The Rock (University of Tennessee)

The Rock on 9-16-2024

The Rock is a large dolomite boulder on the Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee.[1] It is a prominent part of student life and campus culture, and is often painted with murals or political messages.[2] These include many paintings of mascots, coaches, and protest artwork for various causes.[3]

History

The Rock was originally unearthed in 1966 during construction work.[2]

The tradition of painting the boulder began in the early 1980s, and after a brief attempt to keep it graffiti free, the university administration decided in 1982 to cease the removal of graffiti unless it was considered offensive. This prompted a discussion surrounding the freedom of speech implications of selectively removing messages. The university decided to depend on the student body to regulate the appearance of the Rock, a policy which has been in place since.[4]

In 2009, it was moved from its original location to the lawn of the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center to make room for an expansion of the Student Health Center, a distance of about 275 feet. The relocation involved a specialized flatbed truck, and took more than 13 hours.[5]

Controversy

In the aftermath of the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting, a memorial painted on the Rock was defaced with a swastika and the words "Stronger through Hate."[6] Since early 2017, there had been several other incidents of hate speech being promoted on the Rock, including the words "white pride" being written on the boulder.[6] It is thought that the far-right Traditionalist Worker Party was responsible, as the abbreviation TWP was included in one of the messages. After both incidents, the student body responded by painting over the messages.[6]

In response, the University of Tennessee installed a 24/7 livestream of the Rock as a "symbol that our community is taking collective responsibility for the Rock".[5]

References

  1. ^ DeMarco, Alexandra DeMarco, Campus News (2020-01-08). "The history of UT's iconic 'Rock'". The Daily Beacon. Retrieved 2024-09-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b "History | The Rock". therock.utk.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  3. ^ "The Rock | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville". therock.utk.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  4. ^ "Rock, the". Volopedia. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  5. ^ a b "Why does the University of Tennessee livestream The Rock? | Know Your Knox". knoxnews.com. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  6. ^ a b c Dorman, Travis. "Swastikas painted on the Rock at the University of Tennessee — again". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-09-15.