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The Daily Beacon

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Volume 148, Issue 02

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Wednesday, January 28, 2026

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@utkdailybeacon

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PHOTOGRAPHY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 28, 2026

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Caden Dyer PRINT MANAGING EDITOR: Emily Hurst DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR: Ansley Graves COPY CHIEF: Lauren Holladay NEWS EDITOR: Patrick Busch ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Harper Brabson SPORTS EDITOR: Trevor McGee ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: Alex Sarkis OPINIONS EDITOR: Natalie Dripchak PHOTO EDITOR: Jackson Clavier DESIGN EDITOR: Lindsay Favre ENGAGEMENT EDITOR: Sarah Portanka AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT EDITOR: Sophie Mehta COVER DESIGN: Lindsay Favre PAGE DESIGNERS: Emma Fingeret, Ashley

Cammarota, Renee Allen, Maya Williams, SaraJane Weber, Ava Balducci, Ava Edwards GRAPHICS BY: Lindsay Favre, Ava Edwards, Maya Williams, Ashley Cammarota

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION

Photo Gallery

Enjoy these photos taken by our staff, edited with a 2016 flair.

Summer Schuster is all smiles after the women’s race at the Tennessee Cross Country Invitational at Cherokee Farm. Aug. 29, 2025. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

Smokey poses with university staff members at Torchbearer Statue. Sept.

19, 2025. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon Smokey Snapchat filter by Ava Edwards

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Fans hold signs during ESPN’s College GameDay in front of Ayres Hall. Sept. 13, 2025. Cambree Gliessner / The Daily Beacon

Protesters in downtown Knoxville during the No Kings Protest. Oct. 18, 2025. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

Assistant Sports Editor Alex Sarkis at The Daily Beacon’s August 2025 Interest Meeting. Cambree Gliessner / The Daily Beacon

Students protest amendments to the SGA’s bylaws. Sept. 30, 2025. Jackson Clavier / The Daily Beacon

A student rides a scooter on campus

by Circle Park. Sept. 8, 2025. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

NEWS

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • The Daily Beacon

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2016 news in review:

The Daily Beacon’s top headlines OLIVIA LEE Staff Writer 1. Trustees endorse first female to become UT Knoxville chancellor Following former UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek’s decision to step down and return to the classroom after seven years as chancellor, the UT board of trustees voted in support of Beverly Davenport entering the role, making her the first woman to lead UT Knoxville.

2. Smokey’s Pantry offers free food for those in need Smokey’s Pantry, UT’s first oncampus food pantry, opened in January 2016 as the spring semester began.

The pantry was first established by students involved with Tyson House.

3. Senate votes to cut UT’s diversity funding The Tennessee Senate voted to redirect over $400,000 in funding for UT’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion — now called the Division of Access and Engagement — into funding for scholarships for minority students majoring in engineering. Students protested on campus through a mass class exit the day before the bill passed.

4. Crafty coyotes run rampant in Knoxville Urban coyotes made local news after multiple reported neighborhood sightings and interactions with household pets caused fear in Knoxville residents.

5. UT’s women’s athletes to start sporting logos The decision to take away the Lady Vols logo in exchange for the Power T for all women’s teams except basketball sparked controversy in early 2016, as some fans feared the change threatened the Lady Vols’ legacy. The original logo returned in September 2017.

6. SGA voting link crashes on first day of elections, campaigns fear decreased voter turnout The voting website for SGA elections crashed as three campaigns competed in the presidential election, leading to decreased voting accessibility and anxiety over low voter turnout.

Students, faculty and community members participate in a mass class exit to protest the state legislature redirecting funding from the Office of Diversity on April 19, 2016. File / The Daily Beacon 7. College of Engineering officially named after John D. Tickle The former UT College of Engineering was renamed after UT alum and donor John D. Tickle to become the John D. Tickle College of Engineering in November 2016 — the second college program to be named after a donor.

8. Gatlinburg wildfires cause three deaths, hundreds displaced The 2016 Great Smoky Mountains

wildfires swept through Gatlinburg in November 2016, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses and forcing thousands of Gatlinburg residents into displacement and evacuation.

9. Law professor’s tweet sparks controversy UT law professor Glenn Reynolds faced backlash after tweeting about protestors blocking a highway in North Carolina, say-

ing, “Run them down.” Reynolds apologized to the College of Law community and continues to teach at UT. 10. OIT ditches Blackboard for Canvas The Office of Information Technology moved from Blackboard to Canvas as UT’s online academic platform, citing user-friendliness and cost as motivations for the switch.

