Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Volume 140, Issue 10 Wednesday, October 20, 2021

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

NEYLAND TRASHED Disgruntled fans left their frustrations on the field Saturday in the final minute of the 31-26 loss to Ole Miss. The game, complete with the return of former head coach Lane Kiffin and controversial calls, led to several arrests and consequences for students. Read more on page 2.

Alana Adams / The Daily Beacon

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SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION EDITORIAL

The Mustard Bowl: Controversial call creates chaos JOSH LANE AND ETHAN STONE Sports Editor

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sarah Rainey COPY CHIEF: Caleigh Rozmenoski CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR: Daniel Dassow CITY NEWS EDITOR: Madelyn Muschek SPORTS EDITOR: Josh Lane ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: Ethan Stone DIGITAL PRODUCER: Kailee Harris OPINIONS EDITOR: Ben Goldberger PHOTO EDITOR: Alexandra Ashmore DESIGN EDITOR: Bella Hughes SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Kimberly Lalas

Saturday’s football game between Tennessee and No. 13 Ole Miss started as any other rivalry game.

Frustration was building all night. Tennessee was on the receiving end of several questionable calls that could have gone either way, most notably a Tyler Baron scoop ‘n’ score that was called back after officials ruled Rebels quarterback Matt ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION Corral had achieved forward progress well after the play was completed.

STUDENT ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brynn Close Ole Miss defenders went down with injuries ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Emily more than 20 times throughout the night. Some Bishop ADVERTISING PRODUCTION ARTIST: Victoria looked legitimate, some were more suspicious Wheelock and came at very opportune times for the Rebels.

Fans reached a breaking point after the last, CONTACTS biggest call — a controversial spot on the fourthTO REPORT A NEWS ITEM, please email and-24 play where tight end Jacob Warren came a editor.news@utdailybeacon.com or yard short of a first down. The Tennessee student call (865) 974-2348 section started to throw empty water bottles, hot TO SUBMIT A PRESS RELEASE, please email dog wrappers and even a full bottle of mustard pressreleases@utdailybeacon.com onto the field in protest of the call, and the game TO PLACE AN AD, please email was delayed for 20 minutes while officials took beaconads@utdailybeacon.com or precautionary measures for player safety. call (865) 974-5206 Ole Miss’ personnel was moved away from the ADVERTISING: (865) 974-5206 line of fire from the sideline to the middle of the beaconads@utk.edu field, and security ushered fans out of student EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: (865) 974-3226 sections. Former Tennessee head coach Lane Kifeditorinchief@utdailybeacon.com fin, now the head man at Ole Miss, gathered ofMAIN NEWSROOM: (865) 974-3226 ficials and showed them the golf ball that he had editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com been pelted with moments before.

LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor must be exclusive Andrew Smith, a sophomore journalism stuto The Daily Beacon and cannot have been submitted to or dent who was in the student section at the time, published by other media. Letters should not exceed 400 discussed the chaotic experience. words and can be edited or shortened for space. Letters can also be edited for grammar and typographical errors, “To put it bluntly, all hell broke loose,” Smith and Letters that contain excessive grammatical errors can said. “I saw pompoms flying towards the field, be rejected for this reason. Anonymous Letters will not be water bottles ... it was absolute chaos.” published. Authors should include their full name, mailing On the surface, it was a bad look for Tennesaddress, city of residence, phone number and e-mail address for verification purposes. Letters submitted without this see fans who were upset over a culmination of information will not be published. The preferred method to events that transpired throughout the game, and submit a Letter to the Editor is to email the Editor-in-Chief. perhaps even the past couple years of disappointCORRECTIONS POLICY:It is the Daily Beacon’s policy to ment — but many report it was not just those in quickly correct any factual errors and clarify any potentially orange and white pelting the field with debris Satmisleading information. Errors brought to our attention by urday night. readers or sta� members will be corrected and printed on “From our seats, you look up and to the right, page two of our publication. To report an error please send as much information as possible about where and when the you can see the whole section of visitor seats they error occurred to managingeditor@utdailybeacon.com, or call always sell. You could, plain as day, see stuff comour newsroom at (865) 974-5206. ing from that section down onto the band and The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University student section,” Jason Malone, a fan sitting in of Tennessee on Monday and Thursday during the fall and section L said. spring semesters. The o�ces are located at 1345 Circle Park Garrett Froula, another fan sitting in section Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 379960314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via FF, saw something similar. mail subscription for $200/year or $100/semester. It is also “After the referees did not reverse the call available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com on the field, Ole Miss fans started celebrating,” Froula said. “I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to an Ole Miss home game, but they like to celebrate by throwing drinks in the air. A few drinks were thrown in the air and I look over to see an Ole Miss fan in section GG launch what looked to be an empty pint onto the field and hit a security guard.”

In the same night that “Checkerboard Neyland” was brought back to the stadium, passionate fans threw trash in the final moments of the game against Ole Miss on Oct. 16, 2021. Alana Adams / The Daily Beacon

When fans saw trash raining down on the field, many did not realize that it was first coming from the Ole Miss sections, directed at the Pride of the Southland Band, which fled the stands for safety before the game ended.

After the call was reviewed and upheld, many Tennessee supporters joined in what they thought was a protest, pelting the field with whatever they could find. What started as celebration on the part of Ole Miss quickly turned into an all out riot as Volunteer fans took over.

Tennessee fans obviously took it too far once the officials ruled Warren short of the line of gain. By the time the game finished early Sunday morning, Tennessee athletic director Danny White and Chancellor Donde Plowman had issued statements of apology, as well as calling for further action to be taken.

“I am astonished and sickened by the behavior of some Vol fans at the end of tonight’s game,” Plowman said in a tweet. “Good sportsmanship must be part of who we are as Volunteers. Behavior that puts student-athletes, visitors and other fans at risk is not something we will tolerate.”

White gave another comment Monday, echoing the same sentiment: “Safety is paramount.”

