Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Volume 141, Issue 5 Wednesday, February 23, 2022

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LADY VOLS DROP TO NO. 16, LOWEST THIS SEASON

Photo by Sydney Goodsell The Daily Beacon

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 23, 2022

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION EDITORIAL

‘Dream Deferred’ exhibit, prints become protest against racist violence HELENE BURCH Contributor

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sarah Rainey MANAGING EDITOR: Caleigh Rozmenoski COPY CHIEF: Kyra Bogdan CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR: Daniel Dassow CITY NEWS EDITOR: Madelyn Muschek SPORTS EDITOR: Josh Lane ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: Ethan Stone DIGITAL PRODUCER: Kailee Harris OPINIONS EDITOR: Erin Gwydir PHOTO EDITOR: Alexandra Ashmore DESIGN EDITOR: Bella Hughes SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Kimberly Lalas PAGE DESIGNER: Nevaeh Casteel

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Bishop

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Bishop, Kelly Glasgow

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AMPLYIFYING BLACK VOICES

The traveling Dream Deferred exhibition, named after a poem

by Langston Hughes, uses printmaking as a way of artistic protest. It will be housed at UT until March 30, 2022.

Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon

The Dream Deferred exhibition on the second floor of the Art and Architecture building is an exhibition of prints that fight against racism in America. The exhibition, according to the Dream Deferred project, is meant to use printmaking as a way of artistic protest. It will be housed at UT until March 30.

The basis of the idea for the exhibition is the Langston Hughes poem “Harlem” which asks, “What happens to a dream deferred?” After the

murder of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, artists felt that it was necessary to remember Hughes and ask, “What happens to a dream deferred?”

The exhibit contains art from 31 artists from across the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico, including UT art professor Althea Murphy-Price.

The Dream Deferred will show at a total of nine universities. After UT, it will show at Chicago State University, Elmhurst University and the Stephen Smith Art Gallery in Fairfield, Alabama.

The exhibitions use printmaking for strength as a physical medium. It forces audiences to take action to come see the pieces. Rick Griffith, a graphic designer and letter printer whose piece “I dream for you” had trouble formatting for the online viewable feature of the exhibit, said he makes his work so that it must be contended with up close and in-person.

“My work is not good digitally, it is an analog experience almost all of the time,” Griffith said.

“I make work that is difficult, intentionally.”

Freshman architecture student Micah Kincaid passed the exhibit on the way to class and said the prints helped him examine race in America in a new way.

“It really gives me a good perspective into life as a person of color,” Kincaid said. “It’s a good reminder to walk by everyday.”

Runner, artist and co-curator of Gallery Programs at Chicago State University Juarez Hawkins’ linocut “Running While Black” de-

picts a gun pointed at a Black female runner. The reality that people of color could be killed while doing an activity that Hawkins does on a regular basis, running, appalled her.

“With the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery it really threw me for a loop,” Hawkins said. “The idea that your life could arbitrarily just be snuffed out just because someone feels like hunting or for sport.”

Hawkins came up with her idea for her linocut while running. She said this protest is “the same thing Ida B. Wells was talking about almost a century earlier.”

Murphy-Price’s lithograph piece entitled “Black and Blue” shows a black and blue noose hanging against a haunting white background. It is paired with a powerful artist’s statement.

“History teaches us about ourselves and our relationship to the world. Our nostalgia has now brought us back to memories of sundown towns and reminds us that the past is still present.

Black continues to mean black, blue means fear, injury, death,” the statement said.

The prints on display are deeply connected to the history of racial violence in America. According to the Equal Justice Initiative, 236 reported lynchings happened in Tennessee and three of them were in Knox County. Other works of art in the exhibit focused on racism towards immigrant communities, especially immigrants from Latin America.

Following national trend, UT’s Black student population gets smaller FAITHE LAMPE Contributor

According to UT’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, or OIRA, there has been a decline in Black students attending the University of Tennessee in comparison to other racial or ethnic categories.

Within the last six years, the number of Black students attending the university has dropped by over 200 students, from 1,845 to 1,597 students. This number does not include the more than 1,300 students who identify as two or more races.

In the fall semester of 2021 there were 100 fewer Black students in enrollment, the largest decline in over a decade. According to Knox News, this school year represented the first time that Hispanic students had replaced Black students as the second largest group in the race/ethnicity category.

With its decline in Black students, UT is part of a nationwide trend in higher education. According to University World News, since 2011, the percentage of Black students attending college dropped almost 11%, a reversal of a trend since 1976 of increased Black enrollment.

This decline of the Black population attending universities nationwide can suggest the

domino effect causing rising dropout rates, lack of representation and the racial disparity that is seen at UT. With the student population composed of 76.6% white students and the lack of cultural representation in the administration, where does the University of Tennessee stand on diversity? The University of Tennessee’s Diversity homepage expresses their pledge to combat racial injustices.

“We are committed to supporting the creation of equitable and inclusive spaces for students, faculty and staff, with a focus on removing structural barriers and fostering an atmosphere in which every member of the campus community matters and belongs,” the page said. “We work to advance access, accountability, an inclusive campus climate and equity while combating racism, bias and discrimination.”

Although the university has stated their intent, many Black students feel that the steps in place have not made the changes they felt necessary. Students believe that the true steps towards progress would be representation in the administration that adheres to their needs, responding to hate crimes in a way that is not negotiable and making their community feel heard within the campus body.

The university admitted its largest freshman class in fall 2021, topping 5,900 new students.

Now, over 31,000 students are on campus, and

the Black community makes up around 5% of that population.

The disproportionately low Black student population on campus has led to a lot of adjusting for some students upon arrival. Rickisha Rodgers, senior and president of Collegiate Black Christians, spoke about the culture shock she found on campus.

“Although I am grateful for the ways I have learned and grown and expanded my perspective as a student here at UTK, I would say that one big thing that I still to this day battle and grapple with as a Black student is feeling excluded, and being a minority and realizing how much you stick out on campus,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers also included how being a part of a small minority takes a toll on her mentally, and said that white students experience the “rare gift” of seeing themselves represented in classrooms, in faculty and in administration.

“That’s something that has had an affect on my mental health, and just my perceptions of myself, it is kind of discouraging going to class and being the only Black student in your class, and being a Black women as well I feel like there are already two strikes against me in a world where ‘whiteness’ is basically like professional or deemed as top tier,” Rodgers said.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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Seeing UT through the Cuevases’ eyes: Vice chancellor and senior lecturer RACHEL RIPPEN Contributor

Cathy and Frank Cuevas, senior lecturer of communications studies and vice chancellor for student life, pictured with Smokey X. Courtesy of Cathy Cuevas

Vice Chancellor for Student Life Frank Cuevas and Cathy Cuevas, senior lecturer of communications studies, are both well known to students and administration for their extensive roles and leadership on UT’s campus.

However, as a married couple, they

bring a fresh perspective on the value of higher learning and student life to the table through their shared passion for the college experience.

The native Floridians made their way to UT in 2010, making the transition from one college town to another. Both are alumni from The Florida State University, where they previously worked together in different realms of student affairs. This made their move to Knoxville less intimidating, as they developed a level of comfort for college towns and their atmosphere, leading UT and Knoxville to be “a natural fit.”

Their current positions both entail engaging with a wide variety of students in various settings. Frank Cuevas is the current Vice Chancellor for Student life for the university, allowing him to oversee student campus activities, organizations and leading student services in fostering a comfortable and inclusive environment to all of Tennessee’s students.

Cathy Cuevas is a senior lecturer for the College of Communication and Information, currently teaching public speaking full time.

