University of Tennessee students, faculty, staff and visitors “celebrated the Rock” Tuesday at its new location at the corner of Volunteer Boulevard and Pat Head Summitt Street, near the Music Building.
UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek and Student Government Association President Laura Nishida thanked everyone for coming and invited them to paint the Rock, enjoy their time on campus and get involved in some of the intercultural and international offerings available through the Ready for the World initiative. Cheek then kicked things off with a Heisman Trophy endorsement for UT Vol Eric Berry.
The 98.5-ton hunk of Knox dolomite — a beloved landmark and venue for student self-expression on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus for decades — was moved over the summer to make way for the construction of a new 109,242-square-foot Student Health Center, set to begin this fall.
The celebration included a live remote broadcast by WUTK 90.3 “The Rock” radio station, and paint and brushes for leaving personal messages on the Rock.
Also in attendance were some of the UT Facilities Services employees who took part in moving the Rock, safety extracting it from its old position, transporting it across the street and installing it in its new home.
Sponsors of the celebration included WUTK “The Rock”; UT Federal Credit Union; Aramark; UT Alumni Affairs; Ready for the World, the university’s international and intercultural awareness initiative; and UT Facilities Services. Alumni Affairs was on hand to promote Unite, UT’s newest student alumni organization, which connects undergraduate students with Tennessee traditions, UT alumni, volunteer projects and campus and community leadership opportunities.
See a video of the Rock being moved at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=119BEA34209B0794.
Share photos and stories about the Rock at http://www.utk.edu/therock/.