“Some elements of what the league office has instructed were already in motion, as a review of in-venue video began this weekend,” White said. “Internally — and in collaboration with our campus partners — we’ll continue to evaluate accountability measures and develop an action and education plan for future games.”

It was not long after White’s statement that the SEC officially announced several punishments on Tennessee for the behavior of those select fans.

The penalties started with a $250,000 fine deducted from the University’s share of SEC revenue distribution. Tennessee would have to review and update its Athletics Department game management procedures and alcohol availability policies to “prevent a recurrence of Saturday night’s disruption.”

“The disruption of Saturday night’s game is unacceptable and cannot be repeated on any SEC campus,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “Today’s actions are consistent with the oversight assigned by the membership to the

SEC office, including the financial penalty and review of alcohol availability.”

The university would also be required to “use all available resources, including security, stadium and television video, to identify individuals who threw objects onto the playing field or at the opposing team.”

To that end, 18 people have already been arrested for their actions Saturday night, and another 51 were ejected from the game.

According to a WATE report, each individual that was involved in disrupting the game will be banned from all Tennessee Athletics events for the remainder of the 2021-2022 academic and athletic year.

Some in the national media have made attempts to vilify Tennessee fans for Saturday night’s events, but Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel chose to focus on the majority of the fans that created an electric environment for 59 minutes of the game. The delay had already taken enough attention away from a Tennessee team that was a play away from upsetting Ole Miss.

“I am disappointed that will be the story from this football game from a small amount of our fans because there were so many that represented intensity in a great way tonight,” Heupel said Saturday night.

On a night when a national spotlight was on Heupel’s program, many top recruits, including the nation’s No. 1 prep player Walter Nolen, were in attendance, and Heupel does not think the incident will take away anything from what he is trying to build. He believes just the opposite.

“To see our student body rush down and fill the bottom part of the section and the remainder of our crowd to be amped up for the final minute of play, that’s the takeaway,” Heupel said. “I know for some people the story is about what happened, but our administration has obviously made it clear that that’s not the stance in what we want from the Volunteer spirit. You know that I feel the same way. That’s a very small number.”

“The passion and energy from our fanbase …

I’ve been in a lot of competitive arenas as a player and as a coach. There was nothing better that I’ve ever been in than what happened on Saturday night.”

CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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Interfraternity Council passes first ever diversity, equity and inclusion commitment plan KELSEY TOLCHIN Contributor

This past week, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) passed a new plan regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) of chapters and members throughout recruitment and beyond.

The initiative’s main goal is to commit to the pursuit of equity through internal, external and community engagement, along with fostering thought-provoking dialogue to further educate members. This way, members will be inspired to make a change within the council.

Senior Michael Rodriguez, the first-ever IFC vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, spoke on the importance of introducing the role he currently holds and the new plan.

“This is the first year that we have had this role on council. The IFC president created it because it’s been a long time coming for a position like this,” Rodriguez said.

“There’s been a lot of laying the foundation and framework, which led us to putting this

DEI commitment plan together.”

IFC’s President, senior Will Rice, explained what inspired the idea behind the initiative.

“We adopted our DEI initiative in accordance with NIC (National Interfraternity Council) which serves as our national governing body similar to a national headquarters for an individual chapter,” Rice said.

“The intention behind DEI work is to help our community be culturally competent members and leaders of society.”

While the initiative starts with interactions within the council, the collaboration of many different communities on campus is needed for the plan to be successful.

“The plan is basically us laying down 10 different action items that we are focusing on,” Rodriguez said.

“It ranges from recruitment to scholarship to education and cross-council collaborations, working closely with our other three sister councils, NPHC, National Panhellenic Multicultural Greek Council and then the Panhellenic Council.”

The 10 action items combine to create one whole basis that IFC hopes to follow for the years to come, expanding the horizons of how recruitment and membership should

play out.

A few of the action items include an annual bylaw review, educational programming, the creation of a diversity committee, inclusive recruitment practices and many more.

One of the action items includes an Intervention and Education Policy. This pillar implements a policy against bias and discrimination. It states that if a member of the council is named in a discrimination report, and the action took place during a chapter event, IFC will require an intervention education session to prevent repeat situations and to enlighten for the future.

“Coming into school being involved in different organizations, I saw what mattering and belonging really did for organizations that focused on it,” Rodriguez said.

“Of course in the events of last summer, with George Floyd, Brianna Taylor and the global health crisis we experienced, we saw so many inequities in our world. Coming into this position and recognizing that the past of our council hasn’t really focused on diversity or inclusion like it should.”

With the initiative in its first beginning steps, IFC hopes to see it continue throughout the years and to witness improvement

Fraternity Park Drive sign on campus taken Sept. 20, 2020.. Sydney Goodsell / The Daily Beacon throughout all chapters and the Greek community.

“Overall, we are extremely excited to see the plan implemented after months of work and are even more excited to see the longterm effect it has on our council and the surrounding university community,” Rice said.

More information about the new initiative and the diversity, equity and inclusion work within the Interfraternity Council can be found on utifc.org.

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CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

President Boyd, Chancellor Plowman focus on actionable change for LGBTQ inclusion EMMA COFFEY Staff Writer

On Friday, SGA held an in-person town hall meeting at the Student Union with UT President Boyd and Chancellor Donde Plowman to let students air their concerns following Boyd’s support for and subsequent withdrawal from a fundraiser for Tennessee Sen. Mark Pody, who openly advocates against LGBTQ rights.

Student Body President Claire Donelan released a statement on SGA’s social media denouncing Boyd’s support for Pody and calling for a town hall meeting to hear the concerns of the student body.

After SGA released the statement, Vice Chancellor of Student Life Frank Cuevas scheduled the town hall meeting so that students could have a chance to speak directly with the university’s top leaders.

Boyd opened up the conversation with a statement apologizing to students.

“I’m sorry, and I made a mistake. I try not to make too many, but I do from time to time and recently I made a mistake,” Boyd said.

Boyd explained his relationship with Pody and said that Pody has always been supportive of him, and he wanted to return the favor.

