Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - Homecoming

HOME SWEET HOME TO ME ME HOMECOMING 2021

VOLUME 140 ISSUE 13 WEDNESDAY, NOV. 10, 2021

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HOMECOMING

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, November 10, 2021

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION

Letter from the Editor: My last Homecoming as a UT student Happy Homecoming week everyone!

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sarah Rainey MANAGING EDITOR: Caleigh Rozmenoski COPY CHIEF: Kyra Bogdan 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 PAGE DESIGNER: Nevaeh Casteel

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SARAH RAINEY Editor-in-Chief

Also, if you’re reading this on Nov. 10, it’s also a happy birthday to me! It’s pretty cool to share my 22nd birthday with this special Homecoming 2021 edition of the Beacon, and I am so glad we were able to put it together for you all.

In this edition, you’ll find a feature on what Homecoming really is, learn about the history of our beloved mascot Smokey, discover what the backstory of the Pride of the Southland Band is, hear from our sports editor on how the Tennessee versus Georgia matchup will play out and much more.

This is also our last special issue for the semester, and I cannot believe the semester is already coming to a close.

I am really looking forward to actually attending the Homecoming game this weekend. I will admit I am not a huge sports fan — and I have not attended a single football game this entire semester — but I thought it would be a good idea to actually experience my last ever Homecoming as a UT student.

I have not been to a football game since my sophomore year of college, prior to COVID-19, so it is definitely surreal that the next game I go to will be my last before I graduate.

It is hard to believe that I have made it to the end of college and that this is my last football

game as a current Vol. I will be graduating in May, and although it seems like forever away, it will be here before we know it.

This Homecoming, I will be embracing UT traditions and truly immersing myself in what it means to be a Volunteer. I can’t wait to wear UT orange — although it is truly a horrendous color — at the game this Saturday and cheer on the Vols in what is sure to be a very ... interesting game.

Enjoy the rest of Homecoming week, everyone, and if this is your last-ever Homecoming like mine — I hope you have a fantastic time. And, because this is our last special issue of the semester, I hope everyone has a great end of the semester and that you get some much needed rest this upcoming holiday season.

All the best, Sarah Rainey,

Editor-in-Chief

Pantone 151 C: The history of Tennessee Orange CALEIGH ROZMENOSKI Managing Editor

It’s easy to say “Go Big Orange” and wear whichever shade of orange you may please to represent the Vols. But, when it comes down to it, Tennessee Orange is a very specific shade, and it must be uniform for all things UT-related from jerseys to signage to mugs.

Tennessee Orange, or Pantone 151 C, is the primary color for the university, but white, and later, Smokey — a shade of gray named after our beloved mascot — were added as the two other primary colors to help underscore the boldness of Tennessee Orange. If you’ll notice, no UT communications ever use the color black.

Everything from fonts to normal accents that would be black are changed to Smokey instead — even online, text on UT websites is not black but rather Smokey X, a darkened version of the original color.

There are also accent colors in addition to the three primary hues, and they are all named after campus-related people, place and ideologies. From Torch red to Summit blue to Leconte — like the mountain here in East Tennessee — maroon, UT’s accent colors both complement Tennessee Orange and also offer consistency to

UT’s look.

The colors that originally represented Rocky Top — orange and white — were chosen by UT Athletic Association President Charles Moore for the first UT field day on April 12, 1889.

Moore’s reasoning for choosing UT’s beloved orange and white highlights the foundation the university was built on — agriculture.

The American daisy sports the same two colors and could be found all over The Hill overlooking Neyland Stadium.

Then, in 1891, Charles Moore became a right guard on the inaugural football team. He opted to wear orange and white in the game against Sewanee.

However, in 1894, there was a call to drop the colors, and the student body voted in favor of the decision. Luckily for current Volunteers, though, no one could decide on a more satisfactory color, and the orange and white stuck.

Interestingly enough, orange jerseys were not worn by Tennessee football players until the 1922 season, but they were christened by coach M. B. Banks on Sept. 23, 1922, following a 50-0 victory over Emory & Henry, the same year Tennessee joined the Southern Conference .

In 1921, Ayres Hall had just been completed and the top of the clock tower was visible from the field in Neyland Stadium. It featured a checkerboard pattern still visible today. The University of Tennessee football then took the

pattern a step further in 1964 and combined it with UT’s orange and white. The new orange and white checkerboard was used to decorate the end zone on the field.

While checkerboard end zones were not unique to Tennessee, the change to orange was.

The tradition was interrupted between 1968 and 1989 because of technological issues with the turf, but the treasured orange and white checkerboard returned.

This year’s Homecoming theme is even Charge the Checkerboard.

