Kylie Hubbard / The Daily Beacon
Campus community, the Rock sets stage for free speech battle Kylie Hubbard
Editor-in-Chief
Two occasions in two weeks—swastikas and other historically hateful symbols and phrases covered other messages on the Rock. Countless administrators have renounced the actions and the question remains of what exactly can be done to keep hate speech off of the rock. ’It’s public space’ Criminal justice attorney and partner in Eldridge and Blakney law firm Tasha Blakney said she’s unsure “how much control the public or the university can reasonably exert over” the Rock. Blakney drew on the example of a group protesting a funeral for soldiers killed in combat. As grieving family members attend the funeral, protesters outside of the funeral carry signs saying “Thank God for dead soldiers” or “God hates fags.” “These are despicable, horrible comments, but the courts have routinely said that the first amendment protects that speech too,” Blakney said. “And the picketing, even though I would dare to say the vast majority of us find that content of that speech to be absolutely appalling, but the picketers have the right to express those thoughts,” Blakney added. The handling of this scene is no different than that of the Rock, even as it sits on a college campus. “The fact that you’re in an educational com-
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munity, I think, really just goes to show that you probably have an even more varied set of ideals and philosophies,” Blakney said. “It should be a space where all viewpoints are welcome, even the ones that we don’t agree with, because that’s what the first amendment is supposed to do,” Blakney added. Regardless, Blakney said the state and U.S. courts have grappled with how to draw the line between free speech and legal wrongdoing. Fighting words, which have historically been defined as words that would invoke immediate violent response, have been the most frequent cases, but they have often been problematic because of the difficulty to define what constitutes as fighting words. “The reality is that our founding fathers, I think, would have wanted us to air on the side of caution and to say that, look, we might disagree with what you’re saying, but we will fight for your right to say it,” Blakney said. “Short of literally shouting fire in a crowded theater, I think that it’s the safer side of prudence and caution to avoid regulating speech as much as humanly possible.” ’Hateful acts’ that have stirred conversation on campus Hillel, a Jewish student organization, gathered at the Rock on the evening of Oct. 31 to paint the Rock in solidarity with those affected by the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue the previous week. The message read “Stronger than Hate” and was complemented by the Star of David. Around 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 2, the message was replaced with “Stronger through Hate” and the Star of David was covered with a swastika.
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Volunteer community members painted over the message with “Vol Means All” and orange hearts. “I am disappointed and deeply concerned, as are many members of our university community, that this symbol of hate appeared on one of our iconic campus landmarks,” Interim Chancellor Wayne Davis said in a campus-wide email on Nov. 9. “I want to make it clear that the university does not condone these actions or other acts of intimidation or intolerance. No one should feel unsafe because of their religious beliefs.” Junior studying journalism and electronic media Kate Luffman routinely paints the Rock on Friday evenings in anticipation for home football games. That evening, Luffman left the Rock alone. “I stood there and I saw the way that these messages affect those students and their beliefs and I was like, I can’t do that,” Luffman said. “I could tell it really affected them and they’re not going to care to see a football painting up there.” “Vol Means All, that’s important,” Luffman said. According to Luffman, the swastikas were not limited to the front of the Rock. “I would be painting and somebody would go to the back of the Rock and be like, Kate, can you come over here and paint over this?” Luffman said. “They’ll get up high, too, so they think other people can’t reach it.” A week later, Luffman painted the Rock with Smokey in a military cap and dog tags in honor of Veteran’s Day weekend. Following the game against Kentucky, the Rock was once again met with swastikas and other markings and was painted over shortly
Volume 136, Issue 27
after with “Love.” “I love the Rock,” Luffman said. “I love that anybody else can go and paint on it and I like seeing what other people do on it. But the fact that that was done, especially to my work after 9 hours ... it’s ignorant.” “I’m hoping it will just die off,” Luffman added. “But with all this stuff going on in the news, it’s hard to tell.” Campus community members respond to the incidents, look forward In response to the second incident, UTPD Chief Troy Lane expressed his concern regarding “any hateful speech directed toward individuals or particular groups” and said UTPD is “committed to being more thoughtful” in their responses to such incidents. To help combat the messages, UTPD has increased its physical presence in the Rock area and reviewed security footage from the area on Nov. 10. “(We) are in contact with local, state, and federal partners to do everything we can within the law to follow up on these matters,” Lane said in a statement. “The safety and security of our students, faculty, and staff is my top priority.” Lane encouraged campus members to continue to report incidents. Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Life & Dean of Students Shea Kidd Houze expressed her own concern in a video announcement released Nov. 12. Kidd Houze based her message on conversations with students and administrators.
