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Volume 134 Issue 10

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

Thursday, September 28, 2017

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, September 28, 2017

THE DAILY BEACON STAFF

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief: Alex Holcomb Managing Editor: Rob Harvey Chief Copy Editor: Nick Karrick Engagement Editor: Rrita Hashani News Editor: Annie Tieu Asst. News Editor: Kylie Hubbard Arts & Culture Editor: Allie Clouse Sports Editor: Tyler Wombles Asst. Sports Editor: Damichael Cole Digital Producer: Mary Hallie Sterling Opinions Editor: Morgan Schneider Photo Editors: Emily Gowder, Adrien Terricabras Design Editors: Laurel Cooper, Lauren Mayo Production Artists: Kelly Alley, Mia Haq, Kyla Johnson, Hannah Jones

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Local Freemasons strive to better members Tyler Wombles Sports Editor Zina Monteleone doesn’t know much about the building on Locust Street.

The building is located near Monteleone’s employer, Nothing Too Fancy, in downtown Knoxville and is adorned with a sign that says “Masonic Temple.” That enough tells her what the purpose of the building is, but that is as far as her knowledge of the building or its inhabitants goes.

“I know it’s ... a Masonic lodge, so I’m assuming that’s (the) Freemasons,” Monteleone, junior in political science, said.

The building is the Charles H. McKinney Lodge, a Masonic lodge serving Freemasons in the area. For Monteleone, the concept conjures mental images of films based upon hidden treasure and secret operations.

“I think of ... National Treasure,” Monteleone said. “I don’t really know anything about them.”

Curtis Phibbs, the Worshipful Master of the Charles H. McKinney Lodge, states that the focus of the lodge — and Freemasonry itself — is the pursuit of strong moral codes and unity, not secretive practices.

“We’re just a fraternity of God-loving men who desire to better each other and better ourselves,” Phibbs said.

The website of the Grand Lodge of Ohio states that Freemasonry was founded in 1717, with its current international membership totaling 3.6 million members, including 1.6 million members in North America.

Freemasonry strives to unite men of strong moral character that share a belief in God and unity, according to the website. Its traditions are founded on the building of King Solomon’s Temple, with its ceremonies utilizing stonemason’s tools to “symbolize moral lessons and truths.”

The Charles H. McKinney Lodge was formed after the American Civil War when many people were joining the Freemasons. Its

The Free Masons’ symbol printed on the floor in the temple.

Nick Karrick / The Daily Beacon goal is identical to that of many lodges across the country.

“We’re all human,” Phibbs said. “We all make mistakes. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a group of brothers, so when you start going down the wrong path, they can pull you to the side and say ‘Hey, you’re starting to go down the wrong way?’ Well, that’s basically what our fraternity is.”

Freemasons are not allowed to recruit members. Instead, a person must request to become a member and go through a petition process and be allowed to join the lodge by its members.

Each state has a grand lodge that charters all of the smaller lodges in the state with a purpose of making sure that the smaller lodges are staying in line with the traditions and values of Freemasonry.

As a Freemason living in modern-day America, Phibbs stated that there are multiple misconceptions regarding Freemasonry that can be found on one of the primary tools for information-gathering in today’s society, the world wide web.

“There’s a lot of garbage out there on

the internet,” Phibbs said. “You can type in ‘Freemason’ on the internet and find all kinds of crazy stuff. I think some people think we put a base on the back side of the moon … Some people say that we sacrifice animals and just all kinds of crazy things.

“There’s some crazy stuff I’ve heard, and very, very little of what you hear on the internet is true. A lot of it people just make up,” Phibbs said.

Amid all the misconceptions and rumors, Phibbs believes that the Freemasons, including those of the Charles H. McKinney Lodge, improve not only themselves but also the institutions around them with their devotion to the Freemason tradition. “(Our lodge) is just a group of good men who bind themselves together to help each become better people and better men,” Phibbs said. “And in becoming better selves, we better our families. We better our communities that we’re in. We better our country and we give glory to God for what we do.

“If I had it all to do again, I would join at a younger age. I would have joined sooner if I had known what I know now.”

UT Marxist society expands conversation Kylie Hubbard Asst. News Editor The Platypus Affiliated Society is hoping to make their Marx on campus.

The society, which is called Platypus for short, looks to offer students a place to discuss and reconstitute a Marxist left.

Historically, Marxism is the basis of the theory and practices of communism, based on the political and economic theories of Karl Marx. Marxists believe that the left expresses the highest hopes for human potential and

that society has the freedom to self-consciously guide its own development to a state not limited by the necessity of generating profit.

Grady Lowry, a Ph.D. student from Nashville who helps the group, said being a Marxist in college is a hard thing to do.

“It is an impossibility to be a Marxist on college campuses,” Lowry said. “It was a lot of work establishing Platypus here at the University of Tennessee, but I was encouraged by the dedication of our core attendees.”

Matt Cavagrotti, UT alumnus and president of the organization, said the organization’s goal

is a humble one. They aren’t looking for a mass movement but are instead looking to move past obstacles in front of them.

“It (our goal) consists of recognizing that the left’s current incapacity to shape the world is hidden behind a mass of optimism that another world is possible is near birth,” Cavagrotti said. “Many groups are susceptible to this kind of self-affirmation, where all roads lead to more activism and activists, without ever needing to reflect on its goals.”

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Ethan Linehan, vice president of Platypus and senior studying philosophy and history, said students on college campuses are the exact people Marxism needs.

“College students are the best candidates to move humans beyond capitalism because of their minimum political exposure,” Linehan said. “Because future generations understand that capitalism, for all its successes, is in crisis.”

Cavagrotti said that the organization has generally received curiosity from campus.

“Believe it or not, we’re mostly treated with genuine curiosity. I see this as a sign of the times,” Cavagrotti said. “The hollowing of the middle class seems to have pointed towards deeper problems, and people are looking for ways to make sense of this.”

Platypus looks to create a place for students to discuss ideas. The organization does this through workshops and panel discussions.

Panel discussions this year will include “Women: The Longest Revolution” and “Anti-Fascism in the Era of Trump.” Platypus also publishes a monthly open-submission journal, The Platypus Journal.