“We like the experience of being at a

large state school because it’s public and it provides a lot of access for a lot of different kinds of students, and those are the students we really like to work with to help grow and to take advantage of the opportunity that a college degree can provide,” C. Cuevas said.

It’s easy to recognize their shared passion for working with broad ranges of students, which Frank Cuevas said “fits right in with the mission of the university.” Together, they described how lucky they feel to be able to work on a college campus, especially one as big and lively as UT. “I think it’s fun that we both have jobs where we are in the same place yet, we do such different things. We’re crossing paths with a lot of the same people and it’s fun to share those experiences,” C. Cuevas said.

The two explained how special it is for them to hear about one another’s day because, as Cathy Cuevas said, they are able to “process each other’s day in a different way.”

Although they work in different departments, they explained how in the end, both of their positions in higher education tie back to wanting to help students in their educational and personal journeys.

“I get to interact with students all the time, but she sees students in a different environment,” Vice Chancellor Cuevas said.

They indicated how they enjoy getting to work with students in various settings, making it more fun when they run into people they know in differing ways.

In addition to valuing their work, the couple also cherishes the sporadic moments they are able to spend together on campus.

Despite both Cuevases acknowledging their busy schedules, they try to find time to catch up when possible.

“If I have an opportunity, I may take a detour just to say hello real quick,” Vice Chancellor Cuevas said.

They described how enjoying lunches outside together on a nice day or being able to make it to a campus event together adds another element of delight to work.

“We like to look for the opportunities where we can find something both of us can partake in,” Vice Chancellor Cuevas said.

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CAMPUS NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Charlie Keats on TikTok, modeling and indulging in what he loves EMMA COFFEY Staff Writer

With the rise of TikTok in 2019, many young people joined the app to make silly videos and joke around with friends. No one really knew the impact it would have on their lives and careers in the following years, especially UT junior Charlie Keats.

Keats is from Nashville, about 10 minutes from downtown. He decided to go to UT because he got a scholarship to attend and was unsure of what his future held, so it seemed like the best route to take.

Keats joined the app in its earlier days simply as a joke, making funny videos at his family home in Nashville, right before he moved to Knoxville to start college.

“Back in 2019 when I got it, TikTok was still colloquially seen as unfavorable. It had less than a 10th of the community embrace it as it has now,” Keats said.

Since Keats joined TikTok, he has accumulated around 460,000 followers and 21 million likes. His content has not changed much since first joining the app — he still hopes to make people laugh.

Keats explained who inspires him the most when it comes to content.

“Uh, would it be corny to say stand-up comedians? I don’t know, something about the delivery, punchline and overall structure has always been a way I communicate with others when cracking jokes,” Keats said. “I don’t really have any friends that make similar content to me, so I wouldn’t say other creators.”

While many influencers on TikTok blew up overnight, Keats’s experience has been a bit different.

An artwork by Charlie Keats. Courtesy of Charlie Keats

“It has definitely been a journey. I’ve never been super interested in form-fitting myself to popularity as it’s always been an avenue of burnout for other creators. If you can blow up overnight, you’ll be irrelevant by the morning,” Keats said.

Keats’ success has led to many opportunities, including sponsorships.

“The first real gig I got was making a video for Panera Bread. I was so excited — I felt on top of the world signing contracts in the middle of an evolutionary biology lecture,” Keats said.

TikTok has also led to Keats’ modeling career, where he has been able to work with big brands such as American Eagle.

“After a while, I started getting scouted by modeling agencies which was a totally new world for me. I remember I didn’t even think it was real signing with a bi-coastal agency in the middle of a pandemic,” Keats said. “I didn’t even tell my folks about it until I got a gig with American Eagle. Because I am a college student living in Tennessee, there’s a predictable lack of work here, so for the time being I’ve amicably severed ties with the agency.”

His most recent gig has been for YikYak, where he has done social media consulting and content creation.

“The idea that this could pay the bills has been wild for me. I’m so thankful,” Keats said.

As a full-time college student majoring in neuroscience, Keats surprisingly does not find it too challenging to juggle school and social media.

“The trick to balancing school and social media is allowing the brain to take a break from one to do the other. Endless productivity is possible if you stagger both the right way,” Keats said.

His typical day is not too different from the average college student, except for when he is out of town for modeling gigs or any other opportunities that might be in store for him that day.

“I wake up between 9 and 10 a.m. I turn on the radio, take my vitamins with about 48 oz. of water. I then eat some egg whites with some hot sauce. Handle morning hygiene, such as shower and brush teeth, yada yada yada,” Keats said. “I pick a stellar outfit — or settle for comfortable if I have lab. I go to class, come home and make content, study and do homework and wrap the day up with a few hours of reading or painting. I go to bed between 1 and 3 a.m.”

Keats explained that at times he has found himself being treated differently at the university because he has a big following.

“When I applied to work as a student worker on campus last year, I heard that my employer — as well as my former hall director — were keenly aware of who I was, but that never really progressed past funny comments and jokes here and there. I don’t go out much, so I can’t say I interact with strangers all that often,” Keats said.

As a model and visual artist, Charlie Keats is often his own subject material. The neuroscience student at UT said his path to TikTok and Instagram stardom has “definitely been a journey.”

Courtesy of Charlie Keats Keats added that the bulk of his interactions that surround his following have been indirect.

“It’s always a friend of a friend, a classmate of a friend or someone who knows someone.

My friends say that this is because I’m somehow intimidating? Not sure,” Keats said. “I can say with confidence, it’s a lot easier to talk to me in person as opposed to sliding into my DMs.” Crawford Emory is one of Charlie’s close friends, and he has been able to see Keats grow in many capacities.

The pair met their freshman year of college in Psychology 110. Emory noticed that Keats was asking well-informed questions and was pushing the discussion in the class.

“I was so impressed by him that I walked up to him and said ‘Hey can I get your number?

I’d love to study with you and get together.’

And honestly bro, we’ve been best friends ever since,” Emory said.

Emory and Keats now live right next door to each other in the Fort Sanders neighborhood and reminisce on the days when Keats had only 10,000 followers.

Emory shared what he thinks about Keats’s growth on social media and the opportunities that have come from it.

“His social media is awesome … Watching him grow as a man, aesthetically and also like, through his fashion success in media … watching him make all these connections with people in New York and Los Angeles — and all these other places — has been really exciting to watch,” Emory said.

Emory also added how proud he is of Keats for all that he has accomplished over the past few years.

“I’m so proud of him, I tell him that everyday and I tell him I love him every time that I see him when I can. He knows that I am proud of him, but I tell him that anyway,” Emory said.

In addition to his love for social media, Keats has a passion for creating art. His work is mostly abstract oil and acrylic paintings.

In Dec. 2021, he had a featured spot at the

Gordon JCC in Nashville which allowed him to showcase his art for the first time. Keats was able to accomplish this because of a stylist he worked with who wanted to use some of his work.

He sometimes shows his artwork on his TikTok, but that content does not consistently do as well as his other videos and he has a page on Instagram dedicated to his artwork.

With Keats’s wide range of pursuits — neuroscience, social media and art — he is often asked about his future. However, he explained that he does not have any set goals or plans.

“Ain’t that the million-dollar question … I have a way of indulging in everything I love so I’ll probably do that for eternity. My ACT score report said I wasn’t ready for college and I’m a third-year neuroscience student with a decent GPA,” Keats said. “Goals have a weird way of limiting (your) view, which can be contextually helpful, just not any context I’ve ever been in.”

