One of the highlights of Welcome Week is the sensory-friendly Headphone Dance Party on Chamberlain Field. Photo by Angela Foster.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s annual back-to-school tradition, Welcome Week, is just around the corner to greet new and returning students.
This year’s events take place from Sunday, Aug. 17, through Saturday, Aug. 23, and begin with the iconic Oak Street Roast, a longstanding hallmark of campus life at UTC. The roast marks the beginning of a week-long experience that offers numerous opportunities to connect with the University through a variety of events.
Laura Petrus, director of student and family engagement at UTC, has organized the event since 2018.
“Welcome Week is my favorite time of year,” Petrus said. “I think it’s incredibly magical—the energy on campus is palpable.
“For our new students, Welcome Week provides an opportunity for them to explore campus life and be involved in opportunities. There are so many events throughout the week that range from larger-scale entertainment events to pop-in open houses with academic colleges, academic departments or student services departments. It helps new students figure out what’s available on campus. They can go to one or two events and try to start finding their home at UTC.”
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All events can be found on the Welcome Week calendar and the MocSync student engagement platform.
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Petrus said Welcome Week is not only an excellent opportunity for new students to build relationships with their fellow classmates and explore UTC’s amenities, but it also provides returning Mocs with a chance to reconnect with campus life.
“For our returning students, we hope that it still is an exciting time, even for students that may have already found their place on campus,” Petrus said. “They can reconnect with their friends they haven’t seen over the summer and get reenergized for the start of a new semester.
“For some of our upperclassmen, they use Welcome Week as the time to recruit new members to their organizations and to help our new students understand why they love UTC so much.”
Oak Street Roast 2024.
Oak Street Roast, which will be held on Sunday, Aug. 17, from 7 to 9 p.m., is the official launch of Welcome Week activities.
“Oak Street Roast has been around for a really long time,” Petrus said. “We’ve definitely made some changes to the program to bring it up to date. It used to be held just on Oak Street. We’ve outgrown the street, so we have it on Chamberlain Field. We had a little over 2,000 students come out to that program (last year).”
The Soundwaves Pool Party at the Aquatic and Recreation Center, taking place on Monday, Aug. 18, from 7 to 10 p.m., has been a student favorite, according to Petrus.
For students looking for a sensory-friendly experience, the Headphone Dance Party on Wednesday, Aug. 20, from 8 to 10 p.m., provides an opportunity for them to enjoy a night of dancing at Chamberlain Field.
“That’s one of my favorite events because it’s a sensory-friendly event and it’s so important for us to have different types of events,” she said.
“We have to buy more headphones because our attendance exceeds what we expect. We had close to 600 students come out last year.”
Petrus also highlighted afternoon events for students who may live off campus and would like to participate in the festivities, including Goat Yoga, International Tea Time and Club Lupton.
Along with the staples of Welcome Week, Petrus noted the UTC Jones Observatory Open House: MOCs Under the Stars, which debuted last year.
This year’s event will take place on Friday, Aug. 22, from 8 to 10 p.m.
“I would have students put on their UTC bucket list to check out the UTC Observatory,” Petrus said. “It’s such a cool experience being able to look through the telescope and see objects in the night sky and the free planetarium show. I think it’s a unique opportunity that I don’t think a lot of our students tap into.”
Petrus wants students to understand the significance of this time of year. Many may feel reluctant to go due to the large crowds or the awkwardness of not knowing anyone, she said, but there is a place for everyone.
“I would encourage students, whether new or returning, who maybe haven’t found their connection point yet, to just take a step and try something new,” Petrus said. “You can come to an event for five minutes. If it’s not for you, you can take a step out. We definitely have a mix of larger events and smaller events.
“I do hope that there is a place in the Welcome Week calendar that all of our students can see themselves.”
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Students in the ARC swimming pool during the 2024 Soundwaves Pool Party.