This story is continued on page 2
Monday, November 19, 2018
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CAMPUSNEWS
The Daily Beacon • Monday, November 19, 2018
This story is continued from cover
DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Kylie Hubbard Managing Editor: Tyler Wombles Copy Chief: Paige Greene Campus News Editor: Cat Trieu City News Editor: Allie Clouse Asst. News Editor: Neeley Moore Sports Editor: Blake Von Hagen Asst. Sports Editor: Will Backus Engagement Editor: Alec Apostoeai Digital Producer: Kelsey French Asst. Digital Producer: Elexis Houston Opinons Editor: Margot McClellan Photo Editors: Emily Gowder, Megan Albers Design Editor: Elisa Razak Production Artists: Grace Atter, Lauren Mayo, Emily Gowder, Meliya Evans, Catherine Fei, McLane Zaitz, Jeremiah Pham, Emory Hockett, Meg Kiestler
ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION Advertising Manager: Zenobia Armstrong Media Sales Representatives: Hailie Hensley Advertising Production Artists: Kinsey Johnston, Elisa Razak
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quickly correct any factual errors and clarify any potentially misleading information. Errors brought to our attention by readers or staff members will be corrected and printed on page two of our publication. To report an error please send as much information as possible about where and when the error occurred to managingeditor@utdailybeacon.com, or call our newsroom at (865) 974-5206. The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee on Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. The offices are located at 1345 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/ year or $100/semester. It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com The Daily Beacon is printed using soy based ink on newsprint containing recycled content, utilizing renewable sources and produced in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner.
“As administrators, we want to have all the answers and as community members, you likely want us to fix it,” Kidd Houze said in the video. “The truth is, we have to rely on one another to move to action.” Kidd Houze said the next days, weeks and months will be dedicated to sustaining change and encouraged students to connect with her to move the conversation forward. “We want to hear from you. We need you to help us,” Kidd Houze said. “I invite you to send me an email ... if you’d like to continue this conversation, but I can’t stress the importance of us as a community being a part of the solution.” Kidd-Houze suggested that students who feel hurt by the recent events at the Rock lean on one another and seek counseling or call 974-HELP. “Right now, though, the most important thing is that we’re taking care of one another,” KiddHouze said. “There are people in our community that are hurting.” After conversations with students, faculty and staff in small-group discussions, the Office of the Chancellor collectively renounced the ‘hateful acts’ in an email on Nov. 16. The group of administrators announced their dedication to safety and security, education, effort coordination and ongoing dialogue. “Hate does not belong on our campus. AntiSemitism, racism, homophobia, and misogyny
are harmful to us all and run counter to everything it means to be a Volunteer,” the email said. “We stand with those of you who feel threatened and intimidated in this moment and with those of you who feel that their university has let them down in recent years.” Chair of the Faculty Senate’s Diversity and Inclusion committee and associate professor in the School of Journalism Amber Roessner said she was “horrified” to hear about “these abhorrent incidents of Nazi-inspired hate speech at our Rock.” After the incidents, the committee met to offer recommendations for a campus response. Recommendations include, in the short term, enhancing monitoring and security at the Rock and encouraging instructors to briefly discuss the idea of balancing free speech and campus safety in their classes prior to Thanksgiving. Along with these recommendations, the committee suggested the University invite an expert on free speech to moderate a town hall forum to address the two incidents at the Rock and Davis and incoming Interim UT President Randy Boyd reinstate a chief diversity officer prior to Jan. 1, 2019. The final recommendation the committee proposed is to consider instituting content-neutral or time, place and manner restrictions on the Rock, which is in line with restrictions in place for Pedestrian Walkway. This would not limit speech but regulate the circumstances under which paintings on the Rock could take place.
“Time, place and manner restrictions wouldn’t infringe on free speech rights in that it would not restrict what is written at the Rock,” Roessner said. “It would restrict the timing at the place in a manner.” Roessner said this could help the issue as the persons who painted the Rock were masked and did so during the evening hours. The committee also encourages groups on campus to engage in conversations and programming surrounding the issue. “I know that much of that work is already beginning to take shape,” Roessner said. An event at the Rock has been planned for Dec. 5 for “messages of inclusivity and love” to be painted on it “in hopes for campus healing surrounding these two incidents.” Various organizations on campus will also host “United at the Rock” on Feb. 20 as an anniversary event of the response to the Traditional Worker Party’s visit to campus last spring. “I am heartened by the students who took it upon themselves to immediately paint over the symbol of hate out of care and concern for their fellow Volunteers,” Davis said in his Nov. 9 email. “By standing together and taking care of and respecting one another, we will ensure our campus is a community in which everyone feels welcome and safe.” Managing Editor Tyler Wombles, Campus News Editor Cat Trieu and Senior Staff Writer Gabi Szymanowska contributed to this article.
