Tennessee

What Tennessee colleges are doing to fight food insecurity on campus

Published

3 years ago

April 15, 2022

What Tennessee colleges are doing to fight food insecurity on campus

Ekramul Ehite is a busy individual. The fourth-year doctoral scholar from Bangladesh spends a number of time on the College of Tennessee at Knoxville’s Institute for Agriculture, working lab experiments and researching easy methods to remodel agricultural waste into usable bioenergy.

However when he lastly finds time to step away from his work to seize a chunk to eat within the afternoon, the one on-campus eating location on the agriculture campus — Mabel’s at McCord Corridor — is closed by 2 p.m.

Like a shocking variety of Tennessee faculty college students, each graduate and undergraduate, Ehite typically finds himself with out time, entry or cash for his subsequent meal.

“I’ve suffered from meals insecurity,” Ehite mentioned. “And typically the meals insecurity is just not even that I haven’t got cash to purchase meals, but it surely’s typically it is availability and accessibility to nutritious meals.”

A 2018 examine discovered that one in three college students on three of the College of Tennessee campuses – Chattanooga, Knoxville and Martin – do not get sufficient to eat.

At UT Knoxville, that’s greater than 8,300 college students who may very well be looking for the place their subsequent meal will come from or skipping meals fully to stretch out the meals they’ve.

It’s not a brand new downside on faculty campuses, but it surely has been getting extra consideration over the previous 5 years as each universities and group schools change how they deal with college students’ primary wants.

What’s meals insecurity like for school college students?

Meals insecurity can look totally different relying on the coed and the season. Typically, these experiencing meals insecurity don’t at all times have entry to or do not know if they’ll get sufficient meals to fulfill their wants.

“It is particularly saddening when individuals essentially do not understand or acknowledged they’re meals insecure,” mentioned Lucy Langley, a Knoxville native and UT scholar who grew up with out sufficient meals at dwelling. “They’re going to be like, ‘Oh, I’ve ramen noodles,’ or, ‘Oh, I’ve a bunch of TV dinners,’ and every little thing, however … that is not meals safe. … Meals safety is (having) wholesome meals that is inexpensive and accessible.”

Tennessee’s faculty developments align with nationwide developments. No less than 38% of scholars at two-year schools skilled meals insecurity in fall 2020, together with 29% of scholars at four-year schools, in line with the Hope Middle for Faculty, Neighborhood and Justice.

And when college students don’t have sufficient meals, their tutorial success takes a success.

“If you wish to achieve success, you bought to you bought to care for these primary wants,” mentioned John Abel, the assistant vice chancellor for scholar affairs at UT Martin. “Should you (do not) care for these primary wants, it is exhausting to anticipate the coed to be totally targeted and engaged of their research and analysis and all the opposite actions on campus in the event that they’re hungry.”

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Sarah Catherine Richardson, the director of scholar life at UT Southern in Pulaski, Tennessee, says its meals pantry began in 2018 after school members raised issues. They’re typically the primary to know when a scholar goes with out.

“(UT Southern) has a really hometown, household, close-knit group really feel. I feel that that performs to our benefit and drawback,” Richardson mentioned. “I feel the drawback in relation to meals insecurity is that there is a concern that individuals are going to be outed. … I feel just a little little bit of that stigma exists. However the flip facet is that as a result of it is such a small (faculty), it is fairly simple to get the phrase out.”

With extra low-income college students enrolling in faculty and technical faculties due to expanded needs-based scholarships within the state, extra college students on campus may very well be in danger.

Revolutionary methods schools are addressing starvation

As scholar starvation turns into an increasing number of seen on faculty campuses, so much has modified previously 5 years to assist help college students.

In November 2020, UT Knoxville opened Large Orange Pantry, an in-house program for college kids, employees and school. Greater than 3,000 guests have taken half since its opening.

Evan Oliver, coordinator at Big Orange Pantry, organizes items available for pickup. The pantry, located at Grieve Hall, provides groceries and prepared meals for University of Tennessee students with food insecurity.

“Assembly calls for of like faculty, work, household, different commitments will be actually taxing on college students typically,” mentioned Evan Oliver, the coordinator of Large Orange Pantry. “We’re right here to attempt to assist deal with that.”

And with assist from Tyler White, this system supervisor for the UT Culinary Program, a brand new meals reclamation program food4VOLS helps finish starvation and meals waste on campus. Partnering with Vol Eating, food4VOLS collects usable meals from campus eating areas, transports the meals to the UT Culinary Program and creates ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat meals for Large Orange Pantry.

Since food4VOLS launched in September, this system has diverted greater than 25,000 kilos of meals waste from eating halls, soccer video games and different catered occasions on campus. Additionally they present meals to Smokey’s Pantry, a meals help collaboration effort between FISH Hospitality Pantries and the Lutheran and Episcopalian Campus Ministry.

Microwavable premade meals at the Big Orange Pantry are made by the UT Culinary program through food4VOLS, an organization that collects ingredients to redistribute.