“We focus on ‘hosting the conversation’ between various political tendencies to learn how and why each approach is different and what approaches are best suited for reconstituting leftist politics with new and greater forms of

Thursday, September 28, 2017 • The Daily Beacon freedom as its platform,” Linehan said.

The organization also hosts weekly meetings: Golden Roast coffee breaks on Mondays and reading groups on Wednesdays.

Platypus began in Chicago in 2006 and came to UT in 2012. Lowry said the project is about investigating ways to make Marxism a freeing force in current society.

“Platypus was developed in Chicago as a project that seeks to investigate the improbable, but not impossible, task of reconstituting Marxism as an emancipatory force,” Lowry said.

The society gained its name due to a parable of Karl Marx and his friend Friedrich Engels.

Engels believed that the platypus was unnatural because it could not be defined in a specific animal category. Engels later visited a British zoo and saw a living platypus for the first time, changing his mind because of it.

“Engels came to respect that ‘reason’ in history, natural or otherwise, must not necessarily accord with present standards of human reason,” Cavagrotti said. “This is a parable we find salutary to understanding the condition of the left today.”

Linehan said the society also relates to the platypus because of its unwillingness to fit into any one category.

“Just like the platypus does not fit cleanly into any animal category, neither does our organization,” Linehan said. “We are not strictly academic nor are we strictly activist.”

Cavagrotti would like to see more students join the organization, whether they are leftist

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(Right to Left) Faculty advisor Spencer Leonard, President Matt Cavagrotti, members AJ Knowles and Ethan Linehan at the Golden Roast for a Platypus Affiliated Society meeting on September 25th, 2017.

Stu Boyd / The Daily Beacon they attract and more about their quality of or not.

“Anyone can get involved just by attending contribution to our mission.”

Linehan said the club has given him experiany of our events,” Cavagrotti said. “But those whose exhibit a commitment to understanding ence and friendship, teaching him more about and contributing to the Platypus project are the world and himself.

“In addition to the camaraderie found in revorecruited for official membership in its internalutionary friends, I am now more cosmopolitan tional body.”

In the end, Cavagrotti is more concerned and experienced when it comes to the world at about what his club can do than the number of large, both in the past and present,” Linehan said. “Platypus has taught me so much about the members it has.

“We are not defined by the people in the world and about myself.” organization but rather by what these people Editor’s note: All interviews in this article are doing,” Cavagrotti said. “So even though Platypus has chapters all over the world, its suc- were conducted through email. cess is measured less by the number of members

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Five secret societies that are still around today Annie Tieu

News Editor Secret tree house clubs have come a long way.

Because of their very name, secret societies spark mixed feelings of fascination and distrust. They’ve been at the center of popular culture and fiction, everywhere from books like Dan Brown novels to television series like Fox’s “Bones.” Dozens of these groups exist nationally, internationally and on the collegiate level. But what exactly are all these secret societies and what do they stand for?

Let’s begin with a classic:

The Illuminati

The Bilderberg Group

While this one may not still exist, the Illuminati is a prime example of secret societies, and in the words of Beyoncé, “Y’all haters corny with that Illuminati mess.”

Historically, the name “Illuminati” usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, which was an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776. Its members were advocates of secularism, liberalism, republicanism and gender equality, among other ideologies.

The Illuminati also opposed superstition, religious influence over public life, abuses of state power and the deliberate obscuring of subject matters.

A bit of an outlier, the Bilderberg Group isn’t so much a secret society as it is a private, invitation-only conference comprised predominately of North American and European elites.

The annual conference hosts anywhere from 120 to 150 political leaders, and others invited to the meeting are experts from industry, finance, academia and media. According to the official website of the Bilderberg meetings, the purpose of the conference acts as an informal forum meant to foster dialogue between Europe and North America.

A list of participants is made public, and this year’s conference took place from June 1 to June 4 in Chantilly, Virginia. However, the meeting places vary each year and can take place anywhere in North America or Eurasia.

Some of this year’s members were U.S. Senator of South Carolina Lindsey Graham, Chinese diplomat and ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai, the former CEO of Arconic Klaus-Christian Kleinfeld and columnist for The Wall Street Journal Peggy Noonan.

The Freemasons Perhaps one of the most well-known secret societies, Freemasonry has an exhaustive history, dating back to stonemason guilds.

The Freemasons also often boast of being the world’s oldest and largest fraternity.

Its basic organizational units are Lodges, which are local and usually supervised by a Grand Lodge. However, there is no central organization governing the Grand Lodges, meaning they are largely independent and can vary in policies, but they likely have similar frameworks.

The first Grand Lodge – known originally as the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster and later called the Grand Lodge of England — was established on June 24, 1717.

Requirements to become a Lodge member can also vary based on location, but the minimum requirements are that the applicant must be a well-recommended, free man of good repute; he must declare belief in a supreme being; and he must be of lawful age.

Because of these values, the group is often front-and-center in several conspiracy theories that involve them playing puppet-master, controlling world affairs and influencing the government and major corporations in order to eventually establish a New World Order.

A variety of historical events have been said to be orchestrated by the Illuminati, like the French Revolution and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Throughout popular culture in outlets like novels, films, television shows and video games, the Illuminati has been depicted as lurking in the shadows, pulling the strings of power.

Skull and Bones is known informally as “Bones,” and its members are known as “Bonesmen.”

Since its inclusion of women in 1991, the society selects 15 junior men and women to join every spring as a part of Yale University’s “tap day.” That day, it “taps,” or chooses, those it views as campus leaders and notable figures.

There have been many prominent members of Skull and Bones, like former president William Howard Taft; three subsequent generations of the Bush family, ending with former president George W. Bush; political reporter for The Washington Post Dana Milbank and former U.S. ambassador to Poland and former Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe.

The Order of Skull and Bones

The Scarabbean Senior Society

Possibly the worst kept secret as far as secret societies go, Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior society located at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

The society was founded by William Huntington Russell and Alphonso Taft in 1832 after a dispute broke out among Yale debating societies Linonia, Brothers in Unity and the Calliopean Society, which are other secret societies at Yale.

