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Volume 149 Issue 03

New Hattie B’s Chicken welcomed to Knoxville

Jeff Bezos belongs in federal prison Page 10

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Wednesday, September 9, 2026

@utkdailybeacon

‘GENUINELY SHOCKED’ UT freshman takes first place at Dogwood Arts Regional Exhibition PEYTON MCGINNIS Contributor Rooted in deep-seated craftsmanship, Knoxville remains a vibrant hub for artists of every craft. Dogwood Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to art advocacy and propelling Knoxville’s art scene one event at a time, has been part of this effort for 71 years.

For nearly a month — Aug. 7 through Aug. 28 — the Dogwood Arts Regional Exhibition served as a vivid showcase for this mission.

“We work with artists from every stage in their career,” Shannon Herron, creative director of Dogwood Arts, said. “Our role, really, is to just promote them, support them and give them avenues to sell their artwork.”

Artists from across a 500-mile radius submitted roughly 434 entries for this year’s 18th annual regional show. The guest juror then curated the final display down

to 36 pieces representing 27 artists across three states.

“We work with a different juror each year, so the show can be super drastically different year to year,” Herron said. “This year, we worked with Julie Lohnes. She’s the director of galleries for the University of Tennessee. And so, there’s a lot of students in the show.”

Taking home the first-place title was Knoxville’s own Levi Sprecher, a freshman architecture major at the University of Tennessee whose father teaches painting and drawing at the university. Sprecher titled his piece “Stairs Scene.”

“I was genuinely shocked,” Sprecher said. “I didn’t really think there was any chance at all. But, that was really cool.”

Sprecher’s artistic spark stemmed from online inspiration and high school experimentation.

Continued on Page 4

Levi Sprecher, a freshman architecture major, won first in the Dogwood Arts Exhibition. Courtesy of Jared Worsham

Dolly Parton parade gathers in her remembrance in downtown Knoxville on Friday. Averi Olson / The Daily Beacon

‘A parade for our queen’

Knoxville locals celebrate life of Dolly Parton LOGAN WEST Staff Writer Bubbles float overhead as locals, dressed in all arrays of color, cheerfully sing Dolly Parton’s songs through the downtown streets in celebration of her legacy.

On Sept. 4, 10 days after the beloved East Tennessee icon passed, Cattywampus Puppet Council hosted a parade in honor of Dolly Parton’s life and memory, “What Dolly Did for Me: A Parade for Our Queen.”

The festive parade began near the City Council building lawn and ended with dancing and music played by the Honkers and Bangers marching band at Market Square near the Dolly Parton mural in Strong Alley.

Cattywampus led the parade with their famed puppets not far behind.

Averi Olson / The Daily Beacon

“Big Dolly,” a 16-foot tall larger-than-life puppet replica of the late country music singer, captured onlookers at the head of the parade. Other recognizable Cattywampus puppets followed, such as a bear, woodpecker, frog, fish, butterfly and an array of flowers. Known for their unique art style, the Cattywampus Puppet Council is committed to spreading joy through their giant puppets.

C.J. McCullough, a Dolly Parton tribute artist who helped organize the event with Cattywampus, held one of their large rose art pieces during the parade.

“I knew that Dolly is so important for this part of the world, and that there was a lot of grieving,” McCullough said.

“And we needed somewhere to celebrate, and grieve, and dance and do all the things we know that she’d want us to be doing.”

Nathan Higdon, a Maryville local and volunteer at the parade, had been in Nashville when Parton passed. He decided to volunteer for the parade as he couldn’t attend anything in Knoxville while he’d been away.

“I’m 48, and Dolly’s just, like, a critical part of the community and always been a part of my life,” Higdon said. “I know that

there’s been a lot of ink spilled over the past week, but it’s really to reiterate that rags to riches story of never forgetting where she came from. I mean, that’s why people around the world love her, because you can’t manufacture that kind of authenticity.”

Averi Olson / The Daily Beacon Locals wore wigs, glittering outfits and lots of pink, while others wove through the crowd in skates and stilts. At the back of the parade, a group of young female dancers, the Simplicity Cluggers, tap danced to Parton’s best tunes in hot pink dresses with butterflies in their hair. Along with beautiful accessories and fun makeup, many participants also brought offerings or flowers to lay at the Dolly Parton mural.

Continued on Page 5

Vols need to clean up details before Georgia Tech TREVOR MCGEE Sports Editor

a 73.9% completion rate in his first career start.

Tennessee football knows it is in for a physical matchup at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

The Vols cruised past Furman 56-9 in their opener. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, spent nearly the entirety of its season opener suffocating Colorado’s offense before losing on a blocked field goal Thursday night.

Head coach Josh Heupel expects the first road game to emulate that for a 7 p.m. kick in Atlanta.

“It’ll be a physical football game on Saturday night,” he said, “and we have to win with physicality.”

True freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon will get his first road test Saturday. He accounted for five touchdowns against Furman, but the bigger question is whether the poise he showed in his debut carries over to a power-conference environment.

The Yellow Jackets are in a similar boat with an inexperienced starter under center in Alberto Mendoza, the brother of 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. The younger Mendoza tossed for 237 yards at

Tennessee football can’t afford to let the little things slide The Vols think the fundamentals need improvement.

Tennessee’s win over Furman allowed for a vanilla game plan.

It also meant players could get away with more.

“It’s a tougher opponent this week,” senior defensive lineman Nathan Robinson said.

“So last week, you let things slide as far as fundamentals and techniques. So just being really sharp this week.”

Heupel pointed to communication on the offensive side of the ball — starting at center.

The Vols were down starting center Sam Pendleton against the Paladins, unable to play after going through warm-ups.

That put sophomore Nic Moore into the fire for his first career start, and Heupel was dissatisfied with the way the offense communicated up front.

Tennessee’s run game also struggled early. The Vols rushed for just 32 yards in the opening quarter, breaking just two rushes for longer than six yards.

“At the end of the day, it’s nothing major,” Heupel said.

“It’s doing the little things.

When you get ready to go on the road at night, the little things add up really quickly. Those are some of the small things that we’ve got to grow in to be ready to go play all the way that we need to Saturday night.”

What does Georgia Tech football present?

Mendoza’s veteran-like processing stands out. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound quarterback completed 17 passes to five different receivers. He hooked up with Jordan Allen eight times for 113 yards.

He gave Georgia Tech a chance to win the game in the closing seconds, orchestrating a 48-yard drive into field goal range before losing on a blocked kick.

“He played extremely smart the other night,” Heupel said.

“You can see him be able to progress through his reads. One through five, get all the way to the back side of the counter set and do it extremely quickly. He was accurate with the football.

Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel looks up from the sideline

Continued on Page 8 against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5.

News

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The Daily Beacon

@utkdailybeacon | Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | www.utdailybeacon.com

Knox County end to Flock camera use CASSIDY GASPARD Staff Writer

Students walk to and from class on Aug. 17. Jaden Vitt / The Daily Beacon

UT campus feels impact of record enrollment ALLIE ROARK Contributor The University of Tennessee continues to see record enrollment, and students on campus are feeling the impact.

UT received more than 74,000 total applications in 2026, bringing Rocky Top’s population to over 41,000 Vols — a record high for the university. As enrollment numbers reach new heights, students on campus are noticing changes in parking, traffic and class registration.

For sophomore Bree Price, the impact of student growth falls on her daily commute to campus. Price, who takes the Neyland Express bus route to and from campus, said that she must leave Sorority Village at least 30 minutes early to account for delays and stops.

“I left around 8:25 or 8:30 a.m. one time for my (9:10 a.m. class), and still was 20 minutes late to my class,” Price said.

Price said that while the Neyland Express is usually on time, it can get delayed and make her commute unpredictable.

Students living closer to campus say they still face transportation issues even if they do not take the bus. Junior Ella Hendrixson lives in the Fort Sanders area and said while driving should be faster, she

has found walking to be quicker most days.

“I’ve noticed that it’s honestly been easier and quicker to walk places this year than it has been to drive,” Hendrixson said.

Hendrixson is involved in Greek life at the university and said that a trip to Sorority Village takes her close to 30 minutes.

“I just walk everywhere. It’s unfathomable to even drive,” Hendrixson said. “With the construction going on at the Hub, it has made it even worse.

Getting anywhere in my car seems to be impossible.”

Course availability has become a large challenge, Hendrixson said, as upper-level students across campus are unable to get into required classes needed to graduate. She said UT waitlisted her for two required courses she was planning to take this fall because of high demand for class seats.