Boyd said although they do not discuss politics with one another, he did offer to pay for the

Students march from the Torchbearer to the Student Union ahead of a town hall with UT President Randy Boyd and Chancellor Plowman to discuss the university’s treatment of the LGBTQ community. Sydney Goodsell / The Daily Beacon

breakfast at Pody’s fundraiser. However, there was a public flyer from Pody’s campaign that made a misleading claim that Boyd was hosting the fundraiser.

He shared with students the work that he has done in the past for the LGBTQ community at the university, including meeting with elected officials to secure renewed funding for diversity programming.

“I went to the legislature and met with 42 individual legislators and talked to them about why it is so important to support all of our students. They agreed, and within the first month of my job we got all of our diversity funding back, and we hired a vice chancellor of diversity

for UT Knoxville,” Boyd said.

Boyd and Plowman both discussed plans they have for the future, including creating safe housing for transgender students.

“I know that we haven’t made that happen yet, so that needs to be a priority,” Plowman said.

Cuevas was the former housing director for the university, and he described the steps that the housing program is taking towards providing safe accommodations for transgender students.

“The safety and consideration of our students is our highest priority, and as we speak, the housing department is actually looking at space allocations for next year,” Cuevas said.

Junior Evan Mays is one of a handful of students who serve to advise the chancellor on matters pertaining to LGBTQ inclusion. He worked with a team to assess UT’s progress through the Campus Pride Index.

Plowman said that the work of these students brought to her attention how low the university scores on the index.

“On a scale of one to five, we are in the two range, and that is not satisfactory” Plowman said.

Plowman said that the index is a helpful metric to use and that Mays and his team did a great job assessing the index so the university can improve the quality of life for students.

Senior Hunter Davis said that when he visited campus in the summer of 2019, he felt seen and heard because of the pride flag hanging in the Student Health Center. However, the pride flag was later removed.

“I’d like to think that we shouldn’t have to have a sign in a particular place to say that you are welcome. We hope that is just who we are and everywhere you are welcome,” Boyd said.

“If we need to, we should put up signs that say the people here are trained and they are welcoming.”

Senior Alyx Boyte shared her concerns with Plowman and Boyd.

“I think the issue comes down to trust. Trust is a very big problem here and safety. I am a member of Sexual Empowerment Awareness at Tennessee, and I have been a part of that since I was a freshman,” Boyte said. “It has

Chancellor Plowman speaks with students following a town hall event to discuss LGBTQ inclusion on Friday afternoon.

Jamar Coach / The Daily Beacon

UT President Randy Boyd speaks with a student at a town hall event covering LGBTQ issues Friday afternoon. Jamar Coach / The Daily Beacon

been very frustrating because we thought we had a functioning, working relationship with admin, turns out that was what was being told to our face.”

In response, Plowman said that she was glad Boyte raised that issue, and the only way she knows how to build trust is to talk to one another and take baby steps.

“I want to earn students’ trust on this,” Plowman said. “I’m committing to you today, that with these two pieces, the work that Evan’s group has done and Frank’s, I will work with you to make some real progress.”

Both the president and the chancellor committed to strengthening their communitywide messaging in support of the LGBTQ community and to participating in Safe Zone, an educational workshop provided through the Pride Center.

On a scale from one to five, we are in the two range, and that is not satisfactory.

DONDE PLOWMAN CHANCELLOR

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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6

OPINIONS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

The Search: Your definition of truth changes your political views

MAXWELL HAWKINS Columnist

What is truth? Truth is the state of being in accordance with fact or reality. What any individual finds true changes how they view the world and can define how they vote, what they worship or how they solve problems in their daily life.

However, truth can be perceived in two main ways. The first way truth can be perceived is subjectively, meaning that what can be true can be different from person to person based upon their own moralities.

The second way truth can be perceived is objectively, where truth is universal and does not change based upon the individual.

A subjective view of truth theorizes that all morals, including truth, are man-made and are therefore all equal. Individuals who view truth this way recognize that certain things may be true for certain people and may not be true for other people. In slang terms, this means “letting people speak their truth” when they need to rant or vent about a certain issue in their life.

Viewing truth this way has its strengths and weaknesses. As a strength, people who view truth as subjective to the individual creates an environment in their personal life of inclusivity and acceptance. If a person surrounds themselves with people who view things differently, then it is no issue that everyone believes differently, because whatever makes people happy to believe in is the goal.

However, one weakness of viewing truth as subjective is that, as truth isn’t universal, people can believe things to be true that are false.

Being truly subjective when viewing truth means that flat-earthers are correct for themselves, cultures that practice cannibalism and human sacrifices are ethical and that education is useless because what is right and wrong is all dependent on the individual person.

When it comes to abortion, individuals who tend to view truth as subjective tend to be more pro-choice. This is because those individuals believe it is up to the mother whether the fetus is a human or not. If the mother decides that her fetus has human value, then she decides to keep the child, and if the mother decides that the fetus has no human value, then it is aborted. Therefore, the mother is the definer of what truth is for her personal life. This is also why pro-choice individuals tend to silence individuals who are male on the topic of abortion, because a man cannot define what may be true for a woman.

Since life experiences are different between sexes and truth is subjective, men and women are different in how they define what is true.

An objective view of truth theorizes that truth is universal and does not change based upon who believes it and what their life experiences are. Individuals who are religious tend to view truth more objectively, since Christians do not believe that Odin is the true god, and Muslims do not believe that Vishnu is the one true god.

One example of objective truth is saying that either democrats are correct on an issue or republicans are correct on an issue. While both sides might make good points on an issue, an individual must decide whether the argument

for either side is stronger than the other. Another example would be saying that a culture that practices human sacrifices and cannibalism is inherently immoral.

One weakness to viewing truth objectively is that some things in life are subjective, like art. One person may despise the song “WAP”

by Cardi B, and someone else may play it every day as a morning routine. While there may be an objective list to define what a good song entails, there is always a great song that breaks the rules and is still a great song.

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Maxwell Hawkins is a junior at UTK this year studying political science, public administration and economics.