Kenzi Juszkiewicz models orange and white checkerboard overalls in preparation for game day on Sept. 9, 2018. File / The Daily Beacon

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Wednesday, November 10, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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What is Homecoming?: A quick breakdown of the tradition KEENAN THOMAS Staff Writer

This Saturday sees the big Homecoming football game against the No. 1 Georgia team. The University of Tennessee is holding several Homecoming activities this week to usher in the game on Nov. 13.

But what’s the deal with all this focus on Homecoming? What does it mean? Why do we make such a big deal about this game and this week in particular?

Even if you come away still confused about the meaning of Homecoming, just remember to have fun this week.

What is Homecoming?

Homecoming is celebrated as a way to bring current students and alumni from any graduating year together. It’s mostly celebrated in the United States and Canada, and it includes high schools and churches along with universities.

It is sometimes celebrated with a large event, like a football game, but it can be something else. It’s designed to bring peo-

ple together who are connected to the same place in some way.

In other words, it’s like a grand family reunion where everyone is driving in from all over to gather together.

How has UT celebrated Homecoming?

The first time that UT celebrated Homecoming was in 1916 with a football game against Vanderbilt. It brought students and alumni together, some even from the 1872 graduating class. The university wasn’t able to make it an annual event until 1925, but it has pretty much been a staple of the university since then.

Ever since, UT has celebrated Homecoming in different ways, mostly with a football game. Some of the other celebrations included a Homecoming Queen crowning, the Southeastern Stomp Fest and events planned by the All Campus Events Committee (ACE), like a parade or a contest.

As for the football game, they celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2016. Here’s to 100 more years!

Is there a theme?

For Neyland Stadium’s 100th year anni-

versary, this year’s Homecoming theme is “Charge the Checkerboard.” For this theme, there will be a slew of events designed around UT’s history and football.

Some of these events include a banner drop, a Homecoming bonfire, the 21st Southeastern Stomp Fest and an alumni tailgate.

More information on the events can be found on UT’s events calendar and at UTK News.

Is The Daily Beacon involved in some way?

The Beacon is not formally involved, but there was one instance of the Beacon having an effect on the Homecoming celebrations.

After 20 years, a Beacon columnist named Vince Staten won the title of Homecoming Queen in 1970. His candidacy was thrown out despite the fact he gained 2,500 votes with a photo of a paper bag on his head.

Essentially, his winning threw off the tradition and stopped it after 20 years. The university has tried to bring it back at different times, but it’s never quite stuck. Talk about dethroning out the monarchy!

Top: On Oct. 18, 1949, the Vols football team won their Homecoming game against Alabama 21-6.

Bottom: On Nov. 4, 1950, the Vols football team won their Homecoming game against North Carolina 16-0.

Courtesy of Volunteer Yearbook Archives

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HOMECOMING

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, November 10, 2021

OPINION: Homecoming: More than Greek life

BEN GOLDBERGER Opinions Editor

Homecoming is a wonderful time of the year where alumni come back to the university and partake in the long-standing traditions with the current students as one collective community. It’s a time for all Volunteers to feel connected with their school through games and events throughout the Homecoming week. Most of the events, though, revolve around the Greek organizations on campus with the only eligible participants being the fraternities and sororities. This leaves out a large portion of the student body, creating a separation in what is otherwise a unifying time.

According to the university’s Greek life website, 5,325 students are members of one of 46 fraternities or sororities on campus, making up 24% of the student body. Despite this small portion of the students, a majority of the large events that happen for Homecoming only allow participation from these organizations. Events like the banner drop, the kickball tournament and most events hosted by All Campus Events (ACE) are heavily populated by Greek organizations.

So much so, that a fraternity and sorority have won each overall Homecoming award since 1969.

I understand that these traditions were mostly practiced by the Greek organizations in the past, but it feels wrong to me that this time of the year, which is supposed to be for all Volunteers, really only revolves around 24% of them.

In the past, the university created a Housing Homecoming award to increase participation in the events, awarding a residence hall that had the most participation in Homecoming festivities. This was a great

idea by the university, but they unfortunately stopped it after 2016 and reverted back to one winner — a pair of one fraternity and one sorority.

As a student who is not involved with any Greek organizations, I feel betrayed by my university when I see that I am not represented in many of the traditions that Vols hold dear to their hearts. Homecoming should be a time for all Volunteers, past and present, to join together and celebrate the wonderful college that is the University of Tennessee. Yet, it is instead a time for 76% of the population to sit back and watch the 24% have all the fun.

UT should do everything in their power to include more students in the Homecoming festivities. An easy way to do this is by simply encouraging other student organizations to join the ACE games that are held all week. Whether by increasing awareness of how to sign up, or by allowing students to create groups specifically for these games, the university should take some action to make participating in these traditions more accessible to all students, not just those in fraternities and sororities.