As for his future in academics, Keats hopes to join a graduate program, but he is still exploring what interests him most.

Keats shared some advice for anyone who is looking to pursue social media.

“There are the folks that get into social media because they genuinely love making interesting content, and there are the folks who want to accessorize their ego. Only the people who love making content stick around longer than a few weeks,” Keats said.

Keats explained that while social media is not as easy as it looks, it is more fun than anyone could imagine. When it comes to the nitty gritty of social media, Keats said to pay attention to details that you do not consciously recognize, edit precisely and don’t be friends with the wrong people.

Based on personal experience, he added a last piece of insider advice for those wanting to get into content creation.

“If you find yourself gate-crashing a party in the Hollywood Hills, make sure to know whose party it is,” Keats said.

CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 • The Daily Beacon 5

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SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Women’s basketball grades: Alabama and South Carolina RILEY THOMAS Staff Writer

After winning two games the week prior, the Lady Vols hit a rough patch, losing both of their games on the road this week versus Alabama and South Carolina.

Along with the two road losses, Tennessee also lost its leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals in junior guard Jordan Horston.

Here’s how the Lady Vols graded out.

Backcourt In the contest versus the Crimson Tide, the backcourt was outshined by guards Megan Abrams and Brittany Davis.

The two guards combined scored 50 of Alabama’s 74 points, shot 17-of-29 from the floor and 6-for-12 beyond the arc.

Before going down with her elbow injury in the fourth quarter, Horston finished the outing with 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting and added 4 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals and a block.

Rae Burrell showed up in both contests, especially in the South Carolina matchup when her team needed someone to step up in the absence of Horston.

Burrell finished both games in doublefigures, dropping 13 versus the Tide and 14 against the Gamecocks. Tennessee looked to Burrell to produce in the Carolina game and she was very aggressive getting her shots up. Tennessee needs that type of performance and mindset the rest of the season from the senior guard.

Jordan Walker had a decent game versus Alabama, but like Burrell, she was more aggressive on the offensive without Horston.

The graduate guard concluded the Alabama game with 7 points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field and grabbed 5 rebounds, but she finished the Carolina game in double-figures, with 11 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the floor.

The other starting guard, Tess Darby, only scored 3 points versus Alabama and 6 points and hauled in 4 rebounds against the Gamecocks.

The guards had decent performances in both games, but it wasn’t enough to pick up a victory.

Grade: C

Tennessee’s Rennia Davis No. 0 takes a shot during game between the South Carolina Gamecocks on Feb. 18, 2021. Alana Adams / The Daily Beacon

Frontcourt Tamari Key went on an absolute tear during this two game stretch.

Key finished with a season and teamhigh 20 points versus the Crimson Tide. She also racked up a double-double, hauling in 13 boards.

Versus the Gamecocks, Key cemented herself in the history books.

The junior center swatted away 10 shots, which moved her into sole possession of second place with the most blocks in a career (257). She also positioned herself in a tie with Candace Parker with the second most blocks in a single season (99).

Key racked up her second-straight double-double, tallying 10 points and snatched 7 rebounds.

Outside of Key, the frontcourt underperformed.

Alexus Dye scored a combined 11 points in both games, shooting 3-for-18 combined in both outings. She was, however, a major factor on the glass versus Carolina, grabbing 11 boards – her first double-digit rebounding performance since Jan. 2.

Sara Puckett did not get buckets in both games, recording a combined 2 points on 1-of-10 shooting from the floor during the matchups.

Aliyah Boston did Aliyah Boston things in the Carolina game, capturing her 19th straight double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Lady Vols did all they could to contain her but to no avail.

Without Key, the frontcourt may have not survived these last two games.

Grade: BOffense

The offensive output was drastically underwhelming in both matchups.

In the Alabama matchup, the Lady Vols could hardly find any rhythm on offense, which led to an early deficit that was too much to overcome in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee finished the game shooting, 39% from the floor and 3-of-12 from three point range.

What really cost the Lady Vols was the free throw shooting. UT finished the game going 15-of-26 from the charity stripe – UT eventually lost by 10.

The Lady Vols shouldn’t be expected to make every free-throw, but there were times where missed shots stopped their momentum for a comeback and put them even deeper into the hole.

UT did, however, have three players score in double-figures – Key, Horston and Burrell.

Tennessee did not string together a much better output versus the Gamecocks.

The Lady Vols shot 32.3% from the floor and 1-for-10 from downtown. Free throw shooting was not much better, finishing the game going 10-for-17 from the free-throw line.

Tennessee was within striking distance multiple times against the Gamecocks, especially when Boston went to the bench in the second quarter with 2 fouls, but UT was unable to put together stops on the defensive side, paired with sinking shots on the offensive end.

30.7% from the floor and 4-for-13 from three. Takeaway Alabama’s two guards, the Lady Vols win with ease, but that was not the case.

Unlike the Lady Vols, the Tide made their free-throws, going 14-for-16 from the line.

The Lady Vols were holding their own versus the Gamecocks in the first half of action, holding them to 32 points on 12for-39 shooting from the floor and 2-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Coming out of the half, Carolina erupted for 25 points on 52.63% from the floor and went 2-for-4 from downtown.

The Gamecocks killed UT on the break, getting behind the defense dropping 16 fast break points compared to the Lady Vols zero.

The matchup on Sunday was headlined by the two best rebounding teams in the nation, but it was a one sided affair in that category on Sunday.

Carolina outrebounded Tennessee 59-38, including hauling in 31 offensive rebounds.

Without Horston, the defense and rebounding took a hit tremendously Grade: C-

Coaching and Overall Head coach Kellie Harper had her work cut out for her over these last few games, as the odds continue to stack against them.

The Lady Vols have now lost five in a row on the road after starting the season 6-0 away from home. Losing Horston did not make the situation any better.

Harper did, however, get the most out of her team on Sunday versus the perennial best team in the country. The Lady Vols have no quit and that was evident on Sunday afternoon.

Fortunately for the Lady Vols, they head back home to finish off the regular season before postseason play.

Look for the squad to regroup heading into their final two matchups and expect a highly motivated basketball team, with everyone counting them out.

Grade: C

Grade: C-

Defense As previously stated, the Lady Vols lost the Alabama matchup because of two players – Abrams and Davis.

Everyone else on the Alabama squad shot

Lady Vols back in action The Lady Vols are scheduled to play Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 against Missouri State at 6:30 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena.

CAMPUS NEWS

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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Making Headspace: Students want partnership with app amid surge in mental health demand ABBY ANN RAMSEY Staff Writer

The Student Health Center, 1800 Volunteer Blvd, has many resources for students on UT’s campus including counseling, primary care services, a pharmacy and more. File / The Daily Beacon

As students search for ways to cope with mental health problems, Student Government Association (SGA) senators are working on an initiative for UT to partner with the mindfulness app Headspace, following in the footsteps of schools like Georgia Tech and Boston University.

Patrick Angelaccio, a sophomore social work major and SGA senator who serves as chair of the infrastructure committee, decided to create a bill in SGA’s senate to partner with the app as a way to assist students who might not be able to take advantage of UT’s counseling services, due to the long waitlist.

“I started thinking, well our Counseling Center is overwhelmed, our students are overwhelmed, there’s gotta be some way to sort of help bridge the gap,” Angelaccio said. “I just wanted something in between to sort of help the school know that hey we care about mental health, we care about our students, but we can’t just say, ‘hey, hire 50 more counselors.’”