Here’s one right in UT’s own backyard.

The Scarabbean Senior Society is an honor society at UT, and its members are known as “Scarabs.” While the group has worked largely in secrecy, it is said that the society is partly responsible for many of the Volunteer traditions and aspects of student life still felt around campus today. The group is said to be connected with the creation of events like Torch Night, the Torchbearer symbol, the student activities fee and the Orange and White’s name change to The Daily Beacon in 1965.

The Scarabbean Senior Society was founded by John Ayres, Elliot Park Frost and George Herbert Clarke in 1915. They all desired to connect student leaders to work together to improve campus conditions. The group’s motto is “To be nameless in worthy deeds,” and the phrase acts as the core value of the group as it works to better the university anonymously.

Notable known members include Howard Baker Sr. and Howard Baker Jr. While the organization’s members are unknown now, many believe that Peyton Manning and many SGA presidents have been members as well.

The society’s alumni organization, the Russell Trust Association, owns the group’s real estate and oversees the organization.

The Skull and Bones’s headquarters – a windowless, brownstone hall on 64 High Street – is named “the tomb.”

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Blount Hall, now gone, is known as one of UT’s most haunted locations.Courtesy of UT Special Collections

Rumors of UT haunts Kellie Veltri Copy Editor Rumor has it that UT has school spirit. And also some actual spirits.

The creepy occurrences on campus don’t exactly make it onto the brochure, but with a colloquially known body farm just down the road and 1,200 skeletons in the basement of Neyland Stadium, UT is the perfect environment for spooky rumors to start.

From Civil War soldiers to beloved family pets, 223 years of history have provided the origins for many a hushed, whispered tale about ghosts and other haunts to linger in campus culture.

“I’ve heard rumors of haunted buildings on campus since I first came here,” Peyton Forrer, freshman in biology, said.

The Hill may be the most haunted spot on campus, as it is said to be home to multiple ghosts.

The first is an animal, although there is disagreement surrounding its identity. Some reports refer to it as a barghest, or a dog with coal-black eyes, huge fangs, claws and a shrieking howl that brings an omen of death. Others call the ghost a Cherokee Wampus cat with glowing eyes.

The other potential specter on the Hill is an elegant gentleman. He typically disregards students and looks as normal as a ghost could look at first — until he tips his hat at you, revealing a gaping hole in his head. Legend says that the man was a student who committed suicide when his lover left him to marry someone else.

Some campus ghosts are less sinister but nonetheless eerie. One such specter is Evening

Primrose in Hoskins Library, who lived and died in the building while working on her dissertation. Students can sense her presence from the smell of baking cornbread.

UT built HSS in the 1970s, but that does not exclude it from such horrors. “(There is) a ghost that lives on the third floor and roof of HSS … that comes out at night and at the beginning of the fall semester to scare freshmen,” Katie Stapleton, junior in political science, said. “It gets very quiet, and you can hear a humming sound. I absolutely believe that there is something (in HSS).”

Tyson Alumni House is said to be haunted by former Senator General Lawrence Tyson’s dog, Bonita, who was a gift to his daughter from President Ulysses S. Grant. The university purchased the Tyson home in 1954, agreeing to maintain the pet’s grave. There are reports that Bonita appears in the house and can be heard howling at night.

Perkins Hall is near the site of the original Blount Hall, which was built in 1900. During the construction of Blount Hall, the bodies of eight Union soldiers were uncovered. It was said by many that they roamed the halls of the building.

Although it was torn down in 1979, students walking to Perkins Hall have claimed to see the soldiers comparing maps near their burial site.

One of the more well-known campus haunts is Strong Hall’s Sophie. Sophronia Strong lived in her Cumberland Avenue home until her death in 1867, and the building later became a women’s residence hall. Residents reported incidents with Sophie’s playful and mother spirit, and one room was said to be so haunted that residents normally transferred to a new one before the semester ended. She was also said to appear in a mirror every year on her birthday, Feb. 17.

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, September 28, 2017

A Torchbearer with no name: The Scarabbean Don Black In the spring of 1948, Howard Henry Baker Jr. had a secret.

A year and a half earlier, Baker Jr. found himself fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific near the end of World War II. But now, at the UT School of Law, he found himself trying to navigate something completely different: his induction into the Scarabbean Senior Society.

Baker was a “neophyte” in the society, meaning a recently selected member and had just finished the meal included in his inaugural meeting. His father, Howard Henry Baker Sr., was himself inducted into the society just 24 years earlier, along with Estes Kefauver, a man who would later represent the state of Tennessee in the House of Representatives and the American people as the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States and as a senator, a position for which Baker Jr. would run for upon Kefauver’s death in 1964.

Back in 1948, Baker and the rest of his induction class were forced out of the room in which they had just eaten. Soon, they were called for and reentered the dining hall, now covered in darkness, the only light coming from the flickering light of the candles on the table. His “comrades,” whom he had just dined with minutes earlier, were standing, and he would hear a voice from the front of the room begin the neophyte’s induction.

First, reading his class instructions, then describing the society’s historical accomplishments like Torch Night and Aloha Oe and finally, swearing them to secrecy: Baker was now a “bug.”

Founded by a philosophy professor, a poet and the son of a UT President and namesake of Ayres Hall, the Scarabbean Senior Society was originally organized in 1915 by John Ayres to further the interests of the university, its traditions and ideals. The society’s stated purpose is to “be nameless in worthy deeds,” and by the year 1994, it claimed over 1,100 members.

The regular operations of the society, such as event planning, directory distribution and the drafting of its newsletter are completed by its active members, which has been primarily limited to 10-20 seniors. However, graduate students, as well as faculty and administration, have been active members, regardless of if they were a member during their own undergraduate career.

In the past, society alumni have also played a role in its operations, such as helping to raise the funds that created the L.R. Hesler Scholarship in 1982, who served as one of the society’s longtime faculty advisers and as the Dean in the College of Liberal Arts. According to Hesler, between the years of 1924 and 1958, the society met over 600 times.

Frank Gibson was a UT student in the early 1970s and served as a member of the

Scarabbean Senior Society from 1971 to 1972.