Another way that the school can do this without angering those in Greek life who feel it is tradition to have these organizations be the winners, is to create a different division for other student organizations to participate in so there are multiple winners.

This is a good way to satisfy both groups on campus, as it does not take away from the Greek organizations while also creating a space devoted to non-Greek organizations to increase participation.

I am proud to be a Volunteer, and I cannot wait to see what Homecoming week is like in a pseudo-normal year, but there needs to be more accessible participation for students not involved in Greek life on campus in order for the Homecoming experience to be truly welcoming and unifying.

Ben Goldberger is a junior at UT this year studying anthropology and political science. He can be reached at bgoldbe3@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.

HOMECOMING

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, November 10, 2021

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‘Everywhere You Look, UT’ campaign moves ahead with murals, statewide tour DANIEL DASSOW Campus News Editor The University of Tennessee’s systemwide “Everywhere You Look, UT” campaign seeks to raise awareness of a simple fact — it is impossible to find any place in the state of Tennessee that has not been impacted by UT. The wide-ranging campaign functions on many levels. Its centerpiece is a mural project which has placed a mural with the name of the campaign in highly visible locations along roadways, waterways and in town centers of 21 counties across the state since launching in 2018.

Several mural artists have lent their talent to the campaign in hopes that there will be a mural in each of the state’s 95 counties by 2030. The campaign encourages anyone from a county that does not already have an “Everywhere You Look, UT” mural to submit an idea for a new mural location.

If the barn, water tower, building facade, grain bin or any other canvas fits the bill, the university will cover all of the associated costs. UT Director of Marketing Ellie Amador Dougherty said the campaign fields many of these requests.

“Inquiries come in every week from

alumni, fans and friends of the university who are interested in bringing a mural to their hometowns,” Amador Dougherty said. “From farmers to lawyers to mayors to police chiefs — pride and passion for UT abounds. Brenda Speer from Lynnville hopes the 58-foot-wide UT emblem atop her barn can be seen from space. She wants the astronauts to see it and for everyone to know UT fans live there.”

In addition to bringing awareness to the ways that UT has educated Tennesseans and improved quality of life in the state, the campaign also seeks to spread the message that an affordable education is available to all residents of the state.

“A universal hope among all of our partners is that their murals encourage more people to attend UT and to understand that an affordable, quality education is within their reach and can change their lives for the better,” Amador Dougherty said. “If someone is encouraged by one of the murals to apply to UT or to learn more about UT’s impact upon the state, we’ll have accomplished our goal.”

The campaign also includes an interactive map of UT campuses, institutes and extensions across the state, as well as stories that highlight the impact of the university from dental care to sustainability to entre-

UT President Randy Boyd (left) stands with the Stone Family in front of a completed mural on their property in Bristol, Tennessee. Courtesy of Everywhere You Look, UT preneurship programs.

In Aug. 2021, the campaign announced that UT President Randy Boyd would begin a statewide tour to engage with communities and connect them to the university.

“The ‘Everywhere You Look, UT’ tour will stretch to more than 50 counties, from Mountain City to Memphis, and highlight the important role our campuses and institutes play across Tennessee,” Boyd said. “From education to health care to economic development and everything in between, everywhere you look, we are making a sizable impact in the

communities we serve.”

The tour comes at a time when conflicts between students, administration and state officials concerning issues from social justice to the COVID-19 pandemic that have threatened UT’s reputation across much of the state.

Boyd, a businessman and past candidate for Governor of Tennessee, was scheduled to host a campaign event in Knox County later this week, though the event was postponed. A full tour schedule and highlights from past tour stops can be found on the campaign website.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Pride of the Southland’s legacy continues MADELYN MUSCHEK City News Editor

Since its conception in 1869 as a small organization, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band has earned its spot as an iconic UT tradition and a major part of UT’s legacy.

According to their website, the band, commonly shortened to “the Pride,” began following the Civil War. It was originally an all-male band with military affiliations at UT, but has since grown to around 350 members.

Since the Pride’s humble beginnings, the band has performed at 15 presidential inaugurations and over 50 bowl games.

Donald Ryder is the director of bands at UT, as well as an associate professor of music. He has been at UT for 23 years, and has been the director since 2015. In his role as the director of bands, he directs both the marching band and the UT Wind Ensemble.

Ryder spoke about his experience with the Pride and how he views the band’s role in the UT’s history, as well as his relationship with the band’s members.

“The things that I would sum up, that make up this band and the history of this band, aside from the tradition, has been the dedication of the students and their shared determination in search of excellence, and also the fact of the discipline it takes to get there,” Ryder said.

Ryder added that there’s also a sense of pressure and responsibility for the band’s members, because one mistake, like playing a wrong note, could affect the entire band.