He can be reached at mhawki13@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.

Your Over-Opinionated Uncle: Yes, human rights are political

ERIN GWYDIR Columnist

The UN Human Rights Council has been criticized for inaction and has also come under scrutiny for protecting human rights abusers such as China and Venezuela. The authority that this non-governmental organization holds over countries who disobey human rights law is similar to any other government where politics and differences of opinion often turn holistic initiative into a game of power.

This was one of the reasons the United States

said they pulled out of the organization in 2018.

Last Thursday, Oct. 14, the United States officially rejoined the UN Human Rights Council despite retaliation from both sides of Congress.

The main issue the United States is intent on standing for is support of Israel, despite an overwhelming majority of Human Rights Council members taking a neutral approach to de-escalate tensions between Palestine and Israel on the Gaza Strip.

The U.S. withdrew under the Trump administration back in 2018. When they made that isolated move, BBC reported, “The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, did not mince her words announcing the decision, calling the council a ‘hypocritical and self-serving organization.’”

However, this withdrawal was hypocritical in itself as the United States has repeatedly said that human rights is the top priority of their foreign policy while they continue to fund human rights abusers such as Egypt and Israel.

From the Institute for Policy Studies, Stephen Zunes writes: “Virtually all Western countries share the United States’ strong support for Israel’s legitimate right to exist in peace and security, yet these same nations have refused to provide arms and aid while the occupation of lands seized in the 1967 war continues. None come

close to offering the level of diplomatic support provided by Washington — with the United States often standing alone with Israel at the United Nations and other international forums when objections are raised over ongoing Israeli violations of international law and related concerns.”

The United States and Israel have a “if you scratch my back, then I’ll scratch yours” dynamic. The close U.S. ally has been instrumental in supporting American militant strategy with the former Soviet Union and South Africa during the Apartheid, as well as keeping Syria in check for the U.S. All to say that the rhetoric of moral obligation to Israel is a front to the true American political strategy in the Middle East.

Because the Human Rights Council is a collaboration of world leaders with their own political interests, it is almost inevitable that they will vote not only on what the council is set up for, but also in their self interests.

However, that does not make the organization completely useless. BBC World News wrote in a recent report on the advantage of the UN Human Rights Council, “that, as one human rights defender put it, is perhaps the council’s biggest strength: It shines a spotlight on some of the world’s worst injustices, meaning that “no-one can say they didn’t know.’”

The council is also integral in bringing awareness and action to offenses made against the LGBTQ community, ethnic and religious minorities and women. Reform is needed to make the organization stronger and stricter with powerful countries committing violations, but any move toward global cooperation to safeguard humanity is a smart move. Especially because the United States has many steps to take in terms of ensuring they uphold the global expectation of human rights.

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Erin Gwydir is a freshman at UTK this year studying global studies and political science. She can be reached at efgwydir@ gmail.com.

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

CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

7

The Tangerine goes dark after years of providing laughs ABBY ANN RAMSEY Staff Writer

It’s difficult to bring up journalism these days without hearing the term “fake news.”

Although Donald Trump claims to have coined the term in 2016, fake news has been around much longer than the past five years. In fact, according to a New York newspaper, started the “Great Moon Hoax” in 1835 convincing readers that life had been discovered on the moon. Of course, none of it was true.

Since then, we have seen many instances of satirical news sources posing as real. Headlines such as “Megan Fox Worried Machine Gun Kelly Only With Her To Meet Transformers” and “FDA Advisory Committee Meets To Discuss Hearty Autumn Soup Recipes” are wildly popular for the satirical media company The Onion.

For years, UT played a significant role in contributing to the popularity of satirical news with its publication the Tangerine, which published articles like, “Student Athlete Gets Job” and “Freshman Accidentally Calls Teacher Mommy … Again.”

Around April of 2020, however, the Tangerine’s Instagram page and website went dark. Maddie Bellante, editor-in-chief of the publication from 2018-2019 who graduated that same year and now works in supply chain, said COVID-19 had a fatal impact on the paper, which was run by seniors who graduated and had no one to pass it down to.

“I honestly think we just kind of ran out of time, and then COVID struck the final dagger in the heart of what we were trying to do,” Bellante said.

The Tangerine was established in 2012 by Judd Cowan and Maya Wimmer. Cowan, who graduated in 2014 and is now an engineer, was involved with another satirical newspaper on campus, The Weekly Hangover.

“The Weekly Hangover was more or less … offensive, every way you looked at it, which was why people liked it,” Cowan said. “I didn’t really like the content in it and I wanted to … kind of change it from the inside.”

The Weekly Hangover went under not long after Cowan joined, and there was about a year and a half with no satirical news on campus.

After discovering he wanted a different kind of satire on campus, he decided to start a new publication.

“I was sitting in differential equations and I was bored out of my mind,” Cowan said. “I was just really needing a creative outlet, and I was like, ‘You know what, screw it. I’m gonna get some guys together, and we’re gonna start this newspaper.’”

Cowan developed a team of students who

wanted to contribute to the Tangerine. After raising money for ads and spending lots of time perfecting articles and formatting a paper, they were passing issues out on Ped Walkway.

“Our belief was that the majority of people on campus were smart and could appreciate higher brow comedy and that’s what we catered to,” Cowan said. “The first day we passed out on Pedestrian Walkway and most of the newspapers ended up in the trash … it took a while to get situated.”

Before the Tangerine was understood to be The Onion of UT, it seemed to have an effect similar to the Great Moon Hoax in 1835. Ryan Whitener, a 2018 graduate who would become editor-in-chief of the paper and is now an assistant producer for video production in UT’s Office of Communication and Marketing, was inspired by the Tangerine’s ability to trick people with clearly fake headlines.

“During Welcome Week, my orientation leader mentioned a school newspaper that had tricked a bunch of students into thinking that people were bungee jumping off one of the construction cranes around campus,” Whitener said. “I was an outspoken 17-year-old who was obnoxiously familiar with The Onion so naturally I reached out the next day and latched onto them like a starving tick.”