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NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 28, 2026

A Generation Shaped by Growing Up in the Trump Era PATRICK BUSH News Editor 2026 marks many notable political milestones for our country. 250 years of independence. 25 years since the Sept.

11 terrorist attacks. Five years since the Jan. 6 Capitol Insurrection. One year of the second Trump administration.

Among all the 2016 nostalgia, 2026 marks a decade of Donald Trump being the focal point of American politics.

Trump’s election marked a departure from recent presidential norms with a political outsider winning the presidency. His rise coincided with increased populist rhetoric, continued political polarizationand significant changes within the Republican Party (like the rise of MAGA).

For college students, growing up in the last 10 years meant coming-of-age in an unique and challenging political landscape.

Jacob Weissflog, a sophomore studying business management, identified the 2016 election as his introduction to politics.

“The moment I really realized (politics) was the Republican primaries in 2015, where it was Marco Rubio, Jed Bush and Ted Cruz. It was those kinds of Republican figureheads coming into the forefront,” Weissflog said.

Weissflog said Trump’s emergence changed how politics felt and how people talked about it.

“I remember Trump coming out, and it was like a weird cultural phenomenon in the south … everyone, you knew if they were conservative, eventually they became big fans of Trump,” Weissflog said. “It was like a weird thing, but I really remember that moment vividly of Jed Bush dropping out and (Trump’s) probably going to become president at this point.”

What began as a novelty for Weissflog would turn into burnout over the next several years.

A September 2025 study released by the Psychiatry Research Journal found that constant exposure to electionrelated news is linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety.

Weissflog, over the last several years, began to grow tired of the constant political back-and-forth.

“I don’t really pay attention anymore,” Weissflog said. “I’m not saying I’ve lost hope, but it doesn’t really matter to me anymore. I know that, mentally

Counterprotestors arrive on Pedestrian Walkway in support of Donald Trump. Nov. 10, 2016. File / The Daily Beacon and spiritually, it’s not good for me. I’ll get worked up about it, and it’s tough, to a point where I can’t really make a change. It’s just so negative.”

Echoing this sentiment, a recentnational poll conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics found that young people’s trust in institutions is eroding, uncertainty about the future is increasing and dissatisfaction with both parties is high.

“I have less trust in the process of getting stuff done than the promises that are made,” Weissflog said. “I think maybe 10% of what (politicians) say they’ll do, they actually get done. Don’t hold your breath.”

That feeling of hopelessness was shared by another student, Sophia Bernard, a sophomore studying public policy.

“When I was younger, and when I first got into politics, I thought the decision that benefited people would be the decision that’s made,” Bernard said.

“But now I see that people don’t make the decision that’s best for everyone.

They make a decision that’s best for themselves.”

Bernard, like many young adults her

age, became politically aware in the Trump era.

“In 2016, I was in fourth or fifth grade, and I vaguely remember hearing about Donald Trump, and I’m like, ‘Who is this guy?’” Bernard said.

An Associated Press poll found that young people are much more likely than older adults to express apathy or disillusionment with the political system. Bernard responded negatively when asked about her current trust in American political institutions.

“It’s steadily decreased because I feel like we keep making the wrong decisions,” Bernard said.

She finds the constant political news cycle to have an affect on her well-being.

“Very stressed.

Very stressed, especially with what’s going on with Greenland,” Bernard said.

Bernard, similar to Weissflog, has considered stepping back from political engagement and monitoring of the news.

“I feel like, for my own mental health, I am actually trying to cut back on the amount of news I do consume,” Bernard said.

The American Psychological

Association’s 2024 Stress in America survey found that negative political concerns topped peoples’ list of stressors and that political anxiety could serve as a unique source of chronic stress.

Looking back nearly a decade, both Weissflog and Bernard were asked to describe what today’s political climate would look and feel like to someone in 2015.

“It’s going to get nastier. It’s going to, somehow, get worse,” Weissflog said.

“None of the things they’re promising will pass. The problems you have now are going to get much worse.”

Weissflog expressed little optimism about the future of politics.

“I think we’re entering a more dangerous era of politics,” Weissflog said. “The radical sides that are on the left and the right are showing (their) ugly face(s) now. … I think radicalization is reaching the point where it’s being normalized.”

Bernard agreed that describing our political situation to someone 10 years ago would require providing some forewarning.

“Tense,” Bernard said. “I think it’s very tense. You might want to prepare yourself. A lot of s—’s going to go down.”

Her experience in our political system has degraded her belief in the good-faith progress of American institutions.

“My trust in those institutions has decreased heavily because of that, and I feel like I can’t really trust the people in charge to make the decision that benefits me,” Bernard said. “I’ve become a lot more realistic with my ideals toward politics over the last five years.”