One other answer is meal plan sharing applications. Beginning in 2017, UT Martin’s Skyhawks Share program permits college students to donate unused meal plan swipes to college students who want them as a short-term meals entry answer.

However not all schools assist

Whereas all of Tennessee’s four-year universities have meals help applications, that is not the case for all group schools and technical faculties the place college students could also be at a good increased threat of being meals insecure.

Monetary help and applications akin to Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect may also help pay for tuition, however the rising prices of meals, gasoline and lease make it powerful to fulfill some hardworking college students’ primary wants.

A meals survey performed at Roane State Neighborhood Faculty’s Cumberland County campus discovered that over 65% of scholars have been recognized as being meals insecure in 2018. This led to the launch of a grant program provided by the Tennessee Division of Setting and Conservation Increased Training Sustainability Initiative to fund the start-up prices for meals pantries at group schools.

“The Increased Training Sustainability Initiative’s beneficiant help of Roane State’s pilot meals pantry helped develop a mannequin for increasing the school’s efforts to help college students in want,” mentioned Karen Brunner, Roane State’s vp of institutional effectiveness and scholar success initiatives and one of many meals pantry venture organizers.

Two Tennessee Schools of Utilized Know-how in Elizabethton and Jacksboro received the meals pantry grant for 2021 and opened up their areas for college kids final fall.

However till all schools have knowledge about how persistent meals insecurity is on campus, they cannot deal with it in probably the most environment friendly means.

What’s nonetheless to be achieved?

That knowledge may very well be coming. A invoice launched this legislative session, prepared for signature by Gov. Invoice Lee, would require the Tennessee Increased Training Fee to guage and submit particular person stories about meals insecurity on the state’s schools and universities, one thing that primary wants advocates say is a large step in recognizing a persistent however typically hidden downside on faculty campuses.

“UT has achieved a very nice job accumulating knowledge and actually having assets and attempting to help college students,” mentioned Ashlyn Anderson, the president of the Scholar Fundamental Wants Coalition at UT Knoxville. “However we’re one unit, (one) college, throughout the entire state.”

The data may assist justify the necessity for meals pantries on all faculty campuses. Whereas many faculty meals help applications have began previously 5 years, Austin Peay State College in Clarksville has been serving college students since 2010.

“We have been one of many first meals pantries at a school campus in Tennessee. We actually sort of figured it out with out a number of position fashions inside the state,” mentioned Alexandra Wills, the director for group engagement and sustainability at Austin Peay.

The invoice would hopefully create a streamlined system for reporting meals insecurity in schools throughout the state, Anderson says, and result in extra schools launching meals help applications of their very own.

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Tennessee

Ohio State Shows Major Resolve in CFP Win Over Tennessee

Published

6 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Ohio State Shows Major Resolve in CFP Win Over Tennessee

The Ohio State Buckeyes’ loss to the Michigan Wolverines now feels like ages ago.

Ohio State went into its first-round College Football Playoff matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers with major question marks.

Will Howard was under fire. The play calling was in the crosshairs. Ryan Day’s job security had become a regular topic of discussion.

But then, the Buckeyes hammered Tennessee by a score of 42-17 to advance to the Rose Bowl for a chance for revenge against the Oregon Ducks.

Ohio State put together arguably its best performance of the season against a very tough Tennessee opponent. The Buckeyes scored 21 points in the first quarter, immediately sending a message to the Volunteers—and the country—that they meant business.

Howard, who looked like a deer in headlights in the regular-season finale against Michigan, stepped up with a significant performance. Yes, there was the red zone interception, but in the end, it was no harm, no foul (he probably shouldn’t do that against Oregon, though).

Jeremiah Smith looked every bit of the phenom we all thought he was heading into 2024. The defense was tremendous. Day? He coached a terrific game.

But the most impressive part of this showing by Ohio State was the resolve that it demonstrated, picking itself up off the mat after a soul-crushing defeat to the Wolverines earlier in the month.

I have to admit: I wasn’t sure if the Buckeyes had this in them. Not after they mustered just 10 points against a far inferior Michigan opponent, a game in which they were physically beaten up.

And considering that Tennessee’s defense was even stingier than Michigan’s this year, I certainly didn’t anticipate that Ohio State would drop 42 points.

Nevertheless, here we are.

A couple of weeks ago, it was beginning to look like the Buckeyes wouldn’t even have a chance against Oregon. Heck, there were some who felt that the Volunteers would beat them.

It wasn’t due to a lack of talent, either. It was more due to the thought that Ohio State lacked an identity and didn’t seem to have the mental fortitude required to win a national championship.

Remember: the Buckeyes also lost to the Ducks earlier in the season as a result of some mental erros and not being able to seal the deal.

So the concerns surrounding Ohio State heading into the College Football Playoff were legitimate.

But the Buckeyes appear to have flipped a switch, and it appears that their tenacity has finally matched their excessive talent.

Now, we’ll see if Ohio State can exact revenge on Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

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Tennessee

Tennessee-Ohio State live updates: How to watch, predictions, odds for CFP game

Published

13 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee-Ohio State live updates: How to watch, predictions, odds for CFP game

The first round of the College Football Playoff is nearly complete, with the final game of the slate featuring Ohio State vs. Tennessee in “The Shoe.”

