Roane State Community College

Roane State Middle College students Emily Ashbrook, left, and Reagan Dudley receive information about the Rotary Club’s program for young people, titled Rotaract, from Clinton Rotary Club member Tom F. Connolly during Monday’s version of the college’s Welcome Back Week observance on the Harriman campus.

Corey Reed, student engagement coordinator at Roane State, shows a pair of the free

Aug. 28, 2017

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

New and returning Roane State students were able to pick up a bounty of treats as well as tips for academic success during the traditional “Welcome Back Week” observances at the college’s campuses.

The Harriman campus celebration kicked off the events on Aug. 28 and featured 18 tables next to the library loaded with giveaways ranging from nutrition bars to pens to popcorn, as well as information about college activities and local organizations.

Welcome Back Week at Roane State locations has been observed in some fashion or another throughout her 18-year career with the college, said Brenda Rector, the dean of students. “It gets our students revved up for the year,” she said.

This year, there’s an emphasis on safety, she said, including a user-friendly site on the college’s web page titled “Be Safe At Roane State.” Just type in “safe” in the search bar on the college’s main webpage, Rector said.

“It’s the right thing to do for students,” she said.

Area businesses and organizations were well-represented on the Harriman campus. For example, Clinton Rotary Club member Tom F. Connolly was recruiting potential members of “Rotaract,” a Junior Rotary Club.

Details about various college services and activities, from free tutoring to membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, were also available.

Nicole Hood, a vice president of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Roane State Community College, shows off a T-shirt bearing the society’s name during Welcome Back Week observances at the college’s Harriman campus.

“I love Roane State,” said college sophomore Nicole Hood, a vice president of the society. “The teachers are phenomenal here.”

Students wandered through the area as music from radio station WKHT –better known as Hot 104.5 - set the background tempo for the event.

Roane State alumnus Myranda McGhee, a station employee, gave her appraisal of her college experience: “I loved it,” she said. “The college gives you all the knowledge and resources of big colleges, but you don’t get lost in a big crowd.”

Pre-med major Miranda Blasingame, who lives in the Midway community of Roane County, said Roane State was her first choice for her initial college experience because “it’s close to home and free.”

Also checking out the displays in Harriman were two Middle College students, Emily Ashbrook, a Rockwood High School senior, and Reagan Dudley, a senior at Kingston High.

They attend Roane State in the morning and return to their high schools in the afternoon. “It’s a lot better than going to high school all day,” Emily said.

With the Middle College program, “We have more opportunities to learn,” Reagan said.