rackham Watt said. “You see what she does for us from a volleyball standpoint, but people don’t notice what she’s done for us as a great teammate who works really hard.” When it comes to living on the East Coast, Runnels has made a seamless transition to life as a student-athlete here in Knoxville. “I try to make a home out of anywhere I go,” Runnels said. “I moved around quite a bit while I was younger so I know what it’s like to transition, and being a part of this Top: Brenna Russel attacks the ball on the outteam is important because I get a piece of side. family here.” Bottom: Ava Bell (20) and Breana Runnels (6)blocking the outside hit from Arkansas in Thompson Boling Arena on Sept. 25, 2021. Alana Adams / The Daily Beacon

Mentality fueling Velus Jones Jr. in final season on Rocky Top ETHAN STONE Assistant Sports Editor

Velus Jones Jr.’s first touchdown in a Tennessee uniform came late in the fourth quarter against Florida in December of 2020. The Southern California graduate transfer snagged a fade from quarterback J.T. Shrout in the far corner of the south endzone as the seconds ticked away in what would be Tennessee’s fourth consecutive loss to the Gators. The 31-19 final score made it seem closer than it was. Jones had a slow start to the year, but he finally started to hit his stride against Florida in week eight. The team had dropped six in a row, though. The Vols ended that season at 3-7, the worst record in Tennessee’s football history. Shrout, among others, would end up transferring from the program later that spring. “My plans are to finish strong,” Jones said, regarding speculation he’d leave the team the following season. “The goal is just to keep going, win or lose. Keep moving.” He fulfilled those plans the following week. Jones was instrumental in the Vols’ 42-17 victory over Vanderbilt, catching seven balls for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns — the best performance of his college career. It was

Tennessee’s final win of the season. Even with a new coaching staff and a shot at going pro on the table, Jones chose to stick around on Rocky Top. He is the Vols’ leading producer among returners at receiver this season. “I didn’t panic like I did last year,” Jones said. “I just prayed every day and every night, thanking God for the opportunity, being blessed to have an extra year to come back.” His big performance against Tennessee Tech is a testament to this — Jones has come into his final year ready to compete at a high level despite limited snaps in the early going after a hamstring injury in spring practice. “I feel 100%,” Jones said. “I’m happy to be back and be here with my brothers and battle with them.” Jones’ fifth touchdown of his college career against Tennessee Tech was perhaps his most impressive. Jones took a quick in to the house, tiptoeing the sideline and shedding a few Golden Eagles defenders along the way. “It was just a quick in, I figured there was going to be a big window for me,” Jones said. “I made a move, got open. I knew I was going to have to get skinny, because I knew the corner was on me. I broke that tackle and was off to the races. I had the ball in my right hand, and we don’t ever switch the ball over in traffic. (The next defender) was gaining on me,

and I was just thinking I had to hesi towards him to keep him back for a little so I could get to the endzone.” This talent in the open field is virtually unmatched on the team. His expertise in the return game emphasizes this. Jones is the Football Bowl Subdivision leader in active kick return yards with 2,519. After returning 7 kicks for 197 yards through three games, Jones needs only 203 yards to enter the top-30 in all-time kickoff return yards by an individual player. At this point, it seems like his accomplishment of that feat will only be a matter of time. Jones is proving himself to not only be a versatile returner, but a potent weapon for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee offense. So, how does he do it? For Jones, mentality is everything. After Tennessee’s latest win against the Golden Eagles, Jones was rocking a GOAT necklace — “Greatest Of All Time.” “I feel like everything you do is a mindset,” Jones said. “When you go out there on the field, you have to feel like you’re the best Velus Jones Jr. (1) in Neyland Stadium on Satat what you do, and that’s the confidence I urday Sept. 11, 2021 against the Pittsburg have in my game.” Panthers. Kailee Harris / The Daily Beacon


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