Volume 149, Issue 04
Performers shine at Music Industry Club’s open mic
Fazion Brandon matures in Georgia Tech win
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Wednesday, September 16, 2026
@utkdailybeacon
National suicide prevention organization takes on Tennessee CASSIDY GASPARD Staff Writer The Fight Against Suicide, a university-level suicide prevention organization, has brought its battle to Knoxville. Founded in 2021 in memory of University of Georgia student and Sigma Chi fraternity brother Sam Asbury, the organization has established peer-led suicide prevention projects on college campuses nationwide. “The Fight Against Suicide exists because awareness alone is not enough. While resources exist, many students never reach them,” said a letter from the organization’s team. “Not
because they don’t care, but because traditional systems don’t meet them where they are. (The Fight Against Suicide) was built to close that gap.” According to its 2025 Annual Impact Report, the organization raised more than $875,000 and reached more than 800,000 students with the help of six benefiting partners, individual supporters and student volunteers. Mchaney Phillips, the Tennessee chapter’s social media lead, said the organization focuses on three pillars of outreach. “We want to save lives through awareness, prevention and
hope,” Phillips said. “Those are our three main goals and missions at The Fight.” Sophie Sluss, the Tennessee chapter’s campus lead, said the organization prioritizes eliminating the stigma and shame surrounding mental health while providing a community for students who may feel isolated. “The Fight does a really good job at ending the stigma. Not only that this could happen to anyone, but it could happen to you. There is no shame in feeling this way, there is nothing wrong with feeling this way. It provides a safe space for people to talk about it.”
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The Rock is painted for Suicide Prevention Month on Sept. 1. Jayden Randolph/The Daily Beacon
Big Orange Bar opens doors in Fort Sanders KELA FIFER Staff Writer
A man participates in the Sept. 11 Memorial Stair Climb at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 11. Luke Goins / The Daily Beacon
Commemorating selfless service
Cadets mark 25 years since 9/11 with Neyland stair climb PATRICK BUSCH Editor-in-Chief Twenty-five years ago on Sept. 11, 2001, a student sitting in UT’s Greve Hall heard the twin towers had been struck. That student, Lt. Col. Michael Wellock, spent the next 25 years in the Army and now serves as commander of UT’s Army ROTC. Hundreds of ROTC cadets assembled in Neyland Stadium in the dark, early hours of Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Wellock, alongside Air Force ROTC commander Lt. Col. Kelly Womble, motivated the cadets as they sat side by side in the stands.
Ethan Garnier / The Daily Beacon
“Lift each other up. Don’t leave each other behind, because no one left anyone behind that day. You continue that legacy,” Womble said. “It’s not about speed today. It’s about courage. It’s about honor. It’s about remembrance.” Womble reflected on the impact 9/11 had on her.
Big Orange Bar is working to find its place among the established student bar scene. After an approximately yearlong construction process, Big Orange Bar officially opened on Aug. 20. Located at 2126 Forest Ave., it’s a new social hub for students residing in the Fort Sanders Area. “We are here to accommodate any customer that walks through the door,” general manager Lizz Brown said. Upon arrival, customers are welcomed by a UT themed interior lined with a host of televisions displaying the most current sporting events. Guests can choose to sit at tables, stools at the bar or spend their visit lounging in the outdoor patio section. “I really liked it. I thought that it had a good ambience,” Clarisa Lander, a third-year sociology major said. “I was kind of impressed with how much they had for such a small space.”
Lander described the bar as a mixture of other establishments in the area such as The Hill and Cool Beans. When it comes to drink service, Big Orange Bar initially utilized QR codes to streamline the ordering process for customers. Now, it has transitioned to a more traditional style of face-toface ordering with servers and bartenders. Those looking to grab a drink can choose from a variety of canned beverages such as beers, seltzers and cocktails. Big Orange Bar utilizes Smart Bar, an automated bartending system. This system, ideal for bartenders with little to no experience, produces simple mixed drinks with the push of a button. “It leaves more time for the bartenders to connect with the customers and just have fun,” Brown said. Big Orange Bar is hoping to set itself apart from competitors not only through its drink service but its food as well. Pizzas, burgers, wings, curly fries and crunch rolls are among listed menu items.
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“Today is a solemn, somber commander of Air Force ROTC, day, memorializing what believes the stair climb brought happened 25 years ago,” together the community. Womble said. “For those of “It’s everything,” Gates-Sell us that are in your cadre, said. “It’s who we represent a defining moment for our and it’s showing up for our generation. The world changed people and it’s really about a for us that day.” sense of community. I’m so Members of Army ROTC, Air thankful we get to do this every Force ROTC and Marine Corp year with Army and espeReserves, as well as members cially going to the stairs in the of the University of Tennessee stadium. It brings the whole Police Department and Lady community together.” Vols, attended the stair climb. Capt. Brandon Proctor, the Wellock told the story of 9/11 Marine Corp officer selechero Rick Rescorla. Rescorla, tion officer for Knoxville, led a decorated retired U.S. Army his group. While climbing the colonel, was serving as Morgan stairs, Proctor pondered what Stanley’s director of security it would have been like to be a on the morning of Sept. 11. The first responder on 9/11. firm had over 3,000 employees “(It’s) being able to really in the World Trade Center reflect on them, their actions complex. and think about the sacriIn defiance with direction fices they were making, not to stay put from the building thinking about themselves but manager, Rescorla ordered the really performing that selfless evacuation of all his firm’s service that we all strive to employees. Rescorla died in the obtain in the military,” Proctor attack.‘ said. “Subsequently, he was last seen going up the stairs, singing songs and keeping people’s spirits up as he got them out,” Wellock said. “Rick personally was responsible for getting 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees out when they for surely would have passed.” Some climbed 110 flights of stairs, the equivalent of the World Trade Center. Others climbed for 60 minutes, in honor of the weight of the gear that New York City firefighters carried into the buildings. When the order came, the cadets stood up, filed out and began running laps up and down Neyland’s stairs. Avery Gates-Sell, a senior Ethan Garnier / The Daily Beacon geology and environmental studies major and cadet wing Photo Gallery on Page 3 The Big Orange Bar stands in the back of the Fort Sanders area on Sept. 2. Ethan Garnier/The Daily Beacon
News