Cowan often enjoyed hearing the Tangerine’s stories circulate around campus as if they were actual news. Even after they were fairly established, people would still fall for the absurd headlines.

“A lot of people in college think that they’re well-rounded and knowledgeable because they’re in college, and that’s not necessarily true,” Cowan said. “That’s why people are going to college because you don’t know everything.”

“So it provided an opportunity for people to be unconventional and to challenge the status quo and to challenge people to think bigger. I think satire is a really good vehicle for that.”

Bellante understood this need for satire similarly, agreeing that humor is a good avenue to make actual commentary.

“I think that it is very, very important to use humor to say the truth and to poke fun … at everybody,” Bellante said. “Humor is a very easy way to get people to listen to you, and if you can use humor in a smart and effective, and for lack of a better word, a non-mean way, I have found that people are a lot more willing to listen to you.”

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8

CITY NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, October 20 2021

Maple Lane Farms introduces new haunting attraction to East Tennessee LAUREN WARD Contributor

Maple Lane Farms in Greenback, Tennessee, has been hosting their traditional corn maze for 23 years and counting. This year, the fall festivities continue with a new addition.

The farm dates back to the 1930s, but took off in the 90s. Bob Schmidt, original owner of Maple Lane Farms, started out the business just selling produce, but realized that he could increase profits by adding more attractions.

After Schmidt’s passing, his sister, Shirley, took over the business. In the spring and summer, the farm focuses on quality produce.

In the fall, it prioritizes becoming a tourist destination for visitors of all ages.

Nick Brown, general manager and keeper of the farm, spoke about the beginnings of the farm, as well as his role in it.

“It originally just started with hayrides, but Bob Schmidt saw that there was a market for this agri-tourism stuff,” Brown said. “Beth and Shirley see to all the marketing and financial stuff, and I’m just kinda like the plowboy in the background, making the corn grow.”

Beth Anderson, Schmidt’s daughter, han-

dles the finances around the farm. She agreed that each member has a different role in their various events.

“Back when we were a big 200-acre farm, Luke Bryan came here for three years in a row. That was pretty crazy, it was a huge operation,” Anderson said. “We had cooperation with the local police, fire department, a landing pad for a helicopter, EMS people, police on horseback and they even had an arrangement with the railroad so the train wouldn’t run that night from 11 o’clock to the rest of the night. So it took a lot of people.”

Though their farm is not as large as it used to be, there is still more than enough room for all of the festivities just as the public remembers from their childhoods. Each member mentioned that they enjoyed serving their community, as well as tourists to the area.

Brown also said that he grew up enjoying the farm.

“Now the kids that were coming here 20 years ago are now bringing their kids, so it’s kind of a traditional event for fall for everybody. Especially the school kids, you know, they always look forward to having a field trip,” Brown said. “That’s what makes it special to me.”

Creating the corn maze itself is a very long process, especially in their work with dif-

ferent brands, as well as with a design team.

Every year a brand works with the farm by helping create a design for the maze that will promote their company. This year’s brand is LeafGuard, a rain gutter company.

“As soon as this one (the maze) shuts down we’ll start working on the next one. We’ll start the process early in November, and then take a break until March and work on it periodically through July. It’s kind of a year-round thing so everything goes according to plan, which it never does. But it works out,” Brown said.

Brown also explained that weather is the leading cause of setbacks for the maze. Nevertheless, he said that he finds a way for it to work out in the end.

The farm’s busiest time is October. Brown said there are events and field trips daily. Activities include hayrides, inflatable bounce house and slide, mini-maze for kids, a full maze, a pumpkin patch and three different food vendors.

At dusk, the farm’s elaborate maze turns into a haunted corn maze, which runs from Oct. 22-31. The haunted maze normally recruits volunteers and local actors for plenty of jump scares, a tradition that’s been available to the public just as long as the original maze.

This year, Maple Lane takes on a new attraction: The Haunted Barn by AMS Haunts.

“That’s every Friday and Saturday during the month of October. It’s more of a themed attraction with a storyline.” Brown said. “It’s different because it’s a walk through the forest with an old, dilapidated barn, so it’s a pretty neat deal. It’s a little more intense than the haunted maze. And there’s a hayride out to get dropped off at the entrance of the woods and walk up through the barn and bring you back to the hayride … if you survive.”

The new attraction will be $20 for all ages, and will also be opened on Oct. 31.

Maple Lane Maze in Greenback, Tennessee hosts a haunted maze and offers nighttime hay rides under the moon. Courtesy of @maplelanemaze

Knoxville’s trolley tradition: Easy, free transportation JAKE BEAUMIER Contributor

For those new to the area, those not wanting to brave Gay St. traffic or those simply looking for something interesting to do on a Friday afternoon, the Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) trolley is a city staple not to be ignored.

Introduced to the city in 1890, the original streetcars ran on electricity and followed tracts in the ground to ensure that the ride was as smooth and quick as possible.

Although now they’re more retro-fied buses, complete with hybrid engines and onboard Wi-Fi, the trolleys still make good on that promise to provide great downtown transportation. And best of all, it’s free!

The trolley system runs three routes, denoted orange, green and blue, around the city and the university campus.

The Orange line runs through the heart of campus along Volunteer Blvd., all the way to University Commons and back downtown via Worlds Fair Park. For on-campus students looking for ways to get into the

city or make their way to Publix without a 30-minute walk or a 30-minute wait for an Uber, this is a great option to get out of the dorms. The Orange line runs every 15 minutes Monday through Saturday.

The Blue Line makes stops every seven minutes throughout the week along a course following Church Ave. past Market Square and back out to the Civic Coliseum and Auditorium. Host to the Knoxville Ice Bears, a variety of concerts and even TV game shows, the Coliseum is an actionpacked way to spend a Saturday night.

Finally, for any wanting a neck-craning tour through the gorgeous buildings of old city and the vibrant lights of Gay St., the Green line is the peak of Knoxville Transportation. Running every 20 minutes throughout the week, the Green line makes a loop around all of downtown and out to the breweries and restaurants of Old City.