After serving in the army upon his high school graduation, he came UT and became the first sophomore Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beacon.

He later worked for 37 years as an award-winning reporter and editor for The Tennessean.

Upon retirement, he was the director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and the public policy director for the Tennessee Press Association.

“I was interested in membership because I’m a very pragmatic person,” Gibson said. “It was an opportunity to discuss the issues with other student leaders. As editor of the Beacon, I would only hear from the SGA president, but I would not hear from the president of the IFC (Intrafraternity Council), or others, for example.”

The membership selection process for the society seems to change depending on its leadership, historically ranging from an application process to a point system. According to Gibson, during his era, membership in the society was on campus leadership positions, and whoever served for that year as the SGA President, IFC President and The Daily Beacon Editor-in-Chief, among other positions, would also be a member of the society. Despite this, Gibson said that he did not believe that Jimmie Baxter, the first black student body President at UT in 1969, was a member.

“Back then, I remember the committee was very low on diversity,” Gibson said. “Women were not members. I thought that the president of the Panhellenic Council was just as important as the president of IFC. But for some reason, the president (of the Panhellenic Council) was not a member ... (There was) no explanation for why women were not members at the time.”

The first year a woman was publicly listed in the Scarabbean Society was in 1974, 54 years after women got the right to vote and 81 years after women began to receive full academic credit at UT. Gibson hasn’t had any contact with the society since he left The Daily Beacon in 1972.

Despite this, he said that he “wasn’t sure how much he ought to discuss,” when asked about his initiation ceremony.

Past initiations have included four sections, where individuals read the ideals of membership for the society and take a vow of secrecy.

Candles have typically been involved and have gone as far as to be held in caves.

In the society, members have referred to each other as “Comrade,” and leadership positions are called “Worthy Osiris,” “Henry Morgan,” “Edward Davis” and “Amenophis III.” In old minutes and documents, more than one reference is also made to the “great Bubastis,” an ancient Egyptian city.

While reporting this story, The Daily Beacon was anonymously sent documents related to the society via Snapchat. One of these documents was a photo of recent graduates of the univer-

The Scarabbean Flag displayed on the side of Neyland with no specific names or any information of the organization. Courtesy of Don Black

Buildings and awards named after Scarabbean Members: · The LR Hesler Award · The Vic Davis/Earl Zwingle Award · The Chris Whittle Scholarship · The Charles Burchett Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Campus Life · The Joseph C. and Judith E. Cook Grand Challenge Honors Program in the Tickle College of Engineering · The Harold C. Warner Teaching Award · The Howard Baker Center · Dunford Hall · The Hesler Biology Building · The Clyde York 4-H Center · The Warren Wesley Kennerly Scholarship for Achievement in Legal Ethics Scholarship

sity standing on the top of Ayres Hall with their forearms crossed, possibly to mimic the crossed swords from one of the society’s logos.

After his time at UT, Gibson spent most of his career advocating for increased public access to government documents.

“Perhaps there’s too much emphasis on secrecy in the society,” Gibson said. “When you do things secret, you give the public, the taxpayers and the voters the license to say anything and assume the worst. That’s what secrecy brings.”

But because the society is secret and the history of the society largely self-reported, the accomplishments of the Scarabbeans as a group is murky.

Previous reporting has given them credit for a varied slate of accomplishments, the vast

majority occurring in its first 20 years, including assisting in building Neyland Stadium and the Torchbearer statue, creating the student

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Senior Society, the historic foundation of UT

All Photos this page: Small details around campus reveal the existence of the Scarabbean Senior Society. Rrita Hashani / The Daily Beacon activities fee, creating the Honors Ambassadors Scholar program, starting the Senior Gift Committee, founding The Daily Beacon, organizing the predecessor to the Intrafraternity Council and the SGA, as well as starting a variety of notable events on campus like Torch Night, Carnicus, the All Sing and Aloha Oe. It is unclear, however, how much of the credit is deserved.

While some give the Scarabbeans credit for the foundation of Torch Night — a tradition at UT to welcome new Volunteers — UT’s recorded history gives Ralph Frost, one of the society’s original members, and Victor Davis, its longtime faculty adviser, credit for its development. A fair amount of the society’s well-known accomplishments, like Torch Night, the Torchbearer Statue, Aloha Oe, the All Sing and others, were primarily projects of Victor Davis, the alumni relations secretary at the time. In the case of Torch Night and Aloha Oe, these were Davis’ projects before he was inducted into the society.

“There are so many rumors about this group,” Gibson said. “I heard they created The Daily Beacon. I talked to the first editor of The Daily Beacon, and they don’t know anything about the Scarabbean or were involved with any of that.”

In documents that detail the rest of their accomplishments, the society is given credit for originating an idea, like the employment of students to help build the beginning of Neyland Stadium, creating the student activities fee and the Ambassador Scholars Program, or drafting the structure of SGA and the IFC. But it is unknown what “originating” means.

In some cases, it appears to be as much as giving an idea to a friend or discussing ideas as a society that they, as individuals, later bring back to their respective groups. In others, it seems to mean as little as taking credit for their members accomplishments outside of the society itself.

Indeed, much of the Scarabbean Senior Society’s accomplishments seem to have been completed through the mere power of suggestion, a luxury afforded to the society through its

powerful alumni and deep-rooted institutionalization at UT. A student in the Chess Club might think that building a Tennessee themed, lifesized chess set is a good idea, but it is unlikely that its mere suggestion would be powerful enough to see that idea become reality.

A student in the Scarabbean Society might wish for a revamped ambassador’s program, as they did in a 2002 Scarabbean newsletter.

The next year, in 2003, the Department of Undergraduate Admissions unveiled a new UT Ambassador Scholars program.

In fact, part of what makes the Scarabbean Senior Society so unique, particularly when compared to secret societies at peer public schools, is the institutionalization of this group into the fabric of the university itself, particularly in its faculty and administrative involvement.

Members of the society have served and continue to serve in a variety of powerful administrative positions at UT, including the Dean of Students, Vice Chancellor for Student Life, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, professors in the College of Business, head football coach, director of the University Center, Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development, Dean of the College of Law, members of the Board of Trustees, President of the Alumni Association, the alumni relations secretary and more.