For many of today’s college students, the last decade represents the entirety of their political memory. From elementary school through early adulthood, national politics has remained extremely visible and frequently contentious.

National polling of young peoples’ political experiences and beliefs reflect the feelings expressed by both students.

“It makes me feel depressed,” Weissflog said. “It might be a longing for the past, but it just makes me depressed now. It doesn’t make me happy anymore. I don’t check the news anymore because it’s so stressful and depressing. It’s like when someone’s hurt but you can’t do anything about it.”

ARTS & CULTURE

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • The Daily Beacon

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‘Nostalgia is a very strong drug’: 10 TV shows that’ll make you miss 2016 AUBREY HOLLAND Contributor It’s officially been a decade since 2016, and users on TikTok are bringing many of the year’s trends back to today’s social media. Believing that the internet was in its prime in the mid 2010s, people have been using the hashtag #BringBack2016, as well as the phrase “2026 is the new 2016,” to express yearning for simpler times.

Many award-winning television shows came out in 2016 that helped shape the year.

Let’s go back in time to review some of 2016’s most popular and favored shows.

“Stranger Things” When Will Byers goes missing, all the town’s secrets begin to unfold.

Set in 1980s Hawkins, Indiana, its inhabitants must uncover government experiments, supernatural monsters and everything in between to save their friend. This science fiction series is rich in its portrayal of the ‘80s and its trends, as well as creating strong characters that audiences will immediately become attached to. With the series finale airing just a few weeks ago, it’s the perfect time to pick the show up.

Alyx Shaw, a sophomore studying journalism and public relations, said that “Stranger Things” is her favorite 2016 show due to the nostalgia it creates from when she watched it as a kid. Shaw thinks that the unique sci-fi and mystery world of “Stranger Things” broke out to set up trends in 2016 and grab viewers’ attention.

Now that the finale has ended, Shaw understands that the trends have not only grown and changed, but have also remained relevant for the past decade in the media.

“We miss our childhood, especially in the climate nowadays. We don’t really want to go out into the real world.

Things are not looking the best,” Shaw said. “And so being able to kind of reminisce on the past and how it was for us then and how we felt and all of that stuff ... I feel like people need something like that to think back on to keep morale.”

“Fleabag” Adapted from the one-woman play

Along with her other residents, Shellstrop strives to become a more ethical person while hiding from the afterlife architect, Michael, to avoid being sent to the Bad Place. Praised for its originality, this show will teach you what it means to be human in a humorous light.

Graphic by Ashley Cammarota

at the Edinburgh Festival, this British comedy stars Fleabag as the main heroine struggling to go about life in London after the death of her best friend. With fourth wall breaks and witty humor, “Fleabag” is the unfiltered journey of this entrepreneur coming to terms with her past.

Lilah Williams, a sophomore studying literature and art history, said that “Fleabag” was her favorite 2016 show due to its fun and humorous way of handling heavier topics. Williams touched on the situational relationship of two of the main characters in “Fleabag,” believing that it still holds relevance today. She thinks that the show was very prevalent in Tumblr culture in 2016 and that has carried over into how many clips of the show are used on TikTok now.

“I think the year 2016 is coming back because, obviously, trends a lot of times work in a ten-year cycle, but also because I think it was a simpler time,” Williams said. “I think nostalgia is a very strong drug, and especially young adults today weren’t fully fledged humans in 2016 that could really dress that way, and be very immersed in the culture.”

“Game of Thrones” (2011), Season 6 (2016) Based on George R.R. Martin’s famous book series, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” this high fantasy world is brought to the screen in a way that viewers cannot look away from. The show exhibits multiple plotlines, character arcs and dramatic scenes as noble families across the Seven Kingdoms fight for the treasured Iron Throne.

“The Flash” (2014), Season 2 (2016)

This television series portrays the classic origin story of the DC superhero, the Flash. Struck by lightning and given the powers of super speed, former crime investigator Barry Allen must protect his city from those who would use their powers for evil. The show keeps audiences curious with the lingering mystery behind the death of Allen’s mother, as well as the threatening Man in the Yellow Suit.

“Designated Survivor” The president and all his successors tragically die in an explosion that destroys the Capitol Building, leaving only the designated survivor: Thomas Kirkman. Originally a lower-level cabinet member of housing and urban development, Kirkman needs to learn to keep the country in balance. This shocking story showcases an aspect of politics that many people don’t know about that comes with the preparation of doomsday.

“The Crown” Portraying one of the most influential figures in the world, this series begins with the life of Queen Elizabeth II around the 1940s. The historical drama goes on to cover nearly six decades up to present day, showcasing other famous royals such as Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Loved for its view into the life of British royalty, “The Crown” showcases brilliant acting, cinematography and storytelling.

