Home About Works Gallery Contact

Columns

The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: The illusion and hidden possibility of a 5-year plan

In all my planning, I never imagined turning a tassel from the right to the left would be accompanied by copious amounts of pressure and doubt. In one simple movement, I was supposed to go from a student just trying to finish assignments and ace exams to a businesswoman with a liveable salary.Thanks to my five-year plan, the transition from college to the real world seemed well-mapped. But what happens when that plan starts to fall behind schedule and taunts you with uncertainty?
As stud...
The Daily Beacon •

Satire: You think housing is expensive? Not with my dad’s credit card!

The following content is satirical and fictional. Any resemblance to a student, staff or faculty member is coincidental.Picture this: I'm strolling through campus, my Chanel shades shielding my eyes from the Tennessee sun, when I see a stack of newspapers featuring a headline that ends in “housing crisis.” A couple of days before, I overheard some students griping about the cost of rent. They're all like, "It's just so expensive to live here!" while I'm just standing there, trying not to laugh....
The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: I can't help but wonder where the cover letter ends and where life begins

As I sit here, fingers sore from typing one too many cover letters sent into what one can only assume is an endless void, I can't help but wonder: Is finding a job in print media a quick 5K or a never-ending marathon?
Now, let me be clear — I never expected finding a job to be a walk in the park, nor did I anticipate landing my dream job immediately. But isn't there a tiny bit of hope mixed with a dash of “I'm special” in all of us?That sense of being unique, likely fostered by Carrie Br...
The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: We will not wait for the next school shooting

Editor's Note: The following is written by students and endorsed by more than 110 student leaders and is set to grace the pages of over 50 student newspapers simultaneously. Its reach extends across the nation, encompassing both public and private universities.This op-ed serves a vital purpose — to draw attention to the pressing issue of gun violence. It stands as a powerful demonstration of the collective concern shared by students across college campuses.Students are taught to love a country t...
The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: Time stopped for no one in 2023

And just like that, the 2023 season is coming to an end. The 12 chapters of existence that sculpt a year have unfolded and dissipated, leaving only the lingering echoes of memories in their wake. The ebb and flow of those swiftly fast yet painstakingly slow months always leaves me in a time paradox.In January, I was begging for time to speed up, hoping to escape my childhood bedroom and step back into adulthood. Yet, in March, I was begging for time to still, begging for time to slow down and ma...
The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: It’s pomping time in Tennessee

Homecoming is a special time when alumni return to their alma mater, and current students revel in the spirit of Rocky Top. It's an occasion for Volunteers from all corners of the world to journey back to their beloved Rocky Top and celebrate the rich history, cherished traditions and unwavering passion for UT.However, waving an orange and white pom-pom while cheering on the Vols can be quite a challenge when your fingers are aching from pomping one too many pomps.The Greek community takes Homec...
The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: The reality of Fall Family Weekend

As the autumn leaves begin to change colors and a crispness fills the air, college campuses across the country prepare to welcome a very special group of visitors: parents. Fall Family Weekend at the University of Tennessee is a time-honored tradition that holds profound significance for me and countless other students.For most of the year, college students find themselves immersed in an environment vastly different from the comfort of their homes. It's a realm where newfound independence and in...
The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: A bittersweet journey away from Neyland Stadium

There is no better feeling than waking up on a game day in Knoxville, Tennessee. The roar of Rocky Top, the sea of orange, the sight of Neyland Stadium. For the past three years, I had only sat and watched the University of Tennessee's football team claim victory or defeat in Neyland Stadium. I never needed to travel to away games because I knew nowhere else could come close to Rocky Top.
So when the first game of the season was scheduled in Nashville, Tennessee, I had little to no choic...
The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: Reflections of a 2024 senior

As another summer sets below the horizon and the Volunteer spirit infiltrates the air on Rocky Top, I find myself on the brink of a chapter that feels both exhilarating and surreal.I am eager to open the book and read this last chapter, but I know that once I open the book, the final chapter will inevitably end. So, in the meantime, I might as well go back and reread some old chapters.
It is hard to fathom how quickly time has flown by while looking back on the past two years — two years...
The Daily Beacon •

Opinion: Constructing the future

When deciding where to spend the next four years of my life after high school, my guidance counselor told me to take note of construction during college campus tours. As someone who values aesthetics, I thought this was an absurd thought.
Why would I want to attend a university constantly under construction with chaos and confusion in the air?As a rising senior in college, I look back on that initial skepticism with a mix of amusement and appreciation. The advice that once seemed bewilde...

News

Medium •

Knoxville Beauty: The Addiction Behind Blonde Hair

It is no secret that mental, physical, and emotional reactions occur during hair appointments. But the response after a blonde service is incomparable to any other color. The continuous want to be blonder has become an addiction for many students at the University of Tennessee. Reactions like these occur across Knoxville, Tennessee, and Kayla Funderberg, 23, is well-versed in them. Hair stylist Kayla Funderberg has been working in hair for five years and opened her salon, Studio Hazel, two years ag...
Medium •

Knoxville Strays: A Humane Solution to Control Local Community Cat Population

Clinch Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee, is home to University of Tennessee students who snooze their alarm in the morning and lay their heads to rest at night.One resident is on patrol mornings and nights, protecting the street from pesky rodents. This furry neighbor is given thanks for her service through treats and is greeted with love by the students she watches over.Alley Cat, named after her breed by Clinch Avenue residents, has found a home on the residential avenue. This stray cat provides...
Medium •

Knoxville Fashion: What’s Old is New

Fashion trends are known to be short-lived and forgotten. However, can a style resurrect once it is obsolete? Call them zombies because, yes, they can. Styles and trends that went out of fashion decades ago are now featured on runways, among models, and sold in stores across the world. That’s right, old is new again. The emergence of 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s fashion trends and styles are reentering Knoxville, Tennessee, and making quite a splash.The rise of ‘70s fashion in Knoxville today...

Editorial

SCOOP Magazine •

It Comes in Waves

The ocean’s waves are performative to the human eye. They dance rhythmically across the surface of the water with grace and fluid force—ever in motion and always changing. I have watched wave after wave, mesmerized by their serene beauty but aware that soon there will be a crash.

Yet there is danger in the ocean, which with its impulsive behavior can change on the flip of a coin. This powerful force of nature has a will and personality of its own. The waters can be calm and serene—or wild and turbulent.
SCOOP Magazine •

SCOOP Magazine, Editor-In-Chief

Life strikes down bolts of chaos and pours the unknown. Life breaks our emotional dam and floods normality with change. Life tornadoes through our childhood and spits us out into adolescence. Yet we survive. We keep growing—no matter how painful the process.

When tasked with producing a magazine, we set out to conjure an all-encompassing topic that would define SCOOP 2023. After multiple discussions, we found that every idea we discussed could be captured by this year’s theme: “Growing Pains.”