While the society was mostly composed of “mid-level administrators” when Frank Gibson was a member in the early 1970s, he did specifically recall a private conversation with the chancellor at the time, who indicated that the society’s advice for dealing with the anti-Vietnam War protests had been communicated throughout university leadership.

The father of Tim Burchett — a former Tennessee state legislator and current Mayor of Knox county seeking the 2nd Congressional District seat — Charles Burchett, was a longtime Dean of Students at UT and an active member of the Scarabbean Society throughout his tenure.

Keith Carver, the current chancellor at UT, Martin and the former executive assistant to the

Common campus involvement of members of the Scarabbean Society · Greek life · Student Government · Orientation leaders · Resident assistant · The Student Alumni Associates · Omnicron Delta Kappa · The Torchbearer Award.

UT system president, Joe DiPietro, is listed as writing an article in a 1994 edition of The Pirate, the Scarabbean Senior Society’s newsletter.

“I want to let you know that I was a member of Scarabbean as a student at UTK. I haven’t been involved for many years (as a graduate or alumnus),” Carver said in an email.

When asked about his knowledge of the society, the current Vice Chancellor for Student Life, Vincent Carilli, said he does not know much about the society.

“I’ve been asked about this secret society for years [both when I was in the DOS (Dean of Students)] office in late 90’s as well as in my current role as VCSL [Vice Chancellor of Student Life]. Candidly, I don’t know anything about it other than students talk about it,” Carilli said. “If it does exist, I’m not a member, nor do I know anyone that has told me they are a member.”

In 1999, while Carilli served as the associate Dean of Students, the Vice Chancellor for Student Life at the time, Tim Rogers, admitted that he was a member of this society. Rogers retired in 2013.

In the spring of 2015, the group held a centennial anniversary celebration at a downtown hotel, according to hotel records.

Around the same time, the UT Foundation began to publicly list the “1915 Endowment” on its website. According to UT Endowment Data, the 1915 Endowment did not exist until the year 2015, the centennial anniversary of the society’s founding. Since then, the endowment has grown to be worth $47,536.50 when last publicly reported in 2017. Haylee Marshall, the senior

director of Alumni Affairs and Advancements, said that the fund was created by former members of the society in 2015 and says that she believes that its purpose was to help fund society reunions.

For at least the past few years, a black flag congratulating graduating seniors has been raised over Neyland Stadium, displaying the symbol of the society along with the word “nameless” written 18 times.

As a part of the renovations that were completed in 2011 in Ayres Hall, a bench was added to the first floor with “Scarabbean Senior Society” engraved into a plaque on its surface.

The engraving on the plaque was determined through fundraising in the UT Development office.

A brick carved with the words “Scarabbean Senior Society” also exists in Circle Park, having been added in 1997 as part of the Senior Gift Challenge. It rests in Vic Davis Plaza, just outside the Torchbearer statue and in the shadow of Andy Holt Tower, where the most powerful administrators of the university clock in and clock out.

10 feet away, the Torchbearer’s Creed is etched into stone: “One that beareth a torch shadoweth oneself to give light to others.” Yet, the Scarabbean Senior Society continues to operate in darkness.

Additional reporting and editing done by Jarrod Nelson.

8

SECRETSISSUE

Thursday, September 28, 2017 • The Daily Beacon

The not-so-secret secret of the campus burial grounds Neeley Moore Copy Editor While mystery surrounds many secrets around campus, some famous rumors are instead rooted not in myth, but history.

It’s not rare to hear rumors that the campus was built on Native American burial grounds. These rumors are not new. They have been going around for years, leading many to assume them to be true.

One such rumor claims that the late Reese Hall was built on burial grounds. Another rumor claims the graves were instead removed, with the act covered up by UT. While some rumors are rooted in truth, others are purely fiction. UT is built upon ancient Cherokee land; however, there are no burial grounds, removed burial grounds or bodies on the campus’ actual terrain.

“There are no burial grounds on the university campus,” Jeff Chapman, director of the McClung Museum of Natural History, said.

Although there is no mysterious historical background of a mass cover-up or grave removal, there are nearby burial grounds on the agricultural campus.

“There is a burial mound behind the veterinary school. It is not Cherokee,” Chapman said. “It is associated with the Woodland period around 800 A.D.” The mound has been expanded and cared for in recent years by the Native American Student Association (NASA) at UT, in hopes of raising awareness of the Cherokee history in Knoxville.

Kim Smith, a 2011 UT graduate and NASA member who aided in its development, said the creation of NASA was originally meant to establish a community amongst the small percent of students with Native American heritage. It is achieved through reconnection with their native language and student projects. NASA also aims to educate the greater community about Cherokee culture.

“NASA was created to educate the community as a whole,” Smith said. “Tennessee was actually named after a Cherokee town, Tanasi. It’s important for all of us to be connected to our heritage in that way. It’s an opportunity to let students feel like they’re at a unique place and know the cultural impact of their surroundings ... The only con of the rumors (surrounding the burial grounds) is that the right information is not properly shared. It’s not integrated into the history of UT; It creates distance.”

The history is not that distant, either. The land was only Cherokee land 300 years ago, but it had belonged to the Cherokee people

“ Tennessee was actually named after a Cherokee town, Tanasi. It’s important for all of us to be connected to our heritage in that way.

It’s an opportunity to let students feel like they’re at a unique place and know the cultural impact of their surroundings.”

Kim Smith, UT graduate and NASA member since 11,000 years earlier.

The burial mound installation, named the Native American Interpretive Garden, was completed in 2011 with plentiful and willing help from NASA. “They had started on a project to expand upon the green space around the mound to protect it from future encroachment there, years before,” Smith said. “There had been discussion of having it bulldozed and having a major road go through there, which lead to negative press before the memorial was finalized. When I heard of an opportunity to get involved, I was really excited. It was a wonderful opportunity.”

Although Smith graduated before the ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the preservation of the mound, she did not miss the event.

More signs to set the mound apart and to tell of its historical standings have been put up this year. These signs display a list of people involved, including Smith.

