Originally published by UTC Echo
This article was originally published by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s UTC News. It is being republished here by the Department of Political Science & Public Service to highlight the work and accomplishments of our faculty. The original article can be viewed on the UTC News website.
Original publication date: September 23, 2026
Original author: Ella Morgan
“9 to 5: A Dolly Parton Celebration” is set to take place Friday, Sept. 25 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Room 201 of Derthick Hall.
The event will be hosted by the Political Science and Public Service Department, and will feature a variety of Parton-themed activities, including trivia and a costume contest. To cap it off, there will be a screening of “9 to 5,” the 1980 film starring Parton, for which she famously wrote the theme song on her acrylic nails.
According to the PSPS department’s Instagram, students are invited to enjoy themed snacks and dress in denim, rhinestones, cowboy boots or big hair for their best Parton-inspired outfits.
“We don’t want it to be sad, like a memorial, because that didn’t seem very Dolly to us,” Ella Dubendorfer, the administrative assistant for PSPS, said. “We want to celebrate her life.”
According to Dubendorfer, the idea for the event started after she and Michelle Evans, an associate professor in the PSPS department, were devastated following the news of Parton’s death.
“We were actually together when we found out about Dolly’s passing,” Dubendorfer said. “I grew up in Appalachia, and my whole life, Dolly was this queen—an almost godlike figure. Her legacy is amazing.”
Evans said her way of celebrating that legacy was including donation opportunities for causes Parton philanthropized during her life.
“Her giving back and service, while having this deep faith—I was very moved by her,” Evans said. “This is my emotional way of respecting that. And so I wanted to provide opportunities for others to have that type of emotional connection, or maybe an element of the grieving process.”
Donation bins for children’s books and nonperishable food will be available at the event, inspired by Parton’s Imagination Library and support of food banks. Evans also pledged to match monetary donations (up to a specified amount) made to support Scrappy’s Cupboard or other Parton-related charitable causes.
Although donations will be accepted, Evans and Dubendorfer said that students should feel no pressure to contribute—rather, they should focus on enjoying the event.
They also hoped that students would learn from Parton’s ability to unite people across political, cultural and religious lines.
“She had her viewpoints,” Evans said. “They weren’t necessarily something everyone agreed on, but she did it with such grace– so that she wasn’t putting down anybody else’s beliefs.”
Evans said that in more controversial times, the message they had taken away from Parton’s life was her focus on community and diplomacy.
“She just kind of modeled what it is we hope to be,” Evans said.