Big Orange Give exceeds goal of $2 million in 24 hours Cat Trieu
Campus News Editor
In 24 hours, UT raised $2,132,894 for its annual Big Orange Give. The day-long annual social media-based fundraising campaign allows donors, which range from alumni to students, to allocate their gifts to specific colleges, student-led organizations, student scholarships or cultural and learning centers. With the campaign raising over $2.1 million on Wednesday, the goal of $2 million was surpassed. “Vol nation really came together yesterday to give back to the areas of campus that they are most passionate about,” Lauren Herbstritt, director of new media fundraising for Annual Giving in the Office of Alumni Programs, said. “Private support enables the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to provide the best possible educational experience for our students through increased scholarship dollars, new or improved living and learning spaces, access to undergraduate and graduate research opportunities, or enhanced participation in meaningful, life changing student organizations.” Once the giving total reached $1.5 million, Charlie and Moll Anderson donated $500,000 to help the campaign reach its goal. “We built on what has become a tradi-
Courtesy of Mallorie Mendence tion with an ambitious goal this year, but we saw alumni, students, donors, parents, friends, faculty, staff, and fans responding to the challenge,” Herbstritt said. “It shows that when the Vol family comes together, anything is possible. Many of the gifts were less than $100 but because of all the matches we had in place, in most cases, we could take the initial donation and double it which made a great impact.” Julia Scott, senior in finance, expressed her appreciation for the donations to Big Orange Give this year. “The impact that this one day fundraising initiative has on students is tremendous and leads the way in helping with funding for scholarships, research, and so much more,” Scott said. Herbstritt said that the Office of Alumni
Programs is proud of UT’s accomplishment through the fundraising campaign. “It was fun watching the thermometer grow and the momentum build,” Herbstritt said. “Each year, we have continued to raise the bar to set new heights to help our campus and we are proud to have another exceptional year. ” Big Orange Give serves as part of the $1.1 billion Join the Journey campaign, which is “to assist in positioning the university among the nation’s elite.” The comprehensive fundraising campaign focuses on increasing support for undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, faculty support, college priorities and athletics with the goal to help create the best UT student experience possible. More information on Big Orange Give can be found on their website.
CITYNEWS
Monday, November 19, 2018 • The Daily Beacon
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Places and ways to serve others this holiday season Emily Lewellyn
sweet treat. Feeling extra festive? Become one of Santa’s elves and add to the wonder of a child’s day. Additionally, volunteers can make crafts with kids.
The holiday season is in full swing and it’s the time of year when many people have the tendency to become stressed or self-centered. Avoid the temptation to be swallowed in the rush of the upcoming weeks and serve those who may need a little extra love this holiday season. No matter your monetary situation or time constraints, local area ministries and organizations offer a variety of opportunities to help those in need this time of the year.
Deliver food to seniors with Mobile Meals
Staff Writer
While Mobile Meals delivers Monday through Friday all year long, they especially need volunteers the week before Christmas and between Christmas and New Years to accomplish serving the vulnerable elderly across their 68 different routes. Delivering takes two hours, during which volunteers visit 10-20 seniors, offering a friendly greeting and a warm meal. A quick orientation is given to volunteers Bring Christmas joy to a child through Focus before they head out, along with detailed direcMinistries tions and tips on how to connect with the senior Focus Ministries serves families impacted by being visited. Express interest in helping the incarceration. Their motto, “We are changing our organization and they will find a time that works community for the better as we serve behind the for you to deliver. KARM thrift stores offer opportunities to help give and serve during the holiday walls, beyond the walls and with family restora- Organize or donate to Coats for the Cold season. Jayme Hepp / Contributor tion,” sums up their mission within the commuKnoxville Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) is your time to sort through, organize and hang up in the parking lot of Kroger Marketplace at the nity. This holiday season, help cheer up a child whose parent(s) or other family members have hosting a drive for new or used coats to clothe the thousands of coats that come through the Landings, cans will be collected and volunteers are needed for the following week of the drive. been incarcerated at the annual Angel Tree event the homeless and cold in the community. Men’s, doors. Additionally, t-shirts will be sold and donations on Dec. 15 at Central Baptist Church in Bearden. women’s and children’s coats are all needed Help replenish Second Harvest Food Bank collected, all going towards Second Harvest. Enjoy creating tasty baked goods? Simply sign and can be dropped off at any KARM store or Donate to Second Harvest Food Bank by col- Drop by with a bagful of cans or sign up to help up to drop off your tasty iced Christmas cookies, Prestige Cleaners. Don’t have a coat to donate or cinnamon pull-apart bread or any other baked the extra funds to buy another? Sign up to offer lecting canned goods. Starting on Black Friday with the influx of collections.
