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Letter from the Editorial Team: Walking with suicide prevention efforts
THE DAILY BEACON EDITORIAL TEAM
We are an editorially independent newspaper, but we still serve our local campus and Knoxville community.
Over the last few years, too many students have taken their lives on this campus, and many still feel alone and as if they are not adequately supported and loved by their community.
We all must do better to ensure everyone feels welcome and purposeful here. As the editorial team at The Daily Beacon, we feel it is important to make space for conversations surrounding suicide and mental health on our campus.
Supporting mental health on campus is something that all students, faculty and administrators at the University of Tennessee should be more involved in. We want to show our support for all who are suicide loss survivors and those who are currently struggling or have struggled with their mental health.
Over 1,100 suicides occur on college campuses each year, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. Twenty-five percent of people know someone who has died as a result of suicide, and 40% of people know someone who has attempted suicide. A study from The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also found that 7.5% of those ages 18-25 have seriously considered suicide.
These numbers are too high.
To raise awareness on this matter, Saturday, March 29, The Daily Beacon’s editorial team members participated in the AFSP’s Out of Darkness Walk on UT’s campus.
Alongside Sources of Strength, Rocky Top Recovery, the College of Law, the College of Social Work, Pawsitive Strides and many other teams and organizations, the Beacon staff walked across UT’s campus in support of their own personal losses and mental health struggles.
But this walk was more than just a sign of activism – UT’s chapter of AFSP has raised over $10,200 to go toward suicide research, prevention and advocacy for suicide prevention laws in D.C. and at the Tennessee State Legislature.
UT’s AFSP chapter has over 2,000 members, and its UT Knoxville Campus Walk fundraiser is still accepting donations on its website until the summer. With help and support, AFSP can take action against this leading cause of death to create a culture that is smarter about mental health.
Suicide is a complex issue. No one person’s story is the same, and the road to recovery looks different for everyone.
Despite UT’s large student body, this campus can be a very isolating and lonely place.
The Beacon hopes to be a space for the UT community to be open, honest and candid about the downsides and mental health struggles of being a busy college student on a large campus. By covering prominent and controversial aspects of campus life, our goal is to bring the community together.
Not only are students young and impressionable, but the quick transition from high school to college can be quite the culture
shock, exacerbating any mental health problems one might have had, or bringing new ones to the surface.
We can all do better at reminding one another that we are all human and that it’s OK to not be OK.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please do not hesitate to reach out to friends or loved ones, or seek professional help.
The university and Knoxville community have many options to help anyone needing assistance. Whether you need medication or talk therapy, you can find someone who will listen to you.
You are not alone in this battle. There is a campus and community full of peers and professionals to support and fight alongside you. Know that the world is a better place with you in it.
The University of Tennessee’s American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted an “Out of Darkness” walk and fundraiser Saturday, March 29, 2025. Members of The Daily Beacon’s editorial team participated in this walk to help raise awareness for suicide prevention efforts. Courtesy of Sources of Strength
3 additional measles cases confirmed in the state, Tennessee Department of Health reports
CADEN DYER Managing Editor
Tennessee Department of Health confirmed three additional cases of measles in Middle Tennessee. These cases are currently under investigation by public health officials. TDOH released their statement on Tuesday, April 1, at 1:30 p.m.
Tennessee now has a total of four confirmed cases of measles in 2025.
All three of the recently confirmed cases
are currently recovering at home, according to TDOH.
Measles is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease. It is prefaced by a fever and malaise, but is most often identified by its initial red and spotty rash. This rash blanches to the touch and follows a very specific path through the body.
“It starts on the face and it spreads from the head down and from the center out,” Dr. Abigail Blackmon of Blackmon Pediatrics said. “So, face to neck to trunk and back, and then to extremities. And it disappears in the order in which it appeared.”
Breathing contaminated air, touching infectious surfaces or coming into contact with an infected individual increases the risk of contracting measles. Measles can live in an airspace for up to 2 hours, according to the CDC.
Blackmon said those who are immunocompromised — those who are diabetic, have asthma, etc. — should be especially aware of places they are going and the potential signs of measles.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine are highly effective at preventing measles, according to TDOH.
‘There’s a war being waged against freedom of speech’: Students, community members held protest, vigil for student arrested by ICE
WRIGHT
Thursday, March 27, about 50 students and community members of various backgrounds gathered on the sidewalks outside the College of Law to hold a vigil and protest, advocating for the freedom of Mahmoud Khalil and the protection of freedom of speech.
The peaceful demonstration lasted from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and was co-hosted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Democratic Socialists of America, Allies for Knoxville’s Immigrant Neighbors, Local Alliance for Mideast Peace, Riverside Community Catholic Worker and the Knoxville chapter for Jewish Voice for Peace.
“We are here to support other people from other universities around the country who have been targeted and detained by (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in connection with supporting Palestine,” Julie Elfin, a representative for Jewish Voice for Peace, said. “We’re also here to acknowledge that a threat to free speech like this is much broader than a few isolated cases of immigrants interacting with ICE — this is an attempt to make anyone who is saying things that the government doesn’t agree with feel unsafe.”
Khalil — a lawful United States resident —
was arrested March 8 by ICE agents, sparking nationwide controversy and uncertainty for Palestine activists.
In May 2024, Khalil helped organize and lead protests at Columbia University in New York against the war between Israel and Palestine. These demonstrations inspired the Free Palestine Movement and other protests at college campuses nationwide, including the University of Tennessee.
According to the Associated Press, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed Khalil’s arrest in a statement March 9, describing it as being “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.” He was arrested as a result of his participation in the pro-Palestine protests.
“There’s a war being waged against freedom of speech for every American right now,” Miriam Atatrah, a UT alum at the vigil, said. “Our government and ICE specifically targeted a student with legal documentation to be here in this country, who took all the right steps to be here and have the proper documentation, (and he) still was not protected because of his stance on Palestine. And if somebody who is documented can be disappeared by our government, then citizens can also be disappeared by our government — nobody is safe when the government starts literally abducting
people because of their political views.”
Elfin told the Beacon that this is the third demonstration they’ve held since Khalil was detained a few weeks ago, and they plan to continue holding public events weekly until Khalil is released or they start to see change.
Thursday’s demonstration was the first to occur on UT’s campus since Khalil’s arrest.
The location in front of the College of Law was deliberately chosen because of the pro-Palestine protests that occurred there last spring and because of the symbolic nature the College of Law building offers.
“If you read what it says above the front doors of this building, it’s ‘equal justice under law,’” Elfin said. “So to have that as our backdrop is really, really powerful … and emphasizes that what we are doing is legal and should not be limited under law.”
As students and community members chanted into megaphones and waved signs and flags, cars passing by honked their horns and yelled out their car windows in support and dissent of the demonstrators.
“I think it’s important to send a message that we are not afraid,” Atatrah said. “We will not hide and cower in fear because of the threats that this university and this government have made against people who are speaking out.”
Many of the protestors at the vigil Thursday night were part of the pro-Palestine protests that happened last spring, some of whom were arrested, including Yassin Terou, a local restaurant owner and prominent humanitarian. However, the protest remained peaceful, and no arrests were made as all demonstrators remained on sidewalks and off campus property. This demonstration also comes after UT received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education ordering the protection of Jewish students after a Title VI complaint from a student in 2023.
