By Courtney Smith

Tiger Nation was quiet for the most part of Wednesday night's game against the UCF Knights. They weren't as rowdy as they were on Saturday night when ESPN's College GameDay crew was in town for the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The fans were watching a sluggish Memphis Tigers team that looked to have a hangover from their recent win over the Zags. 
Before the game got out of control, the Tigers had to get going on offense and defense to satisfy the 15,021 people in attendance at the FedEx Forum.

Despite the Tigers' sluggish start in the first half and midway through the second half, Memphis (19-5, 8-3 AAC) was able to hold off UCF (9-13, 1-10 AAC) for the potential upset with a 76-70 home victory in conference play. With the loss to Memphis, the Knights losing streak extended to nine games.

"It was a good win. We found a way to get the W," Coach Josh Pastner stated to the media. "It was not pretty. We got to give Central Florida credit, but we got the W and that's the bottom line. I didn't think we were sharp in some things. Championship teams got to play the championship level every time you step on the floor. I felt like our energy was fine, but I didn't think some of our execution in some areas we were real good."

By Melissa Wray

Thursday, Dec. 5, at 12:45 p.m., the public will get an opportunity to watch students and faculty of the University of Memphis' music department perform holiday classics at the annual Holiday Music Concert in the Harris Concert Hall located in the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music.

Performers include the University Choir, the Tuba Ensemble, a jazz trombone ensemble,  and two different string ensembles, all of which are student groups.

What makes this year's concert interesting is the fact that Channel 13 will be taping the concert and playing it live for their audience on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to Kevin Sanders, assistant music professor and member of the faculty-based Memphis Brass Quartet.

"While there will not be any original compositions being played, not all of the music is going to be holiday music," he said. "As a matter of fact, the two string ensembles will be playing Mozart and Haydn."

Some of the other groups will be playing holiday music with a bit of a twist, which Sanders described as being "kind of a cool thing."

"For instance, you might hear 'Jingle Bells,' but it's a very different version that one  of our students arranged," he said.

Sanders added that the holiday concert has always been a way for the music department to thank the campus and the community. 

"We just want to get people into the holiday spirit," he said.

The life of a student athlete can sometimes be a difficult one. Whether it's the pressure to perform on the playing field or in the class room or to simply enjoying all the things that college has to offer.

John Luke Tyner is a member of the University of Memphis golf team. As a Memphis native, Tyner talks about being a student athlete at the U of M, his love for the game of golf, and the lessons it has taught him. The slide show pictures contain shots of Tyner while playing at various golf courses throughout the Memphis area.

By Meagan Nichols

The University of Memphis Department of Journalism is home to several faculty that have worked or currently work in the world of media, one of those people is Pamela Denney. In addition to teaching full-time at the U of M, Denney is the food editor for Memphis Magazine. Denney is also the author of the recently released book, "Food Lover's Guide to Memphis."

In the following audio slideshow, Denney discusses the powerful role food holds in society, how her interest for food writing came to fruition and the importance of equipping the next generation of journalist with the proper tools.

By Natalie Cole

Soft background music, pleasant conversation drifting and mingling amidst huddled groups, people lingering, some fluttering from display to display; this atmosphere was the setting of the BFA student exhibition, Interlude, on opening night Friday, Nov. 8, 2013.

For many students, graduation is the defining moment of accomplishment with minute checkpoints along the way. While that truth remains, for 11 students their big moment arrived a tad premature of the pomp and circumstance of the graduation march set to take place in December.

The fine arts discipline, as with many disciplines, requires students in their final semester to compose a body of work in their focus area to display their artistry acquired while pursuing the undergrad degree.

By Hassan Allawi

No tickets are required to watch the games; just make yourself comfortable  on the curb and enjoy.

The students from Bangladesh said they prefer playing cricket over any other sport, and the asphalt surface of the parking lot is perfect.

"We need a hard surface and a lot of space," said Kamal Mustafa, one of the players.

The courts at the university are not good for the game, he said. So long its not raining, they are likely playing.

By Melissa Wray

For visiting assistant theatre/dance professor Tracey Bonner, the meaning behind New Voices, the University of Memphis' yearly fall dance concert, is an opportunity to showcase theatre and dance students at their best.

"Right now, our dance program is split somewhat between the University College and the dance department," she said. "One of the reasons behind this concert is not only about giving students a platform to perform, but also to choreograph and support their artistic abilities so we can come together."

U of M freshman dance student Rachael Arnwine, who is one of the performing students, said that she tried out for the concert because of her longtime love of dancing.

"I have danced all my life," she said. "When I heard about New Voices, I immediately knew I wanted to do it."

The concert, which will take place in the Michael D. Rose Theatre Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m., will consist of 11 performances, most of them including genres of the contemporary, jazz and hip-hop variety. One particular type of dancing will be absent from the lineup, according to Bonner.

By Jasmine Deener

With Thanksgiving around the corner, student organizations at the University of Memphis are diving into the holiday spirit of giving back.  

The campus chapter of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) plans to not only give back to the less fortunate but to also recognize leaders that go the extra mile.  

"We are gearing up for our annual feed the homeless and clothing drive," said NAACP chapter President Corey Tomlin.

During the month of November, boxes and containers will be set up at the residents halls. Students are being asked to donate all gently used clothing. The clothing collected will be given out at Gaston Park in South Memphis around the same time the NAACP is feeding the homeless. 

Tomlin describes this as a very "humbling experience" and something that many of the members look forward to.

By Grant Milner

Most kids grow up watching the NFL or college football, dreaming of one day wearing the jersey of their favorite team. But for Tom Hornsey, who grew up in Australia playing rugby, college football or the NFL for that matter, never even entered his mind.

“I didn’t even know this existed to be honest,” he said. “It has been a good thing. I would have never thought that I would be here, and I am grateful for it.”

Hornsey was named Monday as the Ray Guy Award Player of the Week for his performance against UT Martin on Saturday. He punted six times, three of which were downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, including a 70-yard rocket that completely flipped the field.

By Paul Crum

A bright, brisk autumn morning provided visitors to the Let’s Grow Garden Expo with a perfect day for a stroll through the TIGUrS Urban Garden on the east side of the University of Memphis campus.

The Nov. 2 event cosponsored by the Memphis Area Master Gardeners and the U of M promised gardening enthusiasts a day filled with informative lectures, demonstrations, exhibits, music, food, art and more.

Plenty of Master Gardeners were on hand to offer advice and answer questions about their organization.

Student Garden Coordinator Art Johnson revealed that Dina Martin, wife of interim University President Brad Martin, is a Master Gardener and provided impetus for organizing the event.

“She came and saw our garden and got some crazy ideas about how we could really get this thing in the public eye,” Johnson explained. “She talked to the rest of the Master Gardeners and they all got on board and agreed to partner with us to pull this Let’s Grow event together.”

He said that although the garden had been there for almost four years, the TIGUrS (Tigers Initiative for Gardens in Urban Settings) had never undertaken anything of this magnitude.

“We do an earth day every year in April, but we’ve always wanted to do something much broader and bigger than that,” said Johnson, who also served as emcee for the event. “They helped steer us so we could do this as effectively as possible, because they know how to do this kind of thing.”