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Rethinking the bachelor’s degree: Big Orange Bar| cont. from page 1 UT introduces 90-credit programs MORGAN LANUT Contributor For decades, the traditional bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee has been built around roughly 120 credit hours. Now, the UT System is proposing a new route: a degree designed around what a student needs to know for their specific career. The UT Board of Trustees approved a framework for 90-100 credit hour degrees in June, allowing UT’s five institutions to develop reduced-credit three-year programs. Rather than shortening existing programs, UT officials say they are building new degrees from the ground up to meet specific, local workforce needs. Bernie Savarese, vice president for academic affairs, research and student success for the UT System, has directly worked in coordinating and organizing the institution of these programs. “This is all about our students and the state that we serve,” Savarese said. “How can we do more to make sure that our students are prepared to enter the workforce and compete for the most important jobs here in the state and in the region.” Currently, undergraduates across the system who take out loans average about $24,700 in student loans. Savarese and UT’s goal is to get that average down to $20,000 or less by 2030. “We also know that right now 55% of our students graduate without debt. We’d like to have that be 65% of our students graduating without debt,” Savarese said. But alleviating the financial burden of a four-year college tuition is not the only reason for the new innovation. UT is focused on getting students to jobs faster and filling local workforce needs. “We’ve got many, many jobs in the state that we can’t fill fast enough. And we’re the largest provider of many of them,” UT System President Randy Boyd said. “If we can get more talent to the workforce faster, it’ll be better
for the state, it’ll be better for employers, and for some students, it would be better for them.” Savarese notes that UT has worked hand-in-hand with employer partners from the state to ensure that each degree is connected to a critical workforce need. UT is asking questions to the state’s employers, to make sure that students will be ready to be launched into their careers. “In having those partnerships from the beginning, we’re not just looking at data, but beyond the data. We’re really looking to have those employer partners at the table as we develop the degrees,” Savarese said. For those concerned about the reduced course load compromising the quality of their degree, Boyd squashed that myth. “It’s not taking existing degrees and cutting them, but creating new degrees from the ground up,” said Boyd. “This is not an abbreviated degree, or a reduced degree. When you get this degree, you will have all the skills necessary to be successful.” Another primary concern applies to those seeking the full four-year college experience. UT has a lot to offer its students. From Greek life, to clubs and sports, many don’t want to leave in just three years. This degree is not designed for those students. Boyd understands on a personal level the mindset of the students who would truly benefit from this opportunity. “There are some students, more like me, who graduated in three years because I had to pay my own way through. I was trying to get my education as quickly as possible so I could get to work,” Boyd said. At the end of the day, the 90-credit hour degree is not for everybody, but it opens up opportunities for those who are in need of a quick and affordable way to reach higher education. “The idea is there’s not one size for everybody. We want to give students a choice. And this will give them more choices to pick the
path that’s right for them,” Boyd said. To demonstrate this in action, Boyd gave the example of a criminal justice degree. For thousands of Tennesseans working in law enforcement and corrections, a college degree can be the difference between staying in the same position and moving up the career ladder. A 90-credit hour degree could help them advance their careers much faster. “So one of the things we hope is that by creating this 90 credit hour degree, we bring new people into higher education, people that might not have otherwise considered college, and we’d help them get a degree,” Boyd said. Along with criminal justice, Savarese details a few other degrees that UT has already looked into across their universities. Specific to the Knoxville campus, they’ve brought ideas involving construction science and construction management. The College of Immersion and Collaborative Studies is looking at interdisciplinary options in both artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. The reduced credit undergraduate degree offers affordability while staying consistent with UT’s promise of a valuable education. Higher education is changing alongside the world students will enter after graduation. As UT continues to adjust to the needs of Tennessee, the path to a degree does not have to look the same for everyone. The question may no longer be whether a bachelor’s degree can look different, but whether students are willing to embrace a new opportunity of higher education designed specifically around their future. “We work along with our Chancellor to ensure that a degree from the University of Tennessee is not only valuable, but is affordable. This is just one more way that we’re committing to delivering affordable degrees and credentials to the folks in Tennessee and beyond,” Savarese said.
UT President Randy Boyd speaks to the UT Board of Trustees in Knoxville on Oct. 24. File / The Daily Beacon
Suicide prevention | cont. from page 1 The organization provides students with access to counseling resources through partnerships, intern and ambassador teams and campus events. “There are tons of resources out there for the people who know what to look for and know that they are struggling. It’s the people that don’t know what step to take that fall through the cracks and contribute to suicide deaths every year,” Sluss said. “That is exactly what The Fight Against Suicide is providing.” Campus lead Emme Shoop said the organization will fit naturally into Tennessee’s culture of supporting others and giving back to the community. “If anyone is struggling, we are here for you. We are building this community for each other,” Shoop said. “Tennessee has such a volunteer spirit. We show up for each other.” Samuel Strong, the community outreach lead, experienced the loss of a close friend and fraternity brother to suicide only a few weeks ago. He said his involvement with the organization has given him an outlet to help others. “This is something I can pour my time into, where I can channel my emotions,” Strong
said. “This is how I can do (him) justice, and this is how I can live his honor and use his story to help a community that is so much bigger than me.” Strong said he hopes that the organization can help students recognize the importance of being prepared to navigate a mental health crisis. “At the end of the day, if this serves no greater purpose than to remind you that this is something that can happen — that does happen — and there is nothing we can do to stop the next mental health crisis from happening,” Strong said. “The only thing we can do is just better prepare ourselves as members of the Tennessee community and as students so that when our friends, our peers, our fraternity brothers have those crises, we can help them and be there to support them.” Ryan Rhea, the boxing operations lead, said he joined The Fight Against Suicide because he saw the organization making a “real change” and wanted to become a part of it. “They’re actually creating these resources for people, especially college-age men who, I would say, are the least likely to speak up when it comes to
things of that sort,” Rhea said. The organization’s Tennessee chapter said it serves as a “shoulder to lean on” and encourages people to contact its team through personal Instagram accounts or@tfastennessee. “Be kind, reach out to people and make sure they are doing okay,” Phillips said. “Let people know that they are loved.” Fight Week
“We still want the bar food aspects, but good quality food,” Brown said. Big Orange Bar allows guests to combine a night of drinks with bites to eat through their offered daily specials such as “Wine and Wing Wednesday” and “Munchies Monday.” Students like junior Bridget Bartolotta have been enjoying the “mature vibes” of Big Orange Bar. Bartolotta expressed that she believes the bar scene at UT to be “oversaturated” and enjoys the more relaxed atmosphere that Big Orange Bar provides. As an upperclassman, Lander appreciates the lack of “rowdi-
ness” and feels that Big Orange Bar is a great place for older students to frequent. “I kind of like how it’s tucked in the back of the Fort,” Lander said. “It’s not too loud. It’s a nice bar to just chill out.” As Big Orange Bar continues to build its reputation within the UT community, management is hopeful that students will gravitate toward the space. “I would love to basically be the neighborhood bar,” Brown said. “Within the next year … (Big Orange Bar) is something where it feels like a home bar for a lot of the students out here.”