Ryder also spoke about some of the Pride’s history, explaining that the band actually brought “Rocky Top” to UT when they performed it as a halftime show celebration in 1972. Since then, “Rocky Top”

has become one of UT’s most popular and emblematic traditions.

“As far as the number of traditions that are linked right back to the band, like ‘Rocky Top,’ running through the T, Salute to the Hill, there are all kinds of traditions that the band has really been at the center of for the university,” Ryder said.

After 23 years with the Pride, Ryder is retiring this year. In looking back on his time at UT, Ryder said that he has been able to do many of the things he set out to do when he became the director of bands. He has set up a scholarship program for every member of the Pride and has also worked to create a proper practice facility for the band.

“I’ve been able to check a lot of boxes during my tenure here,” Ryder said.

Julia Boylan is the Pride’s drum major.

She is a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering. She spoke about the legacy of the Pride and its role in UT traditions.

“It’s something that’s been carried on primarily by our members: Wearing the uniform, being part of the band, all of that comes down to the individuals that make up the band, and being able to teach those traditions from generation to generation is what really drives our legacy,” Boylan said.

Boylan is also only the fourth female drum major in the history of the Pride of the Southland Band. She spoke about her experience stepping into such a historic position.

“Being the drum major takes on a whole different kind of legacy,” Boylan said. “It’s a different level of expectation and responsibility that you have to take on.”

Boylan will be at UT next semester as well and said she is really excited to see what the future holds.

In thinking about the marching band’s past, present and future, it’s clear that the flame of the Pride will not be extinguished anytime soon.

The Pride of the Southland Band opened the Homecoming parade on Nov. 1, 2019. Kailee Harris / The Daily Beacon

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Wednesday, November 10, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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Wednesday, November 10, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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UT alumni, from actors to astronauts to activists, who are changing the world KELCIE RUMMAGE Contributor

Logan Marshall Green American actor Logan-Marshall Green, a UT graduate, stars as Jackson Brice, the first member of The Vulture’s gang to be known as The Shocker, in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

Marshall-Green studied literature during his time here at UT, where he also wrote for The Daily Beacon as an entertainment writer covering the bar, music and theater scene. He has starred in many other films as well, with roles in the TV series “24,” “The O.C.,” “Traveler,” “Dark Blue” and “Quarry,” as well as his roles in the films “Devil,” “Prometheus” and “The Invitation.”

Marilou Awiakta Marilou Awiakta is a Native-American author who graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1958. Her last name means “Eye of the Deer” and she holds her Cherokee and Appalachian heritage close to her heart. Her poetry, stories and essays have been in publication for decades, distinguished with many awards and translated widely, especially into French.

Her books include “Abiding Appalachia: Where Mountain and Atom Meet,” “Rising Fawn and the Fire Mystery” and “Selu: Seeking the Corn Mother’s Wisdom.” The university has collections of her work available through the Hodges Library.

Jeffrey Ashby We have an award-winning engineering program here at UT. We have even sent one of our alumni to space. Meet Jeffrey Ashby. Jeffrey Shears Ashby is an American mechanical engineer and former naval officer and aviator, test pilot and NASA astronaut, as well as a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions.

He is also a retired Captain in the U.S. Navy.

Ashby earned a Master of Science degree in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee in 1993. He currently works for Jeff Bezos’ space exploration company Blue Origin as chief of mission assurance.

Heath Shuler You’ve probably heard this name before, even if you may not remember exactly where you’ve heard it from. Heath Shuler is an American businessman, former NFL quarterback and former U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district from 2007 to 2013.

Right out of high school, Shuler attracted scout attention and accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Tennessee in 1990.

Shuler had a great college football career under head coaches Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer. After graduating, he played for the Washington Redskins, the New Orleans Saints and finally the Oakland Raiders.

After retiring from the NFL, Shuler returned to UT and completed his degree in psychology.

He became a real estate professional in Knoxville, TN, and his real estate company is one of the largest independent firms in East Tennessee.

Laura Walker Ever heard of the online store Amsha? Amsha is an online store that uses “design and business as a tool to educate and employ underserved artisans in Africa by providing skills training and a market connection” according to its website. The store was established by Laura Walker, a 2008 graduate from the College of Architecture and Design here at UT. Walker established Amsha after a trip to East Africa in 2008. She visited the countries of Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania, as she followed her interest in the exploration of the diversity of the continent. Today, Amsha employs 500 basket weavers, soapstone artisans and jewelers in Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Ghana and

South Africa to produce home and lifestyle goods that celebrate traditional techniques through modern design.

Brown Ayres Now you may have had a class in Ayres Hall, or may not have, but you know exactly what it is. Not only is Brown Ayres an alumnus who graduated in 1953, but he is the oldest living grandson of UT’s 12th president, also named Brown Ayres, for whom UT’s iconic Ayres Hall is named.