“The Good Place” Exploring the afterlife in this comedic fantasy sitcom, “The Good Place” showcases Eleanor Shellstrop, a recently deceased woman who seems to be somewhere she does not belong.

“Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments” Thrown into a world of demons and monsters, Clary Fray’s eighteenth birthday is not what she expected.

Discovering she is half angel, half human, a Shadowhunter, Fray joins a group of other shadow hunters to help find her mother, who has been kidnapped. The show is based on the book series “The Mortal Instruments”

by Cassandra Clare, showcasing many fantasy tropes, details and a bit of cheesy 2010s romance that everyone can love.

“Lucifer” Unentertained with being Lord of Hell, the famed fallen angel Lucifer moves to Los Angeles for a change of scenery and opens a high-end nightclub. When someone is murdered outside of his club, Lucifer meets Chloe, a homicide detective. This life-changing event begins Lucifer’s journey in wondering if there can be good in others, and maybe even himself.

“Atlanta” Earn and his cousin Alfred Miles are broke and trying to break into the rap scene in Atlanta. One a Princeton dropout and the other trying to start his career, both men struggle to navigate upcoming fame and issues in their relationships as they figure out their new lives. The episodes follow a short story style, featuring multiple plotlines that keep viewers hooked.

Known for its satirical and bold tones, the show explores themes of race, identity and class in this surrealist show.

Now that many of us are entering our twenties and waving goodbye to our teens, 2016 is a way of returning to the trends that encapsulate those years. These television shows allow us to return to the things we fondly remember and take a moment away from the fast-paced pop culture of the current time.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 28, 2026

The Weekly Crossword

by Margie E. Burke

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ACROSS 1 Comedy routine 14 15 16 5 Grouchy Muppet 19 17 18 10 Greenish-blue 14 Colombian crop 20 21 22 15 Woodworking 23 24 25 tool 16 Stare flirtatiously 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 17 Out of the blue 19 Romances 34 35 33 20 Jon Hamm 36 37 38 39 series 21 Adds to, in a 45 40 41 42 43 44 way 47 48 46 23 Rush order?

25 Far from wordy 49 50 51 26 Crude dwellings 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 30 FBI folks 33 Young billy 60 61 59 34 Branch of 63 64 62 dentistry 36 One to worship 65 66 67 38 Ewe's mate 39 Smoker's puff Copyright 2026 by The Puzzle Syndicate 40 Dependability 45 One of the DOWN 13 More or ___ 42 Canopy support Gershwins 1 Pond crud 18 Marinara 43 Ancient Greek 46 Stereo knob 2 Hawaiian coffee alternative ship 47 Ancient Italian 3 Tended to a 22 Jason's ship 44 Territory of NW 49 Bird feeder fill sprain 24 Dish in a lab Canada 51 Turbaned 4 IRS worker 26 Hula or hoop 48 Humiliates Punjabi 5 Alfresco follower 50 Extra sense 52 In bad shape 6 Utah airport 27 Playground 52 Prima donna 55 Band tour toter initials quarry 53 Tree of life 59 What comes to 7 "Black Bag" 28 Young person locale mind actress 29 Kind of oil 54 Newbie 60 Breathing aid 8 With regard to 31 Bejeweled 56 Child's challenge 62 Let off steam 9 Lucille Ball, e.g. headwear 57 Say it ___ so 63 Pull strings?

10 Charlie ____ of 32 "Cosmos" 58 Barely gets by 64 Sea eagle "Charlie's creator 61 Director Van 65 A chip, maybe Angels" 35 Strikes Sant 66 That and that 11 Self-absorbed 37 Set free 67 Places for props 12 Tissue additive 41 Downwind Solution to Crossword:

H I S S F A K E S A P S E E D I C T R E E L A K I N L E G I S L A T O R I T E M L E S S E N S S A N C H O K I N G F I S H E R J A N E E Y R E S E N S E S E R R E D B E E U S E R S H E R E S S U R E I L E S C A R A I K E N A C R I D E N D I N G L E A K A G E S O N T H E L E V E L S A W M I L L E R L A N G I M P E R S O N A L A R E A F E E L S P E S O G A L T E R N I E S W A P A B L E

Ryan Osborn / Cartoonist

This chart is compiled weekly by Makayla Gardner, courts and crime beat reporter, in accordance with the 60-Day Crime Log available at https://clery.utk.edu/crime-log/.

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NEWS

Wednesday, January 28, 2025 • The Daily Beacon

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Snow day snapshots: How these UT students battled winter storm blues TESSA NACKE Staff Writer How did you spend your “snow” days?