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CITYNEWS
The Daily Beacon • Monday, November 19, 2018
The Central Collective hosts monthly mystery events for ‘good sports’ Emily Lewellyn Staff Writer
The Central Collective is offering a cure for nights when locals cannot decide what to do. Typically a space used for events and home to Dale’s Fried Pies, The Central Collective decided to branch out from its norm and organized a monthly scheduled night out. Individuals purchase a ticket for the event without knowing what they will be doing, asked to show up ready for any activity and prepared to go with the flow. The events are referred to as Good Sport Night. The events are filled with a mix of interesting newcomers and veterans of the program and the lineup of activities change constantly, never failing to be quirky and an interesting excursion. If needed, attendees are informed a few hours before meeting up about what to wear and where the night will begin. Dale Mackey, co-owner of The Central Collective, explained how the secretive monthly program came about. “When my husband (Shawn Poynter) and I opened The Central Collective, we knew we wanted to build a fun and vibrant space to encourage creativity, community and curiosity. In addition to workshops, art shows, dinners and the other community events we host, we
wanted to do something really unique that we hadn’t seen before,” Mackey said. “Good Sport Night just sort of came to us,” Mackey continued. “As a way to explore new experiences and meet new people. We liked the element of surprise associated with the event, and the bonding that can happen when people come together around a mystery event.” Events done in the past have varied dramatically and never cater to a certain type of personality, but alter their vibe with each new enterprise. The nights have included venturing to a South Knoxville castle for a party, swing dance lessons, a Friendsgiving Jamaican dinner, heading to an underground arcade, a yacht cruise, puppet making and endless other equally bizarre endeavors. David Williams, a frequent participator in the events, listed some of his favorite outings in the past. “I have attended … A walking tour of north Knoxville with Jack Neely, casino night, glass blowing – including making our own Christmas ornaments, lessons at an aerial arts studio (trapeze, tightrope walking, etc.), blacksmithing – including making our own triangle dinner bell, the secrets to making Dale’s Fried Pies and a good old-fashioned egg drop contest. All of the events are fun and typically involve doing something I’ve never done before,” Williams said. Some individuals may be intrigued by the
Good Sport Night takes its participants to Pretentious Glass Company to learn the art of blowing glass. Courtesy of Dale Mackey excitement and mystery of Good Sport Nights, but worry about whether they can participate for one reason or another. In most cases, through talking with the owners of Central Collective, something is able to be arranged. “We try to make all of our events as inclusive as possible,” Mackey said. “When people sign up, we let them know if there are certain restrictions that might prohibit people with allergies,
physical limitations, etc. from attending. The majority of the events we host are accessible to most adults. If not, we’ll do our best to make sure folks know if there might be barriers to participation before they show up!”
Story continued online Read more at utdailybeacon.com.
Get to know your neighborhood: Old North Knoxville Gabriela Szymanowska Senior Staff Writer
The neighborhood of Old North Knoxville has preserved historical homes which transport those who pass by through time into the different eras of Knoxville’s past. A prevalent and celebrated aspect of the neighborhood, the historical homes are at the center of what makes Old North Knoxville unique. Just walking down the tree-lined street, individuals pass homes built from the late 1800s to the 1950s. Some of the different styles range from Victorian with gilded-porches, Queen Anne-style, Craftsman, Eastlake, Bungalow, Shotgun and Folk-style. With the different styles of homes, the layout of the neighborhood has also encouraged the community to become close-knit where kids are outside playing on the sidewalks and neighbors passing by each other. The community also has several committees like the Kindness Committee that welcomes new neighbors or helps those who are sick. “The neighborhood is kind of built to encourage community and to encourage knowing one another. The houses are super tightly packed together, we’ve got really small yards,
the houses are right up on the street. It just kind of creates that community feel,” Brad Guilford, chairperson of the Home Tour committee, said. Guilford, himself a resident, lives in an 103year old Craftsman style house built in 1915 by a family who owned the house through the 1980s. “In the 50s, 60s and even 70s, a lot of houses got split into apartments in the neighborhood, converted to multi-family dwellings and then a lot were put back into single family homes, but our home has been a single-family home for that entire time. So, it still has all the original woodwork, all the original wood trim, all the original plaster walls, same original floor plan,” Guilford said. The first houses were built in what is now called Old North Knoxville in 1886. Just three years later in 1889, North Knoxville would become its own city apart from Knoxville and remain separated until it was annexed into Knoxville in 1897. By the early 1900s, trolley tracks connected North Knoxville to downtown Knoxville and the neighborhood witnessed an influx of upper middle-class residents. Lower class residents had occupied it until that point. The neighborhood continued to grow into the 1950s and 1960s, where many of the houses were divided into smaller units. For around
