On Rocky Top 2023

OnRocky Top

ON ROCKY TOP Table of Contents

4 Campus

22 City

30 Sports

35 Housing Guide

Abby Ann Ramsey

Editor-In-Chief

The Daily Beacon

Bella Hughes Managing Editor

The Daily Beacon

Emma Fingeret Design Editor The Daily Beacon

Nolan Keesee Cover photo The Daily Beacon

Cullen Askew Student Advertising Manager

Shelby Coppock, Jacob Stromatt Student Advertising Representitives

Everett Hurst, Jean Mendoza Student Advertising Designers

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Letter from the Editor: Welcome to Tennessee

ABBY ANN RAMSEY 2023-24 Editor-in-Chief

One thing about UT’s campus that I always love to talk about is the way it keeps you on your toes. I had high hopes for what my college experience would look like as I dreamt about my freshman year at UT. I wanted to get involved with anything and everything and find a home on campus — but that’s hard to do when you start college in the middle of a pandemic.

My initial surprise at UT was how dead campus was and how I’d pass by maybe three or four people on my way to the library. The rumors of the bustling, high-energy Rocky Top did not ring true during the pandemic, and while I understood the root cause, I was still surprised by my experience on campus as I struggled to find my place.

My next surprise at UT, however, came in the form of community as I slowly cemented my spot on campus, forming bonds with professors, joining more organizations and, of course, writing for The Daily Beacon. After a strange freshman year, UT surprised me once again by becoming an incredible home to me.

While my experience feels specific to a global pandemic, I think it’s something a lot of freshmen can relate to, even if they didn’t start college in 2020. Freshman year is a weird time, and it can be difficult

to know how to make UT your home for the next four years.

On Rocky Top exists for many reasons, but my favorite one is that it equips freshmen with resources and information that will make calling UT home much easier and will make those little freshman-year surprises less scary. With information on student organizations, defining sports moments, campus dining halls, must-visit places in Knoxville and more, On Rocky Top is your guide to discovering what all your new home has to offer.

And while we’ll do our best to tell you everything

you can expect, we can’t give it all away — this campus is full of surprises, and I’m sure it will surprise both you and me in the next year.

The magazine you’re holding in your hands was created with special care by the incredible staff at The Daily Beacon who strive not only to be a resource to the UT campus but also to make beautiful stories and designs. Thank you to all of our writers and editors who contributed to this, but especially to Emma Fingeret, our 2023-24 Design Editor, and Bella Hughes, our 2022-23 Design Editor and 2023-24 Managing Editor who have made this edition so beautiful.

Abby Ann Ramsey and 2022-23 Editor-in-Chief Daniel Dassow lead a Beacon all-staff meeting. Office of Student Media

Recap of 2022-23: Past events that will shape the future

15 when UT defeated Alabama 52-49 on a last second field goal, snapping a 15-year losing streak. Fans lit cigars, stormed the field and burned couches in Fort Sanders to commemorate the chill-inducing victory.

Throughout the 2022-23 academic year, UT saw some major headlines that influenced every day life on campus. Although they are in the past, these events will more than likely shape the future of UT. Here are just a handful of the headlines from the past year that you should be aware of.

Aug. - Housing turns to hotel, off-campus apartments amid shortage

With the class of 2026 taking the cake for UT’s largest freshman class to date, the university resorted to housing first-year and transfer students in off-campus apartments and in the Holiday Inn on Papermill Drive, which earned the nickname Voliday Inn.

Oct. - Large-scale academic restructuring moves to board approval after heated deliberations

Chancellor Donde Plowman and Provost John Zomchick sent an email to faculty regarding academic restructuring plans for multiple different colleges, including the College of Arts and Sciences, which will be split into divisions of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Oct. - Tennessee football defeats Alabama on last-second field goal

Vol football fans had the night of a lifetime on Oct.

Nov. - New $227M Haslam College of Business building approved by Board of Trustees

The UT Board of Trustees approved construction of a new Haslam College of Business building with a $227 million budget and a size of 306,000 square feet to accommodate the college’s growth. When completed, the new building will sit in place of the historic Dunford, Henson and Greve halls, which are slated for demolition.

Dec. - Vols defeat Clemson in Orange Bowl, secure first 11-win season since 2001

Tennessee capped off a historic season with a 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl, securing the Vols’ first 11-win season since 2001 in just the second year of the Josh Heupel era.

March - Tennessee drag law part of anti-LGBTQ agenda that puts ‘lives at risk,’ say local performers

Although it has been temporarily halted by a federal judge, the bill banning public drag performances set off a storm of national headlines and garnered protest from members of the Knoxville LGBTQ community and its allies.

April - Tennessee law prohibits use of TikTok on campus internet

Gov. Bill Lee signed a law that prohibits public colleges and universities from allowing access to video platforms headquartered in China on campus internet networks, a measure that targets the Chinese-based social media giant TikTok.

May - Lady Vols softball wins first SEC tournament since 2011 with 3-1 win over South Carolina

Tennessee took home its first SEC tournament title in 12 years and third in program history with a 3-1 win over South Carolina after recently becoming the SEC regular season champs.

The Holiday Inn on Papermill Drive housed around 130 students in the fall. File / The Daily Beacon

Acceptance rate plummets by nearly 30% in most competitive year

AUTUMN HALL 2022-23 News Editor

In February, the University of Tennessee Office of Undergraduate Admissions released regular admission decisions for the incoming class of 2027.

This year, UT experienced record growth in the number of first-year applicants, totaling 47,838 applications by the Dec. 15 regular admissions application deadline, a stunning 40.2% increase from last year which was driven largely by out-of-state applicants. By Feb. 14, the number of applications had increased to 49,790.

For the fall 2023 admissions cycle, the university reported an in-state acceptance rate of 59.4% and an out-of-state acceptance rate of 33.3%, a drastic decrease from the year before.

According to material presented to the Board of Trustees, the in-state acceptance rate in 2022 was 71.2% and the out-of-state acceptance rate was 67.2%. The overall acceptance rate in 2022 was 68.4%.

Though the final figure for this year’s acceptance rate has not been released, the acceptance rate plummeted by nearly 30% in one year, according to figures from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

The 2023 acceptance rate, which is likely to be

around 40%, places UT closer in line with SEC peers like the University of Georgia and the University of Florida.

The rise in applications and overall retention rates means that there will likely be growth in undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023, although the size of the first-year class will be reduced.

“To deliver the best Volunteer experience for all students across all four years and in course offerings, residential experience and student life, UT will reduce the size of its first-year class and enroll fewer students than last fall,” the Office of Undergraduate Admissions noted in a public admissions release.

This adjustment comes after the admission of multiple record-breaking freshman classes, which have caused UT to face opposition from undergraduate students about the effects of campus overpopulation on student resources such as housing and parking.

This fall in admit rate was not unexpected, however. Since the university announced in December that it would end a 10-year trend of growth in the freshman class, observers waited to see just how much the acceptance rate would drop.

“What we’re seeing in this decline of admit rate is fairly expected. When you see application numbers trend up as they do, especially a growth in out-ofstate applications, as we’ve seen at UTK, you’d expect this admit rate to drop … That means being really thoughtful about what the right mix of students is,”

Bernard Savarese, UT assistant vice president for student success, said at the board meeting on Friday.

The office boasted that this year’s applicant pool was the most competitive in UT’s 228-year history, which is likely a result of academic and athletic successes on campus.

The average academic statistics for admitted students for fall 2023 were a UT core weighted grade point average, or GPA, of between 4.04-4.46 and an ACT composite score of 26-31 or SAT Composite score of 1240-1400.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will consider late-term applications as space becomes available.

Students walk on campus. File / The Daily Beacon

CAMPUS

Campus resources providing support for the LGBTQ community

AUTUMN HALL

2022-23 News Editor

In a study performed by the Princeton Review, UT was ranked as the No. 1 most LGBTQ-unfriendly colleges in the nation. While the methodology of this ranking has been found to be flawed, it can still be discouraging to LGBTQ students and allies.

Here are some campus resources that are trying to make UT a safer campus for LGBTQ students.

Pride Center

UT’s Pride Center is the most expansive LGBTQ resource on campus, with the center’s main goal being to provide a safe space for students of all demographic backgrounds through events, programming and community engagement.

Initiatives promoted by the Pride Center include scholarships and funding opportunities, the Safe Zone educational workshop series, peer mentoring program, LGBTQ reading group, the Qloset and lavender graduation.

Student Counseling Center

The Student Counseling Center offers counseling to all students, including LGBTQ-inclusive individual, group and relationship therapy. A limited number of

sessions are available free of charge to any students who have paid their student health fee. Appointments can be made by calling the center at 865-974-2196.

OUTgrads

OUTgrads is a student organization for LGBTQ and ally graduate students who wish to build friendships and encourage change and advancement within UT’s LGBTQ community. OUTgrads hosts regular member events, including the OUTstanding conference, monthly socials and networking events.

UKirk and Tyson House

UKirk, a Presbyterian church campus ministry, aims to create a home for all students regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or denominational affiliation. UKirk encourages students to be their “honest, authentic” selves when they come to worship. The UKirk house is located at 1831 Melrose Ave., and it boasts a comfortable space for students to relax, study, watch television or interact with friends.