“To have my name there and the name of my university and to know I can bring my girls there one day and show them — that project was just very powerful for me,” Smith said.

PUZZLES&GAMES

Thursday, September 28, 2017 • The Daily Beacon

STR8TS No. 1027

Easy

8 9 8 6

3 4

6 6 8

4 8

Previous solution - Tough

1 2 2 3 7 4 5 6 3 8 5 6 6 7 4 5 3 7 4

3 9 1 4

2 7

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SUDOKU No. 1027

1 6

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For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts, Sudoku and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store at www.str8ts.com

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD â&#x20AC;˘ Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Tough-to-remove stain 7 Cracked

40 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Walkaboutâ&#x20AC;? director Nicolas

1

41 Pleasure-seeking

14

42 Cell tower feature

17

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44 ___ vivant

14 Big report

45 British title holder

15 Severe test

47 Parris Island grp.

17 Gets frosty

51 Video game units

18 Concern for the E.P.A.

55 Stuffed garnishes

20 Drawings seen in Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rouffignac Cave

61 Waistband sight â&#x20AC;Ś or what 20-, 39and 55-Across each have?

21 Grey Goose competitor

62 What red may mean

23 Striplings

63 â&#x20AC;&#x153;You got it!â&#x20AC;?

24 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love in the Time of ___â&#x20AC;? (Gabriel GarcĂ­a MĂĄrquez novel)

64 Acquire via blackmail

2 Order across the border 3 Sarcastic response

39 Headline after a market crash

4 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Holy smokes!â&#x20AC;?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

L O O F A

A L A S

K A M A

9

10

11

12

13

34

35

36

37

47

48

49

50

16

20

25

26

22

23

27

28

31

32

38

39

40

41

42

51

8

18

19

24

7 15

52

53

29

30

33

43

44 46

54

59

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38 Indoor recess

A N T S Y

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55 60

56

57

58

61

62

63

64

65

66

DOWN

32 What putting oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finger to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lips may mean

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

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66 Spreads, as straw

31 Actress Anderson

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4

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65 Otherwise called

28 Shake

H A W K

3

21

59 Code broken by rats

19 Outdoor lighting fixtures?

2

C R U S T E D H A S B E E N

O N T I E A R M N V E I A G W I T H H S T E L L W E A T S U R M G O I G H T R A M A Y E R E R E S

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25 Bikerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invitation

6 Hype (up)

26 Dawn

7 Sci-fi character 27 One working for nicknamed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bonesâ&#x20AC;? the lord 8 1968 self-titled folk album

28 Patriarch with 12 sons

9 Drawing contest?

29 ___ quarter (refuse mercy)

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A S H E N

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34 Also keeps in the know, in a way

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35 Corruption

16 Nutritional label abbr.

36 Skull and Bones collegian

20 Nemesis of the Clanton gang

37 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cake Bossâ&#x20AC;? channel

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24 Santa ___

30 Shellac, e.g.

33 What might make up for lost ground?

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50 Carries on through difficulty 51 Lucky strike?

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9

10

SECRETSISSUE

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, September 28, 2017

Secret menus: The good, the bad and the disgusting Allie Clouse Arts & Culture Editor

Let me just begin by saying that I am a picky eater.

I often don’t even enjoy most of the menu items listed at any restaurant. But, on a mission to find the most tasty, disgusting and sometimes bizarre food, I scrounged secret menus across campus.

My first stop was Chik-fil-a. Along with a videographer -- Leann Daniel -- to document my food journey, we waited in the afternoon rush line that zig-zagged the crowded student union.

Among the listed food items I found on a secret menu site, I decided to play it safe and order a chicken quesadilla with a strawberry lemonade, the easiest combinations to make, so as not to upset employees or the growing line behind me.

The chicken quesadilla was meant to consist of a flour tortilla from their “Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap,” shredded cheese and bits of chicken all melted together in a warm pocket. The strawberry lemonade was simply their fresh squeezed lemonade with a scoop of strawberry puree that they use in

their strawberry milkshakes.

As I approached the counter, the nerves sat in. I attempted to casually ask the cashier for my order but was hastily turned away. Awkwardly, I walked away from the bar and tried not to look back at the confused employees and aggravated waiting customers.

I decided to head upstairs where Starbucks is located to try again. Starbucks seems to be notorious for their constantly changing secret menu that spurs social media trends, so I thought my luck would be a bit better here.

Thankfully, no one was in line, and I stepped up to the register. I hesitantly asked about their secret items to which I was gleefully met with complete compliance. The barista immediately had several suggestions some of which included a Captain Crunch Frappuccino, a cake batter Frappuccino and pumpkin pie Frappuccino. As I read off the descriptions of countless hidden drinks, she continued nodding her head; she claimed that they could make just about any request as long as they had the ingredients.

I opted to taste the butterbeer Frappuccino, a vanilla Frappuccino base with caramel syrup, toffee nut syrup and caramel drizzle. I watched as she carefully

crafted the drink, then slid it across the counter to me. Eagerly, I took a sip. The sheer sweetness of the drink was nearly overwhelming but also tasted like autumn in a cup. Suddenly, I felt a lot better about this whole secret menus thing.

Next, my partner and I stopped at Chipotle. The list of secret menu items was short and mostly seemed like general substitutions, but I pushed onward anyway.

I confidently strode up to the counter and confidently asked for a quesarito. To my surprise, the employee immediately began working.

She grabbed a flour tortilla, usually used for burrito orders and piled handfuls of shredded cheese on top before covering it with another tortilla and sticking it into a hot presser. Still in shock, I asked her if people normally order the “secret” item.

She admitted that although it is not listed, it is a popular order for those who have heard about it.

Soon, my quesarito was done, and I began choosing ingredients. The employee threw all of the ingredients into a bowl, then emptied the contents into the quesadilla shell and wrapped it into a gigantic burrito.

The manager who had stepped out front to witness such a sizable request, offered me a knife to me upon seeing my reaction to the heavy quesarito. I obliged and sat to try to tackle the baby-size burrito. As I cut into the crispy outside, cheese and all of my toppings oozed out. I went to take the bite, and was pleasantly surprised, but definitely left with a to-go bag.