a decade, the neighborhood then experienced a decline in growth until preservationists took an interest in preserving the homes in the 1980s. Today, the community has participated in an annual Victorian Holiday Home Tour event hosted by the neighborhood organization, Old North Knoxville Inc. for the last 30 years. Residents in about eight to 10 houses open up their homes to the public so that people can come appreciate not only the outside architecture but also what’s on the inside. “I was on the Home tour committee last year and we had over 2,000 people come, so it’s a great way for everybody in Knoxville to come and look at our homes and check out our neighborhood,” Kelly Arsenault, realtor at First Neighborhoods Realty and resident of Old North Knoxville, said. The event is a fundraiser for the neighborhood. Half the proceeds go to charitable causes such as Mobile Meals and donations to the area schools, while the other half is used in neighborhood projects including installing solar panels into the gazebo at their local park. Another aspect of the neighborhood that is unique to the area is wide streets where many neighbors park their cars on the curb, since a majority of residents do not have garages, which allows for more interaction with neighbors. Both Arsenault and Guilford said that,
today, the neighborhood has a lot of diversity, from UT students renting homes to young families and older generations living next door to each other. “One of the things I really like about Old North Knoxville is that it is very diverse, racially, socioeconomically, age, education, by pretty much every measure you could pick,” Guilford said. “The neighborhood is in the midst of change … and one of the things that Old North Knoxville has been able to retain is a diversity that I personally really appreciate. I like living with a group of people who kind of share something in common — liking the old houses, liking to do things together as a neighborhood — but also just representing a diverse group of people.” Guilford also encouraged anyone who wants to visits the neighborhood of Old North Knoxville to take a stroll down Scott Ave. and Oklahoma Ave. to really get a feel of what the neighborhood has to offer. “If you really want to get a feel for kind of the heart of the neighborhood, there’s two streets that I think exemplify that mostly because they both have some of the more elaborately beautiful houses,” Guilford said. “I don’t actually live on one of those, but I drive through them on purpose on the way to and from work because I just enjoy them so much.”
CITYNEWS // OPINIONS
Monday, November 19, 2018 • The Daily Beacon
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‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’: A boring holiday fail Jake Yoder
Contributor
“It’s Christmas Eve. A time of mystery, expectations, who knows what might happen?” “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” was the first holiday movie to open in theaters this season. Based on the beloved story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann and the classic ballet “The Nutcracker” by Marius Petipa, many were skeptical of this new big budget, Disney live-action adaptation. I can honestly say “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” was one of the most boring experiences I have ever had in a movie theater. Everything about the film is bland. It is a completely by-the-numbers family movie that takes no risks and does everything poorly. There is nothing particularly “Christmas” about this movie other than the fact that it takes place on Christmas Eve and occasionally
plays versions of “The Nutcracker” song. This film could very well be called “Clara and the Four Realms” and be released in the middle of summer and not much would change. Those looking for a holiday movie will no doubt be disappointed. The acting in this movie is cheesy and over the top. Mackenzie Foy gives a serviceable performance as Clara, but she is given very little to do. Her character is the exact same as every other character that has ever been taken from the real world to a fantasy one. Keira Knightley gives one of the most annoying performances I have ever seen as The Sugar Plum Fairy. Her shrill, ridiculous accent was by far one of the worst parts of the film. Morgan Freeman gave the best performance as Drosselmeyer, Clara’s godfather, but he is only in about five minutes of the film. The story is the thing that really ruins the movie. It is a story that you have undoubtedly seen a thousand times: someone is dropped into a fantasy world, finds out they are the “chosen one,” doubts themselves, learns the power is
inside of them and prevails in the end. I called every beat of this movie within the first ten minutes, making the remaining 90 minutes grueling. The one thing that the film has going for it is its visuals. The CGI looks very impressive. The land of snowflakes, the land of flowers, the land of sweets and the land of amusement were always a joy to look at. Sadly, that’s all the movie was good for: looking at. There was so little substance to “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” that it was sure to bore any audience member. The best way to judge a family movie is the reaction it gets from an audience full of families. In the entirety of the runtime, I heard children laugh around three times during the film, which is sad. My thoughts on this movie line up with the thoughts of my eight-year-old cousin: “That was so boring!” Chances are, you’ll think that too. 1.5/5 Stars Courtesy of IMDb
The Why and How: Who am I and what am I here to do?