I would love to basically be the neighborhood bar. Within the next year … (Big Orange Bar) is something where it feels like a home bar for a lot of the students out here. ” LIZZ BROWN General manager
The Big Orange Bar stands in the back of the Fort Sanders area on Sept. 2. Ethan Garnier/The Daily Beacon
If anyone is struggling, we are here for you. We are building this community for each other. Tennessee has such a volunteer spirit. We show up for each other. ”
The organization held five campus ‘“Fight Weeks” last year, featuring community fundraising events, life-saving “Question, Persuade and Refer” suicide prevention training courses and guest mental health speakers. The week ends with the main event: a boxing match. This year’s main event taking action is expected to take place in and building community.” mid-November, with a weigh-in Students can locate events and event beforehand. find tickets on The Fight Against “I love how The Fight Against Suicide website. Suicide doesn’t just speak up about suicide, which is also UT Resources important, but they also take action through high-intensity, The UT Student Counseling high-energy sporting events,” Center can provide students with Shoop said. “I think that is short-term or group therapy such a unique way of spreading and offer a variety of support awareness about suicide but also
EMME SHOOP Campus Lead groups. The center also conducts wellness presentations and workshops across campus and alongside other campus organizations and events. The center may provide referrals to other mental health resources. Students can find more information at the Student Counseling Center website, and the counseling center can be reached at (865) 974-2196.
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National Wild Turkey Federation navigates return to UT LOGAN WEST Staff Writer
their money back into the management,” Phillips said. “If they say your money’s going to conservation, it truly is.”
A loud, guttural gobble sounds as the great bird struts across the field. Brown feathers fan to form a grand regalia — signifying its ecological importance. The wild turkey is a staple of American wildlife, history and tradition, especially in the Southeast. Through education and advocacy, the National Wild Turkey Federation chapter at the University of Tennessee champions wild turkey conservation on campus and beyond.
Hunting heritage
What is the National Wild Turkey Federation?‘ Created in 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has been dedicated to conserving wild turkey populations, creating habitats and preserving hunting heritage. Since its founding, the group has conserved over 20 million acres of wildlife habitat for the benefit of wild turkeys. The foundation is one of the largest conservation organizations in Tennessee with over 20,000 members. While the foundation is prominent throughout the Volunteer State, students at UT started a collegiate chapter to promote conservation principles on campus. The chapter was originally chartered in 2017, but COVID-19 pandemic restrictions caused meetings to cease. In October 2025, students revived the organization. Chapter president Wyatt Harvey shared the challenges of restarting the organization and the institutional support they received. “The Herbert College of Agriculture has been super helpful when it comes to helping us get started,” Harvey said. “It’s been a learning curve starting a new chapter. Now, it’s just a recruiting game as we get started with the fall semester.” Hadley Vaden, public relations chair for the chapter,
Aubrey Higgins (Left) and Blake Edney (Right) table for the National Wild Turkey Federation in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Building on Aug. 27. Ethan Bailey / The Daily Beacon
This organization puts their money back into the management. If they say your money’s going to conservation, it truly is.”
Lindsey Phillips Chapter advisor
said she is looking forward to growing the organization’s presence on campus. “I’m really excited for us to have a collegiate chapter,” Vaden said. “I have high hopes for this year.” The club meets monthly to discuss wild turkey conservation, hunting, fundraising and advocacy efforts. Conservation efforts Wild
turkey
numbers
plummeted during the 2010s, prompting action from conservation groups and the university. Through a partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, researchers at the UT Institute of Agriculture created the Wild Turkey Project, a study tracking bird survival, habitat status and harvest numbers. Lindsey Phillips, chapter advisor, has a long history with the federation,
completing her PhD studying turkeys’ population decline in Middle Tennessee. “I spent four years trapping wild turkeys, putting transmitters on them so we could track their survival,” Phillips said. “It was a lot of long days, early mornings and late nights, but really exciting research came out of it.” A portion of membership dues is allocated to support wild turkey conservation efforts in the United States. “This organization puts
A unique part of the organization’s mission preserves the tradition of hunting. “We don’t just focus on the conservation of wild turkeys,” Harvey said. “We also focus on the preservation of our hunting heritage.” While it may seem counterintuitive to the goal of protecting turkeys, regulated hunting is often a necessary, ecologically sound method of population control. Outside of population control, federal excise taxes on hunting equipment and certifications go into the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund to support national conservation projects, research and hunter education. “Everybody has something that they do with their parents, typically golfing or going to baseball games,” Harvey said. “For me, it’s hunting.” With many big-game animals, such as deer, hunting is often a solitary, quiet sport. Harvey enjoys going turkey hunting with friends, saying it’s reminiscent of the bird’s extremely social nature. “Turkey hunting is a social event in my opinion,” Harvey said. “You can bring a truck full of guys and go all over the country.” By blending the recreation of turkey hunting with the noble effort of conservation, the federation aims to bring students from various backgrounds and interests together with a common goal: protecting the wild turkey. Tim Yates, Tennessee National Wild Turkey Federation regional director, encouraged the chapter to stay involved with the organization and turkey conservation. “If we aren’t doing something,” Yates asked, “who else is?”