Our final stop was somewhat random, but we visited Cookout to see what strange combinations we would find. I had researched a few secret menu items that seemed like

Hannah Jones / The Daily Beacon

experiments of drunk college students, and found several nauseating concoctions.

However, out of everything I found, a hamburger topped with ice cream had to be the worst.

Personally, I avoid any fast food especially mystery meats in burgers and greasy fries, so this stop was far out of my comfort zone. But, I had to ask. I crossed my fingers and hoped that the cashier would turn me away after she gave me a puzzled look and went to the kitchen to ask.

She returned soon after with a smug yet disgusted look on her face and said that they could fill my order. My stomach dropped, but for the sake of the story I reluctantly agreed to try the burger.

As I stood waiting, other customers heard of my food challenge and took interest, forming a crowd of witnesses which only made me more uncomfortable. When my number was called, I grabbed the bag from the counter and sat in a nearby booth to face one of my biggest fears.

Slowly, I reached into the bag and pulled out the cold aluminum wrapper. Upon unfolding it, I found that the ice cream had already started to melt and soak into my bun. After a few minutes of convincing myself to take a bite and encouragement from the surrounding customers, I bit into the soggy sandwich.

It was a gross as you would expect. The mix of meat and sweet was the stuff of nightmares and has probably ruined my taste for quite some time. After a couple more bites, one with more ice cream and one with an added fry, I threw in the towel for my food adventure and threw away the soggy burger.

SECRETSISSUE

Thursday, September 28, 2017 • The Daily Beacon

11

Fifty shades of orange: BDSM thrives in Knoxville Paige Greene

Copy Editor Knoxville’s BDSM scene has recently cut its ropes to grow into an activity practiced by thousands in the area.

BDSM refers traditionally to the sexual practices of Bondage/Discipline, Dominance/ Submission and Sadism/Masochism. It encompasses a variety of erotic and non-erotic practices, often including power exchange and pain play.

The culture has come under fire in recent years with the book publication and subsequent movie release of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy. But the series’ popularity gave community members a platform to voice their own experiences with the lifestyle, sharing their knowledge with their vanilla neighbors in person and online.

FetLife, which is self-described as being “run by kinskters,” is a social media site for exploring BDSM by connecting with other local and international participants. In the Knoxville area, there are more than 100 online groups. These local groups boast thousands of members who self-identify as everything from “dommes” and “daddies” to “kittens,” “brats” and “sadomasochists.”

Jennifer Copeland, 45, belongs to a FetLife group called Naughty Knoxville, which accepts members over the age of 19. Copeland, a submissive, is part of what is known as a “daddy” and “baby girl” relationship wherein the dominant male figure takes on a parental role and doubles as a sexual partner.

Copeland is an active participant in the Knoxville BDSM community, which she described as devoted to the principles of consent and privacy. She also said it is a close-knit group with weekly, non-sexual meetings called

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

“munches.”

Despite the amount of involvement, kinksters are not completely legally protected. For example, in 2016, a Virginia federal judge ruled that the law does not protect a person for continuing sexual activity even if a safe word — a word signifying that consent has been revoked — has not been said. Although Tennessee’s laws on assault and consent closely align with what the _National Coalition for Sexual Freedom has laid out as ideal, the organization’s members have seen legal, social and economic consequences of being outed as a member.

“We have seen people have their children taken away (after being outed),” Copeland said.

“We have seen people lose their jobs over it, lose family members over it. So that’s a big rule right there: we do not out people.”

Copeland noted that times have changed since first involving herself with BDSM at age 16.

In the last 10 years, BDSM has become more and more mainstream, and millennials are more receptive to the culture than any generation before them, Copeland said.

Copeland fears that the safety and privacy of kinksters could be jeopardized by the growing popularity of BDSM. Creating a FetLife account only requires an email address and a confirmation phone number, which makes it accessible to almost anyone.

“There are some predatory people out there,” Copeland said.

But the Knoxville community is committed to protecting its members. One local FetLife group, The Next Generation, is open only to people from the ages of 18 to 36 in order to protect younger members from what Copeland called “old creepers.”

Jeff Tatum, a Naughty Knoxville member, thinks that millennials’ involvement in BDSM is

an encouraging sign, as they seem to understand consent. He stressed that it is consent that differentiates BDSM from sexual assault and likened it to practicing martial arts.

“When you practice martial arts, it’s risky behavior,” Tatum said. “You’re working with somebody and putting trust into this person not to permanently injure your body. So in BDSM, when somebody is going to get flogged or whipped or something, you’re putting trust in your other partner. And when it is reciprocated, you’re creating this very strong, intense bond.”

The local community devotes much of its energy to education and risk awareness, hosting regular educational events on topics ranging from ropework to consent. Kuldrin’s Krypt, a podcast hosted by Ryan Jackson, hopes to dispel myths about the community.

“Yes, some of us are considered by the religious to be adulterers,” Jackson said in a FetLife message. “Some of us are sadists and others masochists. Some dress in furry costumes … We are a diverse group from every walk of life. We are not hedonists, sycophants, perverts, child molestors, rapists, abusers (or) psychopaths … These are the people we take a stand against.”

Jackson serves on a Georgia nonprofit board that provides addiction and mental health services, including teen suicide prevention. He is also working to start a Tennessee-based nonprofit with local kinksters which will hold fundraisers for Knoxville-area women’s and children’s shelters.

“The main thing is the people in the BDSM community just want to be left alone,” Tatum said. “We love having new people join the community, but we’re not out to convert anyone or have public orgies. What we want mainly is to be able to live our lifestyle.”

Copeland suggested that those who are interested in exploring the BDSM scene should go about it safely by not posting pictures of their faces to FetLife and by seeking out education from trustworthy sources.

“They don’t give you pamphlets at the health department about this,” she said. “I would encourage people, if you ever have an interest, come to a munch … We won’t bite.”

12

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, September 28, 2017

Freshman Chandler already making mark for Vols Tyler Wombles Sports Editor Before Tennessee’s 2017 season even began, junior running back John Kelly was being asked about freshman Ty Chandler.