Weekly Campus Crime Log
Signs made by demonstrators at the Mahmoud Khalil protest and vigil outside the College of Law. Thursday, March 27, 2025. Emily Hurst / The Daily Beacon
Reorganized Government Affairs Committee advocated on behalf of all Vols, lobbying key issues in Nashville
PATRICK BUSCH Staff Writer
The week before spring break, the Student Government Association sent the Government Affairs Committee to Nashville to spend a day advocating for students at the University of Tennessee and higher education across the state.
The Government Affairs Committee is a special group of a dozen students from several different branches of SGA tasked with lobbying for all UT students to the state legislature.
The first bill, SB125, debated in Congress, would mandate the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to conduct a study on whether expanding financial aid offerings for workforce credentials would be beneficial. Lucia Saez, a freshman and member of the First-Year Council, explained the state’s demand for more blue-collar workers.
“The first was a bill to mandate a study to research the influence of financial aid for workforce credentials,” Saez said. “That was a big one, especially since Tennessee has had a shortage of blue workers. We also thought that could help motivate them to research financial aid for universities.”
Saez explained that the committee began meeting every Monday in February and decided what bills to advocate for through a discussion as a team and hearing from the UT Advocacy group.
The committee identified that the UT’s Big Orange Pantry was underfunded and consistently running out of food — SB172 would provide grants for all public higher education institutions in the state to provide more free food options.
The bill is part of an initiative known as the Hunger-Free Campus Program. Cade Simmons, a member of the First-Year Council and the committee, spoke to the importance of this bill.
“This was actually probably our biggest bill,”
Simmons said. “This would help provide block grants for campus free hunger programs. We have the Big Orange Pantry here on campus and that is a very utilized resource. Looking at the statistics it’s in the tens of thousands of students already this semester that’ve utilized that. Many times they run out of resources, so we know that there’s a need for students to have that.”
SB588, the Tennessee for Tampons Act, would mandate that all higher education institutions provide free tampons in female restrooms. Simmons discussed the effects the bill would have on Tennessee.
“That would be putting feminine hygiene products in university centers, not only at the University of Tennessee but across the state,” Simmons said.
The committee also advocated for an overhaul of UT’s FUTURE program, as the program helps young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities receive a college education.
The program provides students with special classes, augments others and offers an internship. Its goal is to support students with disabilities and allow them to get jobs after graduation. Simmons shared the progress they made with legislators regarding the program.
“We were trying to work on upgrading that programming and providing more opportunities for students with disabilities,” Simmons said. “We had quite a bit of receptiveness to that …
We’re hoping to have some legislators potentially come up to the university and tour that facility to kind of understand the perspective that we’re coming from.”
The committee students agreed they saw big success from their day at the capitol as they reported general receptiveness by legislators, with some agreeing to vote yes or co-signing some of the bills.
Their time in the capitol was not only an opportunity to advocate for UT but also to learn for themselves what lawmaking looks like. As the committee spent several months preparing for the capitol, Jack Scott, a senator and member of the committee, appreciated what his legislature looked like in action.
“It just really was a very eye-opening experience in a short period of time as to what a day in the state legislature looks like,” Scott said. “I highly recommend that any student wanting to have that perspective or see what this looks like, or advocate for issues on behalf of UT, sign up for this next year and get involved with SGA. It’s really remarkable what you get to experience and see with the policy-making process.”
Despite the controversy surrounding the new Government Affairs Committee at the beginning of the semester, it seems they have made progress and accomplished the original intention of the first committee.
Brood XIV cicadas will emerge in Tennessee after 17 years underground
KACIE BURNS Staff Writer
It has almost been a year since the last emergence of cicadas in Tennessee. Now, brood XIV is set to reemerge in the Eastern United States in the coming months when the underground soil reaches optimal temperatures.
According to USA Today, Brood XIV is a massive group of 17-year periodical cicadas last seen in 2008. After nearly two decades below ground, billions will rise again.
USA Today also states that Tennessee is expected to have one of the largest concentrations of these cicadas, alongside parts of Kentucky and Georgia.
“They’ll be there for four to six weeks maximum — so, starting when the temperature is around 64 degrees is when they start coming, so somewhere closer to May,” Midhula Gireesh, assistant professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the UT Institute of Agriculture, said. “So if you want to time anything according to that, that’s probably the timeframe they’d be here.”
While cicadas are not particularly harmful — they do not bite, sting or carry disease — the primary concern is for ornamental plants and young trees. These plants can suffer damage when cicadas
lay eggs on small branches, according to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
UTIA explained that valuable shrubs, small trees and ornamental plants can be shielded with cheesecloth or tobacco canvas while cicadas are active. According to UTIA’s Periodical Cicadas report, insecticide spray is not recommended to prevent cicadas from laying their eggs and damaging plants.
Ivey Woolf, a senior studying plant sciences, elaborated on the damage this brood of cicadas could have on plant life in Tennessee.
“Cicadas are herbivores, meaning they feed on plant material — these insects don’t have a specific focus like other insects, such as leafminers, they instead attack all parts of the plant,” Woolf said. “The immature stages of the insect will feed around the roots and stem of the plant, while the adults will consume the leaves.”
The cicadas’ mass appearance is a fascinating natural event — after emerging, the cicadas will mate, lay eggs and die within four to six weeks. Gireesh explained the life cycle of these cicadas.
“They have a life cycle that’s either 17 years or 13 years — so this is the time that they will be spending underground in immature form,” Gireesh said. “It
starts by making small holes, and then they come out and they need an upright structure. Once they climb, they change from immature forms to adults — they shed their exoskeleton.”
For students at UT, Brood XIV could become an audible and visual part of campus life, affecting outdoor sports and spring events later this semester.
According to Gireesh, cicadas can reach 92 to 100 decibels with the males’ mating calls — this can be as loud as a jet taking off at 305 meters.
Woolf explained that Brood XIV could affect not only plant life and disturb audio levels but also local businesses.
“Economically speaking, the agricultural and green industry will most likely take a hit as well,” Woolf said. “With the majority of the green industry having operations outdoors, their plant stock may take a major hit.”
Gireesh explained that despite the potential for impairment, cicadas can bring many ecological benefits.
“Them coming in this many numbers is food to a lot of predators,” Gireesh said. “They also act as natural aerators from making those holes and then once they die off, all their dead bodies are like a natural fertilizer.”
As Tennessee prepares for the arrival
and farmers should be advised to take preventive steps to ensure the health of Knoxville’s green spaces.
“The problem mainly lies with the management of this event, especially since we know that it is coming,” Woolf said. “Questions regarding the use of pesticides, biological control and preservation of stock must be addressed in order to prepare fully for the emergence of Brood XIV cicadas.”
of Brood XIV, city planners, arborists
SGA visit to Nashville featuring from left to right: Cade Simmons, State Sen. Ferrell Haile and Don Darcangelo. Friday, March 28, 2025. Courtesy of Cade Simmons
Cicada from the 2024 Brood XIX emergence, taken from UT Central District Extension Office, Nashville. Thursday, March 27, 2025. Courtesy of Midhula Gireesh
SGA passes raise in meal equivalency value, debates improvements in campus accessibility
PATRICK BUSCH Staff Writer
On Tuesday, March 25, the Student Government Association Senate held its secondto-last meeting of the semester. During the meeting, several bills and resolutions were discussed and passed including campus accessibility, meal equivalency value and sports gambling resource expansion.
