On Friday, Sept. 22, UT’s Student Government Association held its eighth annual “Slap The Rock” event. This interactive event focused on promoting community and bringing diverse groups together on UT’s campus. Families and students alike were invited to participate in this event and slap the Rock to leave their mark. 

The event was an opportunity for those who might not normally paint the rock to leave their mark and to showcase the extent of the UT family and community as all ages were able to participate in this event. 

“Slap the Rock” kicked off around 10 a.m. with a steady flow of attendees until even after the end of the event at 1 p.m. Notably, Smokey came down to the Rock around noon, leaving his paw print on the rock with all of the other handprints and leading SGA members in the “Cotton Eyed Joe” dance. 

Madison Rogers, a freshman studying chemical engineering and a member of SGA’s First Year Leadership Council, participated in her first “Slap the Rock” this year.

“Everyone’s slapping the same rock,” Rogers said. “It’s really a great symbol for the fact that we’re all one community even though we’re so different. Everyone’s handprints are different too … they each hold someone’s own unique identity and spot on campus. Part of what drew me here was all the talk about the community here, so seeing it right in front of me so clearly is awesome.” 

Jeloux Enriquez, a junior studying political science, French and the communications director for SGA, was enthusiastic about the message conveyed by “Slap the Rock” and was hopeful for the future events SGA has planned.

“We’ve been doing ‘Slap the Rock’ for eight years now, and it’s great to see how this tradition has evolved over the years,” Enriquez said. “I love seeing students with their families out here, and it’s great to see how much the turnout for this event increases each year. I can’t wait for the rest of the school year with SGA and what we’ve got planned. Campus is a special place to be right now.” 

Kaitlyn Novak, a freshman and out-of-state student studying political science, also participated in the event on her way to class. 

“As an out-of-state student, I didn’t really know all of the traditions at UT, so when I got here and saw the rock, I knew I wanted to paint it one day. I just wasn’t really sure how people went about doing that,” Novak said. “So when I saw SGA handing out gloves and paint, I figured, why not? They made it super easy to participate, and it was fun painting the Rock for the first time. Hopefully, I can do it again someday soon.” 

To paint the Rock at this event, participants first grabbed a glove, or a grocery bag if you’re Smokey, then got their hand painted by SGA volunteers. Participants then made their mark wherever they wanted to on the Rock, with some even climbing to the top to set their handprints out from the rest. By the end of the event, the Rock was covered in various shades of orange along with handprints of all shapes and sizes. 

SGA has a full calendar of events for the rest of the year with several ways to get involved outside of painting the Rock listed on their website.