on a hallowed hill in Tennessee

On a Hallowed hill in Tennessee,
Like Beacon shining bright,
The stately walls of old U.T.
Rise glorious to the sight.
So here's to you old Tennessee, 
Our Alma Mater true.
We pledge in love and harmony
Our loyalty to you.

If you have ever been to a football game at Neyland Stadium on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, you have heard these words sung during the Pride of the Southland Band's halftime show. I was a proud alumna yesterday when my family spent most of the day on campus for the UT Scholars Invitational. My son didn't need another campus visit to help him decide where to go to college (since he apparently made that decision about the time he started kindergarten), but we made the trip to learn more about the honors programs offered at UT. As a 1985 graduate of UT's College Scholars program, I was personally pleased to discover how the honors program has grown through the years, and I am confident that Chaney is going to receive an outstanding education at my alma mater.

During a browse session when we were encouraged to visit with representatives of various campus programs, we stopped at the booth hosted by the Office of Student Orientation and Leadership Development. The young woman who greeted us was extremely excited to discover that Paul and I were both former Student Orientation Assistants (SOAs). I served as an SOA during both my summers at UT, and Paul and I began dating when we served together as SOAs during the summer of 1984. We had actually interacted briefly during the previous summer when we both took a U.S. History course that required us to watch videos on small monitors in the library. We met when we both were waiting in the library to watch a documentary about Justice Hugo Black. During that first encounter, Paul was wondering why I was wearing purple overalls, and I was wondering where in the world Philadelphia, Tennessee, was. (For the record, Paul's hometown is located 40 miles southwest of Knoxville between Loudon and Sweetwater.)

I never dreamed as I roamed the campus of the University of Tennessee for three happy years that one day I would have a son who would follow in my footsteps. But by this time next fall, he will be the one roaming, and I couldn't be happier for him.