Updates from the executive
Student body president Dante Grayson followed up on the SGA’s previous initiative by providing biodegradable confetti for graduates. This effort hopes to create a more sustainable graduation and limit the costly repairs to the stormwater management after confetti is fired off.
Grayson stood up while holding one of the confetti cannons and announced that 1,000 units had arrived. He said the SGA would hand out the confetti containers to seniors at graduation.
As the semester draws to a close, the speaker of the senate, Krish Dogra, announced that certain bill-passing rules will be suspended at the next and final meeting.
Bills must be presented at two separate SGA meetings — first and second readings — before being voted on. However, to allow any lastminute bills to pass, the final meeting will allow bills to be presented and voted on in the same meeting.
First readings: Improving campus accessibility, providing new prayer and relaxation spaces and a reading of the Senate bylaws
Sens. Blake McClurkin and Nicolette Abate sponsor Bill 24-15, the Vols on Solid Ground Bill. The bill would mandate that the university repair several uneven, cracked or holed sidewalks around campus to improve pedestrian accessibility, particularly for those in wheelchairs.
Sen. Abate specifically mentioned uneven bricks in front of Volunteer Hall and uneven manhole covers and holes in the Pedestrian Walkway.
While the authors cited a few specific examples in the bill, they intend for the university to act on any uneven surfaces around campus.
Bill 24-16, the Serenity and Spirituality Spaces Bill, is sponsored by Sens. Abate and Madeline Bell.
The bill aims to help students who need a peaceful and private place to pray and visit. It has support from the Muslim Student Association and the Tyson House.
While there is a designated space for this in the Student Union, the bill’s authors believe that it does not adequately meet the needs of students across campus. This bill would have the university implement more of these for easier access across campus. Sen. Bell reported to the
Senate the findings of a survey they conducted.
“We did a survey and 52% of students said that they already currently use this prayer room,” Bell said. “And just under 60% of students said they sometimes, most days or daily have difficulty when participating in their faith.”
Bill 24-16 was assigned to the health and wellness committee and will be reviewed and voted on in two weeks.
Finally, first readings were held on the Undergraduate Student Senate Bylaws, which are the framework for the SGA Senate’s functions and purposes. The amendments for this next year are limited to reflecting changes made in the previously passed SGA constitution. This was assigned to all Senate committees for review and will be voted on in two weeks.
Second readings: Proposed changes to Total Access, meal equivalency value and the Student Health Center
At the last meeting, Sens. Niya Angelova and Jack Scott introduced Bill 24-12, the Physical Textbooks Bill. This bill would expand Total Access so that when a professor requires a textbook in print or is only available in print, the physical version would be provided for free.
In a survey conducted by the authors, 36.7% of students reported that they have had to pay out of pocket to purchase a physical textbook.
There were no substantive changes or amendments to the bill. Bill 24-12 was voted and passed with 97% in favor and SGA will now lobby the bill to the university administration.
Bill 24-13, the Meal Equivalency Bill, was introduced two weeks ago by Sen. Ella Blair and
drafted by the First-Year Council. There were also no substantive amendments to the bill, which remains in its original form and raises the meal equivalency value from $5.50 to $8.00.
During a period of questioning, it became clear that this move could increase the pricing for unlimited on-campus meal plans, though it is unknown how much it could go up.
However, the bill’s authors stated they don’t anticipate a price increase for one-toone students with the cost of increasing meal equivalency value by $2.50. An increase would be up to Vol Dining’s discretion.
Bill 24-13 was voted on and passed with 95% in favor and 5% opposed.
The Student Health Online Platform Bill, Bill 24-14, introduced at the last meeting and sponsored by Sen. Blair, was also drafted by the First-Year Council.
The bill would simply allow students to book appointments for the Student Health Center through an online portal. Bill 24-14 passed unanimously. It is unclear when its implementation will be complete.
Resolutions: A new mural, gambling addiction services and better promotion of mental health services
Resolution 24-6, sponsored by Sens. Andrew Hogan and Margaret Gourley, representatives of the Herbert College of Agriculture, asked that the university put a mural up on the Agriculture campus. They identified the Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science building as a good location to better welcome people into the Ag campus.
They both believe that there isn’t a sufficient marker for entrance into the Ag campus, which would help bridge the gap between the main campus and the Ag campus. Resolution 24-6 passed unanimously.
Resolution 24-7, introduced by Sen. Jack Bulmer and called Gambling Addiction Resources, asks the university to take action in providing gambling addiction resources to students.
Bulmer explained that he sees gambling, particularly sports gambling, as a widespread issue across campus. Bulmer explained that the university currently offers no dedicated program for students struggling with a gambling addiction. Bulmer spoke to a program that the Interfraternity Council had previously offered.
“We’ve seen areas of campus actually try to pick up that slack themselves,” Bulmer said. “I know personally that within the IFC community, we started last year paying for a service that provided mental health support and gambling resources for men in the IFC community. Now, they’ve since stopped paying for that, due to the cost that was putting on the organization itself. I think it’s time for the university to step up.”
Resolution 24-7 passed with 95% in favor and 5% opposed.
Resolution 24-8, entitled Prioritizing Mental Health: Expanding Awareness and Resources for Students at the University of Tennessee, was introduced and sponsored by a large group of senators.
This resolution simply calls on the university to better promote all mental health resources in one space so that students can have an easier time accessing them. Resolution 24-8 passed unanimously.
SGA discusses new bills and policy changes during their senate meeting on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Sarah Portanka / The Daily Beacon
New SGA bill to provide RAs with option to receive CPR training
PATRICK BUSCH Staff Writer
Student Government Association Sen. Campbell Butler and Senate Secretary Avery Combs authored and sponsored Bill 24-8, the CPR Bill. This bill which was previously voted on and passed aimed to provide Resident Assistants with the ability and training to perform CPR.
Butler and Combs first wrote and passed the bill last year, but it was never successfully lobbied to administration and the changes endorsed in it never took effect. Combs explained she first became aware of the university’s existing policy on RAs providing CPR through a friend of hers.
“Last year, I actually was talking to some of my friends that were applying for the RA position and they were saying in the case that CPR was required, they were told not to touch residents and to call 911 and that’s what sparked my decision to write the bill,” Combs said.
The bill’s authors discussed with Jerry
Adams, Director of Residence Life, and Professor Lucy Jewel at the College of Law about why the university’s policy this was the case — they discovered that the university was concerned about possible legal action against the RA or the university after CPR performance.
“Administration would like to protect Resident Assistants from any kind of civil suit,” Butler said. “The example we were given was in the event a student has overdosed or is in need of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and an RA performs CPR on them … sometimes CPR can be kind of intense, especially the longer that you do it … and so people who have had damages applied to their bodies can, technically, if they wanted to sue the person who administered CPR on them.”
After discussing with administration, it became clear that fears of a tort lawsuit was the reasoning behind university policy. A tort lawsuit is a civil case that occurs when someone’s actions have resulted in another’s injury or loss.
