It’s the first Saturday night before your first year at UT. You’re nervous about finding your place on campus or maybe having a hard time adjusting to being away from your family for the first time. What are your plans? Will you doom scroll on your phone, alone in your room? Will you order takeout and stress about classes or making new friends?

Or will you have a blast with other students and with people who can help you navigate resources, find what you need to be your best at UT, and support you during your entire collegiate career?

Thousands of students chose the latter and spent their first Saturday night on campus, or back on campus for continuing students, with the Division of Student Life at Tennessee Saturday Night.

This premiere event was hosted across many rooms and spaces in the Student Union and introduced students to every department in the division amid a fun, energetic atmosphere with food, fun, and fireworks.

The Student Union is often referred to as the “campus living room,” with spaces where students meet friends, get food, engage with student organizations, and gather with others. It’s a community space and an event-hosting hub on campus.

“With this event, we wanted to create an atmosphere that echoes our commitment to mattering and belonging on campus,” said Frank Cuevas, vice chancellor for Student Life at UT. “From inflatable mini golf to canvas painting to airbrush tattoos to sensory experiences like making slime, every student could find an activity for them. Considering the diverse interests of our student body helps students find community.”

From dodgeball to bingo, students were able to create a tailored evening suited to their own personalities and interests, all while accessing information and meeting staff members from offices that aren’t always at the

forefront of the student experience, like the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and the Big Orange Tix team.

At check-in, students received a passport guide that listed the activities available and the office students could engage with at each station. Students received tickets for the activities they participated in and turned those tickets in for a chance to win prizes like a TV, a $500 gas card, a Nintendo Switch, and gift cards to the UT VolShop.

“We wanted students to leave that night knowing that Rocky Top is a vibrant campus community that cares and supports them,” adds Cuevas. “There is a place for every Vol and for what they love to do.”