{"id":60528,"date":"2024-08-16T08:12:31","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T12:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=60528"},"modified":"2025-10-22T10:58:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:58:39","slug":"step-into-campus-life-welcome-week-2024-welcomes-new-mocs-to-utc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2024\/08\/step-into-campus-life-welcome-week-2024-welcomes-new-mocs-to-utc\/","title":{"rendered":"Step into campus life: Welcome Week 2024 welcomes new Mocs to UTC"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Oak Street Roast, a campus block party that takes place the evening before classes start, is one of the signature events of UTC’s Welcome Week. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is gearing up for another exciting Welcome Week, an annual tradition that introduces new students to campus life.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s festivities, which take place from Sunday, Aug. 18, through Saturday, Aug. 24, are set to kick off with the immensely popular Oak Street Roast\u2014marking the beginning of a week chockful of opportunities for students to connect, explore and immerse themselves in the UTC community.<\/p>\n

Laura Petrus, director of student and family engagement at UTC, is at the helm of this initiative.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the magical pieces about Welcome Week for me is that it is really designed to help students make connections and experience what our campus has to offer,\u201d said Petrus, who has been involved with UTC\u2019s opening week events since 2018. \u201cWe see so many different types of events, and there are so many throughout each day that I think it\u2019s really helpful for a student who may not even know where to start; just pick a couple of things and try them out.\u201d<\/p>\n

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More than 70 events are on the <\/em>Welcome Week calendar<\/em><\/strong><\/a> and most can be found in <\/em>MocSync<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u2014the University\u2019s student engagement platform.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Petrus explained that Welcome Week is more than just a series of events; it\u2019s a crucial time for new students to acclimate to University life. She encouraged all students\u2014whether first-year students, transfer students, or returning students\u2014to step out of their comfort zones and dive into the experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cAttending Welcome Week events is an excellent way to test those waters without really committing to something,\u201d she said. \u201cIt helps students see what our campus has to offer throughout the year.\u201d<\/p>\n

The week also serves as a reminder of the importance of getting involved early, which she believes is critical to a successful college experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting involved early is just so important for students to stay in college and be successful,\u201d she said. \u201cThe magic of involvement as a whole is really helping these students create the college experience they want and helping UTC feel like a home away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welcome Week 2024 promises to be particularly memorable, she said, with several signature events taking center stage.<\/p>\n

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Oak Street Roast<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe Oak Street Roast, a long-standing campus tradition, is expected to be bigger and better than ever,\u201d Petrus said. \u201cWe have new plans and some tricks up our sleeves.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a new twist for 2024, the Oak Street Roast<\/strong><\/a>\u2014a campus block party that takes place on Sunday, Aug. 18\u2014will also feature a student organization fair, giving students a chance to explore involvement opportunities right from the start.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives students the ability to seek those involvement opportunities right before classes start, which I think is going to be great,\u201d Petrus said.<\/p>\n

She noted that many events from past Welcome Weeks are back on the calendar, saying that \u201cwe are starting to see a lot more traditions being created.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past couple of years, campus partners have really dug into these traditions at the beginning of the academic year. I think you\u2019re going to continue to see our students introduced to some of our highlight signature events,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Petrus noted several signature Welcome Week events are top-of-mind when talking about campus traditions, including:<\/p>\n