When questioned about why Chandler hadn’t yet had his stripe removed (a rite of passage which is enacted after veterans at a younger player’s position deem him worthy), Kelly gave a caring, yet blunt answer.

“He’s still got some areas to prove,” Kelly said. “He’s coming along.”

Chandler did eventually have his stripe removed, but his signature moment came during the season when he returned the opening kickoff of the Indiana State contest back 91 yards for a touchdown on his first collegiate return.

If Kelly had been holding back praise for Chandler before the game against the Sycamores, he dropped the act after the contest.

“I called it,” Kelly said. “We had a play ready for him before the opening kickoff, and we were just like, ‘Okay, well if you end up taking it to the house, we’re going to have to make some alterations to the play.’

“But like I said, I knew he was going to take it to the house, and I was happy for him.

I really was.”

Chandler hails from Nashville, TN, having joined the Vols following a standout high school football career. He was ranked as a four-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals, Scout and

24/7 Sports while playing at Montgomery Bell Academy and was named to MaxPrep’s 2016 Football All-American Team.

Chandler currently ranks seventh in TSSAA history in career rushing yards with a total of 6,158 and third in career touchdowns with a total of 92. He was twice named Division II-AA Tennessee Mr. Football and led MBA to two state championship appearances.

He committed to the Vols after being offered by a host of other schools, including Florida, Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan and LSU. Up until this point in the season, Chandler has notched 14 rushing yards on four carries and 42 receiving yards on three catches to go along with the 91 kick return yards.

As the Vols prepare to face off against No. 7 Georgia at Neyland Stadium, head coach Butch Jones spoke about the need to get Chandler involved with the offense in an effort to best the Bulldogs.

“Ty Chandler needs to be more involved,” Jones said during a press conference on Wednesday. “We’ll involve him a little bit more.

He continues to get better and better from a pass protection standpoint week in and week out, in practice.

“He’s earned that right to play more.”

Chandler is one of four freshman running backs on Tennessee’s roster. That company also includes Tim Jordan, who has carried the ball four times for 22 yards this season.

Kelly leads the SEC in rushing with 450 total yards, 75 yards ahead of second-place Damarea Crockett of Missouri. He has arguably been one of Tennessee’s most standout players this

Ty Chandler, #3, rushes past the Indiana State defense at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 9, 2017. Adrien Terricabras / The Daily Beacon year, pacing the Vols with a consistent stream of rushing yards.

Tennessee’s running back corps, including Kelly and Chandler, have worked to help take the pressure off of first-year starting quarterback Quinten Dormady and the Vols’ multiple young receivers. The squad currently ranks eighth in the SEC in team rushing with 156.50 yards per game.

With Kelly leading Tennessee’s backfield

unit, Chandler, along with his fellow freshman tail backs, will have the opportunity to learn under Kelly and develop before being asked to fully step onto the SEC stage.

But if Chandler is forced to take on more of a role this year and proves successful, expect Kelly to continue his praise of the young running back.

He doesn’t seem to be holding back that praise anymore.

Vols hosting top-10 ranked Bulldogs in SEC home opener Damichael Cole Asst. Sports Editor Saturday, the Vols will host the Georgia Bulldogs in their SEC home-opener.

This rivalry matchup could go a long way in determining who will come out of the SEC East division as champions.

In the past, the Volunteers-Bulldogs matchup has been extremely close. In each of the last six years, the game has been decided by one possession.

“It’s going to be a very physical football game,” head coach Butch Jones said.

If the game turns out to be as close as the ones in the past, look for some of these things to play a role.

The Big Play: If you have watched the Vols’ defense under Bob Shoop, you have seen that they can be susceptible to giving up big plays.

The Bulldogs’ last offensive play last season

turned out to be a 47-yard touchdown pass.

“That’s been our Achilles’ heel for the year and a half I’ve been here,” Shoop said. “We’ve got to work, and we are working hard to minimize those things.”

The Bulldogs’ offense has been creative in making big plays in every game so far this season. Their offense has had plays of over 40 yards in each game, including touchdowns of over 40 yards in three of their games.

While the Bulldogs’ offense has created big plays, their defense has limited them.

“There are very few defenses in the country that haven’t given up a play of over 40 yards, and that’s been them,” Jones said.

Red zone battle: With a strong stable of running backs behind their freshman quarterback, the Bulldogs have had one of the strongest red zone offenses in the nation this season.

So far this season, the Bulldogs have yet to leave the red zone empty-handed. They have a 100 percent conversion rate in the red zone.

The red zone hasn’t been a strong suit so far

for the Vols. They are currently ranked outside of the top 100 in red zone scoring percentage.

The Bulldogs’ defense has had a lot of success in the red zone as well.

“They’re number one in the country in red zone scoring, and when you look at them defensively, they’re number one in red zone defense in the Southeastern Conference,” Jones said.

“If there’s a word that describes them, I’d say ‘compete.’”

Running back involvement: A lot has been made of the Bulldogs’ running back core and its success this season, but the Vols boast a talented core as well.

John Kelly is leading the SEC in rushing and will likely be the best running back the Bulldogs have seen so far this season.

Behind Kelly, Carlin Fils-aime and Ty Chandler have both shown flashes this season. Fils-aime had a two touchdown performance against Indiana State. Chandler also has received a lot of time in the backfield and ran a kick return back for a touchdown this season.

“It all starts with John Kelly,” Jones said.

“I can see more of our running backs actively involved this week, and we are going to need that.”

Neyland Atmosphere: Last weekend, Neyland Stadium’s crowd wasn’t up to its normal standard, but the chances of that happening again in a rivalry game against the Bulldogs is very slim.

The Bulldogs’ freshman quarterback Jake Fromm made a start on the road earlier this season against Notre Dame, but the atmosphere in the SEC is usually different.

“This is his (Fromm’s) first SEC road game,” Shoop said. “We’ve got to introduce him to what road SEC football is all about.”

A win would certainly shift momentum in the right direction for the Vols, who have struggled heavily against top-10 ranked opponents.

The Vols are 0-24 in the last nine seasons against top-10 opponents.

The matchup will kick off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on CBS.