The Rock is Moving

I received an email this morning (not that exclusive... it went out to all students) from the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs that the Rock is being moved. Full text of the email below.

For those of you unfamiliar, the Rock is nothing more than a gigantic rock that the students paint with various messages. In the last couple of years, football fans have used it to paint welcoming messages for visiting recruits... most recently Jesse Scroggins.

To: Knoxville-area UT Students
From: W. Timothy Rogers, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Subject: Moving the Rock

For the second time in its history, the "Rock", a campus icon and venue for student self-expression, is going to be moved to a new location.

The new site will be 275 feet diagonally across the street -- north of Volunteer Boulevard, at the intersection of Pat Head Summitt Street -- from where it now sits.

The move is necessary, as the current location will be the site of a new and significantly expanded Student Health Center, set to begin construction this fall. This 109,242-square-foot building, which will include a pharmacy, will not leave enough space for the Rock and the freedom of speech activities we all treasure.

The Rock's new site is an equally high-profile venue. By moving across the street, the Rock will enhance our long-term plan to create an "arts quad" by extending the pedestrian walkway, adding green space and developing a gathering place for students.

Throughout this planning process, we have conferred with Student Government Association President Laura Nishida and 2008-09 SGA President Jeff Wilcox. Last semester, Jeff accompanied us as we toured the area to find a suitable new home for the Rock.

The move will take place sometime this month. We will announce the date and time so people can be there to witness this moment in UT history. I hope you will join us.

In addition, we are planning a Celebration of the Rock for Welcome Week. We will provide details as plans are finalized.

As some of you may know, the Rock was discovered in 1966 when UT was expanding to the area now known as Fiji Island. The Rock was moved from Fiji Island to its present location that year.