Monday and Tuesday classes moved online for the inclement weather brought in by Winter Storm Fern, which has been causing historic low temperatures, heavy snow and ice across the south, southeast and northeast. University of Tennessee students spent their virtual snow day in different ways, including placing focus on rest, academics and quality time with friends.

Nick Senkus playing pool in his residence hall on Monday, Jan. 26. Tessa Nacke / The Daily Beacon

“I am actually reading the Declaration of Independence right now for one of my classes … so it’s been fun,” Ryan Day, a junior, said. “It’s really hard to understand, but it’s important to understand.”

Ryan Day spending time at Hodges Library on Monday, Jan. 26. Tessa Nacke / The Daily Beacon

“We tried to go to the TRECs, but it was super busy, so we walked on the indoor track up there, and now we’re at the library studying,” Kate Parrish, a freshman, said. “She’s helping me with my Spanish work.”

“Today, I’ve just been hanging out with my friends, studying and playing pool,” freshman Nick Senkus said. “Not sure what I’m doing tonight, maybe get food.”

“Tonight we have chapter, so we’re gonna hang out and do that all together,” freshman Audrey Hill said.

“It’s on Zoom.”

From left to right, Kate Parrish, Audrey Hill and Milana Wheeler, studying at Hodges Library on Monday, Jan. 26. Tessa Nacke / The Daily Beacon

From left to right, Grace Burke, Allie Tuleya and Carly Orne outside of the Hodges Library Starbucks, on Monday, Jan. 26.

(Tessa Nacke)

“We’ve all been doing homework and laying in bed all day,” Ella Slavis, a freshman, said. “All my classes were canceled, so I didn’t actually have anything to do except homework.”

“Maybe we’ll do a movie night, just hanging out with each other,” freshman Sophia Gorman said. “Really prioritizing self care (today).”

“Yeah, I wish school had gotten fully canceled. I’d be fine doing just asynchronous work, but I do not like Zoom,” Grace Burke, a freshman, said.

From left to right, Ella Slavis, Sophia Gorman, Audrey Gay and Addy Collins on Monday, Jan 26, 2026. Tessa Nacke / The Daily Beacon

“I had some classes on Zoom and then just did my homework,” Carly Orne, a freshman, said.

Graphics by Maya Williams

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PHOTOGRAPHY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Circa 2016: What did The Daily Beacon look like?

Cartoonist Ryan Osborn Staff Photographer Jayden Randolph

Staff Writer Shelby Wilson

Contributor Flannery Lemmonds

Contributor Celia Angel

OPINION

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • The Daily Beacon

but here is a quick rundown of the vibes that ruled the time and some I think are here to stay:

2026 IS THE NEW 2016 VERONICA WHITE Contributor

KEEP CALM AND . . . RELIVE 2016?

2016 fashion had us in a chokehold (literally, thanks to those velvet chokers).

As 2016 makes its comeback, influencers and celebrities on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are putting their aesthetic posts on hold and posting flashbacks of the 2016 era. As society looks up to these individuals, it has encouraged a new trend of people sharing and reminiscing about their 2016 days.

2016 looked different for everyone,

FILTERS AND SOCIAL: Think filters like Rio de Janeiro, Snapchat crown, face swap, rainbow vomit and dog filter combined with trends like the mannequin challenge.

As I scroll through Instagram, I see the Rio de Janeiro filter making the biggest appearance, whether it’s used for relatable reels to associate a funny vibe or it’s just used to enhance a retro feel on a post or story. As reels become more popular and people grow more nostalgic, I think Rio de Janeiro has the best chance of living out its longevity.

MUSIC: Think Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, “Closer” by The Chainsmokers, “Lush Life” by Zara Larsson and Drake’s “Controlla.”

As Justin Bieber was announced to play at the 2026 Coachella, it will be interesting to see if he plays his 2016 hits of “Love Yourself” and “Sorry.” Along with throwback songs being played, I can see the old festival fashion trends of crochets and hair glitter being combined

with the current takeover of leather jackets, fur coats and microshorts.

“Lush Life” by Zara Larsson just landed in the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100, while “Closer” is ranked in the Spotify Global Daily Chart with over 1.5 million daily streams. It is safe to say that these throwbacks are here to stay.

BEAUTY: Think Kylie lip kits, Naked pallets, heavy contour, winged eyeliner, smoky eyeshadow, defined brows and matte bases.

As beauty constantly evolves, I can see our current 2026 minimalist beauty trends, such as light foundation and glosses, being reimagined with subtle traces of 2016 heavier-set makeup.

BRANDS: Think PINK, Adidas, Vans, Forever 21, H&M, Juicy Couture, Converse and Vera Bradley.