Ayres was an investment banker with the family’s Cumberland Securities Company and spent eight years as a Tennessee state senator. As a senator, Ayres completed numerous significant legislative accomplishments, including redefining the utility districts around Knoxville to spur the expansion of hundreds of homes and subdivisions.

He also reformed the Industrial Development Board Act to spur economic development, repealed Tennessee’s “bone dry” laws, increased access to low-cost student loans and passed legislation to help grow the commercial airline industry.

STORY CONTINUED ONLINE Read more at utdailybeacon.com

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Wednesday, November 10, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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A timeline of UT’s beloved ‘Smokey’: From 1953 to present ABBY ANN RAMSEY Staff Writer

There’s nothing quite like seeing Smokey the Bluetick Coonhound run across the football field when UT scores a touchdown.

Even if we are nowhere close to winning and it feels as though everyone has lost hope for the Vols, you can look to the field and see Smokey in high spirits wagging his tail to cheer on Tennessee.

Likewise, UT fans can always count on the Smokey mascot to hype up the crowd at games, give out high-fives at campus events and do some pretty impressive tricks.

People quickly associate the Vols with Smokey and vice versa, but how did we get to this point? There is a lot about Smokey that UT students have never heard about.

From Smokey II’s run-ins with other colleges to the changing design of the iconic mascot, UT’s iconic Bluetick Coonhound has quite the history.

1953: UT’s Pep Club ran a contest to select a hound dog to represent the university.

They ran an ad in local newspapers asking for people to enter. There was just one stipulation for the job: “This can’t be an ordinary hound. He must be a ‘Houn’ Dog’ in the

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best sense of the word.”

At the contest, Rev. Bill Brooks entered his Bluetick Coonhound, “Brooks’ Blue Smokey,” and all the contestants lined up on the football field at halftime of the Mississippi State game. When Brooks’ dog was introduced, he began to howl. Students began to cheer for him, and he continued to howl more and more. He quickly became UT’s first live mascot, known as Blue Smokey.

1955: Smokey II, son of Blue Smokey, took over the job in 1955 and had, perhaps, the wildest experiences of all the dogs in UT’s history. When he was still a puppy, Kentucky students kidnapped him for eight days and paraded him around their campus dressed up in Wildcats memorabilia. He was returned safely after those eight days.

1957: His experience in Louisville seemed to teach Smokey II a great deal about how to hold his own, as he proved himself in the 1957 Sugar Bowl. The hound got into a tussle with Baylor’s bear mascot — yes, the live one — and somehow managed to come out of it unscathed.

1979: After serving six years as mascot, Smokey IV died of cancer. Obviously, he was not the first death in the line of Smokeys, but he never had puppies. Therefore, the original Smokey bloodline was broken and

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his nephew resumed mascot responsibilities for the family.

1980: The first Smokey outside of the original bloodline did manage to prove himself fit for the role, as he outgrew five UT jackets in just his first season.

Also, in the early 1980s, the university came out with the first costumed mascot design. The costume was completely orange and white as they tried to emphasize the school colors, but it looked almost nothing like the actual Smokey.

1986: Rev. Bill Brooks passed away at age 81, and his wife, Mildred, took over in taking care of the Smokey dogs.

1988: The university finally proposed a more realistic mascot costume design, similar to the one seen today. It got mixed reviews from fans at first for the lack of orange and white, but as we now know, it is a staple of UT. 1991: Just like today, Smokey was always a member of the Vol family. When Smokey VI suffered from heat exhaustion at the UCLA game, he was on the Vols’ injury report until he recovered and was able to fully return to work.

1994: Earl Hudson, brother-in-law of Rev. Brooks, and his wife, Martha, took Smokey under their care to continue the legacy.

1998: Smokey VIII had the best season of all the live dogs in history, securing two SEC titles, a record of 91-22 and, of course, the 1998 National Championship. When he was diagnosed with cancer, vets gave him 13 months to live, but he pushed on for two years and four months. His blood obviously ran orange.

2006: The costumed Smokey mascot gained national popularity and made it to the quarterfinals of the Capital One Mascot Challenge, and he even got to be featured in a few Capital One commercials.

Smokey IX came under some fire when he supposedly bit an Alabama player, Mike McCoy. It seems, however, that McCoy might have had it coming because he fully landed on Smokey during pregame

warmups. UT claimed it didn’t even break the player’s skin.

2008: Smokey was officially inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

2013: The current Smokey, Smokey X, has been reigning since 2013 and is owned

by Hudson’s son, Charles. He is the first Smokey who did not come from the original bloodline, but it is clear that he carries on the tradition and is a Vol for Life.

When he is not working, he spends his time at the Hudson residence just being a normal dog. Per tradition, Smokey X is left in the care of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity on game days.

Top: Smokey IX has his last run on Nov. 24, 2012.