However, both bill authors reiterated the point that no tort lawsuit had
successfully found someone liable for providing CPR. According to the American Heart Association, concerns over facing civil lawsuits as a result of performing CPR, in good faith, in the event of an emergency, are largely unfounded. In a review of 30 years of U.S. lawsuits, the AHA found $620 million in settlements for delayed or inadequate CPR. This is opposed to just $120,000 being paid in punitive damages for performing CPR.
Furthermore, every state, including Tennessee, has “Good Samaritan” laws on the books. These laws are put in place to protect individuals who perform, in good faith, life-saving care in the event of an emergency.
A 2018 release from the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General in response to an inquiry from State Sen. Bo Watson explains how the law functions.
“The Good Samaritan Law generally provides that a person who, in good faith and under certain specified circumstances, “renders emergency care” or assists in “rendering emergency care” shall not be liable for civil damages resulting from any act or omission by that person, except for damages resulting from that person’s gross negligence.”
Additionally, the bill’s authors learned that the risk of lawsuit further declines when those acting in an emergency have received the proper training and certification. A key component of Bill 24-8 is providing Resident Assistants with the option to obtain CPR certification through UT’s Environmental Health and Safety office.
With this provided training, Butler
and Combs believe that the university will be able to change its policy to at least allow trained RAs to perform CPR in the event of an emergency.
The Beacon reached out to the university for comment on its current policy and any intentions to change its policy as a result of Bill 24-8. The university responded with a statement on its position.
“Once a bill is passed and approved by SGA, the Division of Student life connects a representative from the SGA senate with the department or organization, which may include a meeting with appropriate student leaders to determine next steps. To clarify, a Resident Assistant may perform CPR if instructed by medical personnel in the event of an emergency.”
The bill’s authors believe that because of some alterations in the bill’s second iteration, they are more likely to see a change in policy from the administration. A big difference is that this year, they published several testimonies in the bill, from RAs stating they would like the training to have the ability to act to save a life in the event of an emergency.
Bill 24-8 passed in the Senate unanimously in February and is currently being lobbied with the administration, and talks on how exactly implementation would look are ongoing. Sen. Butler is hopeful that implementation will begin this semester so that training can be offered going into the next school year, but she says she is dedicated to making it happen no matter what, even if it takes longer than this semester.
RYAN OSBORN / CARTOONIST
Knoxville housing crisis: Raising awareness about eviction rates
As Knox County eviction hearings reach record high, organizations like SOCM step in
SHELBY WRIGHT Editor-in-Chief
Knoxville is facing a serious housing crisis
Since 2020, Knoxville and University of Tennessee student renters have experienced a 56% increase in rental prices while median incomes have only increased by 3.4%, according to a 2024 City of Knoxville Housing Office report.
At the same time, UT began accepting more students despite its lack of housing on a landlocked campus. As of September 2024, UT’s student population saw a 6.7% increase from last year — an institutional record.
Over the last five years, UT’s undergraduate student population has grown by 24%, and UT President Randy Boyd has set a goal of having 41,000 students by 2030.
Seventy-two percent of unhoused individuals in the Knoxville area said they were homeless because of eviction, lack of affordable housing or loss of employment, according to a study done by Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation.
COVID-19 greatly exacerbated these trends when the federal government began rolling out stimulus checks and when many people began working remotely. As a result, more people started moving to Knoxville because of its affordability and growing attractions.
For these reasons, compounded by rising inflation rates, the demand for housing in Knoxville has skyrocketed, driving up the housing market while Tennessee’s minimum wage still stands at $7.50.
Landlords are forced to raise rent prices, but most tenants simply can’t keep up, and eviction notices begin to loom on the horizon.
On March 11, just before spring break, 361 cases were on the eviction court docket — the highest number of eviction cases the civil court has ever heard in one day.
Just this week, on March 30, the court heard 141 cases.
This housing crisis is also beginning to affect students first-hand, and many students are worried that this issue will directly shape the future of the campus and the City of Knoxville.
Caroline Grossman is a senior studying political science at UT who is working
with Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM) to collect qualitative data on Knoxville’s housing crisis.
“Through our research, we’ve spoken with students who have faced eviction because they simply couldn’t afford rising rent,” Grossman told the Beacon. “As a result, these students had to pause their education and find alternative ways to support themselves. This is not just an individual struggle — it is a community issue that affects the vitality and future of Knoxville itself.”
Solange Muñoz is an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainability and is helping with research on evictions in Knoxville alongside Professor Stephanie Pierce, who is spearheading affordable housing and homelessness research for UT’s Appalachian Justice Research Center.
“There’s been a housing crisis in the United States and around the world for years, but Knoxville was pretty protected from that … but then with COVID, that really shifted,” Muñoz said.
However, the future of the housing market and all those facing impending eviction is not entirely bleak. These numbers have caught the attention of scholars and policymakers across the state, who have begun advocating for strategies to mitigate the underlying and immediate causes of eviction.
SOCM, which has been showing up every Tuesday at the courthouse to talk to tenants and collect data to help push forward policy and funding that supports Knoxville’s newly established Eviction Prevention Office.
SOCM (pronounced sock-um) is a nonprofit based in Tennessee that is dedicated to empowering the greater voice of Tennesseans. Founded in 1972, SOCM has worked in communities in Tennessee to support grassroots policy change, and Knoxville’s SOCM chapter has worked actively on housing issues since 2014.
In May 2020, SOCM started showing up to eviction courts.
“We started just to observe,” Adam Hughes, an East Tennessee organizer with SOCM, said. “We had no idea what would come of this. And eventually, we connected with the UT people to help represent some tenants.”
This office also works in conjunction with Legal Aid of East Tennessee, a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal assistance to tenants facing eviction. This is important because, in civil courts, people are not entitled to a lawyer, and those facing imminent eviction don’t usually have the funds to procure one on their own.
Over the past year, LAET has taken on 577 cases. Of these, 338 were resolved eviction cases, and 91% successfully avoided a judgment on the record, according to Emily Cala, one of the two attorneys at LAET.
In 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury established the Emergency Assistance Rental Program, which dispersed money to LAET and eight other community partners for the Knox
County Eviction Prevention Program, which was granted funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.
“It’s just going to make our job a little more difficult, but also even more important, because without (ERAP), people are going to need even more legal help and representation in negotiations that we’re doing to try to keep those judgments off people’s records, which is our primary concern on how we stop an eviction judgement,” Michael Davis, a LAET attorney said.
However, due to dwindling funds, LAET has already reduced its staff from five attorneys and three paralegals to two attorneys and one paralegal. Alongside the rising number of eviction cases, they are overwhelmed and have to turn more people away. There are an average of 250 evictions a month, but now LAET can only represent about 50 tenants a month due to these staffing cuts.
“As far as rejected cases that we can’t accept, it’s a growing percentage,” Cala said. “We’ll be sorting through new applications, and there will be at least 20% of those that we’re not going to be able to take.”
Additionally, the ERAP’s contract with LAET expires at the end of March, and the 18-month grant they received through the CARES Act will expire in May unless the City Council finds a way to allocate them funds from elsewhere.
Now, LAET and SOCM aim to get Knoxville city and county officials to grant the Eviction Prevention Program just $600,000 to stay afloat. According to Managing Attorney Michael Davis, this is not a lot of money, especially considering its positive impact on the local economy.
According to an AJCR report, every $1 spent on keeping the eviction office open returns $6.14 in downstream education, medical and housing costs to the city and county.