9/11 memorial | cont. from page 1
Members of The University of Tennessee Army ROTC, Air Force ROTC, and others participate in the Sept. 11 Memorial Stair Climb at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 11. Luke Goins/ The Daily Beacon
Ethan Garnier / The Daily Beacon
Today is a solemn, somber day, memorializing what happened 25 years ago.” Luke Goins/ The Daily Beacon
Lt. Col. Kelly Womble Air Force ROTC commander
Ethan Garnier / The Daily Beacon
Luke Goins/ The Daily Beacon
Arts & Culture
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Performers shine at Music Industry Club’s open mic ZOE MANDEL Contributor Chill, accepting and welcoming is the perfect way to describe open mic night. Music Industry Club’s open mic night, held on Sept. 10 at the Uptop Bar at Kern’s Food Hall, showcased over 15 musical acts performed by students and non-students alike. The back left corner was set up with a drum set, speakers, amps and two microphones — one for vocals and one for guitars. Solo and duo acts took turns using the space, performing covers and originals with the addition of guitar, drum or a cajon. Jack Grumaretz is a freshman biosystems engineering major and a new club member. “I felt excited to go first actually so I could kind of set the bar,” Jack Grumaretz said. Each performer gets to play one song, and he chose “Alive” by Pearl Jam both because it fits well for acoustic and because Grumaretz “sound(s) similar to Eddy Vedder.” “I’m pretty happy with it,” Grumaretz said. “It seems like everyone liked it. That’s one of the songs I do better.” This was his first performance as a member and he plans on doing more in the future. Grace Hany, a pre-college scholars nutritional advocacy in the healthcare system student and Music Industry Club’s director of artistry, was the MC of the night. She sang twice, once toward the beginning and again near the end. The first was an original
called “Work for You” and the second was a cover of Ethel Cain’s “American Teenager.” “I feel as though the more you (perform) the more desensitized you become to it,” Hany said. “And it makes you a better person the more you do things that make you scared.” While she’s no stranger to performing live, Hany tries to perform as much as possible to continue getting in reps. “(The best part is) once you reach that flow state, you can enjoy the music that you’re playing and you can tell the audience is enjoying it,” Hany said. For club member and junior music major Sydney Carter, the highlight of her night was listening to all of the different artists perform. While many of them are her friends, there’s also an influx of new members who join each semester. “I had so much fun listening to my friends and supporting them and then feeling that same love back,” Carter said. Carter sang a cover of “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys accompanied by a backing track. “There’s a certain kind of anxiety slash good anxiety that comes with being a performer,” Carter said. ”And the feeling of getting off the stage after knowing you just crushed it is a feeling like nothing I’ve ever experienced.” Music Industry Club is a community of people on campus who are interested in working in the music industry, whether as a musician or otherwise. With the
open mics, they allow people across the community to come together to practice original music, along with opportunities to gain confidence and experience. Ryan Morrison, a Knoxville native who does not attend UT, played a song alongside Alan Quandt, who goes by stage name “The Yankee Punk.” Morrison, who heard about the event on Instagram, chose to perform at open mic to gain exposure before traveling to Chattanooga to play in the International Bluegrass Music Association music festival. “I know everyone has a space within (Music Industry Club),” Sydney Carter said. “That’s what makes it so beautiful there.”
SMALL GRAPHIC
Graphic by Delaney Karr
Knoxville resident Ryan Morrison plays “You Can Have the Crown” by Sturgill Simpson at Music Industry Club’s open mic night at Kern’s Food Hall on Sept. 10. Zoe Mandel / The Daily Beacon
I feel as though the more you do it the more desensitized you become to it and it makes you a better person the more you do things that make you scared.” GRACE HANY Member
Music Industry Club member Grace Hany performs her original song “Work for You” at MIC’s open mic night at Kern’s Food Hall on Sept. 10. Zoe Mandel / The Daily Beacon
Graphic by Hayden Sauer
Tim Curry, an icon, mourned KEIRA EVERETT Contributor
Tim Curry, well-known for his charismatic presence on the big screen with features such as “Home Alone” (1990) and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) passed away on Aug. 25. Curry is an iconic face in cinema, from musicals to syndicated television. Both Curry and his passing made an impact on Vols. Cult-classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” debuted in theatres in 1975 and immediately gripped audiences with its storyline and Curry’s performance. UT more recently took hold of the film with glee, with the Vols first showing the film in 2024. The Vols even adapted rituals for the
showing, such as the traditional ‘virgin’ marking for first-time attendees.The virgins are made to participate in a balloon-popping ritual, followed by the showing of the movie. This even includes humorous and interactive commentary from the heads of the board. “I recently watched ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ for the first time, although I was already familiar with a lot of it because of how often it is referenced in other media,” Giovanna Piccone, a junior majoring in electrical engineering, said. “Even though I haven’t seen everything he has been in, I’ve definitely been around his work in a lot of ways.” While Curry is renowned for his ‘Rocky Horror’ performance, he is also regarded for his appearances
in “Home Alone” and “Annie.” “My favorite part about Tim Curry’s role in these films was how brilliant and convincing he was as whatever character he was playing. He never seemed to miss or ruin a moment — he made every movie he was in more amusing through his portrayal of his character,” Gabrielle Hwang, a sophomore majoring in industrial engineering, said. “‘Home Alone 2’ specifically is one of my favorite holiday movies — I incorporate it into every Christmas. It is the perfect blend of lighthearted comedy, fun and action, and has such a warm, homey feel.” In addition to Curry being known for the holiday classics, his significance is felt across the cinema scene.