In order for this legislation to go into effect, it must pass in SGA’s senate, which Angelaccio says will most likely not be an issue. After that, the bill is out of students’ hands and is sent to the administration and faculty senate where UT will decide whether or not to support it and allocate money for it.

“Even if this doesn’t get passed, at least we’re letting faculty know that mental health matters to us and we’re trying to do more in whatever form that looks like,” Angelaccio said.

SGA senator and sophomore journalism major Riya Patel decided to assist in the efforts of Angelaccio’s legislation with a Change.org petition to prove student need and support for the new initiative.

“Basically with bills and stuff, it can be hard to show administration that people want the problem solved,” Patel said. “I was like, honestly, a petition might be a really good idea be-

cause we can show administration that there’s a need for it and people are actually going to use it if we implement it.”

Although Patel and Angelaccio alike have hope in the efficacy of the app, they both noted that this partnership would not solve mental health issues on campus but would act instead as more of a band-aid while counseling resources are expanded.

“In the time that someone cannot find a therapist, Headspace is at least something, but it is not even close to a solution,” Patel said. “The solution is adding more counselors, making the process easier to get a counselor and all that.”

Even though it is just one way to assist in relieving the Counseling Center and providing mental health resource options, Angelaccio believes it to be a step in the right direction.

“This is not really the end all be all for mental health at UT,” Angelaccio said. “I don’t want that to be the case at all. I just want to get a start going because we do need to address the overwhelming stress that students face.”

Mikala Leath, an off-campus SGA senator and senior communications major who has helped Angelaccio and Patel publicize the legislation and petition, added that she knows the Student Health Center truly does care for students’ wellbeing, but echoed the claims that they need more resources.

“As a long-term user of the Counseling Center for individual and group therapy services, among others, I have found so much care and support through the services offered at the UT Health Center but recognize the growing need for more counselors and resources,” Leath said.

The Counseling Center, in Patel’s opinion, is struggling due to low resources and cannot support the sheer amount of students who need support through the university due to finances or lack of acceptance from family members.

“I got really lucky with the Counseling Center, but … I’ve had friends who could not get in, who could not find a therapist that could help them that was right for their needs,” Patel said.

“Also, I mean, the intake time is so incredibly long that by the time you get in, your issues are … either so bad, or you had to go find somewhere else and that’s just not feasible for people.”

Angelaccio pointed out that, although the Counseling Center might not have the resources to aid in all mental health issues on campus, the intent of this legislation and petition is not to point fingers. Rather, its purpose is to assist in closing a gap that simply is not being filled at the moment due to underfunding and staffing shortages.

“This is trying to help them and help us,” Angelaccio said. “I’m not trying to just hate on the Counseling Center because I think it could be improved and help a lot of students out.”

SGA has not been in direct contact with the Counseling Center, but Judi Gibbons, interim

director of the Student Counseling Center, told The Daily Beacon that the center is open to hearing student ideas.

“We remain committed to our mission to promote the psychological, educational and social well-being of our students, and that includes hearing from students as we enhance our services,” Gibbons said. “We are happy to meet with the students who started the petition to learn more about students’ needs and interests and what they report would be the most helpful and supportive measures.”

Gibbons said there are also mental health counseling services provided by UT outside of the Counseling Center. The Psychology Clinic which serves as the clinical psychology program’s doctoral training site, offers low-cost services and therapy.

The Counselor Training Clinic also has supervised graduate students who provide “free individual and group counseling that is holistic in nature and based on the wellness model of interpersonal growth,” according to its website.

Gibbons also said the Counseling Center currently employs 12 full-time senior licensed therapists, three part-time licensed therapists and five full-time psychology interns. They also have nine doctoral psychology studenttrainee clinicians at various levels. They are looking to hire three more people in full-time staff positions.

“We work every year toward increasing our staff and expanding our services is a priority,” Gibbons said.

She also pointed out that they are open to new ideas despite having tried a similar approach in the past.

“SCC previously used a program called TAO Connect that had several self-help features, including mindfulness training, but it was not well used by students and so the contract was discontinued,” Gibbons said.

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CITY NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Theatre, comedy, live music: The biggest acts coming to Knoxville this spring LEXIE MARTIN Staff Writer

This spring will see a lot of significant artists and events coming to the Knoxville area.

From big names like Elton John to musicals like Hairspray, there will be something for everyone.

Elton John Elton John will be coming to campus on Friday, April 8 for his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour. He will be coming to ThompsonBoling Arena and will be performing some of his hits from his 60-year long career as one of the most famous entertainers. The “Rocketman” and “Your Song” singer will be retiring after his tour ends so that he can spend more time with his family.

Paul McCartney Paul McCartney has also had a career that spans decades from his start with the Quarrymen that turned into the Beatles, to his solo career and work with another band of his, Wings.

He will also be coming to Thompson-Boling on May 31 for the Knoxville stop of his “Got Back”

tour. The “Live and Let Die” and “Let it be” singer also released a book of his song lyrics to share the stories behind some of his most famous songs to long-time fans.

For KING & COUNTRY The Grammy-winning Aussie duo’s “What are We Waiting For?” tour will be coming to the Knoxville civic coliseum on April 15.

Walker Hayes feat. MacKenzie Porter Walker Hayes will be performing at the Tennessee Theater on April 28 as part of his “Fancy Like” tour. Hayes saw a rise to fame after his song “Fancy Like” was trending on TikTok last year. Canadian country singer MacKenzie Porter will be joining him for all but one show.

REO Speedwagon The band first found success in the ‘70s after forming in 1967. The “Can’t Fight This Feeling” singers will be coming to the Knoxville Civic Auditorium on April 7. The band has been touring for about 60 years and will continue their current tour until the summer.

Bonnie Raitt The blues artist will be performing at the

Tennessee Theater on May 29 with Lucinda Williams. Raitt gained popularity in the early ‘70s with hits like “Something to Talk About” and has been touring since.

Big Ears Festival The beloved festival will return this year from March 24-27 and will see performances from Patti Smith, Sparks, Sons of Kemet, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and so many more.

There will also be a few film showings. The festival was first introduced in 2009 and takes place in different locations throughout downtown Knoxville.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical The musical about the legendary performer’s life will be coming to the Tennessee Theater. The show runs from April 8-10 and features some of Summers’s iconic hits like “Hot Stuff.”

Alabama The county music band will be coming to Thompson-Boling Arena on April 16.

The band has been together for 50 years and has toured ever since. They are a trio of cousins that are from Alabama and got their start playing a bar in South Carolina in 1969.

Todrick Hall performs his song “Attention” in the Student Union Auditorium on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021. File / The Daily Beacon

Todrick Hall The singer, dancer, actor, choreographer, YouTuber and activist will be at The Mill & Mine on April 9 as part of his “Femuline” tour.

Hall also performed at UT for a CEB event back on Sep. 8, 2021.

The Zombies Formed in the early ‘60s and made it big in 1964 with their hit “She’s Not There,” the English rock band will be making a stop at the Bijou on April 14 as part of their “Life is a Merry-Go-Round” tour.

Loco Burro brings mechanical donkey, unique Tex-Mex flair to West Knoxville KEENAN THOMAS Senior Staff Writer

Loco Burro is the newest Tex-Mex restaurant to ride into Knoxville.

Located at 7600 Kingston Pike in West Town Mall, Loco Burro opened its doors three weeks ago. It’s owned and operated by Kennedy Concepts, who also run the original Loco Burro in Gatlinburg.

Featuring an expansive menu, a rooftop bar and a mechanical donkey, Loco Burro functions as a family restaurant, a date night location or a place to gather with friends. It aims to provide an experience for everyone.

