Filmed by Allie English and Taylor Carmody. Edited by Allie English and Taylor Carmody. Narration by Noah Fernandez.
On an unsettling pursuit for the supernatural, guests of Chattanooga’s Ghost Tours are provided all the necessary ghost hunting equipment for a chilling haunt. Parapsychological Field investigator Alice Stephens educates their visitors on Chattanooga’s rich and eerie history while providing an interactive spiritual experience.
“I’m kind of a skeptical believer. So I believe in it, obviously [otherwise], I wouldn’t be doing it, but, I’m always like, was that a ghost? Did I actually see that, so I questioned myself too,” stated Stephens.
Rising Rock is excited to parter with Scenic Roots at WUTC again this semester to showcase some of our top audio pieces. To listen to Scenic Roots, visit https://www.wutc.org/scenic-roots.
Here, you will find all of the audio pieces written and recorded by UTC students in Rising Rock during the Fall 2022 semester.
Legacy in the Cedar
Brittany Santiago sat down with Steve McBryar, Dunlap resident and chainsaw sculptor, to talk about his woodcarving passion, chainsaw antics and how carving with power tools is actually relaxing for him.
Reciprocal Blessings
Curtis Cecil and Kelly Flemmings, owners of the Soddy Daisy Community Library who started with just four books, created a community library that is overflowing with love and books. The two of them talk to Haley Bayer about their emotional connection they have formed to the community that the library has given them.
Gender Equality in Tennessee: The Fight Continues
Workplace harassment is a global problem with an unsure solution. In this piece, Madelyn McCrary speaks with an anonymous source about their experience with workplace harassment. The two discussed the lack of equality in the workplace, her experience with workplace harassment, and the difficulty of getting into crisis centers.
Row As You Grow
This piece will explore the art and dedication of rowing from Chattanooga rower, Lily McDowell. Lily spoke with Madelyn McCrary about the passion that she has found through rowing that has changed her life for the better.
Heather’s Story
Athena Miller chats with Eli Rushing about the worst night of her life. Catastrophe struck while she and her friend Heather Kounthapanya were crossing the street for some late night City Cafe. Miller talks about the fallout from the incident that hospitalized her friend and gives her perspective of the events that followed.
Miss Nola’s Gumbo
Brittany Santiago sat down with Tacia Taylor, owner of Nola Girls Gumbo, an authentic cajun cuisine food truck in Chattanooga, TN. Taylor reflected on what she gets out of cooking while also relaying that her true passions lie elsewhere. Continue reading “Rising Rock Radio Showcase”→
“When people tell you to live life to your fullest, you never know what’s going to happen or it can be taken from you in an instant, oh did I really experience that,” Heather Kounthapanya, a senior at UTC said.
Filmed by Jake Redfern and Madison Van Horn. Edited by Jake Redfern.
“Shoulders, ready, up,” calls the coxswain as the team of rowers lifts the boat onto their shoulders.
Kay Hughes and her team were moving their boat to a different dock to prepare for the Head of the Hooch regatta in early November. Even after 10 years of rowing, the thrill has not died for Hughes.
“We had so much fun and people started posting pictures and the camaraderie and the group coming together, it really is truly a team sport,” Hughes mused.
Lauren Baker indulges in eggs, a bagel and coffee she made for breakfast. Thursday, March 10, 2022. (Photo by Niah Davis)
Practice, weights, conditioning, traveling and on top of it all attending classes and maintaining a good grade point average. Unfortunately, college athletes also have to contend with a higher likelihood of developing an eating disorder.
Lauren Baker is a determined, music-loving dance-like-no-one’s-watching freshman on the women’s volleyball team at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. However, it was much earlier on during her freshman year of high school in South Bend, Indiana when she began to struggle with her eating disorder.
Once a month, art galleries across Chattanooga collectively open their doors to the public for special gallery showings. The event, coined “First Friday” allows local Chattanoogans and tourists to see new art pieces, mingle with artists, and support their local community.
One gallery spearheading the event in Chattanooga is Area 61. Keeli Crewe has been the curator of Area 61 since its inception in 2009. Crewe is the first face one will see when visiting Area 61, and it is clear from her vibrant smile that she is living her dream.
Strike Chattanooga’s founders, Maggie Schut, Marli Geidt, and Carianna Hunter (left to right) celebrate the launch of Issue 02 of Strike Chattanooga. November 20,2021 (Photo By Madison Van Horn)
Across the greater Chattanooga area lies fertile soil which farmers nurture to cultivate life. Their soil is the vehicle to meet many beyond their own sphere — even the art world.