Additionally, for those with cars wanting to travel downtown on a week night but not wanting to face the steep prices of parking, the Green Line stops directly next to the free parking areas located in Old City before looping back towards the Bijou Theatre.

Beyond the historic trolley, KAT offers a variety of services to Knoxville and the sur-

A free Knoxville Area Transit trolley connects downtown Knoxville to South Knox running Monday through Saturday at different times, usually stopping every seven minutes. File / The Daily Beacon rounding areas.

The fixed-route bus service runs throughout the city, campus and beyond the highway. For students living outside the Fort and not wanting to brave the parking scene at UTK, this is a great option for increasing mobility and engaging with downtown. Unfortunately, unlike the trolleys, the standard routes do charge for rides.

Additionally, KAT offers direct door-todoor service for those with disabilities who are unable to ride standard public transportation. These LIFT rides must be scheduled at least a day in advance and cost $2 each.

For more information on the history of the trolley, specific stops and updated route schedules, visit https://katbus.com/.

CITY NEWS

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

Hello Tea House arrives in Knoxville KEENAN THOMAS Staff Writer

Hello Tea House opens its doors to bring boba tea and baked treats to Knoxville.

Located at 722 S. Gay St., owners Echo Liang and Eten Dong started the business two weeks ago.

Originally from China, Liang and Dong lived in New York for several years. The couple moved to Knoxville six years ago as their family grew. They initially worked at Chef’s Asian Cuisine before starting Hello Tea House.

Liang started the business after the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it inspired them to bake more.

“During the pandemic, I stayed home with my kids a lot,” Liang said. “We enjoyed baking together, and also my husband and I love bubble tea, so we were always searching for bubble tea.”

“Because we’re from New York, there’s so much bubble tea there. We really missed that kind of bubble tea. So we thought about, ‘We might want to work on this and see how it goes,’” Liang said.

She named the business after a feeling of being at home because of the time they spent baking treats and brewing tea at home. Liang started taking English as a Second Language courses at the University of Tennessee. During that time, she found their current location after examining another building.

“We passed by this one, and just thought about, ‘This is an independent one, we kind of prefer this kind of feeling,’” Liang said.

After two weeks, Hello Tea House began serving a variety of menu items for customers. They have several drink options available, including different milk teas, fruit teas, milk slushes, coffee and cheese foam fruit tea slushes. Several extra items can be added to these drinks, like boba, puddings and Oreos. Liang’s husband commented on his favorite drink.

“I like the green milk tea with every topping,” Dong said.

Along with the drinks, they serve several treats, like bomb cake. Liang created this dessert, which contains fresh fruits in a light, moist cake. They also make crepes with different toppings and offerings, like the Blueberry NY Cheesecake, Chocolate Oreo and Wild Berries crepes. The crepes are served molded into a cone, something that Liang said she took inspiration from their time in a big city.

“I think mostly from New York,” Liang said. “I think from the big city they have this kind of thing, because I see a customer come in and they are surprised. ‘Wow, crepe, in that kind of shape!’ And they’ve never seen

Bomb cake and milk tea served at newlyopened Hello Tea House at 722 South Gay Street, Knoxville. Photo taken Thursday Oct. 14, 2021. Keenan Thomas / The Daily Beacon it before.”

The couple use fresh ingredients for all of their items. They use assam, golden, jasmine, green and four seasons tea leaves.

They never use powders or sweeteners for their tea, retaining its natural sweetness.

Liang hopes that people will try everything to find out what they like. She wants to accommodate everyone and any questions they might have.

“It depends on what’s their question so from there I can answer them to hopefully make something they won’t regret ordering,” Liang said. “But don’t worry about it!

If you really regret your order, I can make another drink for you no problem.”

In the short time they’ve been open, the pair has received lots of feedback from customers. Liang said it’s been hard reaching out, especially on social media. But she’s grateful to everyone that has helped her.

“Customers, they are so helpful,” Liang said. “They help me even with Instagram, it’s new for me. I’ve never done the Instagram thing, so customers teach me!”

They have gained a lot of followers on Instagram in a short time, with a current count of over 250 followers. Their Instagram page is @helloteahouse.

They hope to continue growing their business online and in-person. Even after only a couple weeks, they’ve seen a large amount of growth in their Knoxville business presence.

“In the future, I want everybody to know that Hello Tea House is good,” Dong said.

Liang added that customer feedback will help them grow even more.

“I welcome all of you, come to see us and try out something that maybe you’ve never drank or you’ve never eaten before, because the food here is awesome,” Liang said.

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CITY NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

‘Lamb’ review: Nature’s supernatural guide to parenting KEENAN THOMAS Staff Writer

A hardworking mother, a farmer father and a half-child, half-lamb. A picture-perfect family.

“Lamb” is a supernatural Icelandic film by Valdimar Jóhannsson, marking his directorial debut. It was written by Jóhannsson along with Sjón, a novelist, poet and Björk collaborator.

The film was released by A24.

The film follows María and Ingvar, a husband-and-wife farming team. After one of their sheep gives birth to a lamb that is part human and part sheep, they care for it as if it was their own child, naming it Ada. Even after Ingvar’s brother, Pétur, visits and doesn’t understand their relationship, the couple continues to love and care for Ada. “Lamb” is an intriguing film that is oftentimes weird just to be weird. However, it’s a mesmerizing film, allowing the audience to be transported into an experience that seems otherworldly.

Noomi Rapace stars as María, and she gives a quiet and somber performance. Along with the other characters, she rarely talks, mostly delivering emotions and information through small facial movements and gestures. She does

a great job in the film and gives a fairly emotional performance through very minute actions.

Along with her, Hilmir Snær Guðnason plays Ingvar, and he gives a similar performance along with Rapace. He’s often quiet, letting the scene and character live through the experiences in the film. There are several small moments that he performs beautifully, like an early scene of him driving a tractor by himself and breaking down into tears.