Another LGBTQ affirming resource is Tyson House, which is a Lutheran and Episcopalian campus ministry that prides itself on welcoming all students. You can find more information on Tyson House events and how to get involved at tysonhouse.org.

Campus Climate Concern Reporting

If you feel that an action or incident of bias has oc-

curred that may harm anyone in the community, you have the right to report this occurrence to the Office of the Dean of Students through Campus Climate Concern reporting. Individuals who submit the Campus Climate Concern report form will receive personalized support.

All-Gender Restrooms

In 2020, UT began an initiative to include more accommodating restrooms into upcoming construction plans and to convert existing family restrooms into all-gender restrooms. There are a number of all-gender restrooms available for use across campus, and you can find a list by searching for them on UT’s online map.

Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee

SEAT is a student organization promoting educated discussions on sex, sexuality and relationships. SEAT is dedicated to maintaining an LGBTQ-friendly dialogue through their efforts, addressing issues relevant to all members of the campus community, such as how sexuality and gender identity influence the social context of our lives.

Each year, SEAT hosts Sex Week at UT, a week full of events that provide a safe space for student discourse relating to topics such as sexuality, religion, gender expression, consent and safe sexual intercourse.

UT works with Native tribes to return ancestors, sacred objects home

DANIEL DASSOW 2022-23 Editor-in-Chief

August 2022, the museum reimagined its 22-year-old “Archaeology & the Native Peoples of Tennessee.”

In 1990, Congress passed landmark legislation requiring government agencies, museums and universities to facilitate the return of Indigenous ancestral remains and funerary objects in their holdings to the tribes where they rightfully belong.

Over 30 years later, institutions across the country, including UT, are ramping up their efforts to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, better known as NAGPRA.

The renewed push for repatriation comes at a time when cultural institutions around the U.S. and the world reckon with the often unlawful means by which the once-buried bodies of Indigenous people and the objects that were buried with them came to sit on their shelves.

UT sits among the institutions with the most Native American ancestral remains and funerary objects in its holding. Earlier this year, the nonprofit investigative journalism group ProPublica launched a multifaceted, data-driven series called The Repatriation Project, which revealed that UT places 7th in the nation for the most remains not yet made available for return to tribal nations.

As of Dec. 9, 2022, the university held 4,329 Native remains that had not yet been made available for return.

Repatriation is a years-long process that relies on the development of relationships between museums and universities and tribal representatives. Anytime UT has hosted NAGPRA-related meetings, Ellen Lofaro, UT’s director of repatriation who holds a doctorate in anthropology, said the university has invited all 21 tribal nations with ancestral land ties to Tennessee.

“The scope of the work is a challenge,” Lofaro said. “We still have decades of work to complete these repatriations due to several factors, including Tribal consultation, the number of claims and the formal paperwork process.”

But despite the challenges of working at the intersection of the sacred and the scientific, Lofaro and other UT leaders have made progress on repatriation through the NAGPRA process. Since 2016, the university has repatriated more than 2,100 ancestral remains and 15,000 funerary objects to Native tribes, increasing the university’s repatriation claims from 4% to 37% complete.

Alongside staff and faculty at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, Lofaro and the Department of Anthropology are currently working with four tribal nations: the Cherokee Nation, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, all of which have ancestral land ties to Knox County.

McClung Museum has played a central role not only in facilitating the repatriation process, but in making the work visible and legible to a public audience. In

Renamed “Repatriation of Archaeology & the Native Peoples of Tennessee,” the exhibit features quotes from tribal representatives and many empty display cases which once housed hundreds of funerary objects.

“We’re essentially putting that emptiness on display, which I think is actually kind of radical,” Cat Shteynberg, assistant director and curator of arts and culture collections at McClung, said.

The space tells the story of how the ancestral remains came to UT and the museum, a history in which the Tennessee Valley Authority destroyed Native cultural sites before damning large swaths of the state for hydroelectric power in the 1930s. The university held a contract with the agency as a repository of exhumed remains and objects.

The repatriation exhibit inhabits a space in transition, as the museum prepares for its upcoming exhibit titled “A Sense of Indigenous Place: Native American Voices and the Mound at the University of Tennessee,” which is scheduled to open in January 2025.

Lisa King, an associate professor of English at UT and an expert in Indigenous museum spaces, is leading the development of the exhibit, which will highlight the significance of the university’s oldest monument, a Native American burial mound on the Ag Campus which dates back to as early as 600 C.E., as well as Indigenous placemaking practices.

She hopes the new spaces, conceived in direct consultation with tribal nations, will tell a more holistic story than the old archeological exhibit.

“Rather than having a visual representation of a frozen past, or an end, instead, you see culture coming into the present, that Tribal nations are alive and they’re thriving and they’re still very much connected to culture, to practice and to land,” King said.

For Pilar Garcia, a senior studying English and the leader of the Native American Student Association, walking into the new space was an emotional journey.

“I came here with a friend and I saw how much had changed and I cried,” Garcia, a descendant of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, said. “I started crying right there.”

Lisa King, associate professor of English, stands in front of the McClung Museum, where she is leading the development of the new exhibit. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

Empty displays showcase the repatriation process. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

NPHC chapters prioritize diversity, scholarship in Greek Life

BELLA HUGHES 2023-24 Managing Editor

For over 50 years, National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities and fraternities have been represented at the University of Tennessee. Divine 9 chapters keep leadership, diversity and scholarship at the forefront of their practice. A passion for service drives the NPHC to connect students through community and knowledge.

Moving to a new city can be intimidating and finding your community takes time. College allows you to explore possibilities and establish a new sense of home. Roddrick Tooles, a senior studying information science, found Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Kappa Chi Chapter, known informally as Sigma, during a time when he felt homesick.

“I’m from Memphis and when I moved to Knoxville, I felt I was losing my sense of home,” Tooles said. “I knew I needed to get back into my community.”

NPHC chapters are big on discretion, so Tooles had to use a friend’s recommendation to join Sigma.

“I told a friend how I was feeling homesick, and he suggested that I would make a good Sigma,” Tooles said. “He was in the chapter and connected me to an informational session. Now I’m a Sigma.”

Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. Delta Zeta, or AKA, is UT’s longest-running sorority. The chapter has a long lineage of women who are all connected through sisterhood, scholarship and service. Micah Owens, president of AKA, decided to join because the purpose of the sorority most aligned with her beliefs.

“Scholarship is most important to me. You can’t cross anything unless you are doing well in school,” Owens said. “A lot of us are in STEM fields, so it is nice to have that comradery between Black women who are going through similar classes. We all know the feeling of being the only (Black woman) in class.”

Divine 9 chapters require students to have a 2.5 GPA, 12 established college credits and a log of service hours to be considered. Because of these expectations, it is not common for freshmen to cross — a term that the chapters use for being initiated. With this in mind, campus-wide service opportunities are hosted through the NPHC for students to collect service hours while connecting with Greek organizations.

Each NPHC chapter will host a week of events including service opportunities and informational sessions. It is important to attend events associated with your desired chapter because the rush process isn’t about what you know, but who you know.

“Go to events that are hosted by the chapter that you want to join, but also for the NPHC as a whole,” Owens said. “Get to know people who are older than you to help build your reputation.”

A “Meet the Greeks Yard Show” will be hosted during the first week of class for chapters to showcase their members. This is a welcoming event open to all students.

The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life will host a misconceptions and stereotypes seminar in August for those interested in joining a sorority or fraternity.

If you are interested, follow @utknphc on Instagram and register for the misconceptions and stereotypes seminar online at gogreek.utk.edu

Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. Delta Zeta plant trees on campus on April 28, 2023. Courtesy of Micah Owens

Campus Events Board plans popular events, welcomes new members

ABBIE SMITH Staff Writer

Campus Events Board, or CEB, is an organization at UT that organizes and hosts events for students. It is part of the Center for Student Engagement and has hosted concerts, speakers, comedians, etc. for student-focused events.

Sometimes, these events do not focus on having one single speaker, but are just events for students to attend and interact with their peers, like at CEB’s recent Earth Day festival. Other times, the events host prominent speakers like Brenda Song, Brittany Broski and Noel Miller. CEB also puts on the popular Volapalooza music festival, which was headlined this year by pop sensation Lizzo.

While the events that CEB organizes are fun to attend, the club is also known as one of the most rewarding organizations on campus if you join behind the scenes. Similar to other organizations, CEB gives students the opportunity to bond with their peers. However, becoming involved with CEB provides the unique opportunity to gain professional and personal skills.

For example, Sydney Flader, a senior majoring in anthropology, is the vice president of communications for CEB. She is responsible for overseeing marketing and social media to promote CEB events

— this allows her to gain practical experience in that field.

Ashley Hull, the president of CEB who is also a senior, studies marketing. CEB has given her years of practical experience leading a team. It has also given her the opportunity to gain experience in marketing.

Both Hull and Flader feel as though students should join CEB if they are looking to get involved.

“There’s an application and we do recruitment at the beginning of every semester,” Hull said. “But it’s very casual. We love to get people involved. We just want to get to know everyone and see where their strengths will be best utilized within CEB. It’s just informational. After that, we’ll place you on one of the three committees based on what we see.”