Marketing director Brittney Singh talked about bringing Loco Burro to West Knoxville.

She said that they wanted to move away from the tourist aspects of the original location.

“We wanted to make this one … more comfortable,” Singh said. “People are going to be sitting down here for a long time watching UT games. If we go upstairs to our rooftop, it’s more of a Spanish villa type of vibe.”

“The rooftop — we definitely wanted to make it seem like you weren’t at the mall, like it’s its own little oasis outside of Knoxville. So when you do visit, you don’t feel like you’re at West Town Mall — you don’t even feel like

you’re in Knoxville,” Singh said.

Singh talked about the restaurant itself.

They began construction in Jan. 2020, so it’s been nearly three years in the making. She said that they have hand-picked and designed every aspect of the restaurant, from the menu to the decor.

“Everything was very well thought out,” Singh said. “Just like the food and just like the drinks, we took all of that energy and we put it into this building as well. Hopefully, before (customers) come in here, they can kind of see that, even walking up to it. We don’t look like any other restaurant in Knoxville. Our Loco Burro sign is very bright. You can see it from the interstate.”

Owner Chad Kennedy also talked about the restaurant and what makes this location special.

“What makes us special is the quality of our food, the quality of our bar drinks,” Kennedy said. “We’ve got a fantastic location. In addition, we’re the only rooftop bar and patio in West Knoxville.”

Singh talked about the menu, saying that it’s “chef-driven.” They all taste test the menu items before finalizing their placement. They do this to ensure that what they are serving meets their own standards as a restaurant.

They strive to make quality food to serve.

“Most of our stuff is really truly Tex-Mex

food — it’s a fusion,” Singh said. “We have our Birria de Res tacos, which is my favorite — that’s new on the menu. This menu is definitely different from our Gatlinburg menu, it’s more refined.”

The menu itself features a large list of options to choose from, including tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and quesadillas, plus more.

Their menu should satisfy any Tex-Mex craving that customers might have.

“We have everything from small plates, tacos, enchiladas, burritos,” Singh said. “We have a huge five-pound Chihuahua Burrito that if you can finish it within 30 minutes, the burrito is free and you get a free ride on the (mechanical) donkey. We try to make it a little bit fun.”

Along with their menu, the restaurant has an extensive drink menu with ingredients and syrups made in-house and by hand. They try to make their drinks special to stand out from the other margarita spots in town.

Singh mentioned a few menu items as favorites, like the recently added Birria de Res tacos, but couldn’t quite pick just one.

“I could go on and on about our menu,” Singh said. “I can’t even pick one thing. And I eat this probably every day, and every day it’s so hard for me to nail down which one because they’re all good.”

On the other hand, Kennedy said that his fa-

Loco Burro, a Tex-Mex restaurant and tequila bar, is now open at West Town Mall in Knoxville, TN. Erick Gomez / The Daily Beacon

vorite item is the fajitas, specifically the steak and chicken fajitas that they make.

The restaurant is still establishing itself within West Knoxville as well as their own routine, but they’ve kept busy even though they just opened. Singh said that business has already exceeded her expectations, as more and more people have come in to dine at Loco Burro.

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CITY NEWS

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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‘Drive My Car’ review: Meditative vehicular elegance KEENAN THOMAS Senior Staff Writer

Driving around without any real location or intention in mind can be a great meditative practice.

This is just one aspect that “Drive My Car” touches upon. The Japanese drama, based on a short story of the same name

by Haruki Murakami, comes from director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who also directed “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy” and “Happy Hour.” Hamaguchi wrote the film along with Takamasa Oe. The film follows Yūsuke Kafuku, a creative theater director. He lives with his wife Oto, a screenwriter, as they follow their daily routines. But after she suddenly passes away, Yūsuke burrows further into himself and his patterns. He only begins to open up and come to terms with his wife’s death and their relationship two years later while directing a multilingual adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” in which it is mandatory for a chauffeur to drive for him.

Photo courtesy of IMDb “Drive My Car” is masterful. Within a three hour runtime, it is able to tell a story rich with emotion, character and introspection that is capable of leaving you speechless. It is an utterly phenomenal piece of art.

The film has a small yet compact list of actors that each deliver stellar performances. In particular, Hidetoshi Nishijima as Yūsuke and Tōko Miura as Misaki Watari the chauffeur are the core of the film’s acting. They deliver subdued, refrained

performances that are rich in detail within their understanding of themselves and each other. It’s only over time that they begin to let their guard down and allow themselves to be vulnerable. They give a masterclass in how to express everything that they’re feeling without overtly showing it.

As for the story, it is a beautiful, complex and poignant exploration of grief. It allows for characters, actions and information to gestate and reveal themselves naturally, utilizing its extensive runtime perfectly. The characters are filled with traits and routines that even the smallest actions help to reveal.

Even the car, a bright red Saab 900, acts as a character itself, mirroring Yūsuke in the process. It’s a tidy little car that is moderately outshone by the surrounding vehicles, but keeps up on its own. Standing out from its surroundings, it becomes a symbol of expression similar to Yūsuke’s play adaptations. But it’s also a place of comfort and solitude, one that the characters can float in and out of at their own pace.

It’s a location that exists outside of the characters, Hiroshima, Japan, the world, a location where deeply intimate secrets are unveiled and impromptu therapy sessions begin naturally. Boundaries fall apart and a better understanding of the universe occurs by sharing a cigarette with the driver, a previously frowned upon action, among other actions.

There are several layers of pent up emotion, unspoken stories and muddled relationships that all start to be chipped away during these sessions. Even small aspects, like the cassette tape of Oto speaking dialogue from the play, are touched upon and given astute attention. Emotional, characteristic and linguistic barriers become lost in the rearview mirror during the driving and play rehearsal sessions.

This theme of communication is central to the film, especially for Yūsuke and Misaki. They learn to better communicate everything that’s been left to fester within themselves over the course of the film and beyond. Along with that, the play acts as a way of crossing through language barriers, even though the actors can’t actually understand each other.

For the most part, the story and presentation are kept simple, letting everything breathe and rise to the surface on their own accord. The film doesn’t rush through anything. In that regard, it becomes an enthralling piece of filmmaking, as it is propelled forward due to the rich and resonative story and characters.

It helps that the pacing is fundamentally excellent. Even at three hours in length, this film moves in such a way that will leave you questioning if it was even that long to begin with. Like the time slipping away during a calm car ride, the film never feels too long.

It’s perfectly lengthed and paced.

Along with that, the editing by Azusa Yamazaki follows a mesmerizing rhythm.

It exists largely unnoticed within the film, indicating that it’s functioning precisely as it needs to. There’s an elegant ebb and flow to when the film cuts, with a beautiful understanding of how long to stay on certain shots and when to cut to a new one.

This all works in tandem with Hidetoshi Shinomiya’s cinematography. His ability to capture the simple and elegant beauty of the surrounding world, even when it’s just the urban landscape or the intimacies of a car’s interior, is absolutely stunning at times. The dull drab of the world brilliantly contrasted with the bright red Saab 900 leaves a lasting impression. It helps it to stick out even further while simultaneously drawing attention to everything else.

All in all, it’s a gorgeously shot film, with an acute understanding of framing, blocking and lighting.

Finally, the music by Eiko Ishibashi is astounding. His music brings together elements of jazz, vehicular and orchestral sounds to create a score that fits the film in tone, setting and character. It’s usage in the film is sparse, but stark, denoting moments of significant change within the film.

Simply put, it’s an auditory treat to listen to, both within the film and outside of it.