My favorite part about Tim Curry’s role in these films was how brilliant and convincing he was as whatever character he was playing. He never seemed to miss or ruin a moment; he made every movie he was in more amusing through his portrayal of his character.” GABRIELLE HWANG Sophomore industrial engineering major “As I mentioned before, my family would often watch the ‘Home Alone’ movies around Christmas, which became a nice tradition and a way for us to connect and spend time together. ‘Rocky Horror’ also had an impact on me through one of my favorite movies, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ which contains scenes from the film and helped me appreciate its significance in a different way,” Piccone said. “So, while his films weren’t a major part of my life, they became connected to some meaningful memories and things I enjoy.” Though the acting world felt Curry’s death uniquely, many Vol students felt it as well. Once Curry’s death was announced, word spread fast. Newsletters read “Tim Curry Dead at 80,” and
after the death of country icon Dolly Parton, the public struggled to grasp this sudden change. “I found out about Tim Curry’s passing through a headline posted on Instagram and was shocked when I found out,” Hwang said. “I found out about Tim Curry’s death from social media on the day he passed. I opened Instagram and saw people posting about it on their stories,” Piccone said. “It was a bit of a surreal moment because so many celebrities had died that week as well, and I didn’t want to believe it.” Curry’s career has been endlessly experimental, even once he retired. From musicals to the movies, his presence will be missed infinitely by long-time fanatics and students alike.
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DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION
The beauty of a friendship(ish) fallout
Friendship fallouts are different from a typical friendship breakup. They are beautiful, often in a quiet way. They happen gradually, over time, slipping through the cracks of everyday life until one day, the girl you used to talk to every day is someone you just nod to from the other side of the bar. There is no explosion, no final argument to blame. Just distance. Silence. Absence. Friendship fallouts are painful and yet hold so much underlying beauty because they force you to learn more about yourself than if you had stayed in the stagnant friendship. Not everyone will notice this beauty, but I do. I used to think that I was with them on the inside. When they laughed, I thought we were laughing together. When they called, I came running. I played whatever role I thought would land me a permanent spot on their roll call. But in reality, I was separated by something that I at first could not see. It was like a translucent bubble that allowed me to hear and see what was
happening on the inside, but still definitively left outside. I was the “out of convenience” friend, the person who was there when they were needed and left out to dry when they weren’t. From the outside, you would shame me for staying in this “friendship,” not understanding why I did what I did. But if you were in my shoes, you would come to understand the unspoken exchange: they treated me however they pleased, and I got to say that they were my friends. The exchange was never even — I am not claiming that it was. But the thing you don’t understand about outsiders until you are one is that if you want to be inside badly enough, you don’t care about the entrance fee. I used to think it was difficult to explain this dynamic to people unfamiliar with the situation. But I now know that I was simply ashamed to admit my willingness to be treated the way I was. For so long I thought that these people were my friends, but they were actually the opposite of that. They lacked regard for my feelings, only looking out for themselves. It
was a constant cycle of them pretending they cared enough to feel sorry and me feeling grateful that they were giving me an ounce of attention. There was a point in my life where I would have sacrificed pieces of myself just to fit in, just to be one of them — and that is where the beauty of the friendship fallout begins to reveal itself. Because eventually, there comes a moment of surreal recognition. A moment where you see things exactly as they are. I realized that while I had been doing anything and everything to be included, they were doing the same to keep me as an outcast. There were countless moments where the relationship could’ve been “fixed.” Conversations could have been had, apologies could have been offered, situations that could have been smoothed over. But the truth is that I don’t think I ever would’ve been content in that “friendship” dynamic. The friendship didn’t end when they stopped showing up for me. It was instead when I began showing up for myself. Although this fallout lacked an explosion, there was a nail in the coffin to mark the end. Once I stopped reaching out to them, I received radio silence in return. I was no longer trying to keep the friendship afloat, and without that effort, it sank. It sank to the bottom of the ocean, joining the graveyard of friendships that quietly fell apart just like mine. And like any shipwreck, what remains is never the same as what once was. Only the bones are recovered, a mere something that resembles what used to exist. For a while, I was embarrassed to admit what went on in our friendship-ish, and I stayed. It is uncomfortable for me to look back and acknowledge how desperate I was to be a part of the inner circle. But what I have come to realize, looking back with 20/20 vision, is that I was never meant to fit in the mold of their clique, and I never will. This might be the first time in my life that I no longer feel frustrated with the standing of our relationship. What I so badly wanted it to be and what it never was. Instead, I am at a steady peace knowing that these are the people that I knew, who I grew up alongside and then grew apart from. I used to sit there and dwell on the puzzle that was our friendship. I was a puzzle piece I
I had to learn that sometimes the friends you meet in the first few weeks of school will be your best friends for life, and sometimes they will just filter out as you start to become your own person and find your people. And, even when you think you have found your people, you may eventually realize they actually aren’t. Those friendships will slowly fade until one day, you see them on the street and have a polite conversation with them, even though there was once a time when they knew everything about you. But your life doesn’t end. You keep going. You build new and stronger friendships, and you can look back on old ones to understand how much you have changed. Past friendships can serve as reminders of different periods of our lives and the people we were during them. Just because someone isn’t part of your life anymore doesn’t mean the friendship you had with them didn’t matter. I think part of the reason we struggle to let friendships go is that we associate longevity with success. The length of time
you are friends with someone is the least significant part of the friendship. Someone you were friends with for only a year could have been exactly who you needed during that year. Maybe they helped you through a difficult time, gave you some of your best memories or helped shape you into the person you are today. Just because you grow apart doesn’t mean those experiences suddenly disappear. Growing apart can be difficult. It can be sad, lonely and exhausting, especially because friendships rarely come with a clear ending. There isn’t always a big fight or a final conversation where you decide to stop being friends. Sometimes you just stop talking as much. The daily texts turn into weekly check-ins, plans become harder to make, and eventually you realize you don’t really know what is going on in each other’s lives anymore. Someone who used to know every small detail about your day slowly becomes someone you only know through what they post on social media. I think there is something uniquely painful about that. There isn’t necessarily someone to blame. Sometimes two people simply grow in different directions. There have been many times when I lay in bed wondering where I went