The three committees of CEB are arts & culture, entertainment and issues. Every member is part of one committee and the committees’ weekly meetings are where most event planning takes place.

“Arts and culture is more crafty, entertainment is more of the social and interactive type of events and anything that a person is passionate about can be considered an issue, so that’s what their committee does,” Hull said. “Our events are proposed by students and planned by students, which I think is so cool.”

Flader believes that this part of CEB is most rewarding.

“The best part about CEB is seeing the events that

members proposed come to fruition and seeing not only the happiness on the member’s face, but seeing how students are enjoying the events,” Flader said.

Hull and Flader both invite incoming freshmen to the 2023 Welcome Back Bash, which will take place during the first week of the fall semester. More information about that event will be available closer to the event. The best way to stay notified about CEB information is to follow them on Instagram @utkceb. That is where their application will be available in the fall and where they will post information about the events that they host.

CAMPUS

Brenda Song speaks at CEB event. Edward Cruz / The Daily Beacon

Student-led Smokey’s Cleanup Crew volunteers to pick up campus

KELSEY TOLCHIN Contributor

A once-white Cook-Out box sits in a puddle outside of UT’s Student Union as leftover french fries rot inside. Hundreds of students meander down the sidewalk and ignore it — they’re late for class.

Parker Wiseman doesn’t ignore it. In fact, he realizes that was the fifth one he has seen today. He disposes of it in the nearest trash can, which is already overflowing with garbage.

None of his courses required it, and nobody introduced the idea to him. The very sight of the littered campus he called home was enough for Wiseman. With that, the sophomore finance major created his first campus organization, Smokey’s Cleanup Crew.

Within the first semester of his sophomore year, Wiseman scheduled several organized trash pickups with the help of sophomore finance and psychology major Jack Pitts. The two led these weekly Sunday night pickups around campus and the surrounding Fort Sanders area, which houses a large portion of the off-campus student population.

“I came up with the idea last year,” Wiseman said. “I looked around campus and saw there was a need for change and thought there should be a way to have people integrate and get something back while also providing something for the community.”

According to the director of environmental studies and club advisor Michael Mckinney, the Student Environmental Initiatives fee, or the Green Fee, provided the organization with funds this semester to help afford the materials needed for these pickups.

Many events on and off campus produce large amounts of trash each week, allowing Wiseman to make the decision to change the cleanups from bi-weekly to weekly.

The crew weighed their first set of cleanups, but as the volunteer population increased, the amount of bags collected became far too large to weigh. Wiseman, Pitts and McKinney concluded that in total, the weight of the bags collected just in the fall 2022 se-

mester was close to a ton.

“We fill up the entire back of a borrowed recycling facility truck,” Wiseman said. “It’s sometimes overflowing with bags.”

Pitts experienced positive feedback from volunteers and students living on campus even when they were not participating in cleanups.

“One of my buddies came up to me and just randomly told me he swore the Fort has been cleaner since we have been cleaning it up, and I thought that was super cool,” Pitts said. “It does feel good to be recognized for doing something good.”

With several semesters to go, Wiseman plans to grow Smokey’s Cleanup Crew into a larger organiza-

tion that serves as a resource to get service hours and that students tell their friends about.

“Honestly this has gone farther than I ever thought in just the first semester,” Wiseman said. “It’s actually amazing. It’s really cool to see people flow in and flow out of the organization. There are several people who have consistently come to the pickups just to help out the community in general. It’s better than I could’ve imagined.”

It’s been a while since the sidewalk in front of the Student Union has seen a Cook-Out box. Rather than trash, the sidewalk is littered with students meandering in orange volunteer vests — better than Wiseman ever dreamt of.

Students volunteer with Smokey’s Cleanup Crew to pick up trash around campus. Courtesy of Parker Wiseman

Vol Dining offers nutrition counseling as resource to all students

ABBY ANN RAMSEY 2023-24 Editor-in-Chief

Taylor Koenigs, the registered dietician and nutritionist for Vol Dining, has been in her role with the university since the fall of 2021 and offers personalized plans for students based on their health history and nutrition goals.

“Whatever the student wants to talk about, focus on, that’s where we take the conversation,” Koenigs said.

While many of the students who see Koenigs are trying to navigate an allergy or autoimmune disease like Celiac’s, she also sees students who may want more guidance on weight gain or weight loss strategies or who are just looking to figure out what they should be putting on their plate at each meal.

also taken steps to make dining halls more inclusive and accessible, especially since all freshmen living on campus are automatically enrolled in a meal plan. Rocky Top dining hall is equipped with a True Balance food station that is free of the top nine food allergens, which are peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, soy, wheat, eggs, milk and dairy and sesame. Vegan and vegetarian options are available at all dining halls, along with gluten-free options.

Koenigs also works closely with Student Disability Services to help students accommodate any needs that may come up with dining.

For many people, college is the first time you’re completely responsible for your own nutrition and health. Going from eating home-cooked meals to having to navigate dining halls and try to make the most of your dorm microwave can feel like a big transition.

To help students navigate the struggle of meal planning, Vol Dining offers nutrition counseling to any and all students who feel overwhelmed by dietary restrictions or like they just need a few tips to get on track with their eating habits.

After an initial specialized consultation, Koenigs and the student can decide together whether to have follow-up sessions and how frequently. Sometimes it just takes one session and sometimes it takes several, but no matter what, appointments are free to all students.

“It’s open to anyone,” Koenigs said. “I want tp make sure that anyone who wants it has access to it, especially with nutrition becoming more on the forefront of people’s minds. Maybe it’s not easily accessible with their health insurance, whatever the case may be, I want to make sure I give them those resources.”

In order to further accommodate students and guide them on their health journey, Vol Dining has

In the time that she has held her position, Koenigs has had the opportunity to watch students grow in their health journey after seeking out nutrition counseling and having a strong source of support.

“I think having that support system for them has given them the confidence and motivation that they needed to succeed, and I can just tell from the first time that we meet to maybe the third time, they’ve made those changes, they just feel more confident in their abilities to make those changes and feel like they’ve made a difference,” Koenigs said.

To schedule an appointment with Koenigs, you can email volnutrition@utk.edu, and she will reach out to you with more information on getting started. For additional resources related to navigating nutrition in college, you can check out the nutrition page on the Center for Health Education and Wellness’s website.

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Rocky Top dining dessert counter. Madelyn Stone / The Daily Beacon

CAMPUS

Intramural sports offer wide array of activities

REAGAN DESOTO Staff Writer

Immersing yourself in a new environment can be a daunting task, especially for incoming college freshmen. Thankfully, the university has a plethora of on-campus groups and organizations that make it a whole lot easier to make friends. The UT Intramural Sports program offers a wide range of recreational activities for any and all students and aims to cultivate a competitive, yet fun-filled environment for those involved.

For many students, high school is the last opportunity to really excel in sports. Football helmets, soccer cleats, basketball jerseys and tennis rackets are packed away one final time and shoved in a closet, never to see the light of day again, but UT intramurals allow students the opportunity to pick up the equipment once more and reconnect with games they once loved. From sand volleyball to corn hole, the intramural program has something for everyone. Students are able to compete either individually as a free agent or with a team. The majority of activities allow co-ed teams to participate as well.

“It’s competitive but at the same time it’s more fun than it would be in like a high school or travel ball setting or something like that,” said senior advertising

major and spring 2023 intramural basketball champion Camille Knoll. “I’ve done free agent stuff and met a bunch of people that way, just being on random teams, and there’s not a super high expectation so you just get to have fun and play.”

Most sports can be played both in the fall and in the spring. Team sizes, however, do vary each semester.

“Spring is mainly softball and basketball,” said senior advertising major and intramural officiate Reilly Eschmann. “They do more 3 v. 3 in the fall and the 5 v. 5 playoffs and tournament happen in the spring. They have like, I want to say, almost 20 different sports each semester.”

The program also offers several non-traditional sports. Students are able to compete in typical games like basketball, flag football, volleyball, soccer and softball, but also available are games like wallyball, spikeball, e-sports and broomball.

Not only are intramurals a great way to get involved on campus and meet new people, but they also have constant employment opportunities. Games and activities are organized and scored solely by students, and it is an easy way to make some quick money.

“I needed a job where I could have more spending money and easy cash, but also I didn’t have a car at the time I was applying for jobs, so I knew I needed something on campus and the TRECS was an easy walk from the dorms,” Eschmann said.

Those interested in intramural sports are encour-

aged to visit the office located inside of the TRECS. There, students will find all the information related to intramural events, employment and league signups. Students can also register for a league online at recsports.utk.edu.

Students playing basketball in the TRECS practice court. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

K-Town know-how: A guide to Knoxville geography, neighborhoods

AURORA SILAVONG Staff Writer

For newcomers and natives alike, Knoxville and its sprawling neighborhoods can be confusing to navigate. The city of Knoxville is part of the broader Knox County, which includes the town of Farragut and several smaller and unincorporated communities.

Knoxville itself is also informally divided along the cardinal directions, and each part has its own culture and quirks. Furthermore, the city and county are also part of the even larger Knoxville Metropolitan Area, which includes some nine to 11 counties and all of their cities and communities.