Finally, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson plays Ingvar’s brother Pétur, who is the liveliest character in the film. He throws a perfect wrench into the family’s lifestyle, questioning the structure and supernatural aspects of the situation. He performs well as the odd man out.

All of these performances melt into the dreamlike nature of the film, especially because of the barely present dialogue. They often seem in a daze, which helps the film more than if their characters and performances were overly dramatic, comedic or horrific.

This fits within the story, which is told over three chapters. Details begin to emerge as the film progresses, with several aspects hinted at, but without any over-explanation. It works well, as the audience needs to pay attention in order to pick up what’s going on. Granted, there really isn’t much to grasp within the film, as everything is kept pretty simple.

Without spoiling anything, the film does have some wild twists and developments. Although they seemingly come out of nowhere, it’s all cleverly set up throughout the film. Even then, it still works as a mesmerizing experience even if you only half pay attention.

This is helped immensely by the cinematography, which is simple yet beautiful. The landscapes of Iceland are shot with incredible detail, transporting the audience there while making it feel like another world, one that is devoid of civilization outside of the overcast farm.

The film is shot minimally, with deliberate camera movements and excellent framing. The lighting is especially interesting, as it never gets dark in the film, with nighttime coming across as just more overcast. Overall, it works by making the film feel more idyllic than it already is.

The score is also interesting, as it is very short and intense. It creeps into different scenes before disappearing for a long time. But every time it came back, it fit well within the scene by carrying a droning note or anxious strings. It lulls the audience further into the film’s world.

Although everything previously described sounds calm, it is hard to watch the film and wonder what the point of it all is. For the most part, it is just about two farmers raising a hybrid human and animal. As interesting a concept as that is, it’s almost boring in a way, as the film brushes some of that to the side.

However, the film does introduce different conflicts that deviate from what might be a normal plot about people raising a child. In turn, it keeps the film interesting in different regards, some of which relate to the themes the film presents.

Seemingly, one theme suggests an exploration of parenthood, showing both how selfless and selfish it can be. The farmers simultaneously care for the child and will do anything to make sure that Ada is safe, but at the same time, they won’t let anyone, or any animal, take her away from them.

The couple begins to show a form of resentment against people who don’t get it or try to take this “gift” away from them. It shows them as people who are clinging onto an idea because it’s something that they have always wanted, and now they’ve finally gotten it.

At the same time, the film also seemed to suggest a theme of disability, with María and Ingvar doing everything they can to love and protect Ada, who is deformed. It’s a positive film about how a differently-abled person lives and how the people around them care for them.

Granted, that might be reading into the film extensively, but it was an observation.

Unfortunately, these themes aren’t overly present within the film. They might be lost among viewers as a result, which is upsetting because they made the film more interesting.

For me, it elevated my understanding and enjoyment of the film past the concept alone.

The concept and the film outside of those themes is still good, but my reading of the film helped shape it into something more for me.

Ultimately, that’s what will determine if this film lands with audiences: whether or not they read into the film more.

“Lamb” is a film with a weird premise that seemingly doesn’t do much with its concepts.

But its somber performances, dreamy cinematography and underlying themes help make it a worthwhile experience.

The film acts as a trance, with everything working towards this purpose. The film felt otherworldly most of the time, especially with the acting and camera work. It might be boring or too sleepy for some, but it worked for the most part.

This movie is the poster lamb for A24, as the internet will inevitably breed jokes about the nature of the production company making weird films, despite the plethora of other production houses attached to this movie. Granted, A24 has made enough distinct films where everything they touch has its own quality to them, but this film might act as the main “A24 movie” for a while.

If anything, this film has a unique directorial vision, especially since it’s Valdimar Jóhannsson’s first film. He will be a director to look out for in the future, with this being a pretty solid introduction to his filmography.

3.5 of 5 Torches

Courtesy of IMDb

SPORTS

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

11

Vols set to travel to Alabama with something to prove JOSH LANE Sports Editor

Josh Heupel and the Vols’ fortitude is about to be tested like it never has before.

Following a 31-26 loss to No. 13 Ole Miss last Saturday in one of the strangest, most memorable games of recent memory, the Vols are set to travel to Tuscaloosa for a matchup with No. 4 Alabama this Saturday at 7 p.m. EST. If Tennessee’s head coach can keep his team’s morale together through this difficult stretch, it would say a lot about the culture and program he is trying to build just seven games into his tenure. Heupel is confident his players are still bought in.

“I just believe in the competitive spirit inside of our building,” Heupel said. “I believe what we’re building, the effort and strain that they’re playing with. The other night wasn’t perfect, but at no point did you ever question the effort and the ‘wantto.’ I believe in who those guys are and as you build a program, that’s the first place that it starts.”

I just believe in the competitive spirit inside of our building.

JOSH HEUPEL HEAD COACH

Heupel’s bunch has every reason to be frustrated after the way the Ole Miss game ended. The game was filled with questionable calls — most notably a Tennessee scoop ‘n’ score that was called back after the play had ended — suspicious defensive injuries on Ole Miss’ part at the most inopportune time for the Vols, and of course that controversial spot on the fourthand-24 play that came up a yard short.

“Obviously, that could have been a game changing play for us,” senior defensive lineman Matthew Butler said of the controversial call.

The Vols cannot, and will not blame these controversial calls for the loss, though they might be justified in doing so.

Too many times, the Vols failed to stop Ole Miss, and specifically quarterback Matt Corral, on third and fourth down situations. Corral ran for 7 of Ole Miss’ 13 first downs on third and fourth down and threw for 3 more.

“But at the same time,” Butler said.

“There are probably 10, 12, maybe 15 oth-

er game-changing plays that could have happened that we have to take advantage of, or even if we did them well, just be better at. You just play through those things.”

If there is any good news the Vols can take away from Corral’s success, it’s that they will have some familiarity with Alabama’s quarterback Bryce Young since he is a very similar player to Corral. The Vols’ experience in stopping a play-making quarterback, or at least knowing what not to do, should help them tremendously against Alabama.