wrong or if I wasn’t a good enough friend or if I should have tried harder to keep the friendship alive. But sometimes you can’t do anything but let nature take its course. Not every friendship can be saved, and sometimes you need to realize that to move forward. There is a difference between giving up on a friendship when things get difficult and recognizing when a friendship has simply run its course. Learning that difference has made it easier for me to let people go without feeling like I failed them or that the friendship failed me. I think part of my growth has allowed me to let someone go without hating them or holding on to resentment. A friendship doesn’t need some dramatic betrayal or falling out to justify its ending. We want a “bad guy” when a friendship ends. Our instinct is to blame someone because it makes the ending easier to understand. We want to be able to say they hurt me, I messed up or one of us didn’t try hard enough. But sometimes nobody did anything wrong. Sometimes two people simply aren’t meant to stay in each other’s lives forever. Instead of looking back at old friendships and only thinking about how they ended, I’ve started trying
EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Patrick Busch MANAGING EDITOR: Lauren Holladay COPY CHIEF: Margaret White NEWS EDITOR: Olivia Lee ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR: Tessa Nacke ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Harper Brabson SPORTS EDITOR: Trevor McGee ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: Alex Sarkis OPINIONS EDITOR: Natalie Dripchak PHOTO EDITOR: Jayden Randolph DESIGN EDITOR: Maya Williams DIGITAL EDITOR: Trip Scoutten SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Sarah Portanka AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT EDITOR: Grace
White
EDITOR EMERITUS: Caden Dyer COVER DESIGN: Maya Williams PAGE DESIGNERS: Delaney Karr, Kiersten
Collins, Amelie Carrillo, Shelby Perdue GRAPHICS BY: Maya Williams, Shelby Perdue, Delaney Karr
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AVANGELINE GRECO Contributor
Graphic by Avangeline Greco
tried to squish and make fit, but it turned out I was a misplaced piece from another puzzle. I was never meant to perfectly fit. More than anything, I am not angry with them. I am instead grateful for the lessons that they taught me along the way. They taught me what friendship is not, and in doing so made it possible for me to recognize what it is when I finally found it. College is where I met my platonic soulmates. They are the kinds of friends who would walk through fire to be by your side. The kind of people who would put everything on the line to help you, not because it was expected of them, but because they wanted to. With them, friendship feels the way I always imagined it should. It feels like laughing until you can’t breathe, like being understood without explanation. It feels like home. And I owe it to my friendship fallout that I can recognize this feeling so clearly. If I ever have a daughter one day, I will tell her everything I learned while sitting on the sidelines of a friend group I so desperately wanted to be part of. I will tell her what it feels like to be on the outside, so that if she ever notices someone else standing there alone, she welcomes them in without hesitation, no entrance fee required. If I could go back and talk to my younger self while she cried on the lonely outside of the translucent bubble, I would tell her this: You are not always going to feel like you are on the outside begging to be let in. There will come a day when you know your worth and others reciprocate that feeling. You will not always feel lonely. Friendship is not supposed to hurt your soul and send you home in tears. It is supposed to feel like a place that you don’t have to prove yourself to earn a spot in. The entrance fee to true friendship is kindness, compassion and love. Your time will come. And when it does, you will find people who would walk through fire for you, and you will do the same for them. Avangeline Greco is a junior at UT this year studying economics. She can be reached at agreco2@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.
Outgrowing friendships isn’t a failure NATALIE DRIPCHAK Opinions Editor Friendships don’t have to last forever to matter. We all know there are different seasons of life for us, so why can’t that apply to friendships as well? In my experience, I felt so much pressure to keep the same friends I had in elementary school, high school and even now in college.
Graphic by Maya Williams
to appreciate them for what they are. There are so many different parts of me, and I have my past and current friendships to thank for many of them. I still laugh at memories from friendships that have ended, and I still carry the things those people taught and showed me. Those friendships helped me learn things about myself that I now bring into the relationships I have today. To me, that is proof a friendship can still matter long after it ends. Learning to accept that friendships can end has also made me appreciate the ones I have now even more. Instead of worrying about whether someone will still be in my life five or 10 years from now, I try to appreciate who they are to me right now. I don’t know which friendships will follow me through every stage of my life, and I don’t think I need to know. What matters is that they are meaningful in the season I am in now. You don’t have to want someone back in your life to be grateful they were once part of it.
Natalie Dripchak is a senior at UT studying advertising. She can be reached at ndripcha@vols.utk.edu. Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
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Sports
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Faizon Brandon matures in Georgia Tech win TREVOR MCGEE Sports Editor Facing third-and-12, trailing by three points, the Tennessee football quarterback unleashed a bullet to his sophomore receiver, who had separation. Forty-five yards later, the Vols were in Georgia Tech territory. The Yellow Jackets swung the pendulum at Bobby Dodd Stadium by blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown. Brandon’s maturity with his back against the wall in a third-and-long at his own 23-yard line swayed the tide back to the visitors. Tennessee finished the drive with the tying field goal and never trailed again after that point in a 45-24 win over Georgia Tech. The 18-year-old quarterback did it time and time again Saturday night. “(He was) unfazed, man,” running back DeSean Bishop said. “He doesn’t act like a freshman.” Brandon didn’t have his most effective game. He didn’t need to. In his first career road start, he completed just 10-of-21 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. His command of the offense told a different story. Brandon guided the Tennessee offense to 447 total yards — aided by 299 rushing yards. But he dictated the run game with his ability to get them “out of sticky situations,” Bishop said. He was the sole proprietor of three third-down conversions with his legs in a game where Tennessee went 8-for-14 overall. Brandon took it upon himself to convert the only fourth-down attempt, too. “The stat sheet is not going to be elite,” head coach Josh Heupel said. “I actually really like the way he played the game.” On the same drive Brandon found Jackson for the 45-yard gain, he again put his maturity on display. Tennessee faced
a fourth-and-two from the Georgia Tech 24-yard line, trailing by a field goal. Heupel elected to go for it. And he put the ball in Brandon’s hands to get it done. On a play-action rollout, a Georgia Tech defender got into his face behind the line of scrimmage. Brandon sidestepped the defender and went upfield — picking up the first down to extend the game-tying drive. He did it again when Georgia Tech cut the deficit to two touchdowns in the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets immediately backed Tennessee into a third down after the scoring drive. An Ory Williams false start and a Tennessee timeout got Georgia Tech’s crowd back in the game, bringing up third-and-six from the Vols’ 44-yard line. Brandon surveyed all of his options before taking off up the middle. He gained seven yards to move the chains. “I thought he was composed, he handled himself in situational football pretty well,” Heupel said. “First game on the road, 18 years old, handled himself well, took care of (the ball). Scrambled, made some plays.” And throughout it all, Brandon never put the ball in harm’s way. He turned in a clean sheet without a turnover — he hasn’t given the ball away this season. That may be the clearest sign of Brandon’s maturity through his first two collegiate starts. “Nothing good really happens when I start forcing,” Brandon said. “So, I’m just trying to let the game come to me and whatever plays are there, just make the play. Not trying to do anything spectacular.”
