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Articles by Cassandra Sproles
The Heart of a Volunteer: Natalie L. Haslam (1931-2026)
25 Whenever a singer’s voice echoes in the halls of the music building, an actor takes the stage in the Jenny Boyd Theatre, or a visitor spends time wandering through exhibits at the McClung Museum, they may not realize how the kindness of another lover of arts and culture helped make it all possible. Natalie L. Haslam, a 1952 alumna whose love for the University of Tennessee only strengthened throughout the course of her life, passed away on January 16, 2026. Born in 1931, she was 94 years old.
Allez, Vols!
One of the universal truths of being a Vols fan is that if you’re traveling and see someone wearing Tennessee orange, you must shout “Go Vols!” And if they are a true Vols fan, they’ll shout it back. These spirited exchanges usually occur on the street or at popular tourist spots. But in June, ESPN reporter Holly Rowe posted a photo of herself in a restaurant just outside of Reims, France, standing with the chef—who was wearing an orange Power T baseball cap.
Vols Sweep at the Emmys
Tramell Tillman won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his breakout role as Seth Milchick in the Apple TV+ series Severance. He earned an MFA in acting at UT, starring in multiple productions at the Clarence Brown Theatre. In a 2022 interview, Tillman said, “UT provided me with the opportunity to not only learn the craft but to build and expand my tools.
Leanne Morgan Is Just Getting Started
Breaking Through Morgan was still doing a lot of live stand-up shows but said it wasn’t the kind of work she wanted. And she was on the verge of quitting. “I was in my early 50s, and it was the first time in 20 years doing comedy that I just didn’t feel like I could go on. And I said to my husband, Chuck, ‘I think I’m gonna open up a hardware store and have a cheese wheel and sell candy,’” Morgan says jokingly.
The Record Breaker
51 Jordan Crooks has experienced quite a few surreal moments in the last couple of years. Not only did he represent his home country of the Cayman Islands as a swimmer in the 2024 summer Olympics in Paris, but in December 2024 he broke a world record—twice. However, he imagines that walking across the commencement stage this spring will be just as surreal, particularly as a student-athlete who was not heavily recruited coming out of high school.
Lessons with Smokey
Becoming Smokey Solsbee came to UT in fall 2021 ready to dig into his academic goals, but the idea of becoming Smokey kept coming up. He hadn’t performed as a mascot during his time at Walker Valley High School—though one of his teachers swore that he would be the perfect candidate to revive their dormant Mustang mascot.
Orangealia
528 Out of This World In 2001, two asteroids were named for UT faculty member Harry “Hap” McSween and former professor Dan Britt, both in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Asteroid 1981 EH41 was named 4395 DanBritt. It orbits the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and is about the size of the Great Smoky Mountains. Asteroid 1981 EX6 was named 5223 McSween.
Uncharted Territory
Doctors at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Performance and Rehabilitation Center took on a special case this summer that has pushed them to think creatively to help give a young foal named Seven a chance at life. Seven was born two months premature at 286 days gestation. While 340 days is considered full term, any horse born before 310 days is considered to be nonviable. But Seven and his caregivers at the College of Veterinary Medicine are fighting daily to help him defy the odds.
Out of the Squared Circle
479 Denzel Dejournette has always been drawn to underdog stories. In many ways, that’s his story, too. A professional wrestler leaving the ring to vie for a spot in a highly selective acting program—it sounds like the perfect setup for a movie. And the movies are exactly where the actor has his sights set. Dejournette is in the second year of UT’s Master of Fine Arts in Acting program, which is recognized as one of the best in the world.
Diamonds and Fur
There’s a new tradition taking root in Tennessee baseball, but it’s not in the dugout or on the field with the players. It’s in the stands with their mothers. Just as the players don a fur coat and a hat emblazoned with “Daddy” after they hit a homer, their mothers have their own cheetah-print fur coat and a hat that says “Mommy” that they wear after their son knocks one out of the park.