Kingston Pike and the Strip

Kingston Pike is one of the main commercial and economic corridors in Knoxville. It feeds into Cumberland Avenue — also known as “the Strip” by students and faculty — from West Knoxville. Nearly anything can be found along this long stretch of highway: stores, fast food, fine dining and everything in between. It runs past West Town Mall, which is the largest enclosed shopping mall in the state of Tennessee.

The Fort

Fort Sanders is the neighborhood that hugs the north side of campus. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Knoxville and was once the place where the Knoxville elite lived. The stately homes they built still stand, but they have now been converted into apartments that primarily house students. This means the neighborhood is virtually abandoned during school breaks.

The Fort enjoys a mixed reputation with its inhabitants. It is mostly affordable and convenient, but it also has a reputation for rowdiness, especially on the weekends. Driving can be confusing, as there is a gluttony of one-way streets. Parking is its own special nightmare. Home football games present an Olympic-level challenge if your apartment does not have its own parking lot.

Downtown and Old City Downtown is the city’s heart. It boasts numerous restaurants and shops, as well as the glittering Tennessee Theatre and bustling Market Square. There is always something going on in this section of town: festivals, parades and live music.

Continuing down iconic Gay Street, you’ll reach the lovely Arts District. This district houses art galleries and artisanal food and drinks. The popular First Friday art celebrations occur in this corridor of downtown Knoxville, where local artists and craftspeople show off their works on the first Friday of every month.dOn the other side of downtown is the historic

Old City. Despite its name, it is not the oldest existing part of Knoxville. Although, it is one of the best preserved areas in terms of historical buildings. There are numerous restaurants here, and it is the heart of Knoxville’s nightlife.

South Knoxville

Cross the Tennessee River from downtown and you will land in South Knoxville. Known as the “Urban Wilderness,” it is a rapidly-developing part of the city that also features plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking and boating. There are a number of local breweries and coffeeshops here, so you’re sure to find something you like.

A point-of-interest in SoKno is Ancient Lore Village, which is a Tolkien-inspired Hobbit village built as a resort and event venue by Tom Boyd, father of Randy Boyd, the UT system’s current president.

Seating at the front of Awaken Coffee that looks out over the Old City. File / The Daily Beacon

Lonnie Holley, a found materials artist, works on a sculpture during the Big Ears Festival at the Southern Railway Station in Downtown Knoxville, TN. Friday March 31, 2023. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

Knoxville’s free trolley system picks up and drops off downtown. File / The Daily Beacon

CITY

Burgers, books and balayage: 5 Black-owned businesses in Knoxville

AURORA SILAVONG Staff Writer

but her mission is being furthered by the team at The Bottom.

The Bottom regularly hosts events celebrating Black culture and creativity. It also offers a monthly book subscription, which it draws from its curated collection of Black-affirming, Black-authored works.

her time between Knoxville and Nashville, and appointments fill up quickly. In addition to the website, Foxy is active on Facebook and Instagram.

The Carpetbag Theatre

Business is booming in Knoxville, and the city seems to grow every day. Despite historical and present-day barriers, Black-owned businesses are fortunately also sharing in that growth.

Supporting locally-owned places has never been more important than now, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic devastated — and continues to wreak havoc upon — small, minority-owned businesses across the country.

Here is just a taste of some of the Black-owned businesses you should visit all year-round. For more information about Black businesses in Knoxville, check out the Knoxville Black Business Directory online.

The Bottom

Named after a historically Black neighborhood in East Tennessee, The Bottom is a bookstore and a non-profit community space. It was founded by Enkeshi El-Amin, formerly a sociology professor at UT, originally as a youth entrepreneurship program and sewing circle. El-Amin later departed from the role when she accepted a post at West Virginia University,

BattleField Farm & Garden

In the spring of 2018, pastor Chris Battle set out to combat the food disparity in his community by starting a community garden at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in East Knoxville. He was later able to expand his mission with the purchase of the two-acre Abbey Field farm, which he rechristened as “BattleField.”

In addition to fresh produce, the farm also houses chickens and bees, affectionately known as the “Cardi Bees.” It regularly hosts educational events and farmers’ markets, which are featured on its Facebook page. The farm is always looking for volunteers.

Fox Den Hair Hangout

Nashville native and UT alum Foxy prides herself on being a “multicultural hair artist.” Her impressive resume includes working for Christian Cowan at New York Fashion Week 2022, as well as Rihanna’s SavageXFenty Fashion Show Volumes 3 and 4.

Intended to be a less stressful alternative to a typical hair salon, the Fox Den offers a variety of hair care services, including styling and coloring. Foxy splits

Established in 1969, this ensemble company’s mission is to highlight works by oppressed creators. In addition to bringing attention to the experiences of minority groups, the theatre intends to also offer a space for healing and learning, reframing trauma and empowering its community.

In addition to productions year-round, the theatre organizes a variety of other programs, including youth outreach and a digital storytelling house. For more information, visit their Facebook and Instagram.

Burger Boys

Blink and you will miss it — or maybe not. Despite its tiny size, it is difficult to miss the distinctive red and white exterior of Burger Boys. In 2018, owner Jeffrey Bryant took his over three decades of fast-food experience and opened this small slice of burger heaven on the side of Chapman Highway.

Home of the free fries, every burger comes with a generous portion of spuds at no additional charge. In addition to its burgers, Burger Boys dishes up a variety of other southern classics, such as fried chicken and ribs.

Plugged In: Street style on the Strip

LEAH HIBBERT Staff Writer

Sneaker culture and streetwear have reformed the world of fashion in recent years. Thousands of annual conventions, pop-ups and trade events take place nationwide for individuals to buy and sell merchandise.

David Deacon and Dallas Ogletree, two passionate sneaker enthusiasts, decided it was time that Knoxville got a local spot to do the same.

The pair opened up their vintage buy, sell and trade shop Plugged In back in June of 2021.

Having enough on-hand products of rare and hardto-get items isn’t an easy task – especially when trying to fill a whole store. However, Deacon and Ogletree have been raking up inventory since college.

“We started off buying and trading our own shoes in our dorm at Maryville College,” Ogletree said. “Then about a year later, David got a job at Footlocker, so he was good at getting new sneaker drops. We started traveling around to different conventions and doing sneaker meet-ups around town too which is how we got most of our product.”

The pair said they continue to attend various meet-

ups and conventions to get new products, just now with a bigger budget. Owning their own business has allowed the two to bulk buy popular products so inventory is always on hand.

Although UT students keep a constant traffic flow during the academic year, Deacon says a lot of locals and social media followers are very supportive and are a strong asset to their clientele.

“Throughout the whole year, the locals really support heavy,” Deacon said.

Ogletree and Deacon have collected enough products to fill two floors with merchandise and offer several different sizes and colors as well. They even have a dedicated University of Tennessee vintage section, which comprises everything from hats to bomber jackets.

“We don’t want to tell people how to dress, we just want to be able to cater to everybody so that whatever style someone does have, they can find an option here,” Ogletree said.

Plugged In offers designer pieces, hats, vintage pieces, sneakers, streetwear and even accessories. Deacon and Ogletree are proud to have a store just minutes from campus that really offers something for everybody.

The sneaker industry is no joke. Ogletree and Deacon just sold their highest priced shoe in the store for

a little over $8,000 – a pair of Jordan UNC 5’s, Player Edition. Although most pairs in the store don’t go for nearly that much, limited edition styles will sell for thousands of dollars.

Whether you’re on the hunt for the rarest sneaker on the market, want to up your streetwear style or you’re just looking for a unique shirt for gameday, Plugged In has got it covered.

Local restaurants started by UT alumni

ABBIE SMITH Staff Writer

As the class of 2023 makes their exit from the University of Tennessee and enters the “alumni” phase of their lives, each student has the opportunity to take what they’ve learned at UT and transform it into something great. Some alumni will become nurses or teachers, some will work 9-5 jobs, and some students will start their own businesses, like the owners of these local restaurants. The next great alumni-owned restaurant in Knoxville may be the brain-child of a 2023 graduate, but for now, here is a list of four alumni-owned restaurants in the Knoxville area.

Refill Coffee Cart

The Refill Coffee Cart is a much smaller, more portable business than the others on this list. Because of this, alumnus Adam Kennedy has the unique opportunity to cater for any event: indoor or outdoor, large or small, and corporate or personal. Though the cart only caters to people and businesses in East Tennessee, their whole bean coffee is shipped all over the United States.

Kennedy studied advertising at UT, which helped him learn how to study current trends and information when building his business.

“The education I gained during my time at UT provided me with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to build a team that allows my business to function efficiently and to create a strategy to effec-

tively advertise my business to a specific audience or potential partners,” Kennedy said.

For those who reside within 20 miles of downtown Knoxville, you can order coffee delivery on the Refill Coffee Cart website. They offer cold brew delivery for the most part and have more options at the actual coffee cart, which is available for booking.

Balter Beerworks

Balter Beerworks is owned by alumnus David Wedekind. The restaurant is a “scratch kitchen brewpub,” according to their website, and its mission is to offer a place for people to connect and enjoy them-

selves. The word balter means “to dance artlessly, without particular grade or skill but with enjoyment” also according to Balter Beerworks’ restaurant and that summarizes this business perfectly. It is a place for spontaneous fun and laughter.