Two of the most recognizable brands in college football, Tennessee and Ohio State arrive in the 12-team playoff with at-large bids, falling just short of reaching their respective conference championship games and snatching one of the top four byes in the bracket.

Tennessee will be making its first playoff after going 10-2, which included a win over Alabama that likely is the reason why the Volunteers are in the playoff. No strangers to the playoff, Ohio State arrives with a fan base that isn’t all too thrilled with head coach Ryan Day after losing a fourth consecutive year to Michigan. A national championship is still possible, but the pressure is on for Day to deliver a deep playoff run and possibly save his job. Will the Buckeyes get a much-needed win, or will Tennessee pull off the upset in front of more than 100,000 fans?

It’s the second time Tennessee and Ohio State have faced each other, and the winner of the first-round finale has a tough date ahead of them. The victor will head west to Pasadena to play No. 1 overall seed Oregon in the “Granddaddy of them all,” the Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day.

When is the College Football Playoff between Tennessee and Ohio State

The College Football Playoff first-round game between the No. 9-seed Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 8-seed Ohio State Buckeyes kicks off at 8 p.m. ET at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio

How to watch College Football Playoff between Tennessee and Ohio State

The College Football Playoff first-round game between the No. 9-seed Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 8-seed Ohio State Buckeyes will be televised nationally on ABC and ESPN.

Live streaming is also available on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Catch Tennessee vs. Ohio State with a Fubo subscription which has a free trial

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the favorites to defeat the Tennessee Volunteers in this first-round College Football Playoff game, according to the BetMGM college football odds on Saturday.

Spread: Ohio State (-7)
Moneyline: Ohio State (-275); Tennessee (+220)
Over/under: 46.5

USA TODAY Sports: No. 8 Ohio State over No. 9 Tennessee

Paul Myerberg writes: “This is the premier pairing of the opening round and a nice barometer of how playoff games could unfold between the best of the best in the Big Ten and SEC. Given two evenly matched teams with similar traits, two factors will make the difference in Ohio State’s favor: homefield advantage and a more credible offense. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has more experience and better skill options. But another big game from Volunteers signal caller Nico Iamaleava could easily shift this game in the opposite direction.”

ESPN: Ohio State has 65% chance to win

According to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor, the Ohio State Buckeyes have a 65.5% chance to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

College Football Network: Ohio State 27, Tennessee 23

Will Helms writes: “To be clear, I think Ohio State’s offense is capable of moving the ball down the field through the air, but Tennessee’s defensive line could feast against a reshuffled Buckeyes O-line. But I also trust (offensive coordinator Chip) Kelly to find ways to scheme open elite playmakers like Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. If this becomes a close game, Ohio State’s experience can make a difference. However, I like the Volunteers as one of the best bets of the opening round. The Buckeyes’ experience and depth should help them close this out, but take the Volunteers to cover in a close one that ticks over.”

Sports Illustrated: Tennessee Volunteers

James Parks writes: “Tennessee +7.5 … We’re taking the Vols to win straight-up on the road given their outright advantage on a very dominant defensive front, which should overpower a Buckeyes offensive line down two key starters to injury, while Dylan Sampson and Tennessee’s gifted ground game do the rest.”

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Tennessee

NFL Change Doesn’t Bother Titans Legend Eddie George

Published

21 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

NFL Change Doesn’t Bother Titans Legend Eddie George

It has been a long time since Tennessee Titans fans were able to watch legendary running back Eddie George run the football. He was a fan favorite for years and was one of the best backs in the league during his era.

Now, he has become the head coach for Tennessee State in college.

With that being said, George still opens up about the NFL. He recently talked about his thoughts on the state of the league.

Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. did an interview with George where he shared his opinion on where the league currently stands. He is clearly a fan of what he is seeing despite all of the changes that the NFL has made.

“Oh yeah, I mean, it’s (the NFL) changed over the years to become safer, and I get it,” George said. “But the quality of the game is still the same. I love it.”

In a time where so many former players are unhappy with how “soft” the league has become, George stands out as a big fan of the changes. While the NFL has changed a lot, the product being put on the field is still good football and entertaining to watch.

Throughout his NFL career, George was known as a bruising running back. He was a nightmare for opposing defenders to tackle.

He ended up playing in 141 career game, racking up 2,865 carries for 10,441 yards and 68 touchdowns. George averaged 3.6 yards per carry in a much tougher era to run the football.

George also ended up catching 268 passes for 2,227 yards and 10 more touchdowns.

As for the current state of the Titans, things do not look great. Will Levis has been benched ahead of Week 16 and there is expected to be a search for a new quarterback during the upcoming offseason.

So far this season, Tennessee has mustered up a brutal 3-11 record. There hasn’t been much for the fans to cheer about.

Hopefully, the Titans can figure things out and get back into playoff contention. George and the fans would then be able to enjoy football with their team winning again.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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