In 2025, Juicy Couture did a brand revamp by launching its denim line.

“Two decades after the world fell in love with Juicy’s velour tracksuits, the LA-born brand expands its reign with a collection that reimagines its signature confidence and playfulness in a new lens: denim,” according to Authentic Brands

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Group, the brand management firm that purchased Juicy Couture in 2013. As it seems to be ditching its classic velour for denim, I predict that velour staples will continue to regain popularity with the return of Y2K clothing and resell platforms like Depop and Poshmark.

As I look through my mom’s closet and get sudden waves of extreme nostalgia with every vintage piece I pull out, I think it is a good thing to be trying to relive the old times, and not just because of the clothes — the happy-golucky mindset is something we can all take into 2026.

The only downside is I’m now going to need to check another bag on my way back to school, though I’m hoping seeing everyone’s outfits around campus will reassure me that I’m not alone.

Veronica White is a junior at UT this year studying hospitality management. She can be reached at vwhite16@vols.utk.edu.

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

The last good year?

NATALIE DRIPCHAK Opinions Editor 2016 — everyone is talking about it, but why?

What hung in the air in 2016 that made us all crave it? Kylie Jenner’s lip kits? Or the skinny jean+green bomber jacket+choker necklace combo? Or is it something even bigger than we are all talking about?

We’ve heard it before, but I think we’re all experiencing nostalgia right now. I know, personally, I sat at 11 years old in 2016. Of course, I would love to be an innocent 11-year-old kid who still plays pretend with my friends, runs around outside all day, and makes funny videos instead of being a college junior who is supposed to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Let’s talk about 2016 and why we are craving it so badly right now.

The biggest issue I faced in 2016

involved apparently deciding which neon color to wear that day. But I think that is why we are all nostalgic for it — not the neon — but for simpler times.

In 2016, I had very few responsibilities at such low stakes. I woke up, ate breakfast, put on my outfit and went off to school. I would spend hours watching YouTube. We all know the day-in-the-life videos, but they’ve been going strong for years.

I would constantly watch back-toschool hauls, makeup tutorials (even though I didn’t wear any), and, of course, videos on how to make slime.

What people my age miss most about 2016 comes down to simplicity. Life carried fewer worries, almost no real stress and a sense of freedom that feels hard to find now.

Of course, a million things unfolded in the world in 2016, just as they do today. That year marked Donald Trump’s first election into office — and he sits there again now, which

feels wild considering how much time has passed. Climate change conversations also started gaining real traction then. And do you remember the Zika virus?

By no means did 2016 feel perfect.

Many people point to 2016 as the moment the country began growing increasingly divided, especially amid the discourse surrounding Trump’s first presidential run.

But again, I stood at 11 when all of this occurred. Yes, I would hear family members talk at family gatherings about the election, and I knew, in the most basic sense, what unfolded, but I didn’t fully understand. I existed on the sidelines. 2016, for many of us, marked one of the last years we still felt young, innocent and free from the world around us.

Not just the Rio de Janeiro filter or the funny Snapchat filters, like the rainbow throw-up or the dog filter.

Not the questionable outfit choices or the neon everything, but simply the

nostalgia for feeling so young and free in our lives.

No one should be running from nostalgia — we can’t help it. So why don’t we use it to our advantage?

Every moment we have is an opportunity to reflect and make future moments even better.

That’s how we should be looking at the resurgence of 2016 trends. 2026 may never be the new 2016, but we can still take what made that time special and use it to make this year even better for us all.

Natalie Dripchak is a junior at UT this year studying advertising. She can be reached at ndripcha@vols.utk.edu.

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

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Tennessee athletics’ biggest headlines from 2016

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UT mourns Pat Summitt’s passing. June 28, 2016. File / The Daily Beacon

TREVOR MCGEE Sports Editor A decade ago, Tennessee athletics were in a vastly different position than they are today.

The football program endured a rollercoaster, highlighted by a top-10 mark midseason before ending with a win in the Music City Bowl. Rick Barnes was wrapping up his first season at the helm of a rebuilding basketball program. Holly Warlick guided a middle-of-the-pack squad on the women’s hard floor.

For the 2015-16 fiscal year, Tennessee athletics reported $136.2 million in revenue. The 2016-17 fiscal year drew in $145.7 million. Nowadays, the business side of athletics is soaring with $304 million in revenue during the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Here are the top sports headlines from The Daily Beacon in 2016.

Lady Vols 30-year excellence fades away in newest AP poll — ­­ Feb. 23, 2016 Pat Summitt’s excellence put Lady Vols basketball in a category of its own.