Senior Isabella Benza said her cost of attendance as an out-of-state student has been frustrating to her.

“Tuition keeps rising, which makes it outrageous and really hard to afford especially since it is very difficult to get scholarships as an out of state student,” Benza said.

Students walk to and from class on Aug. 17. Jaden Vitt / The Daily Beacon

The Knox County Commission unanimously voted to remove all fixed automated license plate readers, including Flock Safety cameras, from the streets of Knox County on Monday, Aug. 31.

The emergency ordinance, brought up by Commissioner Adam Thompson, prevents Knox County from purchasing, installing or operating the readers. The ordinance will also limit the department to 10 drones that may not be used for general surveillance.

The ordinance calls for the removal of the county’s 143 active cameras. It requires the county to destroy the data stored within those cameras within 30 days unless the data is necessary for an active criminal investigation.

Former Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs initially signed an agreement allowing Flock cameras to be implemented in late 2020. The contract approved the Knox County Sheriff’s Office’s $13,500 purchase of five cameras.

On July 27, officials temporarily paused installation of an additional 270 license plate readers following Jacobs’ concerns about privacy and regulation and increased public backlash. In a subsequent press release, Jacobs called for a ban on the cameras until additional regulations were in place.

“I do not believe these devices have a place in Knox County,” Jacobs said in the release, describing the system as a way to “create a warrant-less mass surveillance system” and calling it a “massive threat to our liberty.”

On Aug. 12, Jacobs additionally claimed that the 2020 contract was invalid, arguing that additional purchases made by Knox County Sheriff’s Office exceeded the county’s $100,000 small-purchase threshold without approval from the commission.

The ordinance also halts the $1.5 million state-funded Advanced Research and Communication Center, which would store operational data collected by Flock cameras.

Betsy Henderson, who formally took office Tuesday as Knox County mayor, applauded the commission in a statement following the passage of the ordinance.

“I will always support law enforcement and the work they do to protect the place we call home, but that work must be carried out in ways that respect individuals’ constitutional rights,” Henderson said.

Christian Brayden, co-founder and president of Volunteer Patriots and a Knox County resident, demanded that the county entirely end its relationship with Flock during last week’s meeting.

“Our county must end any and all relations with Flock, the equipment needs to be dismantled and sent back to the company, and there needs to be new policies and guardrails put in place so that nothing like this can ever happen again without the approval of the selected body,” Brayden said.

Many residents expressed concerns that the surveillance cameras enabled an invasion of privacy.

Knox County resident Danika Begley argued that residents’ right to privacy should remain protected despite the capabilities of surveillance technology.

“Privacy is a fundamental

Graphic by Soma Fulwiler right that should not be surrendered simply because technology makes widespread monitoring possible,” Begley said.

Knox County resident Brian Correls argued that Flock’s widespread database poses a severe threat to residents.

“The creation of a warrantless, searchable database is in fact invasive and a violation,” Correls said. “This is an abomination, this is un-American, and frankly, this is sick.”

Several residents who spoke at Monday’s meeting also voiced concerns about the cameras’ potential violations of Fourth Amendment protections.

“The passive, consistent aggregation of data via Flock technology is a pervasive violation of the Fourth Amendment, and the only way to prevent the power from being abused by law enforcement is not giving it to them in the first place,” Knox County resident Jackson Barber said.

with the commissioners: a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Following the ban, sophomore accounting major Thomas Hebert said he supports the removal of the Flock cameras despite recognizing their potential benefits.

“I feel very positively about the removal of the Flock cameras, although I understand the so-called benefits of Flock as well,” Hebert said.

Hebert said he believes the camera technology would be used to target lower-level offenses rather than larger issues they were intended to address.

“As much as I would love to see it solve the issues that they promised, it has been instead used to make quota for the police with many instances of handing out speeding tickets and low level crimes that won’t solve any issues for the American people

I will always support law enforcement and the work they do to protect the place we call home, but that work must be carried out in ways that respect individuals’ constitutional rights.”

Bestsy Henderson Knox County mayor Gavin Hurt, a lifetime resident of Knox County and a current UT student studying political science, stated that increased surveillance would come at the expense of personal liberty.

“If our only goal was absolute security, we could build a society where everyone is monitored all the time,” Hurt said. “We could put cameras everywhere, track everyone’s movements, and record everything people do, but that would come at the expense of something equally as important — liberty.”

Multiple residents shared one consistent message shared

rather than Hebert said.

fund

the

state,”

Junior accounting major Briggs Ball agreed that the removal was a good decision, believing it will restore residents’ right to privacy.

“I understand that they can help with public safety, but I also think there has to be a limit on how much people are being watched in their everyday lives,” Ball said. “Privacy is important, and I think the ban is a good way to make sure that balance is still there.”

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken welcomes students to new location JULIANA LYNN Contributor

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken officially opened its doors on Cumberland Avenue

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken resturant sign outside of building on Sept. 1. Max Rodgers / The Daily Beacon

Aug. 12, just as students began moving in for the fall semester.

The new location marks the brand’s 20th location and brings a new dining option along

Knoxville’s busiest student hubs, featuring Hattie B’s full signature lineup of fried chicken.

For Brian Morris, Hattie B’s executive chef, the Knoxville debut carries heavy personal significance. Morris attended the University of Tennessee in the 1990s.

“I hope this is the first year of many,” Morris said. “I hope this is a place where a lot of people make a lot of great memories.”

Morris met his wife on the same block the restaurant now stands.

“The experiences you have and people you meet at a random place on Cumberland Avenue can really change the direction of your life and what you’re able to do,” Morris said. “That

happened for me right here. I know it’s happening for other people, too, so it’s a treat to be part of those moments this year and hopefully for many, many years to come.”

The location hosts indoor seating available for 64 guests plus an outdoor seating area that seats an additional 33 guests. The indoor seating area includes a nod to the iconic “Vols” signage atop Neyland Stadium, showcasing the restaurant’s embrace of the Knoxville community.

The opening follows years of expansion for the family-owned chain, which has grown from its Nashville roots into a nationally recognized establishment and has been named a Recommended Restaurant by Michelin in its first Guide to the American South.

Hattie B’s has flavors for everyone, ranging from “Mild”

to “Shut the Cluck Up.” The restaurant introduced new menu items just in time for its Knoxville debut, including the Hattie Melt and Smokey Bird Fries.

“It feels like home,” Nadia Askew, a junior recreational therapy student, said. “Every time I go in, they always recognize me” With long lines forming during opening week and anticipated steady crowds for the duration of the semester, Morris says the team is focused on consistently delivering great hospitality, warmth and service to the community.

“That’s our fundamental mission, to make sure that we saw you when you were there,” Morris said. “We were glad you were there, you were glad you came and you can’t wait to do it again.”

The Daily Beacon

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@utkdailybeacon | Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | www.utdailybeacon.com

“This is your election to win” Independent candidate courts UT students

LOGAN WEST Staff Writer Lauren Pinkston, independent candidate for Tennessee governor, campaigned to students on the University of Tennessee’s campus on Tuesday.

A member of her staff wore a pin on her shirt that said “Not red, not blue, just you.”‘ Pinkston is on the ballot alongside Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Democratic candidate Jerri Green.

With Tennessee’s history of only electing male governors, this election is likely to produce the first female governor for the Volunteer State.

Tennessee’s election system does not list independent candidates on primary ballots.

Still, Pinkston has been working to get her campaign message out to voters in preparation for the midterm elections.

While the U.S. has upheld a two-party system for decades, some voters are seeking a third option: independence from the current political parties. “(Tennessee has) been historically red, but only for about 15 years. So, the majority of voters in Tennessee are just not voting,” Pinkston said.

“People want a strong and viable independent candidate, so I’m here to offer that.”

Pinkston began her career as a fourth grade teacher before spending five years living in Southeast Asia and East Africa working in counter-human trafficking.

“Clearly, I’m a sucker for dark places because I’m jumping into politics,” Pinkston said. “It’s taught me

Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Lauren Pinkston talks to a student while she campaigns on the campus of the University of Tennessee on Aug. 25. Trevor Jolley / The Daily Beacon

how to work in really tough environments.”

Pinkston grew up in Stantonville, a small town in rural West Tennessee. She said it was this connection to the working class that inspired one of her main goals in this campaign.

“Focus number one,” Pinkston said, “is making life livable in Tennessee and lowering the cost of living.”