“Drive My Car” is an experience almost like no other. Its moody atmosphere, inexplicably calm refrain and emotionally heavy meditation works together with the elements of storytelling and filmmaking to bring to life an unforgettable journey.

This is a special film. It’s not often that we receive something that is essentially a three hour trip into the depths of our souls. It’s mostly about driving to and fro, in between rehearsals and hotels, from graves to hugs and learning more about ourselves on the way. Although that may sound like nothing, it’s one of the most enthralling, captivating and enriching films released in a long time.

This is also a heavy film to sit through.

It’s about grappling with those aspects of ourselves that we sometimes would rather

ignore, those elements that we wish we could throw out of the repeating loops in our heads. But as it turns out, sometimes taking the time to properly process and confront everything that nags us about ourselves, our relationships and our insecurities actually helps. It’s almost as if you are seated right next to them in the backseat of the car, watching them experience these epiphanies in real time.

This is a film that will stick within the minds and hearts of those who resonate with it. The last three sequences in the film alone have the ability to touch even the coldest of hearts. Case in point, I almost started uncontrollably sobbing the moment the credits started to roll. The full emotional weight of the last 20 minutes of the film landed harder than most films I’ve ever seen.

If that’s not enough to convince you, then consider the opening prologue of the film.

Within 40 minutes, the film showcases extreme depth in terms of character and story, the kind of depth that could fill its own two hour film. But that opening section is there to introduce the main film and its story and themes.

To put that in perspective, the film tells a story that could be its own separate film, only to use that as the catalyst for the rest of the story before the opening credits even start, all in 40 minutes. That is an impressive piece of filmmaking by itself. It’s made better because the rest of the movie is equally phenomenal.

If you can, go see “Drive My Car.” Having only seen it once, I want to see it a million more times. It’s a truly breathtaking work of art, and it is deserving of every nomination, award and piece of recognition that it has received. Ryusuke Hamaguchi should be proud of his masterpiece.

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CITY NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 23, 2022

‘Women can do hard and scary things:’ Outdoorswomen of Knoxville close adventure gap ASH PICKARD Contributor

On Wednesday, Feb. 16, all women of Knoxville were invited to celebrate the outdoors and listen to stories of those who became leaders in a predominantly male-dominated environment.

Held at the Knoxville Adventure Collective building, the Women in the Outdoors event began at 5:30 p.m and ran until 9:30 p.m. Ladies grabbed drinks and mingled among each other as every seat in the house got filled.

One by one, each woman came up and shared their compelling stories of adventure, success and growth as the audience intently listened in. From mountain bikers to environmental biologists, every woman’s story was unique and told from a personal perspective.

Sarah Love, a team member of BUSAR, a backcountry search and rescue organization, spoke about her experience with the outdoors.

“From an early age, I was conditioned to understand that women went to the mall and men went outdoors,” Love said.

A common theme was shown throughout the room as the panelist weighed in on the impact they had being the only woman in their space. It is noticed from a young age that

men are encouraged to express themselves in the outdoors, but women can’t say the same.

Humbling experiences encouraged them to find themselves and help other women do the same. In spaces where they were challenged and pushed past their limits is where they discovered how to grow and prevail — something all women should get the chance to experience.

From an early age, I was conditioned to understand that women went to the mall and men went outdoors.

SARAH LOVE TEAM MEMBER OF BUSAR

The event gave the outdoorswomen an opportunity to promote their passions. Liz McCalley, CEO of Stoke Signal, found a need for a more versatile sock through her time outdoors.

She explained how there was a demand for reflective socks that would support all activities.

Great lengths were met to ensure the perfect sock was created. Yarn imported from France, determination and many prototypes all paid off to create the quality product.

Missy Petty of Little Bellas, an organization to introduce girls to mountain biking, demonstrated the importance of helping young women meet their full potential. It was obvious girls did not have much of a platform to mountain bike in the US. There was a need for empowerment and encouragement of a healthy lifestyle and the Little Bellas program was the answer.

Through this, young bikers are taught the value of teamwork, confidence and create lifelong friendships.

“Women can do hard and scary things,” Petty said.

The women agreed that 10 years ago, the room may not have been filled with so many ambitious women. Throughout the years, the dynamic of the outdoor world has grown and opened space for women. This community will only keep growing as women find that their possibilities are limitless.

Kaysee Armstrong, a cyclist on the Liv Factory Team, spoke about the importance of community.

“The outdoors led me to find a great community and purpose,” Armstrong said.

As the night concluded, the panelists thanked everyone for coming and shared how honored they were to be a part of Knoxville’s outdoor community. They acknowledged the responsibility that each person has to create an unintimidating, yet inspiring space for all

women to enjoy. Without the amplifying voices of women before them, they most likely would not have found a fire in themselves that led to great exploration and freedom.

Courtesy of the o�cial Knoxville Adventure Collective Instagram, @knox_adventure

Topgolf opening near Knoxville this summer, impacting entertainment in East Tennessee FRANCES SEITERS Contributor

Later this summer, a new addition of entertainment will be opened in the town of Farragut, about 30 minutes outside of Knoxville.

Topgolf is an entertainment group that has grown popular over the years and currently has two locations in Tennessee, one in Nashville and the other in Chattanooga.

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville has a student population of around 32,000 students. Not only are they abundant in population but the student body is always trying to find something to do, whether that be on campus or a fun activity to do around Knoxville.

Nancy Yang, a sophomore who is majoring in interior architecture, believes that the new Topgolf will bring some life back to the city.

“Everyone is so congested on campus so I feel like with something so big coming so close to us, it’ll give students the chance to get out more,” Yang said.

Knoxville is surrounded by many great attractions, such as Dollywood and the Smokies, but these places have been here for so long and aren’t going anywhere. A change in what students are used to will bring more opportunities for entertainment.

Entertainment is a huge aspect of what the

venue will bring not only Knoxville, but the town of Farragut as well. It will also open new job opportunities.

Jesse Small, a student majoring in business, is a former employee of Topgolf and experienced the venue in Nashville.

“The managers were all talking about opening a new place in Knoxville,” Small said. “They send a team out to open the venue for the first two weeks, and then they can have the option to stay or go to another city and do it again.”

This system is used in order to have staff during the opening and during the period of time when they are hiring.

In Nov. 2021, Topgolf came out with a press release announcing the grand opening of the new venue with an explanation of how job opportunities will be abundant.

“Beyond entertainment, Topgolf Knoxville will create nearly 300 full and part-time jobs, and an opportunity for future Topgolf Knoxville Associates to grow their careers, work in a unique culture-first environment and be a part of a company that welcomes everyone as they are,” Topgolf Entertainment Group said.

With college students populating most areas within and around Knoxville, this is likely to be a great opportunity and be a magnet for tourism for the town of Farragut.

“I personally wouldn’t work there but college students are definitely going to look into getting jobs there,” Yang said. “Farragut is go-

Courtesy of the o�cial Topgolf Facebook, @Topgolf

ing to have a lot of newcomers.”

Local businesses are projected to have a boost in business just because this venue will bring many people from all over East Tennessee and can open newcomers’ eyes to what East Tennessee has to offer. Additionally, receiving a variety of entertainment will also give native Knoxvillians a reason to love their city even more.

Topgolf is a huge corporation that is making an arrival which will most likely stir up some controversy due to those who want to keep

Knoxville the way it is but so many things are changing all across the state. The city and the towns on the outskirts are likely to see more and more people which to some is a good progressive way to build the city.