Vols keep running game on track ALEX SARKIS Assistant Sports Editor
. Trevor Jolley / The Daily Beacon
ATLANTA – Tennessee football knows its strengths. After his team’sv 45-24 victory over Georgia Tech, head coach Josh Heupel made sure to remind his guys about one of their most valuable traits — the Vols can run the football. Tennessee looked up to 299 rushing yards to its name once things were all said and done at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday night, the eighth-highest total during Heupel’s tenure. From their opening play from scrimmage, a 33-yard dash by DeSean Bishop, the Vols set the tone on the ground and didn’t let up. In its first road test of the season, Tennessee turned to its bread and butter. “It was a pretty good team effort today,” Bishop said. “Running the ball 300 yards on the ground, I don’t think we have had that in a minute. It just shows what happens when you can run the ball, you control the game. When we’re running the ball, we’re pretty hard to stop.” The running back is right. With their win, the Vols improved to 35-2 when they rush for 200 or more yards in a game under Heupel. They have won 29 straight games in which they hit that mark. Bishop, who returned to Tennessee after a 1,000-yard season in 2025, enjoyed a career night on the ground against the Yellow Jackets. The Knoxville product bested his previous career best of 146 rushing yards by a single tally. He added two touchdowns to boot.
Sometimes, it can be a game of patience. “The run game, as you’re fitting in, you’re getting a feel for what you’re seeing on the other side of the line of scrimmage,” Heupel said. “It’s a little bit like a boxing match, where you’re feeling the opponent out, and ultimately, the threes and fours became sixes and sevens, and then ultimately late you start popping a couple of them too.” Through some bumps and bruises, Tennessee’s men in the trenches didn’t go unnoticed either. “The offensive line played really good football tonight,” Heupel said. “It’s hard to rush for 300 yards. I was proud of those guys.” The Vols did get better as they wore down Georgia Tech’s defensive troops, rushing for 193 yards in the second half after gaining 106 via the ground game over the first two quarters. Tennessee’s depth-filled running back room is a big reason why. Alongside Bishop, Daune Morris notched a career night, racking up 98 rushing yards on only 10 carries. He broke off a 47-yard touchdown sprint in the final quarter to put the final dagger in any hopes the Yellow Jackets had left. Javin Gordon contributed 32 yards on 10 carries of his own, helping to give Bishop a breather while still turning in some impactful reps. The trio’s steady production takes weight off freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon’s shoulders. “I’m pretty comfortable,” Brandon said. “I have great running backs. I have a lot of faith in them that they’re going to go out there and make plays. Whenever the ball is in their hand, I just know something great is going to happen.”
Kennesaw State head coach talks Neyland Stadium return AVERIGRACE OLSON Contributor
Kennesaw State head coach Jerry Mack was one of Josh Heupel’s first external staffer hires for Tennessee football in 2021. Now a head coach, Mack returns to Neyland Stadium with his Owls set to take on their first-ever SEC team. The former UT assistant coach, now entering his second season as head coach at Kennesaw State, Jerry Mack spoke with the media on Sept. 14 to discuss Saturday’s game. Here’s what he had to say about the 7:45 p.m. kickoff inside Neyland on Sept. 19. Swapping sidelines Coach Heupel and Jerry Mack worked together on the Tennessee coaching staff for three years, after Heupel brought Mack onto his initial staff as the running backs coach. This is not only the first matchup between these two schools, but also the first time Heupel and Mack have faced off as head coaches. “He’s a great leader of men,” Heupel said. “He’s authentic. He’s a really good recruiter, and he’s able to hire a really good staff, and you put all those pieces of the puzzle together - he’s smart, organized. That’s how you have consistency in your program; that’s how you build a program. And you can look at what he’s done at Kennesaw State and what he did as a head coach before that. He’s a really good coach.” Mack and his team have a tough game ahead of them as
they try to bounce back from their Week 2 loss to Georgia State. Heading to an unknown place for so many of the Kennesaw State players can be overwhelming, but Mack knows Neyland better than most. “This upcoming opponent is a really familiar opponent for me,” Mack said. “Obviously, very excited for our opportunity for our team to go to Tennessee and get a chance to play in that kind of atmosphere. It’s the first time in the history of the program that they’ve faced an SEC opponent, and I think those guys will remember that forever. But we’re still going up there to take care of business and try to put our best foot forward. And making sure that we have a chance as a football team to get better. That’s the number one thing about these types of games; it gives you a chance to grow and to get better.” Matchup mentality Tennessee had an impressive run game against the Yellow Jackets in Week 2 with 299 rushing yards, and starting running back DeSean Bishop led the ground attack with 20 carries for a careerhigh 147 yards and two touchdowns. The Owls had an underwhelming defensive performance in Week 2, with their defense surrendering 230 rushing yards against Georgia State. “Coach Heupel has done a great job of putting together a really good SEC roster over the years, the size, the speed, the talent, the skill sets,” Mack said. “You can see what
Jerry Mack working as a staffer for the Vols under head coach Josh Heupel. File / The Daily Beacon
recruiting does for you over the course of time. “When you get a chance to play up a level like we’re getting the chance to do this week, the men that we have to tackle and bring to the ground are stronger and bigger. The techniques part of tackling, getting hats to the ball or swarming the football, all those things are going to always be stressed and emphasized as a defensive stand. Even more so this week,
the sense of urgency to get to the ball has to increase. Those guys will hold you accountable if you don’t get multiple people to bring players down. Those guys are strong enough to break those tackles and make yards after contact and make you pay for it.” Another layer of this game will be the overall atmosphere, as this will be the first night game in Neyland of the season. The No. 15 Vols are
returning home hot, having a 2-0 start to the season and moving up five spots in the AP Poll in two weeks. “There’s some things for crowd noise that we’ll do in practice to try to get those guys used to how loud it’s really going to be,” Mack said. “But there’s nothing that you can ever do to truly, truly get those guys ready for how it’s gonna be.”