Pinkston also has policy ideas related to Tennessee education.

“Focus number two is reforming education and really

turning education practices on their head,” Pinkston said.

“I want to see a Montessori school in every county in the state. I want to see nature schools and STEAM schools offered through the public school system. I want to see a pullback of the excessive benchmark testing that we’re spending our time on.”

Pinkston said her “desire for justice in government and politics” drew her to get involved.

“Third is making the government accountable to Tennesseans again,” Pinkston

said.

Her advice to young voters is to do their research on what candidates are standing for.

“This is your election to win, and it’s yours to lose,” Pinkston said. “Look for the candidate that’s talking about the issues that really matter.”

Tennessee had a 33.3% voter turnout rate during the 2022 midterm elections, falling about 13 percentage points below the national average. Pinkston is hoping for increased voter turnout this year, specifically for firsttime voters.

“People are telling me every day that they are signing up to vote for the first time, or that they are voting for the first time in a decade,”

Pinkston said. “So we aren’t just convincing people, we’re inspiring a new group of people to vote that haven’t been voting historically.”

As she spoke to students on campus, she encouraged them to get out and vote when the polls open up.

“For students here on campus, voters who are unhappy with the system as it is because they see the nuance that exists in government and (who are) tired of being talked down to with really cheap talking points, this race is for you,” Pinkston said.

Early voting for Tennesseans begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, and ends Thursday, Oct. 29.

Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

This is your election to win, and it’s yours to lose. Look for the candidate that’s talking about the issues that really matter.”

Campaign materials promoting Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Lauren Pinkston on Aug. 25.

Trevor Jolley / The Daily Beacon

Lauren Pinkston Canidate for Tennessee Govenor

Democratic gubernatorial candidate talks civic engagement KELA FIFER Staff Writer Jerri Green wants young voters to know the importance of making their voices heard.

“Your vote is equal to everyone else’s,” Green said.

“And the truth of the matter is, you’re more likely to be here and have the laws impact you longer.”

Green is running as the Democratic candidate in the race for Tennessee governor.

Green’s name will be found on the ballot alongside Republican candidate Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and independent candidate Lauren Pinkston, who visited UT’s campus in August. Election day is set for Nov. 3.

The UT alumna is utilizing her experience in public service to be a “strong moral beater” and to “stick up for the little guy.” Currently, Green serves as the chief public defender of Shelby County in Memphis and holds a spot on the city council.

Green built her guberna-

torial campaign by gathering citizens’ concerns across the state, finding recurring themes of issues related to affordable living, accessibility and public education funding.

She also aims to ease anxieties surrounding the country’s political climate.

“The thing that I hear over and over again is people are really worried about the state of our democracy,” Green said. “I just kind of want to even out the game, I guess, and fight back against what they see as corruption and overreach.”

With elections underway, Green is working to engage with Tennesseans of all demographics, focusing especially on encouraging civic engagement among young people.

“Well, the number one thing is to get registered to vote,” Green said.

Green emphasizes that working toward being politically active, especially as a college student, doesn’t have to be a daunting task.

“Find a campaign, or candidate, that you are interested in and get connected with them,” Green said. “Start figuring out how you can volunteer … go get involved.”

Ongoing engagement with officials in the community also plays a role in the democratic process.

“The second thing that you can do is, once they get in office, just hold them accountable,” Green said.

“So showing up, again, at your city council meetings, at your council commission meetings, asking your mayor for a meeting about an issue that you care about. All of those things just require you showing up and showing that you’re interested.”

The younger generation has found themselves interacting with their community on social media. Green recognizes this shift and advises students to utilize the outreach of social media, but not to stop there.

“It’s okay to like and share and post and give information

online, but you also have to get offline,” Green said. “ …

Talk to other people, have real conversations, go talk to your legislature. You have to do the real work of being politically active.”

While some believe the country to be in a great political divide, Green has seen that citizens on both ends of the political spectrum have

more in common than they know. Green believes that “conversation” and “compromise” are key to progress for the state.

“I think there are a lot of places that we can work together and find common ground,” Green said. “It’s not truly about moving (Tennessee) left or right, it’s about moving it forward.”

Graphic by Maya Williams

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Arts & Culture

The Daily Beacon

@utkdailybeacon | Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | www.utdailybeacon.com

American Samoan musician to play live radio show ZOE MANDEL Contributor For Roqué Marcelo, music is a form of storytelling.

Raised on the island of American Samoa in the South Pacific by Filipino immigrants, Marcelo adopted the name Ancestral Tongue to perform under, spending the past 30 years writing, creating and performing music.

“It’s a lot easier for me to be vulnerable in my music than in my daily life,” Marcelo said. “Even stories about other people are ways to express how I’m feeling about different issues.”

Ancestral Tongue believes their music is “the product of the hopes and dreams of our ancestors” and pulls from the emotions of their past when they write, blending different musical styles with personal life stories.

MaxZine Weinstein performs with Marcelo as part of Ancestral Tongue, where they play the mandolin, bass and occasionally juggle. The two met roughly 11 years ago at a party where Marcelo approached Weinstein after a juggling performance.

“This is someone who’s very earnest and dedicated to their craft and kinda serious but also a kind of mischievous, playfulness underneath,” Weinstein said.

Jocelyne Bezzi is a friend of Marcelo’s who has had them perform every December at their house for the past decade, saying how having them around makes a positive impact on the lives of everyone they encounter.

Throughout the time they’ve known each other, Bezzi notes how Marcelo has grown as both a person and a musician. “(They were) different,” Bezzi said. “(Their) music was different. (Their) music was, to me, way more sad — now is flourishing, is playing more music, is playing more instrument and surrounding (themself) with artistic people.”

Ancestral Tongue kicks off a southern U.S. tour at the end of September, stopping in Knoxville on Oct. 12 at WDVX Blue Plate Special. Marcelo will be joined by Weinstein that day, and the rest of the tour fluctuates between solo performances by Marcelo or ones where other musicians play alongside Marcelo.

The tour supports Marcelo’s upcoming album “Songs for Hidden Voices,” which releases on Oct. 9. It will be on streaming services, alongside the return of their other album “Seahorses,” which they had taken off for a short bit of time to protest how streaming services treat artists.

“I’m going to be playing songs that really represent who I am. It’s going to be very eclectic,” Marcelo said.

Ancestral Tongue’s performance can be attended in person for free at Visit Knoxville or listened to on WDVX Blue Plate Special’s live stream. “(With live performing) there’s no time to secondguess — you kind of run with your instincts and go with it,” Marcelo said. “It’s the beauty of doing things live, you can’t

the song as they have it, then the band can all give suggestions and play with it as it shifts into the final version.

“It’s very collaborative too,” Weinstein said. “Most of the music we play are songs that Roqué writes, but they’re really good at not being attached to how a song has to sound. So when they present a song it might sound one way, but we know that once we start workshopping it it could evolve quite a bit.”

The evolution of the songs is akin to Marcelo’s evolution as a person. Bezzi likens their growth to that of a seed that’s been nurtured, grown and is now in bloom.

“It’s a wonderful seed,” Bezzi said. “When I first met (them, they were) closed in and didn’t know many queer or gay people … now (they’re)

(With live performing) there’s no time to second guess, you kind of run with your instincts and go with it,” Marcelo said. “It’s the beauty of doing things live, you can’t edit it out, what happens happens.”

ROQUE MARCELO Musician edit it out — what happens happens.”

When they sit at the piano to write, their instincts guide them. They’re intentional about ensuring all of their songs have meaning while simultaneously sounding different from work.

“I want to write something that doesn’t sound like anything I’ve done before,” Marcelo said. “A lot of time it means using a chord or using a riff I’ve never used before, which makes it challenging because I’ve written a lot of songs. But it’s a fun challenge because it’s ‘let me try this’ or ‘let me try that.’”

When the band comes together, Marcelo will perform

sharing parts of the stage with other people.”

Marcelo is openly queer and the child of immigrants.

Family is very important to them, and Weinstein notes how close-knit their extended family is. These topics show up in the music Marcelo writes.

“I see (their) music as an extension of building community, of building family and it really has a deep impact on people when it resonates,” Weinstein said.

Their experiences reflected in their music help connect people from different backgrounds, as listeners can relate to different parts of the song.

“I’m queer, but I’m not

The artist Ancestral Tongue poses. Courtesy of Roqué Marcelo

Filipino,” Weinstein said. “So I feel like we have all these audiences that make up our audience, and I love our varieties and seeing people come together from different backgrounds.”