Local Chattanooga artist Amanda Brazier has been painting solely with pigments pulled from soil for the past 14 years. Holly Martin, owner of Gaining Grounds Grocery saw the potential to connect Brazier’s unique art medium with her mission to create a sustainable grocery alternative for Chattanooga’s food desert.
As soon as it was proposed to Brazier, she had an immediate and organic idea. “When [Martin] approached me about the idea of a mural connecting all these ideas, I mean it just came to me immediately.”
Brazier knew she could take the soil from Chattanooga farmers and create a beautiful mural for the grocery store.
The idea was to create a mural that is made of pigments from local sources as well as farms that provide inventory to Gaining Grounds Grocery. Then began the rush to gather soil from Chattanooga farmers, community gardens and other local means. Brazier and Martin gathered a list of over 10 farms that supply the store with their produce and took to the fields to gather soil.
Jars of Amanda Brazier’s homemade paint sit and settle at her studio. Saturday, September 11, 2021(Photo by Jerrod Niles)
Brazier interviewed the farmers about the history of the lands they work and what connects them to the soil under their fingernails.
“It’s a life blood. Without the soil and beautiful greenery and forage it provides, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” explains Mack Haynes of the Ocoee Creamery, one of the many farms Brazier visited.
Creating the paint for the mural was one of the toughest parts of the process. Brazier usually creates her paint to be water based, but needed to change her medium to fit the project. To create a durable and long-lasting mural, she chose to use acrylic paint.
“I’ve learned from this experience and most of what I’ve learned is that making acrylic paint from these soil pigments is tricky. Every dirt is different and requires lots of time to understand how much of each [ingredient] is required.”
To engage the community in this process, the first day of painting began with a community paint day at Gaining Grounds Grocery store. Many members of the local area joined and got the base layers on the mural laid down, but it left Brazierwith plenty of work to finish up in her studio. Luckily, she has two assistants and two bright-eyed sons to lend a hand.
Amanda Brazier creates paint from dirt for her next mural. Saturday, September 11, 2021 (Photo by Jerrod Niles)
With the mural finished, the final piece was revealed at Gaining Grounds Grocery. A reveal party was held at the Saint Andrews church where the grocery is located. Garnished with vegan foods and local dirt experts, the event was lively with new faces and like minded individuals.
The two-piece mural project hangs currently in the entrance hall of Gaining Grounds Grocery and inside the store itself. Alongside the mural is a key that associates each paint color with the location of the dirt that created that pigment.
The goal of The Field Below project was to connect the community with the local farmers that supply the grocery with produce. At the unveiling, community members, Brazier and the people who bring Gaining Grounds Grocery’s mission to life mingled and gathered to share a meal.
This artistic rendition of the connection between community, agriculture, and food reignites the appreciation of the substance we all walk upon.
Jerod Niles is a multimedia producer who specializes in camera operation and post-production. Niles has over 5 years of experience in media production and is always looking towards the future. He is currently working on multiple freelance jobs as well as a media internship for Wanderlinger Brewery. You can find more of his work as well as contact information on his portfolio here: https://www.jerrodniles.com/
Jessica Ann York looks out over the Tennessee River. Jessica was cosplaying as Hawks from the anime and manga series My Hero Academia. Tuesday, November 2, 2021 (Photo by Seth Carpenter)
All was well in Coolidge park as a band of cosplay superheroes patrolled to keep the peace. Should a villian arrive to foil the fun, could these three actually stop a catastrophe of epic proportions? Hopefully we’ll never find out, but they sure looked the part.
Jora Burnett, Jessica York, and Mica Morgan are three friends who have been cosplaying together since 2019 here in Chattanooga. When they’re not maintaining their secret identities Morgan and Burnett being art teachers and York a writer who specializes in horror, these three come together after hours forming group cosplays stylizing their favorite characters.
Fred Holland, A Chattanooga local smiles at the camera, showing off his F-shaped gold front tooth. Wednesday, October 20, 2020 (Photo by Maggie Weaver)
In the heart of Chattanooga, one man strives to create a safe and united community through spreading kindness, one yard at a time.
Fred Holland is a Chattanooga native who is known and loved by many in his neighborhood for always lending a helping hand. On any given day, you can expect to find Fred somewhere on Flynn Street or East 8th Street mowing his neighbors’ lawns free of charge, chatting with community members or volunteering at the Salvation Army. No matter what, Fred always boasts a smile on his face and love in his heart.
Rising Rock 