It is a change that is bound to happen regardless of what the corporation is but, in the end, the purpose is to have a place to hang out with friends and have fun with a sport that usually doesn’t get as much attention. Maybe students will discover some golf skills they never knew they had.

SPORTS

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

11 11

Lady Vols win 2022 SEC Swim and Dive Championships KATIE YATOOMA Contributor

The 2022 SEC Swim and Dive Championships concluded with a Lady Vol swim and dive team win for the second time in the past three years. They won the conference with an overall score of 1,313.5 points behind four gold medals from freshman Ellen Walshe.

“This is an incredibly special and unique team with a number of different components,” director of swim and dive Matt Kredich said. “It is almost like alchemy — you put all of these pieces together for something that is greater than the pieces themselves. The depth of this team is something that we felt we obviously needed in order to win this championship. I am so impressed with every person on our roster.”

The third-ranked Lady Vols had a successful week at the Championships. They won a combined 17 medals — seven gold, six silver and four bronze. In addition to the hardware, Tennessee had 53 athletes qualify for the events of the final throughout the week, with 30 A final marks.

“Every athlete scored in a B final or higher.

That is extraordinary depth,” Kredich said.

“Maybe the most extraordinary thing about that is there are people that did not make this team that we also feel had the ability to score in B finals and some even in A finals.

Our depth on this team is historic and having the ability to do it does not always mean you are going to do it. I am so impressed with the fact that every person on this roster has made a significant contribution in terms of points.”

The freshman Walshe had an outstanding week for the Lady Vol team. Walshe won a combined seven medals, four of those gold.

She was named the SEC Swimmer of the Meet and was awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy as she was the top overall points scorer.

Walshe put up incredible times not only at the meet, but in the Lady Vols’ and the SEC Championship’s history books.

On Thursday, Walshe won the 400 IM while breaking the school record with a time of 4:01.53. Not long after that victory, she went on to win the 100 fly with a time of 50.34. She then won the 200 IM with a 1:52.97, making her way onto the records with the second-fastest time in UT history.

In total, Walshe scored 96 points for the Lady Vols in individual events alone.

Walshe was the first swimmer in the history of the SEC to win the 100 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM in the same meet. She is one of three

Lady Vols to ever win three individual events in a single SEC Championship, and the first freshman to ever do so.

Walshe’s time in the 400 IM was marked as the fastest time by a freshman in SEC history and was ranked the seventh-best time by a freshman in NCAA history.

In addition to her individual feats, Walshe was also a member of the 800 free relay – which won gold – and the four silver medal lineups, which include the record-setting 400 medley relay.

In the gold medal 800 freestyle relay, alongside Walshe was Julia Mrozinski, Trude Rothrock, and Tjasa Pintar. Their time was the third-best in program history. Mrozinski’s leadoff 200 free split in the relay with the time of 1:43.21 was a new personal best for her and moved her into a tie for fourth in the UT record books.

Mrozinski became the first Lady Vol to win the 500 free during the meet. Her time broke the Lady Vols’ record with a time of 4:35.95.

She finished fifth overall in the 200 free behind fellow freshman Brooklyn Douthwright, who won silver in the event with a mark of 1:43.45.

Sophomore Mona McSharry brought home a pair of medals in her breaststroke events. She took home the gold in the 100

breaststroke with a time of 57.50 to earn her first SEC gold medal of her career and was the first Lady Vol swimmer to win the event since 2012.

McSharry also took third in the 200 breast with a time of 2:07.29. She was also a member of the silver medal-winning 200 free, 200 medley and 400 medal relays. In total, McSharry won five medals throughout the meet.

Kristen Stege defended her SEC title in the 1650 free and won the event with a UT record setting time of 15:42.37. This marked the first time a Lady Vol has won back-to-back events since 1990-91. Her time marked the fastest in the nation and her 1000 free split time of 9:27.69, which set another program record.

The Lady Vols posted 26 new top-10 times in program history as well as five new school records over the course of the week, and what made it extra special was where it happened – their home, the Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

“The most special part of this whole thing is that we were able to do this from our home pool at Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, a place where we felt was our refuge during the lockdown of the past two years,” Kredich said. “It has been a celebration of our ability to be a team and compete at the highest level.”

Chases dominate, bats break out in sweep of Georgia Southern JOSH LANE Sports Editor

The No. 18 Tennessee baseball team opened its season over the weekend with a three-game sweep of Georgia Southern at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Vols used a combination of power pitching and the long ball to clinch their fourth consecutive opening weekend series win.

Here are three takeaways from the Vols’ opening weekend sweep.

Chase’d out of Knoxville The Vols delved into uncharted waters over the weekend by starting three pitchers in their Tennessee debut — including a pair of freshmen.

After the injuries to Blade Tidwell and Seth Halvorsen, Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello turned to true freshman Chase Burns on Friday night and sophomore transfer Chase Dollander in Saturday’s middle game. Both Chases were more than impressive in their respective debuts.

“It’s pretty evident that we’ve got arms to be envious of,” Vitello said.

Burns pitched five scoreless innings in 9-0 season-opening win, allowing 2 hits and a walk while striking out 5. Burns hit 93 mph on

the first pitch of his career, sat at 96 mph with his fastball and touched 98 several times.

The freshman was efficient on the mound, needing 70 pitches to get 15 outs, but Vitello did not want to push Burns much farther in his collegiate debut.

Dollander — a transfer from Georgia Southern — was flat-out dominant against his former team. The right hander struck out 11 batters in five innings of work without allowing a walk.

Dollander went out to start the sixth inning but it was apparent he had run out of steam.

Georgia Southern tagged Dollander for 3 hits and 3 runs in the inning — Georgia Southern’s only runs from the weekend.

Lineup proves it can still hit Tennessee had several new faces in its lineup over the course of opening weekend. After a few years of waiting on the bench, Trey Lipscomb and Jorel Ortega finally got their turn at third and second, respectively, and they did not waste it.

Lipscomb went 4-for-12 with a 1.012 onbase plus slugging (OPS) over the weekend, totaling 4 runs batted in (RBIs) including a home run on Friday. Ortega had a team-high of 5 hits and 2 home runs. His 5 RBIs are second on the Vols.

“For the new faces in the lineup, it was pretty cool to see people actually getting their

turn,” Lipscomb said Friday night.

On Saturday, it was the Vols’ four returning starters that got the job done. Evan Russell, Luc Lipcius and Drew Gilbert all drove in runs in the Vols’ 10-3 win. In the field, Jordan Beck preserved a tie game by throwing a runner out at home in the seventh inning.

Vitello was most impressed with his lineup’s ability to win in different ways. The Vols homered their way to a Friday night led by the new faces win and their returners used small ball to tie and take the lead Saturday.

On Sunday, the Vols scored in the first inning for the first time in the series. They did not relent, scoring 14 runs without a long ball.

“Every day is going to be different and you’ve got to find a way or have a theme to each day that allows you to win,” Vitello said. “ . . . If we can keep steady AB’s throughout nine innings of games, there’s enough talent in the dugout that we should be able to score some runs.”

Russell settling in at catcher Evan Russell made an unusual transition from left field to catcher over the offseason.

With Russell returning for a fifth season and an obvious hole at catcher, it made sense on paper to put him behind the plate.

Vitello spoke highly of Russell’s work ethic over the offseason, but whether or not the move translated on the field would come down

to the actual games.

Russell proved over the weekend he could be an adequate catcher. He started and caught all 18 innings of the first two games before coming off the bench to catch the final six innings in the series finale.

Russell got a chance to throw out his first base runner in game two and in that same inning, he caught Vanderbilt transfer Ethan Smith for the first time ever during the game — an uncommon occurrence even for a veteran catcher.