Balter has five different menus: brunch, lunch, dinner, specials and their beverage menus. Like Abridged, Balter Beerworks offers a variety of options but are most well-known for their burgers and sandwiches. Their brunch menu is also extensive and has something for everyone.

Balter Beerworks celebrates Okoberfest with many menu unveilings. File / The Daily Beacon

Streetwear store Plugged In is located at 1907 Cumberland Ave. Edward Cruz / The Daily Beacon

Abridged Beer Company

Abridged Beer Company is owned by two alumni of the University of Tennessee, Lyndsay and Jesse Bowers, who have successfully opened four restaurants in different areas of Knoxville. They own the Bearden brewpub, Cedar Bluff’s “world headquarters” of Abridged, the Oak Room in North Knoxville, and a food truck that can be found around Knoxville, though they are not booking events with the food truck at this time.

Their menu is relatively the same between all four locations: a heavy focus on burgers and sandwiches, as well as a kids’ menu and appetizers like their fried green tomatoes. They also have a sandwich of the month, which offers a fun element of surprise to your dining experience.

Double Dogs

Double Dogs is a sports bar located off of Hardin Valley Road, right across from Pellissippi State Community College. There is also a location on Kingston Pike, past West Town Mall. Both locations are owned by Daniel Davis. They have a variety of wings, salads with dressings that they make from scratch, sandwiches, pizzas, hot dogs, burgers and sides that will satisfy everyone you are eating with. They have a famous milkshake made with Moose Tracks ice cream, though if you have a peanut allergy, you should not order it. Overall, the selection options and locations make this a trip worth taking.

The sign outside of Double Dogs Chow House on Kingston Pike. File / The Daily Beacon

Gay Street bookstore Addison’s sells vintage, rare books

ABBIE SMITH Staff Writer

Addison’s Bookstore opened last summer at 126 S. Gay St. It is the only used bookstore downtown, selling old and rare books, and is run by Brian Worley, whose lifelong dream was to own a bookstore. Finally succeeding in accomplishing that dream, Worley runs Addison’s Bookstore with the intention of having people of all ages enjoy the books he sells.

“I felt there was a niche for old books in Knoxville,” Worley said. “I wanted to have a space in an older environment and to hold events in that place. I enjoy exploring something different than a normal bookstore.”

One of Worley’s sales associates who also prices books, Mary Jacque Wynn, praised the store.

“It’s the best place I could’ve found. This place is a joy — it’s calm, beautiful, the people are friendly — what else? How much better can it be?” Wynn said.

The store is organized with a collection of rare books on the first floor, with plenty of spaces to sit and read available. Also on the first floor, there is a tea bar that specializes in Chinese tea. This bar is run by a separate company, but the sale of each product benefits the other. Downstairs, there is a carefully-curated collection of books following a theme — in the past, they’re had a Christmas collection, books on witchcraft and ghosts for Halloween and their first collection was about Greek and Roman mythology.

Not only is the store calm and beautiful like Wynn said, but it’s also treated like a home. The store is named primarily after Worley’s daughter, Addison, but the name also runs in his family. The store is an abode and Worley takes care to build his collection of books at the store similarly to how he has built his personal collection at his home.

“There’s joy in building a library,” Worley said. “I choose books not just for people to read, but for people to enjoy the history of old books. Sometimes there are inscriptions, memories, illustrations by famous illustrators that are gone now, or things that people left in their book when they last read it. It brings an interesting perspective to the book — knowing that other people read it in a completely different time.”

For the same reason, Wynn expressed her love for the historical fiction genre.

“(The subject) is real and it happened. People are interested in researching and writing about the lives of the people who lived through history. We want to sell these books for the same reason, so people can read about the lives of others,” Wynn said.

Wynn and Worley also divulged their favorite books and recommended them to anyone looking for something to read. Wynn’s is “Fall of Giants”

by

Ken Follet and Worley’s is “West with the Night” by Beryl Markham. Both are historical novels, with “Fall of Giants” being historical fiction and “West with the Night” being a memoir.

For Worley, procuring the books that he sells is not as difficult as one might think. He has the option of going to estate, library and private sales, as well as sources asking if he’s interested in what they might have to sell. He mostly gets his old books from a collector who has been in the game for 30 years and is slowly selling her collection.

As for his oldest book in the store for sale currently, Worley has a version of Homer’s “Iliad” from 1572, with Greek on one side of the page and Latin on the other. Additionally, he has gathered many first editions of books like “To Kill a Mockingbird” or from authors such as Mark Twain and Washington Irving. They also have magazines with original articles in them that were written by the likes of James Agee and Ernest Hemingway.

Finally, Worley also hopes to utilize the bookstore as a place where classes can take place. In the past, he has hired guest lecturers to teach classes on topics such as the life of James Agee and the basics of book collecting. He hopes to host more of these classes in the new year.

Along with classes, Addison’s Books hosts book club meetings and game nights. They consistently host events and participate in community activities like First Friday. To learn more about upcoming events and other information about Addison’s, you can visit their website, addisonsbooks.com.

Addison’s Bookstore opened in June 2022 at 126 S. Gay St. The store is organized with a collection of rare books on the first floor, with plenty of spaces to sit and read available. Downstairs, there is a carefully curated collection of books following a theme. Madelyn Stone / The Daily Beacon

Addison’s Bookstore opened in June 2022 at 126 S. Gay St. On the first floor, there is a tea bar that specializes in Chinese tea. Madelyn Stone / The Daily Beacon

Unique grocery options to check out in Knoxville

EMMA COFFEY

2023-24

Arts and Culture Editor

Red Panda Grocery

Red Panda Grocery, located at 123 South Central Street, is one of the only Old City grocery stores. The store has a Southeast Asian theme and has Asian foods and ingredients. Red Panda is unique as it has all of the basic grocery needs, but also has a deli counter and a rotating hot food menu which is beneficial for downtown employees. Some of their hot foods include breakfast sandwiches, sausages and Italian beef Chicago dogs. They have frozen food, meats, toiletries, condiments and more available. Red Panda also allows customers to request items and products for the store to sell.

Shopping local is an important aspect of a city — it supports the economy, local workers and the environment, while also building community.

Here are six local grocery stores to visit in Knoxville.

Three Rivers Market

Three Rivers Market is a co-op food market located at 1100 N. Central St. A co-op, independent store provides goods that tend to be more affordable and accessible to customers. This market aims to nourish the Knoxville community, provide healthy options for customers and to be environmentally conscious and sustainable. Three Rivers Market specializes in local organic produce, hormone-free dairy products, pastured eggs and grass-fed meats.

Butler & Bailey Market

Butler & Bailey Market is located at 7513 S Northshore Dr., only a short drive from campus. This market works with local farms and vendors to provide fresh, organic food and produce for customers. They have most of your grocery needs available, specializing in deli, seafood and meat, honey and produce items.

Butler & Bailey recently went through a remodel, allowing them to obtain more products and be more environmentally friendly. The market prioritizes community through working with local schools and organizations in the area.

Sunrise Supermarket

Sunrise Supermarket is a family business located at 8509 Kingston Pike. It is the largest international grocery store in Knoxville – the store includes products from Korea, Japan, Thailand, India, Latin America and more. Sunrise Supermarket aims to bring food diversity to the area. They carry seafood, pork, chicken and other meat products, as well as snack foods and general grocery items.

Pratt’s Country Store

Pratt’s Country Store is located at 3100 Tazewell Pike, about a 15-minute drive from campus. Opened in the 1920s and a community staple, the store sells fresh produce, dairy, baked goods, plants, fruit baskets, honey, locally roasted coffee and much more. Pratt’s Country Store also sells seasonal outdoor decorations. While the store does support farmers from other states, it has a strong relationship with local farmers.

Market Square Farmers’ Market

The Market Square Farmers’ Market is a community favorite. The market is open every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and also on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday shopping closes on Nov. 15, and Saturday shopping concludes on Nov. 18. Products and items sold at the market vary seasonally, but they are locally grown and made, and they sell fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey, coffee and much more, including artisan crafts and plants.

Produce at the Market Square Farmers’ Market. Madelyn Stone/ The Daily Beacon

Revisiting a historic 2022 season for Tennessee football

ERIC WOODS 2023-24 Assistant Sports Editor

The past two decades have not been kind to Tennessee football. For a program that had so much stability for the majority of the 20th century, the free fall was dramatic, and it was fast.

Since Robert Neyland retired in 1952 until the dismissal of Phillip Fulmer in 2008, the Vols had seen a total of five head coaches lead their program outside of a two-year stint from Neyland’s successor and a one-year stint from a coach 10 years later. Being a Tennessee fan was something to be proud of.

The Vols ended the 20th century two years removed from a national title, and 10-win seasons were a common occurrence. However, since Fulmer’s departure, Tennessee had seen the same amount of coaches come and go in a fourth of the time, as well as the same amount of losing seasons

— eight — as 10-win seasons under Fulmer.

The hiring of Josh Heupel following the disastrous Jeremy Pruitt era seemed to be another stop on the way well past the bottom.