Weinstein enjoys playing a wide range of specific events with Ancestral Tongue, including Pride festivals, AAPI events and even a benefit banquet for Palestine, where Marcelo wrote a song, “Lament,” specifically for the event.

“Lament” releases Friday, Aug. 28.

“I just love that about this project, that Roqué writes songs that they want to write, but also they challenge at times something that addresses where people are at in the moment,” Weinstein

said.

Their exploration of topics within social issues is what makes their music relatable to their audiences.

“They have such a genuine way of connecting people or touching people with their music,” Weinstein said.

“They’re really into the sharing of themself and that usually comes through their music.

With each performance, Marcelo lays their emotions bare for those listening, allowing the audience to feel alongside them.

“I think it’s the most alive that I feel when I can perform my music for people,” Marcelo said. “It’s exhilarating. I’m also a little nervous, but I think it’s good to be nervous cause that means I care.”

Dogwod Arts| cont. from page 1 “I watched a lot of videos of people doing diorama sort of stuff. And I was just like, man, this looks really fun. I bet I could do it.”

Even with four to five pieces of art already being sold from this event alone, Dogwood Arts extends far beyond single piece purchases. They have created tangible opportunities for artists in the city, bridging the gap between local talent and commercial businesses while managing spaces like the Maker Exchange at World’s Fair Park that features around 150 artists.

“A lot of businesses and different people will come to

us with ideas,” Herron said.

“Whether it’s they want a mural on their building or they’re looking for a really cool piece of art to put in their entryway. It might not be just selling a piece off the wall, but maybe we connect an artist with a business owner.”

As Knoxville continues to grow, Dogwood Arts has also seen the art scene increase year after year.

“I’ve definitely seen an increase in the amount of public art. I think that’s been a real focus of the city,” Herron said. “So I think just as a creative culture, Knoxville definitely has grown and kind of embraced that, like, ‘maker city’ status.”

I’ve definitely seen an increase in the amount of public art. I think that’s been a real focus of the city.

So I think just as a creative culture, Knoxville definitely has grown and kind of embraced that, like, ‘maker city’ status.”

Art sits on display at the Dogwood Regional Exhibition in August. Peyton McGinnis / The Daily Beacon

SHANNON HERRON Creative director of Dogwood Arts

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Page 5

Dolly Parton parade| cont. from page 1 Rory Longmire, who grew up in Knoxville and often visited Dollywood with her family, brought a gorgeous vase of flowers to leave at the mural.

“She was a really big part of my life,” Longmire said. “I think it was bigger than I knew until she passed.”

Many of those who marched in the parade made posters, flags or art to commemorate Parton and her life. Katie Morris, a local Knoxville artist, created a sign of what Dolly meant to her.

“So this (sign) is what Dolly means to me,” Morris said.

“Like, how much she loved the mountains and her home.

And she found magic in the mountains. And then I believe she took that and found it in people.”

The front side of the art piece displays a sunset painting of the Smoky Mountains, with a beaded rainbow curving through the center. In the top corner, it reads “My Tennessee Mountain Home” with other collaged butterflies and mountain pictures spread across the board.

The back side has rainbow-arranged beads along the edges, with the words “Y’all Knoxville gathers in celebration of Dolly Parton on Friday. Averi Olson photos / The Daily Beacon means all” in the center. More butterflies and animals relating to East Tennessee, such as Smokey Bear, are also shown on the pink painted canvas.

When asked what Dolly meant to them or what they loved most about her, parade attendees all shared answers that are true to her character.

“Love.

Just love,” McCullough said. “Love for life, love for all people, love for God, love for art. She had a heart that was big enough to hold it all. And we need more Dollies in the world.”

Longmire said, “She wasn’t afraid to be herself in her own Dolly way. Like, people can say what they say. She’s always wearing wigs or whatever. But she was always herself and stood for what she believed.”

“She loves and respects the earth and all people, and she was the greatest of us,” Morris said.

Regardless of who participated in the parade, who watched it, who wore or carried what, everyone attended for the same reason: to celebrate Parton’s life. Her love and light will continue to be carried and shared even in her absence.

“There’s something special about these mountains,” Higdon said. “Everybody loves a good, strong, mountain

Sports

Page 6

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Alvin Kamara’s legacy finds a home in Neyland Stadium

Gate 19 at Neyland Stadium is named after former Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara on Friday. Ethan Garnier / The Daily Beacon

THEO COLLI Senior Staff Writer Former Tennessee football running back Alvin Kamara will have his name forever etched into the walls of Neyland Stadium.

On Sept. 4, Tennessee athletics announced an update to the interior of Gate 19’s lobby, which was renamed “The Alvin Kamara Family Lobby.”

The room serves as a dedication to Kamara’s career, both collegiate and professional.

Among the more notable additions is a wall dedicated to his accomplishments in the NFL, including his career day when he tallied six touchdowns on

Christmas Day in 2020 against the Vikings.

“It’s a part of my story,” Kamara said. “When we were talking about the designs at first, I thought we were just going with Tennessee stuff, and they were like, ‘No, we want to tell the whole story.’”

A mix of his college career with a handful of nods to his success beyond campus, the lobby shows why Kamara is one of the most important alumni from recent years.

Just across from the dedication to his record-breaking game are more statistics showcasing Kamara’s professional career, including his place atop the Saints’ all-time rushing yards, touchdowns and total touchdowns lists.

“I don’t really think about it because I’m still in it,” Kamara said. “But I was like, you know what, that makes sense, seeing some of the Saints stuff mixed in with the college. It’s a part of the journey, so it means a lot.”

Kamara arrived at Tennessee after two prior seasons of collegiate football. He spent his freshman season at Alabama in 2013 before redshirting and transferring to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.

After his time at Hutchinson, Kamara transferred to Tennessee as the No. 4 overall junior college prospect and instantly hit the ground running. In his first career game for the Vols against Bowling Green, Kamara rushed

for 144 yards, which remained his career-high in a single game at Tennessee.

By the end of his two seasons with the Vols, Kamara had compiled 1,294 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.

He was just as versatile as a receiver, adding 683 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.

“It means everything,” Kamara said. “I think there’s so much history and so much pride in being able to say you went to this school, whether it’s for sports, academics or anything. Being a VFL means being able to be a part of something that’s bigger than you.”

His two seasons with the Vols were enough to get Kamara selected in the third round of

the 2017 NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints selected the running back 67th overall as the fifth running back taken in the draft.

Before Kamara, the last Vols running back to be selected was in 2010, when Montario Hardesty was picked by the Cleveland Browns in the second round.

Since Kamara’s selection in 2017, three more Tennessee running backs have had their names called, with two coming in recent seasons: Jaylen Wright in 2024 and Dylan Sampson in 2025.

Kamara has remained close with the university since his selection. He even keeps in touch with Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel, who didn’t join UT until 2021, almost four years after Kamara’s departure.

“Me and Heup are cool,” Kamara said. “I was going to go to the facility before (Saturday) and holler at him. But you see him around the guys, the program, from football to any athletic program, and you see a guy that’s a leader.”

Now, years after leaving Knoxville, Kamara’s Tennessee career has become a permanent part of Neyland Stadium.

His collegiate and professional accomplishments will sit side by side inside Gate 19, giving fans a look at the journey that began with the Vols and eventually led to one of the NFL’s most productive careers.

“If I was a recruit, and I was committing to a school, I would be donating to that school when I leave,” Kamara said. “But I guess it’s something you don’t really realize until you’re in it and you walk away and go to the NFL. This stop for me was a pivotal point in my career. (I) had a lot going on before I got here, some doubters, some struggles and things like that, and this gave me a resurgence, a new lease on life and my career.”

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Page 7

Soccer star back on field after 683 days CONNOR WHITNEY Contributor

Kylee Simmons strolled from the sidelines to the field, grasping a bouquet of flowers with her parents at her side on Aug. 23, Tennessee soccer’s Senior Day. The long road back to playing was at last complete.

“I told my dad, I was like, ‘This is what I’ve been waiting for,’” Kylee Simmons said.

“Like, the way that I feel right now, this is exactly what I pictured a year ago.”

The Ohio-native was forced on a 683-day voyage just to get back to competitive soccer after a relentless cycle of injury-rehab-recovery kept her off the field.

Her journey began after a victory against Florida during her junior season at Missouri.

In a practice gearing up for the Tigers’ next match against Tennessee, Simmons felt a pop in her quad.