The $600,000 the program needs would go toward staffing and upgrading the office, ensuring that those needing help with representation and housing in Knoxville have access to representation and all the necessary resources.
“By urging local council members to support the Eviction Prevention Program, we can help ensure a future where Knoxville remains a happy, healthy and thriving community for all,” Grossman said. “The issue of housing is not just a local problem — it is an opportunity for the Volunteer spirit to make a lasting, positive impact.”
Right now, the City Council is having all their budget hearings, and the final budget is to be released on April 25th.
“We’re in a very unprecedented time where evictions are more than they have ever been … (If we don’t restore funding) I really think that the community would see a huge impact,” Cala said.
Keep following Shelby Wright, Editor-inChief, over the next few weeks at utdailybeacon. com for updates on this story.
Immigrant musicians ‘Larry & Joe’ perform at Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival
ERICK GOMEZ-VILLEDA,
Editor
Offering roughly 200 bands and artists, the Big Ears Music Festival has once again taken over downtown Knoxville. With more than 20 different venues being used, music was emanating from everywhere.
There were a variety of different musical acts, performances, films and artwork on display throughout downtown and Old City. From big-name headliners to indie artists, there was a style and sound for everyone.
One of those artists is a duo made up of North Carolina native Joe Troop and Venezuelan-born Larry Bellorín, known collectively as “Larry & Joe.” Blending bluegrass and folk music with the llanera music from Venezuela created a unique sound all of their own. But where did it all start?
According to Bellorín (as translated by Troop), “We are children of the pandemic, you might say. We are the positive that came out of the negative, we’re the silver lining of the pandemic.”
Bellorín moved to the United States from Venezuela seeking asylum. He had worked construction jobs and got music gigs on the side until the pandemic pretty much put a stop to
that. During that same time, Troop was living in Argentina, and the pandemic pushed his band into hiatus, forcing him to return to the U.S. after being in South America for 10 years.
While looking for new music collaborators, Troop was also working with asylum seekers in Mexico when a mutual friend told him about Bellorín, suggesting that Troop check out this asylum seeker musician working construction in North Carolina.
On December 2, 2021, they played their first show together, and neither of them expected the reaction they received from the crowd that night — a standing ovation, and some audience members were moved to tears. According to Troop, “sparks flew” and the duo known as “Larry & Joe” was born.
Bellorín was an accomplished musician back in Venezuela who ran a music school while performing and touring across Venezuela. However, political unrest forced him from his country to seek asylum here in America. When asked about how the process was coming along, given the current political climate, Bella said that change can make decisions difficult:
“This has been such an abrupt change — you’re not sure if you should be afflicted or if you should get scared. You don’t really have time to know what to even do. But we just want to continue,” Bellorín said. “It’s a difficult
panorama, but we are pushing forward and fighting for what we want.”
Bellorín is referring to the potential revocation of asylum for some 600,000 Venezuelan asylum seekers, which the new Trump administration has been discussing over the past few months.
“We’re just fighting to live. We’re not asking for anyone to give us anything, we’re trying to work for what we want,” Bellorín said.
In such uncertain times, Bellorín and Troop told the Beacon that they feel like they have music inside them, which is “like medicine for their souls.”
“It allows people to distance themselves from their problems and what burdens them. As we play with a lot of passion, we try to give them joy,” Bellorín said.
Th duo also gives many school presentations in the Appalachian area. They like to think of themselves as mirrors in which the children can look and hopefully see themselves in the future, to see different people and cultures coming together in harmony.
“We’re lovers of folk music traditions, we love all kinds of folk music traditions and we’re practitioners of folk music, but together we try to let the traditions merge and do as they will,” Troop said.
While their livelihoods are uncertain, Bellorín and Troop will continue to work hard at what they love.
“We’re happy to do this, but it isn’t just for us,” Bellorín said. “There’s a higher power involved — something greater. We want to spread our message of inclusion. We want to leave a legacy that would allow people not to draw lines between migrants and nonmigrants.”
Ericksen
After Big Ears, “Larry & Joe” will continue to tour and spread their message one gig at a time.
Anoushka Shankar’s Big Ears performance embodied heart of festival
SAMANTHA FULTON Staff Writer
Walking into Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar’s performance on Sunday, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect — a common phenomenon at Knoxville’s Big Ears Music Festival, which features artists from across the world and across genres.
I knew that over 1,500 people had RSVP’d to her show, and I knew that even the VIP line was wrapped around the block, but attending Shankar’s performance was a somewhat impromptu decision. As soon as Shankar began playing her sitar, I knew I had come to the right performance.
The biography on Shankar’s website describes her style best — “Anoushka’s tempests of sound present ancient instruments in modern light, not as exotic set pieces, but as living, breathing, and wildly expressive, full-bodied gifts to this world. Every note played comes from the soul.”
With her sitar seeming almost like an extension of her body, Shankar sat comfortably onstage, grinning for the entirety of her performance. While she only occasionally spoke to the audience, Shankar’s musical expression created a sense of connection between herself, her band and her audience.
Joined by an unlikely ensemble of keyboard, drums, stand-up bass and clarinet, Shankar primarily played songs from “We Return to Light” – the third chapter of her trilogy of mini-albums – which she described to the audience as a celebration of “reconnection and strength and power.”
Drawing on childhood training in Indian classical music, Shankar’s experimental sound is something completely original.
With an energy rivaling that of a rockstar and riffs that were at times reminiscent of AC/DC, Shankar had the audience cheering and hollering throughout her performance. Often defying genre altogether, Shankar and her band kept audience members on their toes from start to finish, switching from slower pieces to upbeat jazz numbers with ease.
The whole time, all I could think was, ‘This is what Big Ears is all about.’ The unexpected fusion of sounds that somehow created perfect synergy epitomizes the energy one experiences when walking around downtown Knoxville during Big Ears.
Waiting in line for shows, strangers from different states, different generations and different professions came together and greeted each other like old friends – a togetherness paralleling the kind you only tend to see on game days during football season.
Addison’s Used & Rare Books, I was also able to witness this energy on the days of the festival I wasn’t covering for the Beacon. I spoke with customers from California, Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia and even heard a few British accents.
The thing all of these festival goers shared was their love of music and their openness to hearing new sounds. With nearly 200 performances offered over the four-day festival, attendees dip in and out of venues hearing bits and pieces of unfamiliar artists and avant-garde experimentation — an experience that requires an open mind and open ears.
At its core, Big Ears is a festival that brings together people from all walks of life.
The mission of Big Ears is “to collaborate with artists, audiences, and communities to create joyful, meaningful, and transcendent cultural experiences that defy boundaries, fuel curiosity, ignite the spirit, and nourish the soul.” That is exactly what I saw encapsulated in Shankar’s show, which fused genres and cultures with seamless execution.
While I saw several other avant-garde, experimental shows over the weekend, none captured the spirit and mission of Big Ears quite so well as Shankar’s. In an age of polarization, Shankar managed to create a sense of community that was present not only on stage, but one which rippled through
the crowd even after we filed out of the theater and back into the streets of downtown Knoxville.