Lawand Yaseen Columnist
Hey Volunteers! My name is Lawand Yaseen. I am a sophomore studying biomedical engineering and minoring in leadership studies as part of the new Honors Leadership Program. My home away from Rocky Top — Nashville — has been my home since birth. Tennessee is all I’ve ever known. However, my story doesn’t end there. My family, in late 1996, migrated to the United States as part of Operation Provide Comfort, a U.S.-led evacuation of pro-American Kurds in a region of Northern Iraq known as Kurdistan. Having to restart their lives from scratch in a country with a different language, culture and majority religion should prove to be too difficult on paper. But they did it. They even did it with a new mouth to feed: me.
Like I mentioned earlier, Tennessee is all I have ever known. I have never stepped foot on the same grass that my sister, parents and grandparents spent their youth playing on. There are cousins, relatives and close family friends that I have not met and unfortunately will never meet. It’s the price that I am tasked with paying because of my fortunate opportunity to live out the American Dream. What they don’t tell you about this lucky break is that your future hinges on your ability to take on a new role. As the child of Kurdish refugees who has gone through the American education system, I can tell you that there are areas where this context doesn’t match. That is not to say that my family did not prepare me to succeed in academia, because trust me, they did. With a grandmother who served as a teacher, a grandfather who worked as a principal and two parents who are currently engineers, there was no way I would be allowed to drop the ball. However, it’s different. It becomes a balancing act between your own expectations and those expectations that stem from your family and the society that you grow into. That’s really what it all comes down to: a constant effort to balance it all. Growing up with this challenge has slowly allowed me to see my role to my family and to my own future. I’m used to bridging the gap of understanding between two distinct cultures and breaking down those barricades. However, it is not a unique job. Millions of young Americans go through the same kind of realization about how their unique childhood experiences give them a diverse skill set
to go into any situation and play the role they must play. Fortunately for me, being the liaison doesn’t stop at home. In high school, I loved programs like Model UN and Youth in Government, which focused on getting high school students to become civically engaged. While studying Biomedical Engineering here, I have maintained that interest in getting people educated about what goes into creating effective policy. Politics and policy creation are often pursued by those who wish to make a difference, but often our advancement as a society stems from, well, STEM. These discoveries give us the “how” that we need, while the politics behind using that research to positively change lives at the end of the day is the “why.” What I hope is that through each article, I can begin to create a dialogue about how what happens in the laboratory shapes our daily lives. This dialogue includes being able to convey that the research that happens today could change how quickly we can end world hunger, or protect the planet from global warming. It also includes filling in the education on the lesser-known problems that could spell danger for us. Rather than ignoring this gap, I believe that our population should become educated about the topics that can change their lives. We are all multi-dimensional, with a wide variety of interests which inherently makes our society reliant on these intersections of personal values, visions and missions. It’s time that our political discourse as a general public involved a deep look at how the science of it all can shape our policy. I’ll leave you
all with a quote from my favorite show, “The West Wing”: “Having talent and education does not place you above the rest of the world. It makes you responsible for it.”
“ It’s the price that I am tasked with paying because of my fortunate opportunity to live out the American Dream.” Lawand Yaseen,, Columnist
Lawand Yaseen is a sophomore pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Leadership Studies. He can be reached at lyaseen@vols.utk.edu Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
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SPORTS
The Daily Beacon • Monday, November 19, 2018
FOOTBALL
Notebook: Lock, Missouri shred Vols’ defense on senior day Blake Von Hagen Sports Editor
Tennessee had a shot to become bowl eligible with a win against Missouri on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The Tigers did not comply, as they won their third-straight SEC game and handed the Vols a loss on senior day. Here are some takeaways from the game: Guarantano goes down Tennessee starting quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was knocked out of the game late in the first quarter against the Tigers. He was 0-of-2 and Missouri sacked him twice in his limited playing time. Jeremy Pruitt, the Vols’ head coach, is unsure of his status going forward. “I haven’t seen the docs yet,” Pruitt said. “But Keller takes every rep that Jarrett does.” Guarantano was replaced by redshirt-senior Keller Chryst. At halftime, Pruitt announced that Guarantano would not return to the game. “Keller is a hard worker,” Pruitt said. “He’s been great for our program. Our kids love him.” Chryst led the team to a touchdown on his first drive of the game, along with a scoring drive to open the second half, but he did not find much success elsewhere. He finished the game 7-of-19
for 173 yards and two interceptions. “Keller stepped up,” offensive lineman Ryan Johnson said. “We have faith in our quarterbacks.” Pre-half struggles
During Tennessee’s upset win over Kentucky last week, the Vols took a commanding 17-0 lead into halftime after a last-second touchdown grab by Marquez Callaway. This week, Tennessee struggled in the waning moments of the first half. After a 49-yard catch by Callaway, the Vols stalled inside the 5-yard line and were forced to kick a field goal, trimming the deficit to 13-10. An onside kick attempt failed on the ensuing kickoff, and Missouri capitalized with a touchdown. After driving back down the field on offense, Chryst threw an interception that was returned for 71 yards. The Tigers closed the half with a third-down touchdown play with less than 30 seconds remaining in the opening session, giving them a 26-10 lead at the intermission. “Right before the half the score is 19-10,” Pruitt said. “There’s two things that can happen: you can run the clock out and kick a field goal or you can run the clock and punt…we had a chance to put some points on the board and we made a bad throw … that’s probably at least a 10-point swing there.”