“I wasn’t able to walk after that,” Kylee Simmons said.

“I wasn’t able to go to class, and it had come out that I had partially torn the top of my quad, kind of up near my hip flexor.”

The forward tried rehabilitation, vying to get back onto the field to help the Tigers’ push toward the postseason.

Her body did not cooperate, and Simmons spent the rest of the season on the sideline. After scoring 11 goals in 17 matches as a sophomore, Simmons finished with three in just 11 matches, with her last tally coming on Sept. 29, 2024 against the Gators.

“That was kind of frustrating to be in that limbo of not knowing when I could get back on the field, while also dealing with an injury that I wasn’t familiar with, and it felt like it had no real end of time,” Kylee Simmons said.

A leap of faith After the season concluded, Simmons entered the transfer portal, not knowing what the future would hold. Her father, Ted Simmons, sensed uncertainty in the decision.

“After coming off of the injury, I think she was worried that she wasn’t going to get any calls and she’s going to be trying to figure out what she’s going to do,” Ted Simmons said.

However, Joe Kirt and Tennessee called, seeing what Kylee brought to the table offensively.

“Well, it starts with goal scoring ability, right?” Kirt said. “It’s what she does, and she can create on her own.”

During her visit, Kylee said that Tennessee not only had the resources to succeed, but that they had a coaching staff that balanced her desire to be better with her future.

“At the end of the day, soccer isn’t our life and we have bodies that we want to preserve and be able to use productively for decades to come,” Kylee Simmons said. “And I felt like Greg (Mytyk) and the staff here had that priority kind of set straight, which really stood out to me.”

Soon after, Kylee committed to Tennessee. With her leg finally healthy, she competed in the team’s spring schedule,

building both rapport with her new teammates and a love for her new environment.

“Everything that I wanted to transfer for, I was getting, and it felt like all of my dreams were coming true,” Kylee Simmons said. “I was like, bleed orange type of vibe. Like, you never would have guessed that I was a transfer. I feel like I’ve been at Tennessee for my entire career and would literally ride and die for this program.”

A normal step with catastrophic consequences

Kylee Simmons’ excitement and anticipation continued to build as the regular season arrived. However, everything came to a sudden halt during a home exhibition versus Clemson. The transfer took a step her body disliked, and she went down.

“There was nothing that was distinguishable about it than any other action she does thousands of times a year on the soccer field,” Kirt said. “It was just a simple change of direction, movement without a lot of force or anything.”

“I remember Greg came over,” Kylee Simmons said. “It was on like the other side of the field, and I was just like, ‘I tore my ACL. Don’t touch me. Just help me off the field and just get me off the field.’”

She underwent an MRI later on in the day and the imaging revealed that Kylee Simmons indeed had torn her left ACL — previously tearing her right ACL in 2017 — as well as both sides of her left meniscus. Her season ended on Aug. 9, 2025, just five days before the season-opener.

Ted Simmons, having watched everything unfold at the exhibition, felt the mental agony of his daughter.

“You see your child do everything to get to a place where she’s happy, excited, and to have it taken away the way it did with a noncontact, just a very unfortunate thing,” Ted Simmons said. “And that was really difficult for all of us, especially for her.”

Four weeks later, Tennessee, which had become a top-five team, celebrated Senior Day. Simmons participated in the pre-match ceremony

Kylee Simmons (22) kicks the ball during a game against Western Carolina at Regal Soccer Stadium on Aug. 23. David Smith / The Daily Beacon

with her parents, albeit under different circumstances.

“You want things better for your kid,” Ted Simmons said.

“We knew she was a better place for her at Tennessee, and the expectations that the team had, all of that, and to have it not happen the way we all want it, that was hard.”

While the team played on, Kylee watched from the sideline, and the few yards separating the bench where she sat suddenly became a canyon.

“When I had surgery and kind of those first six weeks grind of being like, ‘I can’t do anything, I can’t walk, I can’t bend my knee, I can’t do anything,’ that was rock bottom for me, because I felt like I would be so

I think that’s the only thing that kept me from letting that rock bottom kind of break me, is I knew that as long as I would keep paying dividends every day, I knew it was going to pay off,” Kylee Simmons said. “I just kept working.”

Kylee Simmons Senior foward

far from playing soccer again,” Kylee Simmons said.

Running the marathon Having worked through the ACL rehab before, Kylee Simmons began her seemingly unending trek back to the field, one day at a time.

“I think that’s the only thing that kept me from letting that rock bottom kind of break me, is I knew that as long as I would keep paying dividends every day, I knew it was going to pay off,” Kylee Simmons said. “I just kept working.”

As she continued to work on her own, she kept cheering on the team amid the highs and the lows of her recovery. Coach Kirt saw his injured senior working hard to get back, not for herself, but for the team.

“She never made it about her, and it was never about ‘woe is me,’” Kirt said. “It was about, ‘I’m doing what I can, but let me help the team.’ So I was really proud of her for how she approached that, because I know how excited she was about the fall ‘25 season.”

Though Kylee’s season had ended prematurely, her parents maintained their presence at Tennessee’s matches, routinely making the lengthy fourhour drive from Cincinnati to Knoxville in support of not just their daughter, but the team she loved.

“It was hard from the standpoint that you really didn’t have much to talk about when your child’s not playing, but it’s important,” Ted Simmons

said. “It was important for us.

I think it was important for Kylee.”

As her rehab continued into the spring, Kylee Simmons said she began to feel more and more like herself. While she was unable to participate in any of the spring scrimmages, the forward participated in her hometown half-marathon. She finished with a time of one hour and 45 minutes, just eight months post-operation.

“It was such a good feeling of being fit and being strong and basically building myself from the ground up,” Kylee Simmons said.

Worth the wait On Aug. 13, Kylee Simmons took the field against Rutgers for her first regular-season match in 683 days. Despite her offense-based mindset, she had a different goal in mind for her first match back.

“Last year I remember thinking to myself, ‘I just would love the opportunity to miss,’” Kylee Simmons said.

“And that was a perspective that I had never had before, but I had taken with me.”

In the ninth minute of the match, Kylee followed a shot from the box that crept away from the goalkeeper. She slid into the ball, which squeaked into the net for not only Tennessee’s first goal of the season, but her first goal in 683 days. While many of the Lady Vol faithful saw a goal-scorer celebrating with her team, Ted Simmons saw her smile.

“I could still look at the expression on her face when

she comes out and raises her arms,” Ted Simmons said. “It sticks in my mind.

That smile is the little girl that, you know, when she scored a goal in club soccer.”

On Senior Day against Western Carolina, Kylee again was part of the pre-match ceremony with her parents.

This time, they were celebrating.

“I told Joe when we were walking through this year,” Ted Simmons said, “‘this is a hell of a lot different feeling than what we had last year.’”

As fate would have it, the senior converted an opening-minute penalty kick to give Tennessee the lead.

“It’s tough when you don’t play right?” Kirt said. “Don’t have the opportunity to get on the field and do what you love.

And I think being able to do that this year was a big deal. And obviously to be able to score in the first minute of the game on the penalty, I think just caps off what is what you’d expect a great kind of Senior Day to be.”

Nearly two years after the injury-recovery journey began, Kylee Simmons at last returned to the sport she loved. Through it all, her parents stuck by her and her team every step of the way, regardless of the distance or the circumstance.

“Having their physical presence during probably the hardest time of my college career for sure, probably one of the hardest in my life, was really monumental because they were just always with me, which was awesome,” Kylee Simmons said. “I’m forever grateful for that.”

Sports

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How Vols’ QBs performed in season opener NATHAN MILES, Contributor

Ahead of Tennessee football’s season opener against Furman, one question loomed large: what would the Vols’ quarterback play look like?

As the No. 20 Vols defeated the Paladins 56-9, signal-caller Faizon Brandon, the first true freshman quarterback to start a season for Tennessee since 2004, provided some answers.

Backup quarterbacks George MacIntyre and Ryan Staub also got some action in the second half with the Vols in control.

Here’s how each Tennessee quarterback did in the opening game.

Faizon Brandon The attention rested on Brandon after Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel announced on Aug. 24 that Brandon had won the starting job.

On Saturday against the Paladins, the rookie showed why he won the trust of head coach Josh Heupel, going 13-for-17 on passing attempts to achieve 226 passing yards. He added three passing touchdowns and 68 rushing yards that featured two scores on the ground.