But somehow, someway, Heupel found a way to quickly awaken the sleeping giant that was Tennessee football. After a promising 7-6 campaign in 2021, Heupel led the Vols to their first 10-win regular season since 2003 and first 11-win season since 2001.

“All season long we’ve talked about learning how to compete and finish at the end,” Heupel said after the Orange Bowl win over Clemson. “This month the message was really consistent with that, as well. It was about finishing our season, finishing this legacy, for the guys that have been here the last two years or whenever they came in. I’m not sure a group has done more in a shorter amount of time to help revive a prominent program the way this group has.”

Coach Josh Heupel, Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton smile during the trophy presentation at the Orange Bowl. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

It will forever be a remarkable feat — even in an era where the standard is a national champion. So, how did this happen?

Tennessee started the year with wins over Ball State, Pittsburgh and Akron for a 3-0 start, but there was not a lot of buzz surrounding the program with usual roadblock Florida coming up — a team that the Vols had only triumphed once since the Fulmer days.

Leading by 17 in the fourth quarter, the Vols weathered a final push by the Gators thanks to an interception by corner Kamal Hadden on the final hail mary attempt that iced the game for Tennessee in a 38-33 win.

The Florida wall had been broken, and the Vols dismantled eventual SEC West champs LSU 40-13 a week later in Death Valley to make it three top-25 wins in five games.

Tennessee had gotten off to hot starts in the past, but the impenetrable fortress in the way has always been college football powerhouse Alabama, where hope goes to die on the Third Saturday in October.

While there was some warranted optimism for the impending matchup with the Crimson Tide, years of frustration and disappointment left skepticism about the Vols’ chances.

However, what unfolded on that day was something truly special. Tennessee came out the gates red-hot and led 28-10 at the beginning of the second quarter. It was shaping up to be a blowout, but fierce comebacks have always been a staple of the Nick Saban era at Alabama, and that game was no different.

The Tide went on to score 18 unanswered points

to tie the game. Though Tennessee led at the half, everyone was thinking the same thing: “Here we go again.”

But the Vols battled toe-to-toe with CFB’s finest as future Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt put on a masterclass five-touchdown performance — a performance that left him etched in the legends of Rocky Top. His final score was the cherry on top that tied the game at 49 with three minutes to go. After a missed field goal by Alabama’s Will Reichard, the Vols had 15 seconds on their own 32-yard-line to make something happen.

In stepped quarterback Hendon Hooker, a man who had willed the Vols to stay in the game. He stepped behind center, composed as ever and connected with Ramel Keyton to the midfield. Still, they were well out of field goal range.

On the next play, Hooker found Bru McCoy cutting across the middle of the field for a 27-yard game. It was now kicker Chase McGrath’s turn. It wasn’t the cleanest kick and might have gotten tipped, but it went through, and the Vols came out on top as all of Neyland Stadium flooded the field accompanied by a thick layer of cigar smoke that embodied 16 years of pain.

“Tonight, obviously, was for our players, but it’s for our former players, it’s for our donors, it’s for our fans,” Heupel said. “I know how much this has meant to the people of Tennessee and Vol Nation. So excited that we’re coming out with a win for everybody involved.”

Rocky Top was officially bought into the Heu-

pel era, and the win marked a new age for the Vols. Overnight, Tennessee football was thrust out of the laughing stock of college football and into the spotlight once again.

The rest of the year wasn’t smooth sailing after losses to Georgia and South Carolina along with a Hooker ACL tear, but the work had already been done. Hooker is a legend in Knoxville and the Vols capped off the year with their 11th win in the Orange Bowl over Clemson.

If that was just year two under Heupel, then what does it mean for the future? Recruiting is on the rise, culture is on the rise and coaches are wanting to be in Knoxville once again.

“I just know that where we started, where we’ve gotten to, but there’s so much left out there for us,” Heupel said. “One of the great lessons, I said this to the football team after the game tonight, is two years ago there was so much outside noise that wasn’t necessarily positive, and none of those guys paid attention to it. They decided collectively and individually to go accomplish something, and they worked for it.”

“I’m not sure a group has done more in a shorter amount of time to help revive a prominent program the way this group has.”

JOSH HEUPEL Head Coach

Hendon Hooker No. 5 and Jacob Warren N0. 87 celebrate after a touchdown against Alabama on Oct. 15, 2022. Nolan Keesee / Contributor

Baseball alumni give back to university, prepare for professional world

CALEB JARREAU 2023-24 Sports Editor

158 home runs later, disappointment struck. Tennessee fell to Notre Dame in the Super Regionals to end their historic season. With their college careers over, 10 Vols were drafted to continue playing in the MLB.

Sixth-year seniors Redmond Walsh and Luc Lipcius didn’t see their names called in the draft. The pair were left with tough decisions for their future. The decisions sent them down two separate paths with similar outcomes.

Walsh, who holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering, contemplated his future. The job market looked promising, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to leave baseball just yet.

Then, a text from Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello popped up on Walsh’s phone.

“We can’t get rid of you,” the skipper wrote.

“I just told him, ‘I wanna be back, I wanna be with the team,’” Walsh told The Daily Beacon. “I want to see what it’s like being on the other side of it, the coaching side of it. So, that’s how it kind of all started out with the coaching side of it.”

As simple as that, Walsh had his plan set. He would join Tennessee pitching coach Frank Anderson and learn what it was like from his point of view.

though. The all-time home run leader at Tennessee began giving hitting lessons to Knoxville kids — kids who looked up to the former first baseman.

At first, Lipcius thought the opportunity to give lessons would be an easy way to stay around baseball and get some income as well.

Not long after he began working with younger athletes, Lipcius began to find a love for what he was doing.

“It turned into like, ‘Dude, I’m actually like changing these kids and improving them,’” Lipcius said. “And it just turned into a very good experience, a gratifying experience to have helped a kid get better at something.”

While Lipcius had never expected himself to enjoy coaching as much as he did, Walsh knew that coaching was something he wanted to do, and he feels grateful for the university.

“Just how much love and support they’ve given me is one of those things that if I can give back to those guys a fraction of what they gave to me, I think I’d make some kind of impact and just show how important that the university and the people around it have been to me,” Walsh said.

Lipcius chose to give back to Tennessee academically, while Walsh was doing so in the dugout.

Tennessee baseball took the world by storm in 2022. After going to Omaha the year before, the Vols returned, set a program record with 57 wins and won both the SEC regular season and tournament championships.

Walsh tied Todd Helton as the all-time saves leader at Tennessee. As a soft throwing lefty, Walsh took on the closer spot for No. 1 Tennessee in 2022. His ability alone didn’t get the Alcoa native the spot, but his work ethic did. His mentality has carried over to the coaching side smoothly.

“I don’t even think Tony (Vitello) knew exactly what he wanted me to do when I got there, but as time went on I kind of figured out my role of helping the pitchers and kind of being like a second eye for Frank (Anderson),” Walsh said. “That’s been the best part about it is just learning from that guy.”

On the other hand, Lipcius didn’t want to get into college coaching. He had seen the grueling effects it can have on someone, and he saw how much time coaches put in for little pay.

Lipcius toyed with the idea of pursuing an undrafted free agent deal, but his high academics and pursuit of a master’s degree in engineering turned him away from that decision.

He didn’t completely abandon baseball

Lipcius will graduate with his master’s degree and start a job with Gulfstream in Georgia. The job will let Lipcius put his education to use while overseeing the production of private jets.

His “normal” job will give Lipcius time to perfect his golf swing and even play some adult softball. It also allows him to get away from baseball, something he has spent almost all of his life playing.

“I think without just a straight, clean break from baseball as in like coaching or playing, that I would hold onto it too much and it would almost drag me down,” Lipcius said. “Not that I’m saying that I wouldn’t enjoy being a coach, it’s just one of those things that I would look back on it I feel like I wouldn’t be satisfied.”

Similar to Lipcius, Walsh has also received an opportunity in the professional engineering world. It won’t be a clean break for Walsh though as he hopes to continue his coaching career.

As the pair heads into the professional world of engineering, their fingerprints are everywhere around Tennessee baseball. The two showed up to a Tennessee team in 2017 that was near the bottom of the SEC, and they left as local Knoxville celebrities.

When their class arrived on campus, they had one goal: change the program. When their class left the program, it was at its highest point in recent history.

For Lipcius and Walsh, it was a success of the mission they set out for.

“Just to see us going literally from the worst to the best is something that I’ll hold with me,” Lipcius said. “I think that the only real way to explain it is when we won that super regional in 2021, me and Pete (Derkay) and (Evan Russell), the old guys, we just broke down on the field, started crying. We did it, and that was the defining moment.”

Former Tennessee baseball players Redmond Walsh and Luc Lipcius pose with the Vols’ SEC Tournament Championship trophy. Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics

Strong clubhouse culture allows Lady Vols softball to tackle adversity

JACK CHURCH Staff Writer

Whether it was going toe-to-toe with All-American pitchers such as Montana Fouts, silencing powerful lineups such as Clemson or coming back from six runs down in just six outs, the Tennessee Lady Volunteers have not backed down from any challenge this season.