Kyle Phillips, #5, tackles Drew Lock, #3, during game against Missouri on Nov. 17, 2018 at Neyland Stadium. Stu Boyd / The Daily Beacon
interception. “They just did a really good job of changing Missouri senior quarterback Drew Lock’s up their run plays and changing their calls,” experience showed on Saturday at Neyland linebacker Daniel Bituli said. Stadium. Tigers running back Larry Roundtree carried In the first half, Lock was 14-of-20 for 183 yards and two touchdowns. He passed former the ball 26 times for 135 yards and a touchdown. Georgia quarterback David Greene for second place all-time in career passing yards in the SEC. Story continued online Lock finished the game 21-of-30 for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an Read more at utdailybeacon.com. Lock excels
BASKETBALL
Jackson leads Lady Vols in dominant win over Florida A&M Will Backus
Asst. Sports Editor
At one point on Sunday, Meme Jackson (13) had more points herself than the entire Florida A&M women’s basketball team (12). Though this did not last long, it was indicative of her whole performance, and Tennessee’s domination, in their 96-31 win. “I think she played one of her better games,” head coach Holly Warlick said. “She was inspired on defense, she rebounded the basketball, she ran the floor, she attacked the basket and shot threes. We ask her to do a lot of stuff and she produced tonight.” Not only did Jackson have more points than the Rattlers at one point, she had more points than minutes in the first half, scoring 13 points in just 10 minutes of play. Out of five made first half 3’s for the Lady Vols, she had three of them. The senior from Murfreesboro’s hot streak started early. To open the game, she hit two straight threes to give Tennessee a quick 6-0 lead. A play later, she stripped the ball from a Rattler player’s hands, dishing it to Evina Westbrook for a quick score.
From then on, Florida A&M would not score until it was down 20-0. Jackson came just two points shy of her career high mark of 21, finishing with 19 points. She did set a career high in steals, however, surpassing her previous mark of four. She took the ball from the Rattlers six times, leading both teams in steals and points. “We were moving the ball well, and my teammates were finding me for open looks,” Jackson said. “We were just moving the ball a lot, so we were getting wide-open looks.” And while Jackson was the standout performer for Tennessee, the offense in its entirety was clicking. By the third quarter, with around four minutes left on the clock, the Lady Vols exceeded their point total of 73 in last week’s win over UNC-Asheville. Their 96 total points marks the second time in three games they have broken the 90-point barrier. Four finished in double figures, including all but two starters. Rae Burrell led the four freshmen with 14 points of her own. Rennia Davis, just a couple of games removed from injury, finished the day with a double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down 11 boards. “She’s (Davis) our go to player,” Warlick said.
