GREENEVILLE – Pioneer Arena rocked as about 1,100 students descended on the facility to watch the Tusculum University men’s basketball team play a game Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Classmates pose with one of the prize winners at the game.
Students have fun at the game.
While this was a sporting event at its core, it was more than just about dunks and winning the game. It was an opportunity to give these elementary school and middle school students a chance to visit campus and further strengthen the relationships Tusculum has with Greene County Schools and Greeneville City Schools as well as with the community.
“This game enables these kids to see the campus,” said J.T. Burton, the head men’s basketball coach. “We have our Reading with the Pioneers program, where we go to most of these schools. Through that program, they develop a personal relationship with our student-athletes. But when they come to Tusculum, they fully understand that the university has basketball teams and has a beautiful campus.”
Burton said the event is also beneficial for the teachers, many of whom are Tusculum graduates. The game gives them a chance to return to their alma mater, which is particularly neat if they have not been back for a while.
One of those alumni is Lyndsey Rowlands, who teaches fourth grade at Tusculum View Elementary. She graduated from the university in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and later switched to the teaching profession. She was pleased the men’s basketball program held this event.
“It’s really good that they invited the students to come here because a lot of our students will never get this experience again,” Rowlands said. “It was a great day for them, and it was exciting to be part of the atmosphere, too.”
The students were into the game from the moment they arrived. They moved to songs such as “YMCA” when they played over the loudspeaker and displayed their excitement whenever the Pioneers performed well. The students were greeted with open arms, with public address announcer Mike Maggert giving each school a rousing introduction.
Highland Elementary School students celebrate at the game.
Men’s basketball players have fun with the 6-7 craze with Tusculum View Elementary students.
Some of the students were able to participate in activities on the court during breaks in the action. Students were also able to get their faces painted, eat great food and mingle with the basketball players after the game. The players waded into the crowd and took photos with the students.
Tusculum defeated The Crown College 127-72.
Schools in attendance were Doak Elementary School, Tusculum View Elementary School, Baileyton Elementary School, Highland Elementary School, South Greene Middle School, West Greene Middle School and Chuckey-Doak Middle School.
“A lot of these kids have probably never been to a college campus or even to a basketball game in general,” Rowlands said. “For them to come and be able to witness that and experience it themselves with their friends is really cool for them.”
Rowlands said it was nice for the alumni teachers to be able to tell their students that they went to college at Tusculum. She was a cheerleader at Tusculum and showed the students where she stood in the arena during the games. She has been back to campus for football games and other events, but this basketball game was the first time she had returned to the arena since she graduated. It was fun for her to reflect, and she sent messages to some of her former teammates about it.
“The teams that were on the floor today are going to better their lives by going to college,” Rowlands said. “It’s cool to see that they’re pursuing their passion and playing sports, but they’re also here to get an education. It’s neat for our students to understand that this college can be fun and a great experience for you. But you’re also here to make your lives better and to go on after college with what you were going to do with your life.”
Fellow students gather around two of the prize winners at the game.
Teacher Cheyene Burrow, who won a prize, is surrounded by students.
Another alumna who teaches fourth grade math at Tusculum View is Cheyene Burrow. She graduated from the university in 2016 with a bachelor’s in elementary education and returns to campus as often as she can. She had a similar perspective to Rowlands.
“Today was awesome,” Burrow said. “I really enjoyed it, and the kids did, too. They were able to cheer and meet the players, and they just really loved the experience.”
She believes an event like this one helps plant the seed for these students that college is something to which they can aspire in the future. She said the event makes them aware of all of the possibilities that await them in the future.
Caroline Gray, a sixth grader at West Greene Middle School, said she enjoyed attending the game, particularly when the players visited with the students afterward. This was not her first time to the campus. She said she came for a fifth grade leadership class.
“It’s pretty exciting to be on campus to see what our future will be like,” Caroline said.
Carrie Aldridge, who teaches sixth grade English and language arts at West Greene, is another Tusculum alumna. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in elementary education K-8. She seconded Caroline’s comments about the joy of interacting with the players and commended the team for the way it handled that situation.
She saw definite value in bringing the students to campus.
Tusculum University basketball player Bryce Jackson greets students in the stands after the game.
This girl enjoyed having her face painted.
“When you put students in situations that they’re normally not in and they can see a variety of things going on, then that opens their horizons to many different aspects of what they can do when they get older. They can do anything that they want to do.”
Dr. Scott Hummel, the university’s president, said Tusculum welcomed the opportunity to host the students and their teachers.
“We value our connections with the community and are proud to be part of Greene County, Greeneville and this region,” he said. “Even though these students are several years away from college, it is good for them to know that higher education is an important component of future success. Tusculum transforms the lives of students through active and experiential learning in a caring Christian environment that prepares them to be career-ready professionals. We would be pleased to help these students achieve their academic and professional dreams.”
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.