File / The Daily Beacon Bottom: Smokey X waits on the sideline in Neyland Stadium during the game against UAB on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2019. Nathan Lick / The Daily Beacon

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, November 10, 2021

OPINION: Film According to Grant: ‘Something Wild’ and Homecoming

GRANT T. MITCHELL Columnist Homecoming. It’s the time of year when the leaves change and everyone comes together and reminisces about the summer while also appreciating all the fall has brought as it comes to a close. For UT, it has been quite a wild ride.

This is a column that’s about movies from all eras and genres and explains their significance, reviews them or does some combination of those two things.

With choosing a film I can talk about that relates to Homecoming, I have had some difficulty. Difficulty not because I can’t think of one, rather because I am a senior in my last semester of my undergraduate degree coming to

terms with the fact that the end of this ride is approaching.

I want to say first and foremost that my experience at UTK has been amazing. There have been highs and lows, but each lesson has brought me a greater understanding of myself and what I want out of life.

In 1986’s “Something Wild,” starring Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and exploration that leads them to a similar place I and many other seniors now currently reside.

The film begins with Griffith and Daniels, two virtual strangers, deciding to embark on a road trip together. Leading them back to the more wild, free-spirited, Griffith’s hometown, she — Griffith — introduces Daniels, a mostly straight-laced businessman, to her mother as her new husband. Similarly, Daniels is also brought by Griffith to her high school reunion where the charade continues.

This adventure, sweet and entertaining as it is, has one hitch. Griffith’s controlling and abusive ex-husband, played by Ray Liotta, is also back in town and is looking to get Griffith back.

While looming over the film and the lives of Griffith and Daniel’s characters, Liotta is a forceful and frightening wrecking ball of a man that threatens to jeopardize the budding rela-

tionship Griffith and Daniels are beginning to form.

While still a troubling presence until the end of the film, Griffith and Daniels ultimately find themselves rid of Liotta’s brutish and dangerous character. Leaving Daniels and Griffith’s characters the opportunity to start again in the process of getting to know one another, this time more straightforward and conventionally.

I chose “Something Wild” for this article because it seems like the perfect metaphor for college and life.

We are all on a journey down a road not before traveled, trying to find the narrative to our own stories and paths we are meant to go down — some of them are the right way and some of them, the wrong.

While traveling down those paths, we eventually find our way to where we’re supposed to be, more or less. Maybe this relates more to the early part of life I, and my fellow college students, reside in, but we never really stop learning more about who we are and where we’re supposed to be going regardless of our stage in life.

Usually, I am more direct and provide greater examples in my reviews of films, but for “Something Wild,” I left things overall intentionally vague because it is a viewing experience I think everyone should have. After all, it’s

a story that has similar components to the ones in our own lives. Sure, “Something Wild” has crazier happenings than anything I have lived through, but the message resonates through the art regardless of the relatability of some of the situations characters face in the film.

I wanted to give you one of my standard articles for this one — something where I broke down homecoming depictions in film and how they relate to the real thing, but I would have done a disservice to myself. A disservice because this is perhaps one of the last times I get to write to you with The Daily Beacon as I am graduating.

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Grant T. Mitchell is a senior at UT this year 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.

HOMECOMING

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 • The Daily Beacon

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Tennessee ready for spotlight: No. 1 Georgia JOSH LANE Sports Editor

All eyes will be on Tennessee this Saturday for what is Josh Heupel’s biggest game at Tennessee yet.

The Vols are set to host the nation’s top team, No. 1 Georgia, at Neyland Stadium in front of a national audience. Tennessee-Georgia will be the SEC Game of the Week on CBS — a 3:30 p.m. EST primetime game — for the first time in the Heupel era.

The media attention doesn’t even start there. Before the game, SEC Nation will be on location in Knoxville Friday evening and Saturday morning to preview the matchup.

After the offensive performance the Vols (5-4, 3-3 SEC) put on last Saturday, it’s understandable why CBS would want to put the spotlight on one of the most potent offenses in football.

Pace was the name of the game in the Vols’ 45-42 upset win over No. 18 Kentucky in Lexington. Despite being tripled by the Wildcats in time of possession (13:52 to 46:08), the Vols managed to win in one of the strangest fashions.

Tennessee ran only 47 plays — averag-

ing 2.92 plays a minute — but still scored 45 points, nearly a point a play. Those skewed numbers are the result of several big-yardage plays the Vols had early on. Their very first play from scrimmage was a 75-yard touchdown pass and their fourth play — a 72-yard touchdown pass.

Plays like those throw the final numbers off and turn the game into an abnormality, but the overall result is exactly what Heupel wants to create with that tempo.

“The other night, it was just a really unique way in which the game unfolded,” Heupel said.