Larry (l) and Joe perform at the Knoxville Museum of Art during the Big Ears Festival. Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon
Photo
Anoushka Shankar performs at the Tennessee Theatre during the Big Ears Festival. Sunday, March 30, 2025. Ella Sanford / Contributor
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Pride Center teams with Omega Phi Alpha to paint the Rock for transgender awareness, embrace the LGBTQ+ community
HARRISON ING Staff Writer
Friday, March 28, The Pride Center and Omega Phi Alpha sorority gathered at UT’s infamous Rock to paint it with messages of affirmation for the transgender community. The two organizations provided cans of spray paint for anyone to use, affiliated or not, and labeled the area a safe space to speak and be heard.
The Rock was painted a stark white by the two organizations to provide the ideal canvas for participants to write their messages of positivity. Kelly Harrison, a member of the Commission for LGBT People, helped prepare the Rock and said the messages can help cut through the mass of hate the LGBTQ+ community receives.
“We’re living at a time right now, both in our state and our country, where many of the messages directed at the LGBTQ+ community are hateful and there are many folks that want to see their rights taken away,” Harrison said. “So I think these messages are important to remind them that there are people who fully support and accept them for who they are.”
Messages like “you matter” and “Trans rights are beautiful” were written across the Rock, and icons of smiley faces and stars were sprinkled in the spaces between. The final product was a collage of inspiring words and images that resembled a yearbook page — one for the LGBTQ+ community to take hope from.
Whitney Elam, a junior studying forensic anthropology and the service director for OPA, said she was very proud of the outcome for its appearance and its potential for good.
“This opportunity was so exciting to me, one because it allows us to really work with another organization on campus —
one that also doesn’t always get the most love — and also really work to uplift those voices that aren’t always heard or seen,” Elam said.
Elam said the goal was to put the messages in a place where they would get a lot of visibility, and there’s no better place at UT than the Rock.
“Seeing as we’re at UT and have access to our gorgeous Rock — which is such a staple within the community and such a tradition — when I saw that the pride center was going to be painting the Rock today I jumped at the chance to join in,” Elam said.
Harrison agreed, and said that the Rock is essentially an icon at UT, sometimes drawing people to campus to see it alone. She said having access to it and other mediums of discussion around UT are incredibly powerful tools that should be utilized in the fight for trans rights.
Reflecting on the past, Harrison said she remembers a time at UT before The Pride Center, and is so happy it exists now to do acts of good like this. She said it’s essential to have centers of momentum to inspire confidence in the community and in legislation for rights protection.
“I think the climate right now is so yucky that people may feel compassion but are also too scared to speak out,” Harrison said. “I hope things like this will empower people to speak out for others as well as themselves.”
Elam said the collaboration between OPA and the Pride Center comes as a part of her organization’s “President’s Project,” and is one of their six areas of service including their own sorority, the UT community, the general community, international nations in need and people in need of mental health programs.
The Pride Center has many upcoming events similar to this one. If you or anyone else would like to contribute or are in need of services you can visit their website.
Students at The University of Tennessee paint the Rock to show support for the transgender community. Friday, March 28, 2025. Harrison Ing / The Daily Beacon
Is modest hottest? A closet crisis at 21
One thing about me is that I love a good outfit. I would be lying if I said there weren’t a few times I was late to a class because my outfit didn’t look just right. Am I proud of this? No. Was it all in the good name of fashion? Perhaps.
For the record, I would say that my ‘fashion’ isn’t really fashion at all to most people. It is not high-end by any means. Quite frankly, it is considered more of a lazy, but niche, style. On most days, I’d say my outfits are pretty standard, wearing colorful sets or rocking an all black look, always pairing it with chunky shoes and jewelry. Other days, I plan outfits like an art, and love to experiment — but don’t get me wrong, I also love the occasional ‘groutfit.’
As experimental or questionable as my outfits might be, dressing up for the day is something I always look forward to. However, I have recently found that when choosing an outfit for something other than my day-to-day, like a night out or a dinner, I struggle to find the appropriate attire, and most importantly, attire that makes me feel good.
When I opened my drawer a couple of Fridays ago to find a ‘going-out-on-thetown-top’ (girls, we all know the war zone of this drawer), I was taken aback at the sight of some of my shirts, if you could even call them that. Small tube tops, glittery bra-like coverings and a plethora of low-cut, cropped pieces of fabric that I hadn’t worn in years were staring me in the face.
I realized three things. 1. I had not been shopping in years. 2. I had just been borrowing clothes from my generous roommates and ignoring this dilemma. 3. I wasn’t a freshman in college anymore, but a grown woman.
These realizations led me to accept that when wearing my out-of-style clothes for something I wanted to look good for, I didn’t like how I looked at all. When trying to have fun with my friends on a night out, I felt like I was tugging down to keep my top from rising up, or pulling the fabric upward to prevent more exposure and overall, wondering what other people were thinking about me.
However, if this were a couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought.
Thinking back to when I would usually swap and borrow clothes with my closetblessed friends, I felt great on the occasions
for which I chose outfits with more coverage, a cute jacket or even a higher neckline.
Had I not gotten the memo that everyone else seemed to get? Modest was the new hottest.
I would like to give myself some grace for being behind on this fad. I am a college student who is constantly short of money, which is on my account (no pun intended). Truthfully, if I have a little money from a lucky work week, it goes straight to groceries and other necessities, not clothes. Besides, I already had drawers full of clothes — they just weren’t all the right clothes.
Nevertheless, it was time to address my problem — I would rip off the BandAid and do something nice for myself (that was financially sensible, of course). After thrifting for my coming-of-age rebranding and $70-ish later, I found myself cringing at my receipt, yet feeling relieved and happy that I had some things to wear when I needed them.
Being so caught up in my busy day-today life, I guess I didn’t realize how much I had grown and matured. It felt like I blinked and I was 21 years old, mentally and physically. I wanted to look my age
while feeling confident, and in my humble opinion, mini tops and club dresses weren’t cutting it anymore.
Don’t get me wrong — this is not a complete exile to all of my iconic looks. I might hold on to some of the ancient fan favorites for a while.
There are a few lessons to take away here. First and foremost, do what makes you feel like your best self. By sharing my experience with a fashion crisis and arguably a frontal lobe development, it is important to remember that not everyone wants to be ‘modest’ or cares that much about what they wear. While I personally have found that dressing more sophisticated and ‘older’ is what makes me happy, who cares what age you are and how you dress? If you want to wear a sheer top or a turtleneck out with friends, do it.
Second, don’t be scared to make a change. As odd as it seems, I hesitated to put all my anxieties aside and just continue wearing styles I knew didn’t feel right because they were what I had known for so long. I knew that when I actually had a paycheck to do so, I had to make a muchneeded investment in my closet and my way of thinking.
Lastly, do something nice for yourself.
When life gets super overwhelming and busy, a small act of kindness can go a long way. In my third and busiest year as a college student, I feel like I don’t have the time to go out and really look for clothes anymore, but this was a treat. Something seemingly small like buying a couple of outfits can keep you content for weeks (or maybe that’s just me).
Everyone deserves to do something nice for themselves every once in a while, whether it be making a big purchase on something they really want or need or getting a budget-friendly goody.
Ansley Graves is a junior at UT this year, studying journalism. She can be reached at agrave24@vols.utk.edu.