“I thought he managed the purpose of what we were trying to accomplish extremely well,” Heupel said. “The communication part was really solid, and decision-making was really good. Extended and made some plays with his feet, took care of

going,” Brandon said. “If something wasn’t there, I’m getting outside, fighting, trying to get a positive play and not take any negative.”

Brandon began his day by successfully leading the Vols on a 60-yard touchdown drive, delivering a 17-yard strike to Ethan Davis to cap it off.

Brandon completed four of his first five passes for 43 yards on the opening drive while adding 12 yards with his feet.

After two short and unsuccessful Tennessee drives, Brandon got the Vols their second touchdown of the day in the second quarter, keeping the ball on an option play for a 6-yard score. The touchdown rush finished a seven-play, 42-yard drive in which Brandon did not attempt a pass.

On Tennessee’s next drive, Brandon went 3-for-3 with 38 passing yards. The march included a 25-yard completion to Radarious Jackson that set up DeSean Bishop to score two plays later.

“First, it kind of felt a little fast,” Brandon said. “Not too fast, but it definitely slowed down, after, I would say, the second drive, and just felt very smooth. It just started to come all together.”

On Tennessee’s final drive of the first half, the Vols once again kept it on the ground. Brandon rushed for 38 yards, racing in for a 7-yard touchdown run to put the Vols up 28-0 with less than 20 seconds left. Brandon finished the first half 10-for-14

“It was really nice,” Brandon said. “All of the receivers, they help me a lot. Ever since I first got here, just making plays for me. Even if it isn’t a perfect ball, them going up and attacking it, making me look good at the end of the day. So I’m very grateful to have all those guys, and Mike also.”

Brandon’s final drive before he exited the game only lasted one play, as Bishop fumbled on a run up the middle and the Paladins recovered.

George MacIntyre

MacIntyre entered the game with the Vols ahead 42-3, commanding three drives, two of which ended in touchdowns.

On his first drive, MacIntyre went 4-for-5 for 51 yards, leading Tennessee to the end zone with a 22-yard pass to TK Keys. MacIntyre’s second drive was cut short after a miscommunication on the snap led to another lost fumble for the Vols.

On his third drive, he made one completion before Justin Baker exploded for a 73-yard rushing touchdown.

MacIntyre finished his day 5-for-7 for 56 yards and one touchdown pass.

“George, I thought, went in and played extremely well,” Heupel said. “Efficient, smart decision-making in the run game and then made some plays in the pass game too.”

Ryan Staub

Faizon Brandon (11) evades a tackle against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5. David Smith / TheDaily the football, a lot of positives from him.”

The Vols kept things simple in the first half, settling Brandon into his Vols debut with quick passes and a heavy emphasis on the ground game. The Greensboro, North Carolina, native showed flashes of his speed and dual-threat ability, both in designed runs and improvised scrambles.

“I feel like it just comes with it as the flow of the game was

with 96 passing yards and one passing touchdown. He also boasted 68 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

The second half began, and a settled-in Brandon began to let loose.

On the third play of the third quarter, he found Mike Matthews for a 55-yard touchdown. On the next drive, the quarterback-receiver pairing ran it back, as Brandon found Matthews again for a 57-yard score to one-up themselves.

Tennessee’s third-string quarterback entered the game with six minutes and 57 seconds left in the final quarter.

Staub was 3-for-3 for 27 passing yards as the Vols closed out the victory. Brandon, MacIntyre and Staub combined for 309 passing yards on the afternoon.

“I thought we executed at a high level at quarterback,” Heupel said. “Played smart and efficient today; all of them did.”

Cleaning up before Georgia Tech| cont. from page 1

Tennessee football lines up for a play against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5. David Smith / TheDaily Beacon

Tennessee forward Taylor Cheatham (10) handles the ball against Northwestern at Regal Soccer Stadium on Sept. 7. Ethan Garnier / The

Daily Beacon

Lady Vols weather Northwestern surge CONNOR WHITNEY Contributor

Twenty-four minutes into its Sunday match, Tennessee soccer held a 1-0 lead and a 7-1 shot attempt advantage over Northwestern. By the afternoon’s end, the Wildcats flipped the shot counter to 12-9, but they could not flip the scoreboard.

No. 10 Tennessee (5-0-1) found themselves on the back foot for much of the second half in their Sunday home victory over Northwestern.

While they celebrated the win post-match, they understood that the second 45 was not up to their standard.

“They provided a good test for us, and we managed that pretty well for 45 minutes, not for even 90 minutes,” head coach Joe Kirt said. “It’s a 90-minute game.”

Among the things that challenged the Lady Vols in the second half was the weather — a 35-minute lightning delay brought a halt to the match not 90 seconds into the resumption from halftime.

Upon the resumption of play, Northwestern clearly had the better play, coming up with multiple shot attempts.

Among their opportunities was a breakaway chance in which goalkeeper Cayden Norris came out for a big save mere yards from her own goal line.

“I think we had a hard time kind of finding our groove again with the weather,” forward Kylee Simmons said.

“But I mean, Northwestern did a good job of coming out on the front foot, so credit to them. But I think it just put us under a little bit more pressure than I think we were prepared for right away.”

But beyond the weather break throwing Tennessee out of their groove, Northwestern made some halftime adjustments that put them on the attack. While Tennessee did well to defend the opportunities and prevent grade-A scoring chances, they none-

Athletic enough to extend and make plays as a passer.

Has the feet to go gain yards afterwards, too. I thought he played extremely well the other night.”

“Man, he looked seasoned,” Robinson said. “He didn’t rush stuff. He’s not skittish in the pocket. He keeps his eyes downfield and he’s trying to push the ball downfield.”

The Vols add back all-conference linebacker Arion Carter from suspension to bolster a unit that allowed just 43 passing yards to power conference transfer Jake Garcia in week one.

“Man, we kept (the defensive game plan) so simple, and even keeping it so simple, it worked fantastically,” Robinson said.

Lining up beside Mendoza is a running back the Vols have seen before. Justice Haynes,

theless found themselves doing a bulk of the defending for much of the early part of the second act.

“They changed their shape a little bit,” Kirt said. “I didn’t do a good job of making sure we were organized with that and how we wanted to press their back three, and that’s what started it.”

Play stabilized in the last 15 minutes, and the Lady Vols balanced the scales of the attack, but they still finished with a single shot attempt in the second half, while the visitors mustered nine. Kirt said, after the match, that his team needs to do a better job of handling the evolution of a game.

“The game’s going to look different, and how do we respond to that?” Kirt said.

“And that’s on us to help them through that. But they need to understand the game does change. And how do we change what we do without losing our identity, and we lost our identity today.”

Still, Tennessee gutted out a win to finish its nonconference schedule with just a tie to blemish its record, and an ugly win, Simmons said, is still a win.

“It’s incredibly physical and those are going to be the same games we have from now until November and into the postseason,” Simmons said. “And so being able to see those adversity and being able to kind of fight through it and coming off with four points on the weekend and staying undefeated in nonconference is really important.”

who started his career at Alabama, rushed for 22 yards and a touchdown in a 2024 loss to the Vols.

Now, he’s in his fourth season at his third different school, where he’s the featured back for a Georgia Tech squad that loves to play smashmouth football.

“He’s a dynamic player,” Heupel said. “He is extremely physical and runs with great pad level. He’s got really good vision … He’s a special talent.”

Haynes carried a workhorse load with 19 carries against Colorado. He’ll give Georgia Tech another way to test whether Tennessee cleaned up those little things. Against Furman, mistakes were survivable. Against a physical Yellow Jackets team on the road, the Vols don’t expect them to be.

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Page 9

Rushing attack buries Furman THEO COLLI Senior Staff Writer

Javin Gordon runs the ball against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5. David Smith / The Daily Beacon

Despite a slower start on the ground, Tennessee football’s running game lived up to its standard.

The Vols’ offense finished with 638 total yards of offense in a season-opening blowout of Furman, 329 yards coming from the rushing attack.

Tennessee has been one of the most consistent rushing teams in the nation this decade, boasting some of the SEC’s finest running backs over its last handful of seasons. The opening contest of 2026 kept with that theme.

Returning to the Vols after posting a 1,000-yard campaign in 2025, DeSean Bishop enjoyed a fine afternoon. He began his senior season against the Paladins with a team-high 97 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

Tennessee’s lead back averaged 6.9 yards per carry.

Due to some procedural penalties on the offensive line, the Knoxville native didn’t get into his rhythm until a few drives into the action. Those wouldn’t end up being too much of a burden.