“There was 2 touchdowns in 4 plays. We had a huge play down the sideline to Jalin (Hyatt) on play 6, and then we fumbled the ball. Just the way the game unfolded for us offensively was really unique with all the explosive plays that quickly.”

Tennessee’s success in the up-tempo offensive could be a silver lining against an otherwise dark matchup with Georgia.

The Bulldogs (9-0, 7-0 SEC) bring not only the top defense of the year into Knoxville, but arguably one of the greatest defenses in the history of college football. Defensive lineman and Heisman candidate Jordan Davis leads a unit that has allowed just 59 points through nine games, averaging an insane mark of 6.56 points allowed per game.

Georgia has not played a bunch of nobodies

all season. The Bulldogs shut out an Arkansas team ranked in the top-10 back in October, and followed that up by holding Auburn to a 10spot the next week. The most points Georgia has allowed in a single game is 13, which South Carolina and Kentucky both managed to do.

It would be a major win in its own right if Tennessee can get even 2 touchdowns against Georgia.

“It starts with their personnel. They’re big, long, physical, athletic,” Heupel said. “They play with speed. When you think you got space, they’re closing down pretty quick. They’re able to rotate a lot of guys do. The depth of their football team is a big part of their success, being able to play guys almost interchangeably.”

Davis’ numbers — 21 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss — don’t initially jump off the page, but the attention he commands opens the door for others to have success. Linebacker Channing Tindall is Georgia’s leading tackler, followed closely by Lewis Cine. Adam Anderson, Nakobe Dean, Travon Walker and Jalen Carter all have 3.0 or more sacks, and the group has 10 interceptions. It’s why Georgia is the country’s top scoring defense by a wide margin.

Those numbers are daunting, but if Tennessee has any chance to play a competitive half of football, thanks to the irony of college football, it’s by getting to that defense.

Homecoming gone wrong: 2008 Wyoming beats Tennessee ETHAN STONE Assistant Sports Editor

There’s a reason the Homecoming slot on a football schedule is usually filled by a lowtier opponent — nobody likes to lose on what is supposed to be a day of celebration.

On Nov. 8, 2008 the Tennessee football team waltzed into Neyland Stadium having won 24 of its last 25 Homecoming games.

It was a down year for the Vols, but nobody knew just how bad it could get in the years that would follow. For reference, Lane Kiffin was employed by the Oakland Raiders at the time.

See, Tennessee was living in an era that knew pretty much nothing about failure — at least at the level Tennessee fans as of late would count as failure.

The Vols had lost two in a row heading into Homecoming week against the 3-6 Wyoming Cowboys, a team that possessed the single worst scoring offense in the nation and also ranked No. 111 out of 119 teams in offensive efficiency.

The Vols desperately needed a 4 touchdown victory before facing off against Vanderbilt and Kentucky to end the season. A 6-6 record

and a bowl game were certainly still on the table for head coach Phillip Fulmer and the Vols. The Vols had only missed a postseason bowl game once in the past 19 years heading into the 2008 season.

Tennessee packed Neyland Stadium in a near sellout against the Cowboys — the announced attendance was 99,489. Half of Knoxville showed up to watch Tennessee embark on perhaps the worst football game ever played at Neyland Stadium.

Sloppy is an understatement — from both teams. The Vols turned the ball over 4 times, including a strip-sack in the first possession of the game that set the Cowboys up within the 5-yard line. Less than three minutes in, Wyoming had taken a 7-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, Tennessee turned the ball over again. Quarterback Nick Stephens threw an errant pass directly to Wyoming defender Ward Dobbs, who returned the interception to the house. The PAT was missed, and the score sat at 13-0, Wyoming.

Sure, the Vols were missing the services of star running back Arian Foster, but there’s not much of an excuse for putting up just 219 yards of total offense against a team with as many struggles as Wyoming had that season.

The Cowboys didn’t score again for the rest of the game, but it didn’t matter — when the

scoreboard read double zeroes, the final score was Wyoming 13, Tennessee 7.

“In this day and age in college football, anybody can beat you, especially if you help them,” Fulmer said postgame.

Fulmer, understandably, was on the hot seat soon after. In a span of just four years, he’d led the Vols to their first and second seven-loss seasons in school history. Even besting Kentucky and Vanderbilt to close out the 2008 season wasn’t enough to save his job.

Anyone who follows Tennessee football knows what happened next.

A decade of disappointment was on the plate for Vol Nation, and a lot of it started with this loss on Homecoming week to Wyoming, a team that went on to lose both of its final two games of the season to UNLV and Colorado State.

Fulmer’s final statement served as a microcosm for the reality that was Tennessee football’s disappointing 2008 season.

“I still think our defense played well enough for us again but we just didn’t get it done offensively,” Fulmer said. “Again.”

