Welcome back to those who took advantage of fall break to get away for a few days! I hope you came back refreshed and energized.
Thank you to Dr. Noma Anderson for her inspiring keynote address at our second annual MOC Forward Conference, held Tuesday in the University Center with the theme “Communities and Conversations on the Path to Inclusive Excellence.” Special adviser to the UT System President for diversity and inclusion, Dr. Anderson is well-versed in the advantages and importance of embracing diversity and inclusion. Thanks also to those who made presentations, participated in panel discussions, and to the organizers.
Homecoming Week activities start this coming Monday, October 22. The week is packed with events for students, faculty, alumni and the general public. The kickoff Pep Rally takes place Monday at 6:00 p.m. at Chamberlain Pavilion, and the week winds up at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 27, when our Mocs football team faces VMI in Finley Stadium. The Homecoming website – https://www.utc.edu/homecoming – has a complete list of the events for every day of the week. Join in and experience our Homecoming spirit!
Speaking of our football team, the Mocs scored a huge victory last Saturday by beating Western Carolina 26-6. Our defense rose to the occasion, because the Catamounts had not scored less than 28 points all season. This marks the fifth straight time the Mocs have won in the Catamounts’ home stadium. The Mocs are now 5-2 overall and 3-2 in the Southern Conference.
I want to congratulate our women’s soccer team for their important outreach efforts in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Their game against Samford University last Friday—the final home game for the team—was designated as “Pink Out.” Everyone who attended was asked to wear pink. Representatives from Erlanger Health System were there to hand out information about breast cancer and its treatment. It also was Senior Night, and graduating seniors Masey Fox and Molli Miller were recognized for their contributions to the team.
We have received questions on whether our new, beautiful Tennis Center will be open to students, faculty and staff. The answer is “yes,” but some construction work still needs to be done at the center, so no specific date has been set for its availability to all. When the center is officially open, the schedule, sign-up sheet and other information will be on the Campus Recreation website at https://www.utc.edu/campus-recreation/.