“A couple of things that we didn’t like,” head coach Josh Heupel said. “We had the false start, and obviously the bad snap in the fourth quarter. “Early in the football game, a little bit of communication things that we got to clean up. But all in all, I don’t know what we rushed for, but we ran it, created some big plays, ran it efficiently most of the day.”

Following Bishop on the stat sheet was Justin Baker, a sophomore out of Stone Mountain, Georgia.

He finished the game with 89 rushing yards on only three attempts. The total is by far the most rushing yards in a game for Baker in his young

career, his previous high of 37 yards coming on 11 attempts against ETSU last season.

Baker had just 43 yards during the entirety of his freshman campaign, eclipsing that total on a 73-yard touchdown sprint against the Furman defense in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Faizon Brandon finished with his team’s third-highest mark in the rushing department in his first collegiate start.

He showcased his dualthreat ability with 68 rushing yards, all of which came in the opening half.

“I thought he did a good job scrambling,” Heupel said. “A couple of draw plays. Situational football is going to determine how you got to play at the end of the day. So I thought he did a good job of that.”

On top of three passing touchdowns, Brandon added two more on the ground to become the first SEC quarterback to complete such a feat in his first career start since Cam Newton did it in 2010 against Arkansas State.

There isn’t a set formula that the dynamic signalcaller uses to determine the best course of action from play to play.

“I feel like it just kind of comes with it,” Brandon said. “I guess as the flow of the game was going, just if something wasn’t there and just getting outside of the pocket, try to get a positive play and not take any negatives.”

Javin Gordon contributed 52 yards to Tennessee’s total. The Tulane transfer averaged 4.7 yards per carry over 10 attempts.

“JG’s been phenomenal since he got here,” Heupel said. “He’s got great pace, feel, understands what we’re doing, runs extremely physical. So I’m not surprised that he played and competed at a really high level.”

Playing together ‘deja vu’ for Penn State transfers NATHAN MILES Contributor For Tennessee football’s defense to be successful this season, continuity is key.

In the Vols’ season opener against Furman, no one demonstrated that more clearly than linebacker Amare Campbell and defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam.

As transfers from Penn State who followed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, Campbell and Gilliam made their presence felt in the Vols’ 56-9 rout of the Paladins, both notching six tackles to lead their team.

“Obviously, it was fun with how I played and how the crowd energy was,” Gilliam said. “I felt like it was flowing through the stadium. Great time out there with my teammates, first time in Neyland, super excited, just looking forward to the next game.”

Gilliam had three sacks, the first Tennessee player to get as many in one game since Darrell Taylor in 2018.

Two of those sacks came on back-to-back plays in the first quarter.

His coaches weren’t surprised by his strong impact.

“One of the strong leaders inside the room,” Heupel said. “It was awesome just seeing the team’s reaction when we talked about his performance. A model of consistency in how he works, prepares, competes, same dude every day. No surprise that he played extremely well today.”

Campbell, too, has come to expect elite production from his transplanted teammate.

“There’s really not much to say,” Campbell said. “He knows the standard, he knows how he has to play, he knows the opponent, and how he will continue to rise the rest of the year. Amazing player, amazing teammate.

That’s the standard for him.

Today, that’s what he’s supposed to do.”

The pair were a big reason why Furman only managed 66 yards of total offense in the first half. Campbell enjoyed a big moment when he stopped Paladins quarterback Jake Garcia from picking up a first down on fourth and one.

“Coach Knowles talks about stopping people, not letting them get an inch or a blade of grass,” Campbell said. “So those fourth-down stops, those are turnovers.

Those play huge energy-breaking points, and for a team to go for it on fourth down and not get it, that’s a huge feeling for the offense.

So those types of plays are great, not just for the defense, but for the game as a whole.”

Campbell and Gilliam’s contribution as leaders and veterans who understand Knowles’ system is already paying dividends and has given even more confidence to the entire defensive unit.

“Yeah, just seeing him in practice, I knew we were all going to ball,” Gilliam said.

“It kind of feels like déjà vu Amare Campbell celebrates a defensive play against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5. David Smith / for real.”

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Opinion

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Jeff Bezos belongs in federal prison — here’s why CLAIRE THATCHER Contributor

CEO-hood — like most things — is a spectrum. But unlike most things, the majority of billionaire CEOs fall disproportionately on one end. The bad end.

The private jet to Epstein Island, kiddie pool-polluting, cheating, lying, laundering end.

And over time, we’ve grown accustomed to this. Year after year, we excuse their sex crimes, tax evasion, environmental pollution, corruption — because for all their transgressions, they “bolster the economy.” Jeff Bezos included.

But he’s a little different. Out of all the weird reptilian freaks that haunt Silicon Valley, he’s abnormally charismatic. And by charismatic, I mean relatively normal — the bar is pretty low for middle-aged, white, male CEOs. He can speak publicly without sounding like he’s being held at gunpoint. He isn’t building an army of humanoid robots.

He regularly bathes. I guess all those things make Bezos’ misdeeds easier to swallow.

My beef with Jeff Bezos dates back to 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bezos made so much money that he could’ve given every single one of his 1.2 million employees a sizable bonus. He could have doubled their salaries. He could have sailed into the sunset on a yacht the size of Puerto Rico, face-lift McGee on his arm, and still had billions in hoarded wealth left over to both solve world hunger and save the turtles.

But of course, he didn’t.

Instead, Bezos ignored the desperate pleas of warehouse workers across the country — and they weren’t asking for bonuses. All they wanted was a clean, safe working environment. They didn’t want to be exposed to COVID-19 — they wanted adequate protective equipment, and they wanted basic safety measures enforced.

In 2020, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration received over 10,000 complaints from Amazon employees over dangerous workplace conditions.

Chris Smalls, an Amazon employee from Staten Island, was fired after staging a warehouse walkout. Even after public backlash, Amazon continued to terminate employees all over the country involved in protest.

The world was on fire, and Bezos was cracking the whip.

Amazon justified terminations by saying that employees “repeatedly violated internal policies” or used “inappropriate behavior and language.”

Meanwhile, corporate was surfing LinkedIn for their next intelligence analyst, specifically hired to track “labor organizing threats.” AKA: Find the people who want to unionize, protest or not be treated like they’re disposable, and fire them.

Yes, it was a real job posting.

They took it down the same day they posted it. People weren’t happy. Oh, and remember all those occupational safety and health violations? Only two citations were issued as a result.

10,000 … two. Sounds pretty above board to me.

Fast forward to 2026, Amazon’s abuse takes on a different form.

Like many major corporations in Trump’s America, they subcontract out much of delivery and manufacturing to privately owned companies — companies that don’t have to adhere to the safety and pay standards Amazon publicly claims to uphold. The routes, hours and wages are controlled by “delivery service partners,” allowing Amazon to keep its hands clean from whatever haphazard working conditions are being imposed on the people who keep their company alive.

New York City’s tenacious new mayor Zohran Mamdani just threw his support behind an innovative new bill — the Delivery Driver Protection Act, requiring all private delivery companies to obtain licenses from the city and adhere to safety training and employment requirements set by the state. Upon learning of the bill, Amazon threatened to relocate.

They claimed it would have disastrous effects on the economy and rob the city of thousands of jobs. However, said best by Brendan Griffith, the president

of New York City’s Central Labor Council, “… When these companies ‘raise the alarm’ of fewer jobs, higher prices or service reductions, they are describing choices that they may make, not in the best interest of consumers and workers but to protect their bottom line.”

And that’s not all — the state of New Jersey is currently suing the billion-dollar company, claiming that delivery service partners have been illegally suppressing wages. Amazon delivery drivers earn significantly less than drivers who are employed directly — UPS, FedEx, United States Postal Service —

while being subjected to harsh conditions, intense pressure and aggressive monitoring to meet high delivery quotas.

Listen, I love that same-day shipping as much as the next guy. But just know that just because they’re wearing an Amazon vest doesn’t mean that Amazon has their back.

Amazon is — bottom line — an unethical company. Just take a look at who’s leading the company — one minute Jeff Bezos is in St. Tropez, oiled up like a honey-glazed ham left out to dry, looking like he’s on just a few too many peptides (like, those teeth definitely aren’t

Graphic by Claire Thatcher his), and the next, he’s bragging about how well he pays his employees.

His direct hires only, of course.