Ansley Graves Opinions Editor
Opinions Editor Ansley Graves says, “I realized three things: 1. I had not been shopping in years. 2. I had just been borrowing clothes from my generous roommates and ignoring this dilemma. 3. I wasn’t a freshman in college anymore, but a grown woman.” Ansley Graves / The Daily Beacon Columns
How Kim Caldwell’s seniors laid foundation for Lady Vols
JACK CHURCH
Assistant Sports Editor
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Kim Caldwell wanted to win now with Lady Vols basketball.
She felt that it was important to coach for the seven players who decided to spend their last year of their college careers playing for her and for Tennessee. That outlook resulted in getting the Lady Vols back to the Sweet 16.
It also resulted in a rewarding season for the program’s new leader, one that in her eyes will propel her tenure at Tennessee forward.
“I am incredibly thankful for this group that I got to coach,” Caldwell said. “They did exactly what we said we were going to do, which was get Tennessee back into the top 25. They bought in, they played hard, they’ve been a joy to coach. God blessed me to be able to coach this group of kids. I am thankful for them. Any success that we have at Tennessee from here on out is because of this team.”
Tennessee’s season ended Saturday with a 6759 loss to Texas in the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Vols fought back to tie the game after three quarters but couldn’t find a way through the Longhorns in the fourth. Tennessee didn’t score in the last 3:43 of the game and turned the ball over nine times in the game’s final 10 minutes.
The Lady Vols fought to the end, something they’ve done all season. Caldwell started installing Tennessee’s work ethic from the moment she got to Knoxville last April, and her team carried it out over 34 games.
“I think this group and this team has laid the foundation and set the standard,” Tennessee senior Darby said. “You’re going to work hard, but you’re going to earn everything that you get.”
What Lady Vols want to carry into next season
Caldwell’s first season won’t happen in a vacuum. Instead, it will set the standard for who the Lady Vols are and who they want to be.
The biggest piece of Tennessee’s team in that aspect are the seven players who walked off the court for the final time. Sara Puckett, one of those players, is confident the culture she helped create will build on itself and prove to be a successful start to this new era.
“Me and the other seniors, we really honed in on and set the standard and the culture for this year,” Puckett said. “Just to know what that is, and that carries over. It’s just going to get better and better because the coaches are going to continue to learn. I feel like it’s going to be really good for the program in the next couple of years.”
Tennessee has plenty of reason to be confident in next season’s team. Alongside all of the returners, the Lady Vols bring in five top-60 recruits and three McDonald’s All-Americans. Plenty of talent will be in Knoxville next year.
They’ll all be there around Caldwell, who has proven herself to be a winner at Glenville State, Marshall and now Tennessee. She’s had another year of growth, this time at the SEC level, and will be ready to take a step forward.
Her system, while complicated, is a lot more palatable with several returners who have played it before. Instead of having nobody who has ever played like Caldwell wants to play, Tennessee will have several. It’s an opportunity for Ruby Whitehorn, who is a junior, to take on a leadership role.
“With all of our incoming players, especially our freshmen, getting them bought in early, pouring into them, stepping up and being more of a leader is going to be important for the upperclassmen next year,” Whitehorn said. “We’ve learned this system and it’s time to teach our newcomers so we can get to it faster.”
Ahead of this season, there were plenty of reasons to not believe in Tennessee. Caldwell hadn’t coached any player on her roster and was implementing a brand-new system, a situation that many players in the transfer portal wouldn’t look to join.
Five players took a leap and joined Caldwell on her maiden voyage with Tennessee. Their reward is one that the current Lady Vol seniors hope will show itself over the next few years.
“This team right here put Tennessee back on the map,” Tennessee senior Jillian Hollingshead said. “A lot of people didn’t have us making the tournament. A lot of people doubted us. A lot of people doubted this team because we were just new, new coaching staff. I think next year, we’re going to go farther than this team did. People are going to know what Tennessee stands for with effort, hustle plays and energy.”
‘We needed each other’: Kim Caldwell says goodbye to Lady Vols seniors
JACK CHURCH Assistant Sports Editor
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tess Darby and Sara Puckett are unique in this stage of college athletics.
Both committed to the Lady Vols under Kellie Harper and played for her, going to the Sweet 16 twice but never past that round. When Kim Caldwell came in, the pair stayed and wanted to push further.
“They’re selfless players and they wanted to do it for Tennessee,” Caldwell said. “They wanted to make it to the Elite Eight because it’s something that hasn’t been done since they’ve been here.”
Tennessee was a solid fourth quarter away from advancing to its first Elite Eight since 2016. Instead, it turned the ball over nine times, resulting in the end of the season — and seven careers.
Puckett felt it with 13 seconds to go. Texas made two free throws to go up eight, and Caldwell called timeout.
“We’ve scored very quickly before, but I don’t know, you just have that gut feeling,” Puckett said. “I had to mentally prepare myself to not cry before the end of the game.”
Before her career ended, the Muscle Shoals native got one more chance to play in her home state. She didn’t score but picked up three
rebounds in a game where the Lady Vols needed every bounce off the glass.
“Having that Lady Vol for Life title is going to be big,” Puckett said. “I’m going to stand out to people just for that, and I’m never going to not take pride in that.”
After Saturday’s game, Darby tied Shanna Zolman for the second-most career games played in program history. She finishes her time wearing orange after participating in 146 contests, just two short of Chamique Holdsclaw who holds the record for most all-time.
Darby’s journey through basketball has been a long one, one that ended after Saturday’s loss. That loss won’t define all the memories she made both this season and over her five years in Knoxville.
“I’m just filled with gratitude and gratefulness right now that I got to be on this path, be with this group of girls,” Darby said. “This sport has given me so much, so I can’t let one bad game like this put an ending on my career.”
Darby and Puckett weren’t the only Lady Vols to finish memorable careers. Samara Spencer took a leap to play under Caldwell and hasn’t had this much fun playing since her days in AAU.
“I think we did something special and I really think we put Tennessee back on the map,” Spencer said. “I’m glad our group to do it for her first year and I’m excited to see what the future holds for them.”
Tess Darby (21) hugs Jewel Spear (0) after the Lady Vols are eliminated by Texas in the NCAA Tournament. Saturday, March 29, 2025. David Smith / Contributor
Jewel Spear came to Knoxville for Harper’s last season and stayed to finish her career in Knoxville. She scored 20 or more points six times, including a season-high 28 points in a key win over Ole Miss.
Jillian Hollingshead came to Tennessee after one year at Georgia and was a key player down low, especially when Tamari Key couldn’t play. Alongside Zee Spearman and Alyssa Latham, she set the standard that other Tennessee forwards under Caldwell will look to match.
After the game, Caldwell went to the locker room and addressed the team that just saw its
time together come to an end. It was a time that saw Caldwell become a mother and get her first taste of power-conference basketball.
That first season is now over, and that first group has seen its time come and go. It’s a group that Caldwell will never forget.
“I told them to keep their heads up,” Caldwell said. “I told them that I am proud of them, that I am thankful for them. I know for a fact that God put this team together because this is the team that we needed to have. These are the people that I needed to have in my life, and we needed each other.”
Kim Caldwell walks off the court after the Lady Vols are eliminated by Texas in the NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena. Saturday, March 29, 2025. David Smith / Contributor
Love, toughness, resiliency: How Tennessee basketball described the 2024-25 season
TREVOR MCGEE
Sports Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Rick Barnes embraced his seniors with six seconds remaining against Houston. In a 19-point deficit, Tennessee basketball’s seniors checked out of the game for the last time, signifying the end to a special season.