Russell did not have to work hard during his first two games as a catcher — something he attributed to the two starters he caught, Burns and Dollander.

“Being able to have guys like that go up there and do their thing, it’s almost like I’ve got the keys to some Lamborghinis — I just get in the car and ride,” Russell said. “Especially if it’s on cruise control or something like that. It’s definitely nice to have those guys on the mound.

Russell has tried to return the favor by making those young pitchers’ job easier. Vitello has always praised Russell’s calm demeanor at the plate, and that is something he has brought over to the field.

“I just try to talk to them like it’s a normal day,” Russell said. “I try to make them know that it’s nothing different, the hitters are — they’re not big leaguers, he’s not facing the Yankees. Not yet, anyway.”

12

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Tennessee track tunes up at Virginia Tech ahead of SEC Championships ZACH BALL Staff Writer

Distance runner Olivia Janke competed in the women’s 1,000m and earned a win and personal best with a time of 2:52.67. This follows a personal best performance in the 3,000m last weekend in Nashville.

The Tennessee track and field team competed in the Virginia Tech Challenge over the weekend in a final outing before the SEC Indoor Championships Feb. 25-26. The Vols sent only 20 athletes, but managed to grab three event wins and set nine personal bests.

Coming up — SEC Championships

No freshman record is safe The Vols’ first event win came on Friday

by Canaan Anderson with a time of 4:05.88 in the men’s mile.

Anderson also became the fifth first-year player to break a freshman record in three weeks. He joins Brooke Dixon (mile), Kayla Gholar (3,000m) and Rachel Sutliff (5,000) as the fourth distance runner in the group.

Sarah Borton also sketched her name in the record books as she tied a freshman record in the women’s pole vault on Saturday.

She cleared a height of 4.22m, nearly 14 feet.

With continued improve throughout the season, this young group has the right mixture of talent and drive, and has caught the eye of director of track and field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan.

“We have a very talented freshman

Stamatia Scarvelis of the Tennessee Volunteers during the Tennessee Relays at Tom Black track on April 7, 2017. File / The Daily Beacon group; We’ve seen great energy come from them and a lot of focus on putting themselves out there and taking risks,” AlfordSullivan said. “They have been training towards a purpose and getting after it. Canaan last night and Sara today are just the latest examples of that.”

“It has been a really fun couple of weeks seeing so many of our freshman records fall.”

Trio of triple jumpers On Saturday, sophomore Ellliot Barner

finished in the top position of the men’s triple-jump, as he jumped a personal best 15.36m.

On the women’s side, Kala Penn and Mikele Vickers both left with top-five finishes. Penn finished second with a distance of 12.77m. Vickers finished just behind at fourth with a mark of 12.48m Other top finishes from the Virginia Tech Invitational came from Olivia Janke and Prom’Myse Hoosier.

Hoosier moved to No. 5 in school history with a 6.32m long jump — good timing ahead of next week’s championships, as distance is a season best for Hoosier.

The Vols will travel to College Station, Texas, next weekend to perform in the SEC Championships. The team will have to bring a scrappy, unproven mindset for what Alford-Sullivan called a “battle royale” inside Gilliam Indoor Stadium.

Tennessee currently has five athletes with rankings inside the NCAA top-10. Expect names like Charisma Taylor, Latavia Maines, Favour Ashe, Carey McLeod and Wayne Pinnock to make headways next week as they put it all on the floor.

“We took a small group to Virginia Tech and we feel good about giving some people a final tune-up before the SEC Championships next weekend,” Alford-Sullivan said.

“It was a productive weekend. SECs next week will be a battle royale. We are preparing for that and are excited to get out of town Wednesday and get it started up.”

Lady Vols drop to No. 16

No. 2 Vols tennis fall to TCU

Tennessee took another step down in the AP Poll Monday after a week where the Lady Vols lost to Alabama and No. 1 South Carolina.

The Lady Vols dropped from No. 12 to No. 16, their lowest AP Poll ranking of the season.

Tennessee went on the road Thursday to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the Crimson Tide handed the Lady Vols a 74-64 loss. The Lady Vols’ woes continued Sunday as the Gamecocks routed Tennessee 67-53.

While the Lady Vols were handed two double-digit losses last week, the biggest loss was Jordan Horston, who went down with an injury against Alabama. The junior guard led the team in points and rebounds.

Horston’s timeline remains unknown for now, but the Lady Vols will hope to see her return before the end of postseason.

With just one week of the regular season left, the Lady Vols sit in third place in SEC standings, tied with No. 15 Florida. Tennessee sits behind South Carolina and No. 8 LSU, which are first and second in the rankings respectively.

The Lady Vols will have home court advantage in their final two games of the season as Mississippi State and LSU come to town this

Tennessee men’s tennis missed out on an opportunity to win the first national championship in program history on Monday after falling to TCU 3-4. After a slow start, the Vols’ comeback attempt was spoiled when junior Angel Diaz lost the third set 6-4.

Fatigue played a factor in the loss, as the Vols played four matches in four days, two of which were long ones.

The Vols were unable to rebound against the Horned Frogs after dropping the doubles point like they had earlier in the season. The Vols lost the doubles point for the first time in the tournament.

The first completed match in doubles play was on court two, where Pat Harper and Adam Walton fell to Sander Jong and Lui Maxted 6-3.

Johannus Monday and Mark Wallner provided the sole doubles win for the Vols, defeating Juan Carlos Aguilar and Tim Ruehl 6-3. The pair moved to 5-0 when playing together.

No. 13 Emile Hudd and Shunsuke Mitsui fell 6-4 on court three after Jake Fearnley and Luc Fomba took the first break point of the set, securing the doubles point for TCU. In singles play, Tennessee lost four first sets, and the energy coming out of the Vols was al-

STAFF REPORT

week. Tennessee will see Mississippi State on Thursday and LSU on Sunday.

In ESPN’s latest Bracketology, Tennessee dropped from a No. 3 seed to a No. 4 seed. The Lady Vols, despite their recent slump, still have an admirable record with 21 wins and 11 top-25 NET wins, the third most in the country.

Tamari Key, No. 20, shoots a free throw in Thompson-Boling Arena on Feb. 13, 2022.

Alana Adams / The Daily Beacon

STAFF REPORT

most nonexistent.

The Vols fell to a quick 2-0 deficit in singles after No. 114 Mitsui fell to No. 52 Fearnley 6-1, 6-3. The Japan native has shown remarkable poise all throughout his freshman campaign, but showed his first visible signs of nerves today, taking a much more defensive approach than usual.

No. 110 Emile Hudd was the next to fall after No. 109 Jong defeated him in straight sets, and Tennessee found itself in a 3-0 hole.

Shortly after, No. 10 Johannus Monday gave the Vols their only point in his 6-4, 6-1 trampling over No. 15 Aguilar. The win sparked a momentum shift in Nordstrom Tennis Center, and signs of life started coming out of the Vols.

Tennessee’s Conor Gannon took 8 straight points at the end of the second set to force and eventually win a tiebreak 7-1. The freshman showed a lot of grit on the biggest stage, however, he was unable to finish. He looked like he was on his way to a win, finishing at 4-6, 7-6(1), 2-0.

No. 21 Adam Walton went unfinished in his match against No. 44 Fomba 7-6(2), 3-6, 3-0.

Despite the comeback effort by the Vols, junior Angel Diaz fell to Vives 6-3, 4-6, 4-6 in the clincher after failing to hold serve in his last service game of the second and third set.