KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee did not hold a typical graduation ceremony for its 2020 graduates, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, graduation went digital and the campus stayed silent.
However, the Pride of the Southland Band did not let 2020 graduates enter the Vol alumni family without a little celebration to welcome them. Band members played Rocky Top from their homes and posted a video on the UT Knoxville Alumni Facebook page.
The video talks about the spirit of the Tennessee Volunteers and pledges that the campus community will return.
"Our hallowed hill sits silent," the video said. "But the warmth of her traditions and the splendor of her pageantry are still very much alive. For soon, we will gather at her arms again, with the spirit of Rocky Top living in those who are the Tennessee Volunteers, and we shall lift our voices to the sound."
The video posted on Facebook also includes photos of band members. In it, videos of band members playing their instruments are displayed together as if they were performing together during a live event.
"We may be silent for the moment, but we will be back — stronger," they said in the video. "Because nothing is stronger than the heart of a Volunteer."