A culmination of 38 games came to a close when the buzzer sounded at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. Houston ran away with a win in the Elite Eight over Tennessee basketball, ending the Vols’ season in the same fashion that last year concluded.
Love, resiliency, toughness and togetherness described the 2024-25 Vols.
“Resilient,” Cade Phillips said. “This team has been through so much. I mean, y’all know about a little bit of it, but there’s a lot of behind-thescenes that y’all don’t know about. This team has been through so much and been resilient and been successful through it all.”
Tennessee’s tournament run began with wins against Wofford and UCLA in Lexington, Kentucky, to open. Then, it traveled to Indiana for another pair of games. A successful outing to down Kentucky led the Vols to their third Elite Eight appearance in program history.
“We’ve been through a lot as a team, lot of ups and downs, whether that’s transfer portal, injuries, sickness,” Chaz Lanier said. “We’ve been through a lot with each other, and every time we stepped up and answered the bell.”
Adversity was faced throughout much of the season. Tennessee was one of the last undefeated teams remaining this season, but the road got bumpy when a 30-point loss at Florida in early January derailed imperfections.
Aside from losses, other precedents made the season tough.
Zakai Zeigler and Igor Milicic Jr. were each withheld from the same game, forcing the Vols to fight through seven scholarships in a win over Florida the second time. Darlinstone Dubar dealt with personal matters early in the season and was away from the team. Cade Phillips landed awkwardly in the first SEC game against Arkansas, but willed through to keep himself as an available option.
“Tough,” Dubar said. “Because every day we battle. It wasn’t easy, but we went through a fire and we had each other’s back.”
Felix Okpara, an Ohio State transfer, combined the themes into a pair of words to sum up the season.
“Tough, togetherness,” Okpara said.
At the end, Tennessee accomplished its third 30-win season in the history of the program. The finish tied a program-best. Zeigler and Jahmai
Cade Phillips (12) consoles Jahmai Mashack (15) after an NCAA tournament loss to Houston at Lucas Oil Stadium. Sunday, March 30, 2025.
David Smith / Contributor
Mashack were a part of much history, leaving behind careers to be remembered. The tears denoted the end.
“I’m just extremely proud of these guys,” Phillips said. “I mean, it’s just, it’s the standard that these older guys have set, is to be resilient, is to be tough.
The message rattles throughout the locker room. But the brotherhood went deeper.
“Love,” Milicic said. “Because we truly do
love each other. And there’s not a person in this locker room that I would ever talk bad on or just dislike, because we truly are brothers in here.”
From a coaching point of view, that bond was special. It’s what will make this team unforgettable.
“Special,” assistant coach Rod Clark said. “I will always say special. I’ve always said that this year, it seemed special. They’re just as connected as I’ve ever seen a group. They sacrificed so much for each other.”
Clark further personified each player into a word. He sees Mashack as sacrifice, Zeigler as care, Lanier as love, Dubar as resilience, Jordan Gainey as confidence. Milicic earned the class clown award.
“But them guys love each other, man,” Clark said. “I think the saddest part about this is them not being able to lace them up again together. I hope that they know how special what they’ve been able to do together is.”
Tennessee’s lineup was littered with transfers. Lanier, Milicic and Okpara started every game they played in this season. Dubar added value off the bench as a transfer. It was a decision that ended with history, something the players would do all over again.
“There’d be no doubt in my mind I’m coming back home to Tennessee,” Lanier said. “This is my home now. It’s my family now.”
Relationships abyss, Tennessee basketball closes chapter on senior class
TREVOR MCGEE
Sports Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Jahmai Mashack’s mother, Meika, sent assistant coach Rod Clark a book about figuring out his purpose. Clark spent this season reading it.
“It’s been the best thing that I could ever read,” Clark said. “It helped me get my mind free and clear with my second baby coming to the world.”
Those are just the kind of relationships that Tennessee basketball’s senior class brought to the table. Seven players concluded their careers when the final buzzer sounded in Lucas Oil Stadium, sending Houston to the Final Four and the Vols (30-8) packing back to Knoxville.
Zakai Zeigler and Mashack were the most emotional of the group, concluding their careers in the same uniform they began four years prior. The two accomplished many records, compiling personal accolades that live in Tennessee’s record books.
The two summited to 109 wins across four seasons, tacking on an SEC regular season championship and a tournament championship, paired with two Elite Eight appearances — accounting for all but one in the program’s history.
“I love these guys to death,” Zeigler said. “They’re people that changed my life, and I just love these guys to death, and I’m just
thankful that I was part of a team like this.”
Mashack’s contributions could not be told on a stat sheet. They could only be told by those who watched him day in and day out. His off-court antics allowed Mashack to earn the Torchbearer award, which is the most prestigious award a student can earn at the University of Tennessee.
“These guys are my brothers for life,” Mashack said.
Chaz Lanier saw the tail end of success. A Nashville, Tennessee, native and former 1.7 point-per-game scorer at North Florida , he climbed to the top of the record books. His 123 makes from beyond the arc surpassed Tennessee great Chris Lofton for singleseason threes.
Lanier’s 18 points per game led the Vols, and put him in elite SEC company when he was named as the conference’s Newcomer of the Year and placed as a second-team honoree. His efforts were noticed nationwide, placing a bid on the Associated Press All-America honorable mention list.
“These are guys I’m going to be able to call from 10, 15 years from now,” Lanier said. “So it doesn’t end here.”
It was a two-hour phone call between Lanier and Mashack that swayed the decision out of the transfer portal.
Lanier was not alone as a newcomer, either. Tennessee basketball welcomed two other
senior transfers alongside the sharpshooter as well. Each of the three added to the success this season.
Igor Milicic Jr. sat on the bench and watched success during his freshman season at Virginia. He later found a place to implement his own play at Charlotte, allowing Tennessee to come calling for his final season of eligibility.
Once he landed in Knoxville, his impact was large. Milicic started in all 37 games he participated in, providing a spark in the frontcourt.
“I found a family in Tennessee, and these guys in the locker room that we’re sitting in, but those are my brothers for life,” Milcic said. “As painful as it is now, I’m grateful for this year, and grateful for each and every one of them.”
Darlinstone Dubar took a leap into a new situation. After serving as the lead option at Hofstra, Dubar settled at Tennessee with a new role ahead of him. It was a tough transition, and personal matters made it even harder, but it’s something that he would “always” do if he had to make the choice all over again.
“You got to really be tough to survive here,” Dubar said. “Tennessee is everything.”
In the coaches’ offices, the hope is that the moments last forever in the guys. Rick Barnes is grateful to have those by his side for the time that he has coached them, while the memories trickle down to the assistant coaches.
Rick Barnes and Jahmai Mashack (15) hug after an NCAA tournament loss to Houston at Lucas Oil Stadium. Sunday, March 30, 2025. Cambree Gliessner / The Daily Beacon
“I hope they remember that and they understand what good they’ve done for this university,” Clark said.
With it all said and done, the 2024-25 senior class can now live on through Tennessee history.
“I’m completely indebted to these dudes forever,” Clark said. “I love these guys. It’s been a pleasure and an honor being able to coach them.”
