What happens when you combine throngs of freshmen, hundreds of free burgers, kicking reggae music and the UT pep band in one event?
You get the annual Freshmen Picnic.
At Sunday’s picnic, part of Welcome Week for new students, the faculty grilled burgers and prepared food while students listened to reggae music and looked for friendly faces.
“This is all the freshmen’s first time to come back together,” Hannah Keith, an orientation leader, said. “It’s a great time for them to meet new friends and meet back up with people from orientation.”
Freshmen came to the picnic for many reasons, however, most made the decision to attend based on the free food and the chance to meet new people.
“I didn’t have anything better to do,” Katie McClanahan, a freshman in political science, said. “I think that it was a nice way to meet new people.”
“I know there’s a lot of new people here, and there’s also a lot of people that I know from last year,” Tenesea Washington, a freshman planning to major in chemistry, said.
However, Washington said she couldn’t lie – “I came for the free food.”
Later in the evening, the pep band and cheerleaders provided the freshmen with entertainment, which ranged from teaching the distinguished alma mater to UT’s fight song “Rocky Top.”
Towards the end of the picnic, President John W. Shumaker and UT football head coach Philip Fulmer gave short pep talks to the freshmen.
Shumaker provided the crowd with a positive outlook for the future.
“We are both members of the entering class of 2002. So, let’s stay together for the next few years and see if we can make UT a better place,” Shumaker said. “This is the best time of the academic year for all of us.
“Your residence hall rooms are big enough, you have lots of space, the food is great, the parking is plentiful, all of the professors are fantastic, you all have ‘A’ averages so far and better than anything else the football team is undefeated.”
On the other hand, Fulmer provided the new students with something to cheer about for the football season.
“We’ve got an exciting looking football team,” Fulmer said. “I know that we are certainly excited about the opportunity that we have. We’re picked very high again to go and do well, and I think our team will represent you very well.”
When the event was over, freshmen had mixed emotions about their experience at the picnic.
“It was a good chance to meet everyone, (but) it’s really hot outside,” Dana Tahert, a freshman in communication, said. “Free food is good, and I’ve introduced myself to a couple of people. All-in-all it’s a win-win situation.”
Shannon Parcells, a freshman planning to major in communications, had a different outlook on the picnic. “I came to meet people, but it really wasn’t social.”