When she walked away from the program in 2012, her successor could only keep up with what she was handed for so long. Warlick, an All-American player under Summitt, took over for the 2012-13 season to lead a program that had been nationally ranked since Feb. 17, 1985.

Warlick kept the streak for three full seasons, until her fourth rolled around.

Facing 9-18 LSU on Feb. 21, 2016, the Lady Vols walked away with a 57-56 loss.

Tennessee fell to 16-11 on the season, and the ensuing AP Poll reflected the disappointing loss.

Tennessee’ 31-year, 565-week streak of being ranked came to an end. The Lady Vols still managed to make an Elite Eight run as a No. 7 seed.

Coincidentally, in 2026, the men’s basketball team fell out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in 90 weeks — a programrecord streak that was 53 weeks longer than its previous record.

Pat Summitt dies at age 64 — June 28, 2016 The most significant head coach in Tennessee athletics history, Pat Summitt, passed away in 2016.

Summitt was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease in August 2011. She battled until June 28, 2016, before passing away at the age of 64.

“Since 2011, my mother has battled her toughest opponent, early onset dementia, ‘Alzheimer’s Type,’ and she did so with bravely fierce determination just as she did with every opponent she ever faced,” her son, Tyler Summitt, said in a statement on June 28, 2016. “Even though it’s incredibly difficult to come to terms that she is no longer with us, we can all find peace in knowing she no longer carries the heavy burden of this disease.”

She spent 38 seasons at the helm of Lady Vols basketball, building a perennial

powerhouse that made 31 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances en route to winning eight national championships.

Summitt went 1,098-208 (.840) as a head coach, which now ranks fifth among men’s or women’s coaches all-time.

Vols break records in Battle at Bristol beatdown — Sept. 11, 2016 College football’s biggest game to date went down a decade ago.

It was not for a national championship.

It wasn’t even a pivotal conference game.

Instead, it was years of planning to place grass on the infield of Bristol Motor Speedway — inviting the two schools that bordered the track to play a Week 2 game.

Tennessee and Virginia Tech welcomed a record crowd of 156,990 people, a record that still stands in 2026. Despite the Hokies jumping out to a two-score lead in the first quarter, the Vols responded with a 24-point second quarter to run away with a 45-24 win.

“It’s very special,” head coach Butch Jones said about the experience of playing in the Battle at Bristol. “It’ll never be replicated; it’ll never be duplicated …

It’s something our student-athletes will remember for a lifetime.”

Quarterback Josh Dobbs rushed for a team-high 106 yards in the win, bringing his career total past Jimmy Streater’s record of 1,374 rushing yards. Dobbs finished his Tennessee career with 2,160 rushing yards, which remains the most by a quarterback in Tennessee history.

SPORTS

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Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • The Daily Beacon

2016 Photo Gallery 7.

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1. The Vols softball team huddles before a game on March 7, 2016.

2. Tennessee prepares to run through the Power T in a game against Appalachian State on Sept.1, 2016.

3. Head coach Rick Barnes during a game at Thompson Bowling Arena on Feb.9, 2016 against Kentucky.

4. Two members of the UT fencing team practice their skills on March 3, 2016.

5. Josh Dobbs, 11, and the Vols offense celebrate a touchdown on March 12, 2016.

6. The Vols celebrate Josh Malone’s first touchdown against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 5, 2016.

7. Diamond DeShields makes a basket in a win against Stanford on Dec. 18, 2016.

8. Raina Hembry, 9, goes up to spike the ball over the net at Thompson Bowling Arena on Nov. 10, 2016.

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SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Inside 2016 Tennessee football season that featured ‘every single emotion possible’ TREVOR MCGEE Sports Editor Brett Kendrick ended up at the bottom of the dog pile.

A desperation heave from Josh Dobbs with the clock at triple zeros ended up in the hands of Jauan Jennings. A successful Hail Mary, tabbed the “Dobbsnail Boot,” gave Tennessee football a 34-31 win between the hedges at Georgia.

That was the emotional high of a rather treacherous 9-4 season the Vols endured in 2016.

“Roller coaster,” former starting offensive lineman Brett Kendrick told The Daily Beacon. “... We felt every single emotion possible that year.”

It began with five consecutive wins, climbing to No. 9 in the AP Poll. The road had been shaky in the first few games, though.

Tennessee opened the season with an overtime win over Appalachian State. It wasn’t pretty — Kendrick compared it to the Mountaineers’ infamous 2007 upset over Michigan, but the game served as a tally in the win column regardless.

Week 2 brought the season’s most prominent game to the table at Bristol Motor Speedway. A sold-out crowd of 156,990, a record, saw Tennessee and Virginia Tech duke it out. The Hokies jumped out to a quick 14-0 margin, but the Vols battled back to win 4524.