“We’ve talked a lot about being a stronger, more together team that can withstand adverse situations when they do happen,” head coach Karen Weekly said ahead of the season.

The talent in the clubhouse, from the SEC-leading pitching staff to the lineup, is powerful, but the culture is something truly special. The leader of the locker room is senior outfielder Kiki Milloy, who is well on her way to taking down career and single-season records for the Lady Vols.

“Kiki is our emotional leader,” Weekly said. “She led us from the very beginning, and everybody followed her. They all buy in.”

Milloy, joined the Lady Vol program ahead of the 2020 season and still has one year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been leading the dugout since her arrival in Knoxville, and her senior season is no exception.

“I think I’m just so proud of this team,” Milloy said following a comeback win against Florida. “It’s just love. That’s the only way I can explain it. I just have so much love for this team.”

The culture of this team has also led to an influx of talent from the transfer portal. Junior pitcher Payton Gottshall transferred from Bowling Green to help a pitching staff which saw Ashley Rogers take on a large share of innings in 2022.

Senior shortstop Mackenzie Donihoo brought significant experience to the lineup from Oklahoma, including two national championships. Giulia Koutsoyanopulos, coming in from Arizona, made the transition to catcher this season for Tennessee, filling a noticeable hole in the lineup. Koutsoyanopulos also brought significant international experience to Knoxville after having played in the Olympic Games.

“It’s cliché, but it felt like home,” Koutsoyanopulos said on her decision to transfer to Tennessee. “It felt like they would value me as a person more than just a player. Everyone feels like family, and there is a lot of chemistry.”

The team culture also helps on the recruiting trail, as pitchers Karlyn Pickens and Charli Orsini headlined a talented freshman class. Orsini was recruited from Australia and appreciates the challenge of playing NCAA softball.

“It is difficult playing in a different country, but I love the challenge and I love every opportunity it

brings me,” Orsini said.

Having been eliminated in the regional round in both 2021 and 2022, there is only one goal for the Lady Vols every year. That goal is to be one of the last eight teams standing in the NCAA tournament and give Tennessee its first trip to the Women’s College World Series since 2015.

“Every year our goal is to be in Oklahoma City,” Weekly said. “Every year we feel like we have a team that can get there.”

Kiki Milloy (9) catches a fly ball for an out against South Carolina on Friday May 5, 2023.

Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

The Jordan Crooks story: A quest for 17.63 seconds

CALEB JARREAU

2023-24 Sports Editor

the second-fastest swimmer in the 50-yard free ever, only behind Caeleb Dressel’s 17.63 second time.

A kid who almost gave up swimming.

Swimming was not Crooks’ first sport of choice as a child, but it was something he certainly couldn’t avoid. In the tropical Cayman Islands, it was basically a requirement that Crooks was an adept swimmer.

“Growing up on an island, I think it’s just really important for everybody to know how to swim,” Crooks told the Beacon. “I didn’t really take it that seriously growing up. I was more interested in basketball and soccer. But then I realized I was a little bit better at swimming than those sports at probably about 13 or 14. That’s why I think I cut those sports out at about that time, and then just focused on swimming.”

Swimming was something Crooks didn’t take very seriously for a while. He did it for fun, or just as a hobby. It wasn’t until 13 that he entered his first major race, after watchng others do it.

“Seeing that they could do it I think made it easier for me to just kind of wrap my head around the fact that just cause you come from a little island doesn’t mean you can’t achieve the same success as people who come from bigger places,” Crooks said.

The 16-year-old was ready to give up after things weren’t going as he hoped. At the same time, Dressel was breaking records while swimming for Florida. Crooks saw what he was doing, and changed his mind about the future.

Coming to a foreign place was not as big of a transition as some may think. Tennessee’s Director of Swimming Matt Kredich has created a friendly environment that attracts the top talent, both men’s and women’s swimmers, from anywhere in the world.

“They know that they’re gonna be taken care of in and out of the water,” Hugey, who is also Tennessee’s recruiting director, said.

The NCAA races short-course yards. A pool 25 yards long was the shortest Crooks had ever raced in. Unbeknownst to him, it was something that he could use to his advantage.

Dating back to his childhood days of catching up to his friends underwater in the Cayman Islands, Crooks realized he could stay underwater for almost half the race. The improvement was instantaneous.

“I think my first couple of meets when I saw like a lot of improvement from where I came in, especially on the underwaters,” Crooks said. “I realized I can really use the underwaters to my advantage a lot more than when I was in short course meters.”

His underwaters earned him a 2022 SEC Championship, Caribbean Swimmer of the Year and the fastest times in Tennessee history for a freshman in the 50 and 100 frees.

Jordan Crooks got up on the blocks preparing to race for the SEC tournament. The calm before the storm took over — as it did every race. Crooks felt at peace, similar to how he felt swimming in the reefs outside of the Cayman Islands as a child.

The mark for collegiate swimmers in the 50 free is 18 seconds. Only one man had ever swam the 50 free in less than 18 seconds. Crooks didn’t think he would get it as a sophomore, but it was his goal to break the 18-second mark before he graduated.

The peace is quickly set aside as the beep goes off. Crooks shoots out of the blocks into lane four, a perfect start. Utilizing his strength underwater, a strength he picked up as a child in the Caribbean, Crooks takes an early lead. As he approaches the wall at the halfway point, he has a nearly perfect jump to increase his lead.

“When he jumped, I knew it was gonna be a special, special performance,” Crooks’ coach Josh Huger recalled in an interview with The Daily Beacon. “I think he was eight-six at the 25, and the way that he hit the wall, it was just spot on.”

The jump allowed Crooks to utilize his underwater strength and win the race. After Crooks touched the wall, he looked toward the blue scoreboard in Rec Center Natatorium at Texas A&M. He paused for a moment as he read his time.

17.93 seconds.

A burst of emotion overcame Crooks as he slammed the water and pointed to his team. Teammates and coaches clad in orange rushed the sophomore to celebrate. A kid from the Cayman Islands had just become

“There was a point where swimming was not that cool for me,” Crooks said. “I wouldn’t really watch it the way somebody would watch football or basketball or something like that. But when he came onto the scene, it, that’s what made it cool for me because he just had this different level of sprinting that I hadn’t seen anybody else have.”

Swimming was cool again for Crooks. Ironically enough, that rough patch was when Crooks focused all of his talents on swimming, and began competing at a higher level than ever before.

That fire burned under Crooks as he worked toward college and recruitment. Despite his early success, Tennessee was one of the few schools recruiting Crooks out of high school. But it was the one who wanted him the most.

“Jordan’s just a great human being,” Huger said. “I think anybody could spend even a little bit of time around him. You immediately pick up on just kind of his contagious energy.”

Over 1,000 miles from home, Crooks had to adjust to Knoxville. The Cayman Islands, home to 68,136 people, was a lot slower-paced. Everyone knew everyone on the island, Crooks explained.

While it is over double the size of his home, Crooks felt at home in East Tennessee.

“It feels homey really,” he said. “I can just drive up the road and I don’t really need a GPS or something like that. It’s not too hard to find anything here. And then a lot of the people that I swim with live kind of around the area so it’s not too hard to go visit a friend or something like that.”

Along with his first-year success came the realization that Dressel’s record was something he could reach. 17.63 seconds in the 50 free has yet to be accomplished again. Dressel didn’t swim under 18 seconds until his senior year.

Crooks accomplished that time as a sophomore on his way to another SEC Championship in his 17.93-second race. He also earned a National Championship in the 50 free among a slew of other honors for the 20-year-old.

Those honors don’t include breaking Dressel’s record.

“I think to beat Dressel you’d need to have something beyond perfect, beyond a perfect swim cause he is really, really talented, very well put together, and is really the standard when you think about sprinting,” Crooks said.

He watches film of Dressel’s races in the 50 free and compares them to his own. Dressel is the standard. Dressel made swimming cool for Crooks. Dressel is a recognizable name to anyone, in the swimming community or outside of it.

Now, thanks to his SEC Championship performance, Crooks is a name right next to Dressel’s.

While achieving below a 17.63-second time is a personal goal for Crooks, he has a lot of goals for the team as well. He sees an SEC Champion-caliber team next season. He wants to be a part of bringing that trophy back to Knoxville.

“I want to leave something here for Tennessee swimming,” Crooks said. “I wouldn’t say a legacy, but leave something meaningful behind and feel like I’ve kind of left the team in a better spot than when I found it cause it was already in an awesome spot when I found it.”

Jordan Crooks after his heat in the 50 yard Freestyle at the 2022 SEC Championships. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

HOUSING GUIDE

5 must-need dorm items to add to your checklist

OLIVIA HAYES

2022-23 Copy Chief

Everyone knows the typical dorm room essentials, but what about the niche, forgettable supplies that always come in handy but never make it on the checklist?

Here are some UT-specific items you might find yourself needing for your dorm while tackling your freshman year.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

If you’re the type of person who needs quiet time or if you’re a light sleeper, noise-canceling headphones are the way to go. Living in a dorm is like having a year-long sleepover, which can be fun but also irritating at times.

If your roommate happens to be a particularly loud snorer, plays loud music when you’re trying to study or if you simply want to pretend they don’t exist for an hour, noise-canceling headphones might save your sanity.