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‘We’re the only team that can beat us’ Tennessee football survives its mistakes at Georgia Tech TREVOR MCGEE Sports Writer ATLANTA — Josh Heupel would be happy the ESPN ticker no longer appears at the bottom of game broadcasts. The sixth-year Tennessee football head coach is aware of what the ticker means: predictions, point spreads and percentage chances to win. And the Vols couldn’t get caught up in that when they took to Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday. “If you want to get caught up in looking at the ticker on the bottom of the TV,” Heupel said, “… you’re going to get your butt beat.” On the same day No. 1 Ohio State blew a 20-point fourthquarter lead and No. 6 Oregon dropped an unranked bout on the road, Heupel realized he could enjoy the wins. That’s what he did when Tennessee ran away with a 45-24 win at Georgia Tech. Tennessee looked like a team that could have gotten rattled on the road. It didn’t. The Vols responded to each Georgia Tech push and never let the
Yellow Jackets take control. “The competitive composure, the look in their eye, went and played the next play,” Heupel said. “And that’s something that I stress, we stress. If you want to look at the scoreboard early, that’s not real. You just got to keep plugging away and keep playing.” After Jackson Ross had the first punt of his career blocked, Georgia Tech picked it up for a short touchdown score. It gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the night, forcing Tennessee — and true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon — to play from behind for the first time this season. Brandon and Tennessee answered with a 14-play scoring drive to tie the game at 10-all. On the next drive, transfer safety Dejuan Lane jumped in the passing lane of Alberto Mendoza to record a 41-yard pick-six to give Tennessee the lead right back, one that stuck the rest of the night. “We stayed in there, we kept throwing punches, we never backed down,” Lane said. “And we took a fight to them all 60 minutes.” The Vols were far from perfect. Tennessee committed 14 penalties for 142 penalty yards. Georgia Tech converted more than half of its thirddown attempts. The Yellow Jackets moved the ball through stretches of the game, tallying 11 explosive plays and repeatedly testing a Tennessee defense still learning Jim
Knowles’ system. But none of it snowballed. “Each play is a play,” Heupel said. “It won’t change the way the game’s played — it can be the difference in the game. So you got to fight to be on the right side of it, knowing perfection is probably not attainable in this game.” Georgia Tech had just cut Tennessee’s lead to 31-17 when the Yellow Jackets forced the Vols into another third down. After an Ory Williams false start and a Tennessee timeout, Brandon faced third-and-6 from Tennessee’s 44-yard line. He kept the ball and ran for 7 yards, one of eight third-down conversions the Vols had on the night. Tennessee continued leaning on its running game. DeSean Bishop broke a 29-yard touchdown run with 4:25 left, giving him a career-high 147 yards and putting the Vols ahead by three scores. Except Georgia Tech wasn’t done. The Yellow Jackets answered with a touchdown of their own. Then Duane Morris ended it. He took Tennessee’s next snap 47 yards to the end zone. It was the final score of the night with 1:25 to go, capping a 299-yard collective rushing effort from the Vols. “Right now, enjoy this,” Bishop said. “That’s not a bad team out there … Mistakes got to come down, shooting ourselves in the foot. At the end of the day, we’re the only team that can beat us.”
Tennessee cornerback Kayin Lee (14) celebrates a tackle during the first half of an NCAA football game against Georgia Tech on Saturday, Sept. 12, in Atlanta, Ga. Trevor Jolley / The Daily Beacon
Trevor Jolley photos / The Daily Beacon
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Entertainment
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Correction
PREVIOUS WEEK’S SOLUTION PREVIOUS WEEK’S SOLUTION PREVIOUS WEEK’S SOLUTION
Due to an editing error, a story on Page 1 on Sept. 9 misstated the reporter of the “Knoxville locals celebrate life of Dolly Parton” story. It is Aubrey Holland, not Logan West.
2026 PICK FOOTBALL ‘EMS
Trevor McGee, Sports Editor (13-1) Kennesaw State 6 v Tennessee 55
SMU v Louisville
Houston v Texas Tech
Florida v Auburn
Michigan State v Notre Dame
LSU v Ole Miss
Alex Sarkis, Assistant Sports Editor (13-1) Kennesaw State 6 v Tennessee 72
SMU v Louisville
Houston v Texas Tech
Florida v Auburn
Michigan State v Notre Dame
LSU v Ole Miss
Trip Scouten, Digital Editor (13-1) Kennesaw State 3 v Tennessee 63
SMU v Louisville
Houston v Texas Tech
Florida v Auburn
Michigan State v Notre Dame
LSU v Ole Miss
Theo Colli, Senior Staff Writer (13-1) Kennesaw State 7 v Tennessee 56
SMU v Louisville
Houston v Texas Tech
Florida v Auburn
Michigan State v Notre Dame
LSU v Ole Miss
Natalie Dripchak, Opinions Editor (12-2) Kennesaw State 7 v Tennessee 60
SMU v Louisville
Houston v Texas Tech
Florida v Auburn
Michigan State v Notre Dame
LSU v Ole Miss
Patrick Busch, Editor-in-Chief (10-4)
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/.
Kennesaw State 9 v Tennessee 70
SMU v Louisville
Houston v Texas Tech
Florida v Auburn
Michigan State v Notre Dame
LSU v Ole Miss