“Winning that game was important, and just being a part of it was one of the coolest things I did in my entire college career,” Kendrick said.

The narrow escapes kept piling up.

Ohio came next, and the Vols once again skimmed by, 28-19, with Florida looming the following week. Tennessee rode an 11-game losing streak to the Gators, and the early stages looked like that would continue.

Florida pulled away early with a 21-0 lead heading into the locker room. And then it all flipped. Tennessee rattled off 38 consecutive points, including a 67-yard pass from Dobbs to Jennings that put the Vols on top in the fourth quarter.

“That turned out to be a very, very entertaining game,” Kendrick said.

“And then we had Georgia on deck next. So there was no time to celebrate, really. Although I do think

there was some burning couches in the Fort that night.”

Tennessee hadn’t won a game between the hedges since 2006, and the momentum carried itself down to Athens in October 2016 — in the same carnival ride fashion. As was the case for most of the season, Georgia took a 17-0 advantage.

But the fight still had two more rounds to go. Tennessee willed to a 28-24 lead with 2:56 remaining in the game on a strip sack by Derek Barnett, scooped by Corey Vereen for the score. Two plays later, after Georgia got the ball back, Malik Foreman picked off Jacob Eason with 2:10 remaining, which should’ve sealed the game.

Yet, still, it was far from over.

Georgia forced a punt, and Eason found a streaking Riley Ridley for a 47-yard score with 10 seconds remaining to leave the Vol faithful in shock.

A pair of Georgia penalties and an Evan Berry 20-yard kick return later, the Vols set up shop from the Bulldogs’ 43-yard line.

Dobbs lofted the ball in the air. Jennings made the catch — one where he was not even supposed to be the intended target.

“Jauan was supposed to be one of the guys standing around in the circle, but when we came back to the sideline, he told voach (Zach) Azzanni, the receiver’s coach, that he wanted to be the point man because he was gonna catch it.

“And when Jauan tells you something like that, you just let him do what he wants.”

It took four seconds to teach a bulldog how to sit.

“Perfect catch,” Kendrick said.

“And then I was like on the bottom of that dog pile, that was not very fun.”

The adrenaline continued to carry.

Texas A&M was one slide away from handing Tennessee its first loss of the season the following week, but a Herculean effort by Foreman to force a fumble at the goal line gave the Vols a chance to send it to overtime.

“That was one of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen somebody make,” Kendrick said.

After two additional periods, the heroic comeback efforts finally ended. Texas A&M walked away with the win in College Station, and Tennes-

Brett Kendrick, 63, blocks a member of the Ohio offense for Josh Dobbs, 11, on Sept.

17, 2016. File / The Daily Beacon see had its first blemish in the loss column.

It spiraled out of control after that.

Tennessee got hammered by No. 1 Alabama the following week, 49-10.

A bye week ensued, giving a chance to get right. But instead, everything was lost from there.

South Carolina, 3-4 at the time, stole a 24-21 win away from Tennessee in Columbia. It marked three consecutive losses for a team that sat with a 5-0 record and a top-10 ranking earlier in the season.

“I really can’t tell you what happened,” Kendrick said.

Tennessee won the next three with offensive outbursts against Tennessee Tech, Kentucky and Missouri.

But then it lost a backbreaker to 5-6 Vanderbilt, gifting the Commodores bowl eligibility and putting the bow on a regular season defined by ebbs and flows.

Brick by brick, the Vols fell apart.

“By the end of it, everybody, including players, were so tired of the stupid mottos that (head coach Butch Jones) would throw out there,” Kendrick said. “ I mean, he had so many one-liners of coach talk, and it always felt like he was more of a used salesman than a football coach.

And I think that eventually wears on a team when you are always hearing the same lingo and it never feels genuine.”

Tennessee salvaged the season with a Music City Bowl win over Nebraska. But it closed the chapter on a team filled with NFL talent. Fifteen players from that squad ended up collecting NFL checks, including mainstays Dobbs, Jennings and Kamara — who have earned multiple contracts.

“Tennessee football overall, I feel like we’ve been cursed for years,” Kendrick said.

As for Kendrick, he wrapped up his collegiate playing career after the 2017 season. He now works for Stryker, a medical device company, doing sales in the orthopedic world. And in the meantime, he’ll be watching Dobbs, a former roommate of his, compete in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.

“When it’s guys that I’m friends with that are playing that well and that big of a stage, yeah, that’s definitely surreal,” Kendrick said.

“I’m going to his bachelor party in March to Cabo,” Kendrick said.

“So we’re hoping to be celebrating a Super Bowl there too.”