Mattress Topper

Every college kid knows that the best naps you’ve ever taken in your life are those slept in your dorm bed. These beds are warm, snug and comfy, due in

part to a quality, plush mattress topper.

Though you are paying thousands of dollars in dorm fees, the dorm mattresses are nowhere near five-star hotel quality. They are typically stiff and flat, and you can almost feel the ghost of freshmen past haunting the fibers. A good mattress cover will protect you from the ghost and lull you to sleep.

Desk Fan and Heater

Something no one talks enough about in the older dorms is how brutal the heat and air conditioning can be.

No matter how convincing the temperature knobs on the air unit look, you do not have much control – if any – over the temperature of the heat and air. You can, however, turn the air on and off, but on a scorching summer day or a brisk, frosty night, a little heat or air can be a delicacy.

Bringing your own portable fan and heater can give you that much-needed relief, and you get to choose what temperature fits your fancy.

Steamer

Small closets mean less space to hang your clothes, which leads to wrinkles. Having a portable steamer on hand will de-wrinkle your business casual outfits or that one T-shirt that accidentally got bunched up in the bottom of your dresser.

Air Filter and Emergen-C

As my freshman year roommate liked to say, living in a dorm is like living in a petri dish. Sickness spreads like wildfire, so keeping Emergen-C and vitamins on hand will give your immune system a boost to keep you healthy and happy all semester.

While you’re at it, consider getting an air filter. In addition to the dirt, some dorms have mold growing in unseen places. An air filter can easily fit under your desk and will keep you breathing in clean, fresh air.

Portable fans allow residents to control the temperature. File / The Daily Beacon

A student’s guide to Knoxville apartment hunting

MACY ROBERTS

2023-24 Arts & Culture Editor

Once you’ve settled into your new dorm room and prepare to explore campus as an official UT student, consider opening Google and researching “apartments near me.”

With housing on campus and in the surrounding Knoxville area becoming increasingly unavailable in part due to the influx of students brought to campus for the 2022-23 academic year, it’s crucial that you stay ahead of the housing game as much as possible.

While you’ll be able to apply for housing on-campus for your sophomore year and onward, housing won’t be guaranteed like it is for freshmen. There’s a lot of student and non-student housing in close proximity to UT’s campus, but spots will likely fill up sooner than you think.

To make sure Rocky Top remains home sweet home to you throughout the duration of your studies, consider following these tips to stay on top of the Knoxville housing game.

Start your search early

How early is too early? Honestly, there’s no such thing. While you might not be able to submit an application for housing until a little after the fall semester begins, you can still get an idea of what apartments there are around campus and how much rent runs.

You can also tour most apartment complexes before the leasing process officially begins to get a good idea of what your future home might look like. If you wait, however, you might find your options have become more limited because others beat you to signing a lease. In that case, you can join a waitlist in hopes of another unit opening up, but this isn’t a guarantee.

Determine your ideal location

Maybe you would love to be in the heart of campus, which certainly comes with perks such as being able to walk to class. Some options include Aspen Heights, The Commons and The Knox. Although, it’s worth considering that the closer an apartment complex is to campus, the higher rent tends to run. Additionally, noise levels tend to be a lot higher in places like the Fort and the Strip with high volumes of people.

If you’d prefer a more relaxed, secluded apartment complex, there’s plenty of student housing options across the river. These options would likely result in a 10-minute car ride to campus, but many complexes including Quarry Trail, The Woodlands and The Heights offer shuttles that drive residents to and from campus.

Other options across the river including The Orchard and Redpoint allow students to rent entire homes rather than individual apartments but still provide community-style living and amenities.

You can also consider non-student housing in the surrounding Knoxville area. This option means no shuttle and less of a student-life environment, but if that’s

what you’re looking for, there’s no shortage of options.

Find your roommates

Unless you’re planning on renting a one-bedroom apartment, you’ll need to start your search for roommates relatively early as well. If you’re not sure who you’d like to live with, many apartment complexes offer roommate matching services in which you fill out a short questionnaire that is used to match you with random roommates based on compatibility.

If you’re starting your search early, you may not know if your current roommate situation is ideal and if you’d like to live with those roommates again. Don’t feel guilty for reaching out to new people to rent with. You should prioritize living in as healthy and happy of a housing environment as possible.

Be prepared for rent increases

Student and non-student housing alike, they know they can raise rent each year due to the competitive Knoxville housing market. And they will.

When selecting an apartment, make sure you set your budget, and if something looks like it’s on the higher end, make sure you consider the possibility of future rent increases before signing your lease.

Being that most leases are 12 months, you can always move if rent increases end up being too high. However, you’d then have to worry about apartment hunting again and moving all of your belongings. This is best to avoid if possible.

Take Google reviews with a grain of salt

Most people leave reviews because they either had a really positive experience or a really negative experience, so don’t put your faith entirely in online reviews of apartment complexes.

It’s obviously a good idea to look at reviews and note things of importance such as the quality of the apartments and how management treats residents. However, just because one person had a horrible experience doesn’t mean you will. Likewise, just because someone had a perfect experience doesn’t mean you will.

While reviews are definitely beneficial to consider in your selection of an apartment, you should always direct any

questions or concerns you have to leasing office employees or current residents you come across.

A great blend of an urban city environment with beautiful green spaces and outdoor activities to explore, Knoxville truly is an amazing city to live in. Unfortunately, it seems like much of the United States population has recently discovered this and decided to move here.

Knoxville is certainly more crowded and expensive than it used to be, but we can’t really complain about Volunteer Nation expanding and being so well-regarded.

We’re happy to have you here on Rocky Top and would love for you to stay. So don’t be slacking when it comes to securing an apartment for the next school year.

The Standard apartments are a popular location for students looking for housing near campus. File/ The Daily Beacon

Making the most of campus dining

CAITLIN MULQUEEN Staff Writer

Of the many life skills learned as a college student, one of the few that you won’t be able to articulate or fashion into a LinkedIn post is the ability to make the best of dining hall foods and maneuver all there is to know about a meal plan.

On campus, there are four dining halls, but three that Vols are likely to frequent often. Rocky Top Dining is located in Presidential Court. On the west side of campus, this is the place to be. Large and in charge, you can look through two whole levels of food in here. Central campus is home to Stokely’s dining hall. Located at the bottom floor of Stokely Hall, this is the place to go if you have a break in your classes.

One mysterious and little-known dining hall is Mabel’s in McCord Hall. Are you hungry? Do you have somebody you’re avoiding? Mabel’s is the place for you. Due to the fact that it is located on the Agriculture campus, few Vols are aware of its existence, are unwilling to make the walk or are a combination of the two. Mabel’s is where you want to be if you want to skip the lines and avoid the crowd. However, Mabel’s is only open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The dining halls are able to provide a hungry Volunteer with all they need. From soft-serve ice cream to salad bars, pizza, cheeseburgers and much in between, you are likely to find something you like. However, dining halls, while able to satisfy a need, are not always able to satisfy a want.

Meal equivalencies are the key to success when you are looking to make the best of on-campus dining. Complete and total mastery over your meal plan comes with understanding and knowing the technicalities of a meal equivalency (or cash equivalency meal swipe).

With the freshman year meal plan, also known as the Tennessee Unlimited 7, you can use a meal equivalency per meal period in place of a trip to the dining hall, the quantity of which is $5.50. However, the locations and times that meal equivalencies are

accepted may change from semester to semester, so it is key to check the dining website for potential changes.

Examples of the best usage for a meal equivalency could be seen through a morning coffee and bagel at Dunkin’ Donuts. The price of a small coffee and bagel is covered in a single meal equivalency. If you are feeling like it’s more of a latte and bagel morning, that’s no problem either. You can still use a meal equivalency and pay the remaining few dollars with dining dollars, flex dollars or card.

Vols can also get their morning or afternoon caffeine fix from Einstein Bros. with the use of a meal swipe. A cold brew and a bagel, after the use of a meal swipe, will only cost about $2.

Some of the best places to use a lunch meal swipe include Subway, Twisted Taco and Cane’s. However, dinner is when the flood gates really open. From Chick-fil-A and Steak and Shake to Qdoba and the Union Deli, in addition to the locations that take lunch swipes, options are available at the tap of a Vol Card all over campus.

Understanding how to maneuver your way around the cash equivalency and dining dollars is the key to success. The meal swipe/dining dollar combination is how you can truly make the best of your meal plan here at UT, but there are other variables that are important to at least be aware of. Uncharted territory lies in a robot, in the most literal sense.

The Starship food delivery robots take up a portion of the population on campus, and are an integral piece of the dining experience. After downloading the Starship Food Delivery App on a mobile device, students are able to purchase food from stores and restaurants around campus. The dining website lists the locations that the Starship will deliver from on campus. The cost of delivery is an additional $1.99.

So whether your food is coming to you from the line in the dining hall, a meal swipe at an alternate location or through a tiny, little robot, if a Vol is strategic about the dining throughout the day, there is no limit to the combinations they might enjoy.

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Ablaze is the university’s first feminist collective magazine. Our mission is to empower women on campus and within the Knoxville community by providing real, relatable content.