Former player Jarrett Guarantano, No. 2, prepares to throw a pass at the Georgia football game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. Nathan Lick / The Daily Beacon

The pure pace at which Tennessee plays will be a whole new challenge for Georgia’s defense. The group just hasn’t seen an offense move with the speed and efficiency Heupel and Hendon Hooker have worked at over the last several games. Hooker’s career day last Saturday — 316 yards, 4 touchdowns, 273.7 passer rating — is a good indicator of that.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Homecoming traditions to follow this year KYRA BOGDAN Copy Chief

Every year, Homecoming spans over an exciting week of events for UT students and alumni. The highly anticipated football game is the main event — there is no question about it.

However, there is more than just the big game to look forward to during Homecoming week. New events are added and switched out every year, but there are some things that can be expected annually. Some of these events can even be traced as far back as 1916.

Homecoming parade

Dyeing the fountain If you have ever walked by HSS or McClung Tower, you’ve probably seen the “Europa and the Bull” fountain located in the plaza. During Homecoming week, this fountain turns into a picture-perfect location for the days leading up to the game.

On the Sunday preceding the Homecoming game, the Student Alumni Associates give each student who attends the event a small cup of orange food dye. Then, everyone pours their cups into the fountain at once and right before their eyes, the water quickly turns into the signature UT orange for the week.

Alumni tailgate On Saturday, Nov. 13, the Alumni Team will be once again hosting their annual tailgate for UT alumni and their families. It will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the Student Union Plaza.

For the adults in attendance, the event will provide food as well as beer from Blackberry Farm Brewery and a selection of wine. There will also be music and games for the younger guests. There is a $25 fee for adults, but the event is free for those 17 and under.

The Pride of the Southland band opened the Homecoming Parade on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. Kailee Harris / The

Smokey’s Howl

Daily Beacon

First up is the UT tradition people are most likely to be familiar with: the Homecoming parade.

Every year since 1955, people line up to see the incredible floats and entertaining music — courtesy of the Pride of the Southland — that the annual parade showcases.

This year the parade is on Friday, Nov. 12, and it will consist of floats made by various student organizations, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, several community vehicles and the eighth annual Little Vol Walk — which will feature children ages 10 and under riding decorated wagons, strollers and more.

You don’t want to miss it!

Horses on the field This tradition — which was established in 1953, around the same time that Smokey was named the school’s mascot — involves having a Tennessee Walking Horse circle the field before every University of Tennessee Homecoming game.

Some UT fans might be a bit shocked to find out that this particular tradition actually came about after some backlash from choosing Smokey as the mascot. Some Vols would have preferred the state horse to represent the school. To appease these few, the “horses on the field” tradition was born and has been in place ever since.

2021

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HOMECOMING

PICK ‘EM

Josh Lane Sports Editor (47-23) Georgia (42) vs. Tennessee (14) North Carolina vs. Pitt Oklahoma vs. Baylor Mississippi State vs. Auburn Minnesota vs. Iowa Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss Kansas vs. Texas

Ben Goldberger Opinions Editor (42-21) Georgia (52) vs. Tennessee (21) North Carolina vs. Pitt Oklahoma vs. Baylor Mississippi State vs. Auburn Minnesota vs. Iowa Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss Kansas vs. Texas

Ethan Stone Asst. Sports (45-25) Georgia (52) vs. Tennessee (35) North Carolina vs. Pitt Oklahoma vs. Baylor Mississippi State vs. Auburn Minnesota vs. Iowa Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss Kansas vs. Texas

Caleigh Rozmenoski Managing Editor (45-25) Georgia (48) vs. Tennessee (13) North Carolina vs. Pitt Oklahoma vs. Baylor Mississippi State vs. Auburn Minnesota vs. Iowa Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss Kansas vs. Texas

Alexandra Ashmore Photo Editor (42-28) UT Fraternities and Sororities preform dances and cheers during Smokey’s Howl as part of the University’s Homecoming Week on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019.

File / The Daily Beacon

Started in the 1990s, Smokey’s Howl is an event where participating groups compete in a spirit performance competition. The event was named for the university mascot’s iconic howl, and rightfully so, as the participating students show their UT pride through enthusiastic cheers, roaring chants and well-planned choreography.

The participants work on their routines for weeks in preparation for this event where they get one chance to show their UT pride to the judges.

Georgia (49) vs. Tennessee (22) North Carolina vs. Pitt Oklahoma vs. Baylor Mississippi State vs. Auburn Minnesota vs. Iowa Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss Kansas vs. Texas

Sarah Rainey Editor-in-Chief (38-32) Georgia (42) vs. Tennessee (7) North Carolina vs. Pitt Oklahoma vs. Baylor Mississippi State vs. Auburn Minnesota vs. Iowa Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss Kansas vs. Texas