From Classroom to Cone
Grace Powell’s face lights up as she talks about making ice cream for the UT Creamery. It’s a joy not unlike what creamery customers must experience when they take their first licks of VOLnilla Bean or Go Big Orange ice cream—made and marketed by UT students. “For us as students it’s really cool to be a part of the reboot of the creamery,” says Powell. “We’re a new generation, but we’re sticking to the history and tradition that the creamery has on the campus.
Myths and Mysteries
With nearly 230 years of history, UT is bound to be filled with some mysteries. We asked our social media followers what questions they’ve always had about the university or campus. Here are a few we were able to answer: In the yard of Tyson Alumni House is the grave of Bonita the dog, whowas a gift to Isabella Tyson—the daughter of the home’s original owners, General Lawrence D. and Bettie Tyson.
Volunteer Puppy Partners
2.6K When Laura Porter (’20) was a sophomore at UT, she took her love for animals and her work with the local nonprofit Smoky Mountain Service Dogs and turned it into a student group dedicated to education around service dogs. She had been volunteering with SMSD—a nonprofit based in Lenoir City, Tennessee, that provides mobility assistance service dogs for veterans with service-connected physical disabilities at no cost—since her first year at UT.
Tramell Tillman on Fame and the Art of Transformation
Ask Tramell Tillman (’14) what it’s like to be a celebrity and he’ll humbly say that he doesn’t know—he certainly doesn’t feel like one. But after his work on the critically acclaimed Apple TV show Severance and walking the red carpet at the Emmy Awards, it’s hard to deny that Tillman’s time in the spotlight has come—and it’s just getting started.
11 Facts About Smokey XI
With the forthcoming retirement of Smokey X, Vols everywhere are about to gain a new best friend in Smokey XI. Here are 11 things you need to know about the new pup soon to take over the biggest job on Rocky Top.
Tamika Catchings - Basketball Goddess, Olympian and Humanitarian
When Tamika Catchings (’00, ’02) played basketball at Tennessee she always looked to her coach, the legendary Pat Summitt (’76), but not just to learn her plays. “I used to watch Pat when she didn’t know I was watching her,” Catchings says. “She was so humble and she never saw a stranger. Everybody who worked in a facility, she knew all of them and always spoke to everybody.
A Legacy of Her Own
When Tamika Catchings (’00, ’02) played basketball at Tennessee she always looked to her coach, the legendary Pat Summitt (’76), but not just to learn her plays. “I used to watch Pat when she didn’t know I was watching her,” Catchings says. “She was so humble and she never saw a stranger. Everybody who worked in a facility, she knew all of them and always spoke to everybody.
Listen to the Vol Music
From folk to country and rock to opera, UT alumni span the music industry. Find out more about these Volunteers who write and perform songs, top the charts, and tour the world making music. We’ve even put together a Spotify playlist of some tunes for you to enjoy. Drew and Ellie Holcomb Drew Holcomb graduated in 2003 with a BS from the College Scholars Program and took to the road as lead singer for the American rock band Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors.
Lighting the Way
Pat Summitt (’76) The iconic Lady Vols basketball coach, who passed away in 2016, was the all-time winningest basketball coach in NCAA history until 2018. Her teams won eight NCAA championships, 16 SEC regular season championships, and 16 SEC tournament championships. Every player who completed her eligibility at UT under Summitt earned a degree.
‘Rocky Top’ Anniversary
In just 10 minutes in August of 1967, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote a song that would endure through generations to become the university’s unofficial fight song. Of course, we’re talking about “Rocky Top,” and this year is the bluegrass tune’s 50th anniversary and the 45th anniversary of the first time it was played at a UT football game.
X Factor
An African goddess clad in silver and a Southern belle in yellow and green spandex soar into the night sky as a blue-black jet flies in behind them. As they fly, the women and the jet weave and spiral around each other. The perspective zooms in and out of the aircraft, showing other colorful characters before ultimately shifting back to the women and the jet, now flying in parallel across the screen with one word in the background: X-MEN.
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