Young — the leading Heisman candidate through seven weeks — is coming off an excellent game of his own, having led Alabama to a bounce back 49-9 win over Mississippi State, after falling the previous week to Texas A&M. In the Crimson Tide’s win over MSU, Young threw for 348 yards and 4 touchdowns.

“Of course, we are going to go in and watch the tape, watch the film on the last game he (Bryce Young) just had and put some adjustments together,” Tennessee defensive back Trevon Flowers said after Saturday’s game. “We are going to try to contain him in the best way possible.”

Alabama has no shortage of playmakers in the offensive skill positions.

Running back Brian Robinson Jr. has 744 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage, and 10 other players that have at least 1 touchdown from scrimmage. Jameson Williams is second with 6 scores, Cameron Latu has 5 and Jase MccLellan has 4.

Alabama is no slouch on defense either.

Former Tennessee transfer Henry To’o To’o is the Tide’s leading tackler with 47 total tackles. Will Anderson Jr. has 11.5 tackles for loss, and both DeMarcco Hellams and Jordan Battle have 2 interceptions apiece. The group will put a lot of pressure on Tennessee’s offense that is now without Hendon Hooker.

“Their ability to be different, and I say that meaning apply pressure with pressure,” Heupel said on Alabama’s defense.

“Some of that being simulated with dropping ends, their ability to get pressure with their front four, their ability to fit the run game and play it at a really high level. You put all that together, they’ve been difficult to move the football on.”

If Heupel can get his team to stay competitive against Alabama, their reward is a bye week before another difficult matchup with Kentucky. The last thing Heupel wants is for the Vols to limp into the bye.

But, he’s excited for an opportunity for the Vols to prove themselves.

“It’s a big test for us and one that we’re excited about,” Heupel said.

The Volunteers are scheduled to play gainst Alabama this Saturday at 7 p.m. EST following the 31-26 loss to Ole Miss. Alana Adams / The Daily Beacon

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Josiah James embracing leadership role for Tennessee basketball ETHAN STONE Assistant Sports Editor

It’s a new team, new season for Tennessee basketball’s Josiah Jordan James. The dynamic guard is entering his third season with the Vols.

A five-star recruit out of Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina, James was held in high regard the moment he stepped on campus. His facilitating playstyle thrived under head coach Rick Barnes in his sophomore season after he struggled to adapt to the pace of high-major college basketball his freshman campaign.

James has always been a “team first” type of player. He went from being isolated from teammates in a COVID-19 landscape to welcoming the eight new additions to the Tennessee squad in year three. That comradery, both James and Barnes say, is crucial to a team’s success at Tennessee.

“It’s been really, really good,” James said.

“I feel like last year with COVID-19, it was really hard to get the comradery that we wanted throughout the season, but this year with the restrictions loosening up a little, it has been there since day one. I’d definitely say this is the closest team that I’ve been on since I’ve been here. We really just like each other, we have a genuine care for each other and the game.”

Tennessee basketball was ranked the No. 18 team in the nation in the AP’s preseason top-25 poll Monday.

James is joined by Fulkerson, Olivier Nkamhoua and Victor Bailey Jr. as fellow leaders of Tennessee’s diverse group of basketball players. James, Fulkerson and Nkamhoua were all especially vocal in Tennessee’s Thursday practice, which was open to media.

up for the challenge of getting that process rolling.

“We still have a long way to go as a team, they definitely hit the ground running,” James said. “They’re still learning the system, but we all are. They definitely learned a lot quicker than I did.”

James is one of the most important contributing players on the court, adding 6.8 rebounds per game and 8 points per game in 2020. James played nearly every position on the court at one point in 2020, also adding a 77% free throw percentage and 31% 3-point make percentage.

His skillset thrived on hustle plays away from the stat sheet, making him a very underrated player on a national scale. It safe to say James is good for at least two eye-raising plays per game.

“I’ve always said, he is without question the most versatile guy that we have — he can play one through five,” Barnes said. “He knows the system that well, and he’s pretty much done that since he’s been here.”

Minutes will always come for James, but that has never been important to him. Be on the lookout for a leader to emerge from No. 30 in orange and white this year at Thompson-Boling Arena.

PICK ‘EM

Josh Lane Sports Editor (28-14) Alabama (49) vs. Tennessee (14) Coastal Carolina vs. App State Clemson vs. Pitt LSU vs. Ole Miss USC vs. Notre Dame Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt Oregon vs. UCLA

Ethan Stone Asst. Sports (28-14) Alabama (52) vs. Tennessee (14) Coastal Carolina vs. App State Clemson vs. Pitt LSU vs. Ole Miss USC vs. Notre Dame Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt Oregon vs. UCLA

Ben Goldberger Opinions Editor (28-14) Alabama (49) vs. Tennessee (17) Coastal Carolina vs. App State Clemson vs. Pitt LSU vs. Ole Miss USC vs. Notre Dame Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt Oregon vs. UCLA

Alexandra Ashmore Photo Editor (26-16) Alabama (56) vs. Tennessee (21) Coastal Carolina vs. App State Clemson vs. Pitt LSU vs. Ole Miss USC vs. Notre Dame Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt Oregon vs. UCLA

Caleigh Rozmenoski Copy Chief (27-15) Alabama (47) vs. Tennessee (22) Coastal Carolina vs. App State Clemson vs. Pitt LSU vs. Ole Miss USC vs. Notre Dame Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt Oregon vs. UCLA

I have always said, he is without a doubt the most versatile guy that we have.

RICK BARNES HEAD COACH

Getting those veterans and newcomers such as Auburn transfer Justin Powell, fivestar point guard freshman Kennedy Chandler and five-star power forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield to mix and form a dangerous basketball team that can compete in March starts early. James knows this and is

2021

12

Sarah Rainey Editor-in-Chief (22-20) Game 07 of the 2021 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament played between Florida and Tennessee, Friday, March 12, 2021 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

File / The Daily Beacon

Alabama (42) vs. Tennessee (14) Coastal Carolina vs. App State Clemson vs. Pitt LSU vs. Ole Miss USC vs. Notre Dame Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt Oregon vs. UCLA