The delivery drivers employed by third-party companies don’t qualify for the wage standards set by the company. Which is about 90% of them, by the way.

But I guess he just forgot to mention that.

Claire Thatcher is a sophomore at UT studying journalism and media. She can be reached at qtq974@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.

Comparison kills the college experience AVANGELINE GRECO Contributor This year, I have come to notice that college truly looks different for everyone who attends.

It varies by the smallest differences among students, from major to Greek affiliation, your priorities or ideal version of a Friday night. There is no universal college experience, yet I spent the good part of being an underclassman trying to create one that mirrored everyone else’s.

Something that I always knew deep down recently resurfaced, and I was afraid to admit it. It could be because I pay a lot of money to be here at UT. It could also be that I spent too much time imagining what college was supposed to look like instead of just experiencing it for myself. I watched someone else’s college experience so closely from the outside and compared it to my own, which led to disappointment in ways that I can not begin to explain.

Why does her college experience look “better” than mine?

It is something that I think about often, but a feeling I can’t seem to define. Do I mean “better” as in, she is having a better time than me? She is more successful than me? She has more friends than me? She’s more involved? She seems more put together?

But I struggle to pinpoint exactly what she has that is “better” than me.

I have compared myself to my peers from the moment I decided where I would go to college.

When I joined the “Utkclassof28” Instagram page to find my roommate, I felt it immediately. Every post was a picture of a girl that seemed “better” than me. She was skinnier, she had more aesthetic pictures, she had more interesting hobbies.

She was everything that I was embarrassed that I wasn’t,

and unfortunately, that was the mindset I had entering my freshman year of college.

Getting to college, everyone else seemed so confident, and I had already been measuring myself against these people that I had never even met. Arriving on campus did not make these feelings subside — instead, it caused them to multiply.

LinkedIn was a scoreboard, and I was losing. Announcements of internship offers remind me that I babysat for my neighbor again over the summer. While they gained professional experience, I perfected a nap time schedule.

Within my dorm, I felt like I was in a competition with my roommate. We started off at the same point with similar Greek affiliation, coming from big-city upbringings, but I still found myself comparing my college experience with

hers.

“How late did she stay out?”

“Why did I want to go home so early?”

“How come she doesn’t need to study as hard as me?”

And the downward spiral of comparison continued. I felt like I was living with a constant reminder of who I thought I should be and who I actually was.

Everyone just seemed to have this college thing figured out.

Everyone except me.

By sophomore year, I felt this immense amount of pressure to figure it out for myself too.

If I didn’t, I would be a disappointment. Coming all the way to Tennessee for college would have been pointless if I didn’t leave with the perfect college experience I had envisioned.

The perfect friends, the perfect grades, perfect extracurriculars, perfect resume. Perfect everything.

So, instead of trying to figure out what would be best for me,

I mirrored the actions of the people I thought were executing college perfectly.

I applied for positions that other people seemed to want, tried to join groups where the members looked perfect from the outside. I tried to enjoy things because other people enjoyed them. What was so difficult for me seemed effortless to them, and I was painfully jealous of that ease.

When I was rejected from these positions, it probably hurt more than it should’ve.

The person getting rejected was a fake version of myself.

Soon enough, I was a shell of the person I knew myself to be on the inside, pretending to be someone I certainly was not.

The root issue was not that these people were “better” than me, but that I had been comparing myself to them rather than focusing on who I wanted to be when nobody else was paying attention.

One by one, little opportunities opened up that seemed to be meant for me: no constant trying

necessary. They aligned with the person that I was beginning to understand I wanted to become.

I had been so focused on being like everyone else that the opportunities that were meant for me almost passed me by.

The most important lesson I have learned from college so far is this: College is perfect when you experience it as the most authentic version of yourself.

You can watch someone else’s life and admire their relationships, social life and grades.

You can wish you had their accomplishments and hope that you will unlock this version of college they seem to have from the outside.

But you are still meant to live your own life — one that is unique and perfect for you.

Comparison is a sick and twisted game that was never meant to exist. And I was playing alone.

There is no award at the end of the day for best Friday night plans, most friends acquired or longest time spent in the library.

There is no correct number of nights you should spend out or a timeline that says you have to have it all figured out by a certain date.

Most importantly, there is no reason why you should live your college experience for anyone but yourself. There is so much pressure to “make your college experience count” that we actually start to miss out on it altogether. College is for you to make your own. Even if our versions don’t look the same, that doesn’t mean one of us is doing it wrong, just that we are living it for ourselves.

Avangeline Greco is a junior at UT this year studying economics. She can be reached at agreco2@vols.utk.edu.

Graphic by Amelie Carrillo

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

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Entertainment

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Week of 9/7/26 - 9/13/26

The Weekly Crossword

by Margie E. Burke

Courtesy of Domen Puncer Kugler © 2008-2025

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ACROSS 1 Walden, for one 14 15 16 5 Walk the floor 19 17 18 9 Kind of coffee 14 Winglike 21 22 20 15 Cassini of 23 24 25 26 couture 16 Meta's home: 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 _____ Park, CA 17 Turning off, as 35 36 34 app notifications 37 38 39 40 19 Give a ___ the back (2 wds.)

43 44 41 42 20 Major mess 46 47 21 They play on the 45 range 48 49 50 23 Math course, 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 for short 26 Projecting 59 60 61 58 window 63 64 27 Burst of energy 62 31 Blood fluids 66 67 65 34 Texas Copyright 2026 by The Puzzle Syndicate Panhandle city 35 Houston nine 37 ___ King Cole 62 Rehab 8 Holiday drink 33 Daisylike flower 38 Above all the candidates 9 Louvre Pyramid 36 Orchestral rest?

63 Jellystone bear architect section 40 Don't just sit 64 Aware 10 Most authentic 39 To ___ his own there 65 Latin dance 11 Narrow-minded 42 Poker players, 41 Hollywood's 66 Messy dresser 12 Unappetizing at times Charlize 67 Cozy spot food 44 Greek vowel 43 Fishburne of 13 Sharpen, as 47 Diplomats, e.g.

"The Matrix" DOWN skills 49 Vice ___ 45 1986 #1 hit for 1 Goalie's gear 18 Chipotle offering 51 Not only that Starship 2 Lena of "Nine 22 Pirate's loot 52 "Undone" 46 Indexing term Perfect 24 Hawaii native, actress Salazar 48 Pep up Strangers" e.g.

53 Darwin subj.

50 Coop residents 3 "Apollo 13" org. 25 Seaside soarer 55 Surrealist 51 Safeguard 4 Schematic 27 Part of a suit Magritte 54 Clothing store maker 28 Mutual of ____ 56 Reply to "Shall section 5 DC denizen 29 It rises after a we?"

58 Prince hit, "I 6 Ryan's "Love good rain 57 Kind of check Wanna Be Your Story" co-star 30 Breadbasket 60 It may need a ____" 7 Wrestler-actor items boost 59 Wake too late John 32 Madonna's son 61 Barbecue bit

2026 PICK FOOTBALL ‘EMS Patrick Busch, Editor-in-Chief Tennessee 28 v Georgia Tech 20

Ohio State v Texas

Oklahoma v Michigan

Alabama v Kentucky

Iowa State v Iowa

Arkansas v Utah

Trevor McGee, Sports Editor Tennessee 34 v Georgia Tech 20

Ohio State v Texas

Oklahoma v Michigan

Alabama v Kentucky

Iowa State v Iowa

Arkansas v Utah

Alex Sarkis, Assistant Sports Editor Tennessee 31 v Georgia Tech 21

Ohio State v Texas

Oklahoma v Michigan

Alabama v Kentucky

Iowa State v Iowa

Arkansas v Utah

Natalie Dripchak, Opinions Editor Tennessee 30 v Georgia Tech 20

Ohio State v Texas

Oklahoma v Michigan

Alabama v Kentucky

Iowa State v Iowa

Arkansas v Utah

Trip Scouten, Digital Editor Tennessee 35 v Georgia Tech 17 Ohio State v Texas Oklahoma v Michigan

Alabama v Kentucky

Iowa State v Iowa

Arkansas v Utah

Theo Colli, Senior Staff Writer

This chart is compiled weekly by Tessa Nacke, assistant news editor, in accordance with the 60-Day Crime Log available at https://clery.utk.edu/crime-log/.

Tennessee 31 v Georgia Tech 22

Ohio State v Texas

Oklahoma v Michigan

Alabama v Kentucky

Iowa State v Iowa

Arkansas v Utah

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