“She’s our player that makes things happen. She’s Clemson Tigers on Thursday. taken a while to get warmed up, but when she does she’s a heck of a player.” It wasn’t just an offensive tide that led the Lady Vols to victory. All year, they have prided themselves in their defensive effort. It has paid off; Tennessee ranks sixth in the nation in forcing turnovers. On Sunday, Florida A&M had 32, with the Lady Vols capitalizing on a majority of those turnovers, scoring 39 points. Twenty-two of those turnovers were the result of Tennessee steals. The Rattlers were held to just 11 total field goals made from the floor out of 59, including just two three pointers out of 23 attempts. Those 31 points from the Rattlers are the sixth lowest mark allowed by a Tennessee team in its history. Tennessee outrebounded its opponent 59-36, including 39 boards on the defensive end. “Rebounding has been great for us right now,” Warlick said. “When you don’t make every shot, you’ve got to be great rebounders, and right now, we’re fantastic on the boards.” Sunday’s win was the last home game for the Evina Westbrook, #2, shoots the ball Lady Vols until Dec. 5. They are now staring during game against UNC-Asheville on down a trip to the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Nov. 14, 2018 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Jam- they open the tournament against the Caitlyn Jordan / The Daily Beacon
PUZZLES&GAMES
Monday, November 19, 2018 • The Daily Beacon
LOS ANGELES TIMES CROSSWORD • Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
STR8TS No. 414
Medium
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No. 414
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SPORTS
The Daily Beacon • Monday, November 19, 2018
Football Grades: Tennessee vs. Missouri Blake Von Hagen Sports Editor
Tennessee fell on Senior Day against Missouri at Neyland Stadium. Here are some position grades from the Vols’ 50-17 loss: Quarterback
Grade: C
Coming off a stellar performance against No. 11 Kentucky last week, sophomore quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was expected to perform well against a lackluster Missouri defense. Late in the first quarter, Guarantano headed to the locker room after taking several big hits early in the game. He did not return to the game, and head coach Jeremy Pruitt did not update his status after the contest. Guarantano was replaced by redshirt-senior Keller Chryst, who completed 7-of-19 passes for 173 yards. Chryst got off to a hot start on his first drive, but there was a clear drop-off from Guarantano’s recent performances. Tennessee is a better team with Guarantano at the helm.
Running back
Grade: C
Sophomore running back Ty Chandler led the rushing attack with 84 yards on 14 carries. Tim Jordan added six rushes for 21 yards. For a rushing attack that excelled against Kentucky, the backs were not able to find the same success against the Tigers. Part of that can be attributed to the offensive line and play calling, but another part has to be credited to the running backs.
Wide Receiver & Tight End
Grade: B
As has been the trend all season, it’s hard to fault the wide receivers in the position grades. Junior wide receiver Marquez Callaway pulled in two incredible grabs, both for 49 yards. Josh Palmer and Jordan Murphy added a pair of catches as well. Without Guarantano in the game, and dealing with a struggling offensive line, the wide receivers were never going to have a great game.
Offensive Line
Grade: D
The offensive line has been a huge question mark for Tennessee the entire season. In a roller coaster season, the offensive line was near the top of the coaster last week against the Wildcats. On Saturday, the cart made headway toward the bottom of the track. The Tigers tallied three sacks and seven total tackles for losses. They added three quarterback hurries as well. Chryst’s best throw all game was one he had to release in a split second due to pressure from the Missouri defensive line.
Defensive Line
Grade: C+
It seemed as if Tennessee’s defense was on its heels throughout the entire game. Larry Roundtree, Missouri’s running back, gashed the Vols’ defense for 137 yards on 26 carries. Damarea Crockett, the co-starter at running back for the Tigers, did not play the majority of the game after being knocked out of the contest. Kyle Phillips, who has been a staple for the defense all season, led the Vols with seven tackles on his senior day. Emmit Gooden and Alexis Johnson had five tackles each.
Linebacker
Grade: C
The Vols’ linebackers did a decent job of stopping the Missouri running backs when they got past the front line. However, Tigers’ quarterback Drew Lock was able to burn the linebackers all game with slant routes and out routes. Daniel Bituli led the linebackers with five tackles.
Secondary
Grade: D
Tim Jordan, #9, runs the ball during game against Missouri on Nov. 17, 2018 at Neyland Stadium. Stu Boyd / The Daily Beacon
The performance of the secondary was eerily similar to its performance against West Virginia in the season opener. Drew Lock was efficient, throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns on 30 pass attempts. Alontae Taylor and Nigel Warrior each had seven tackles, but that was mainly a product of open receivers catching passes in the secondary.
Special Teams
Grade: B+
If there was any position group that performed to the status quo on Saturday, it was the special teams group. Joe Doyle had six punts, averaging 43.7 yards per punt. Paxton Brooks kicked the ball off three times, with two of them going for touchbacks. Bryce Thompson and Madre London each had 35-plus yard kickoff returns in the game.
Coaching
Grade: D-
Coming off a game where the coaching staff had arguably its best performance of the season, the Tennessee coaches were unable to figure out Missouri’s schemes on either side of the ball. The Tigers did as they pleased on offense, and the Vols’ offense stalled for the majority of the game. Now, Jeremy Pruitt has one game to reach bowl eligibility. A win, or a loss, against Vanderbilt could change the fan outlook heading into the 2019 season.
Ty Chandler, #8, and Nathan Niehaus ,#57, celebrate during game against Missouri on Nov. 17, 2018 at Neyland Stadium. Stu Boyd / The Daily Beacon