Activities Grants Light Up Vol Spirit
Vols across arts and humanities interests find community and collaboration through wide-ranging organizations supported by student activities grants.
Student-led organizations throughout the college and university offer Vols a wide range of opportunities to engage with each other on projects that enliven and enrich fellowship, friendship, and fun in campus life—all while connecting classroom insights and building skills through shared, hands-on experiences.
Student activities grants from the college’s Division of Arts and Humanities support many of these endeavors, helping students organize exciting events, create collaborative works like the Phoenix literary magazine, present original student films, and more.
These are just a few ways that Vols find to connect with each other as they build friendships and careers at Rocky Top.
Italian Club: International Festival and Carnevale Ball
Students in the UT Italian Club put grant funds to good use by participating in UT’s annual International Festival and hosting their own Carnevale Ball.
For the festival, events coordinator Hayley Gibson led the team in preparing Italian dishes to share. Festivalgoers also enjoyed Italian trivia, refreshing Italian ice, and a “guess how many noodles are in the jar” game. The Carnevale Ball was an elegant affair with attendees dressed to impress, creating an atmosphere of glamour and celebration. Students crafted colorful masks using an array of feathers, pearls, and decorative elements.
“The grants were essential to making these events possible,” said club president Stefano Broi. “They allowed us to reach a wider audience, collaborate with other organizations, and share Italian culture with the campus community.”
In addition to sharing all things Italian, the club is committed to providing a space where all students can feel a sense of belonging, fostering cultural exchange and community engagement.
“Our club has become known for being a home for students on campus,” said recent graduate Gianna Dovell, previous club president. “We have a lot of Italian American students who feel that the club is their home away from home—it reminds them of their families. We also have students from Italy who know that they have a group of like-minded students who share the love for Italian culture and heritage. If students don’t have Italian heritage, though, that is perfectly fine. We welcome anyone into our club.”
Volunteer Short Films Festival
The Volunteer Short Films (VSF) club hosts its annual Short Films Festival each spring, with support in 2025 from a student activities grant. Spring 2026 marks the festival’s sixth year.
“We accept submissions from club members and non-club members as long as they are UT students,” said VSF co-president Desirea Burke. “We screen all the submissions and the club executive board votes on various superlatives: visual impact, excellence in sound, creative direction, narrative impact, and an overall first, second, and third place.”
The festival brought in students from across campus together to enjoy the hard work of the student filmmakers. Attendees also voted on an audience favorite.
“We wanted to make the attendees feel like they were part of the event rather than just viewers,” said Burke. “They voted on their favorite short film and presented that person with an award.”
The activities grant helped VSF offer refreshments during the screening and give winners miniature movie slates with their film and name printed on them.
“I was pleasantly surprised about getting the grant at the start of planning the festival last year,” said Burke. “We are a smaller club, so our funds come mostly from executive board members splitting costs. The grant was incredibly helpful in hosting the event this year.”
Phoenix Literary Magazine
The Phoenix team’s biggest project is the literary and arts magazine they create and publish each semester. Activities grant funding in 2025 helped with production costs, allowing more submissions to be accepted and more issues to be printed.
“Not only does this enable numerous students to have their works published but it also spreads writing and art for people to enjoy,” said Editor-in-Chief Carrie Cheng. “Everyone is involved in the issue, from the students submitting their pieces to our team that collects and curates each issue.”
Phoenix provides students with the opportunity to engage with others through similar art forms, introducing them to others with similar artistic passions.
“It can be difficult to get your voice out there, but Phoenix gives everyone the chance to step into the creative community,” said Cheng. “No matter where you are from, there are experiences that everyone can relate to, which is shown through the art that is created. Phoenix is a tool that helps share people’s art and writing on a larger scale.”
Chinese Culture Club: China Day
The Chinese Culture Club hosted its annual China Day event with support from a student activities grant, secured in collaboration with the Chinese Students and Scholars Association. Faculty from the Chinese language program at UT helped coordinate the event. The club shared Chinese culture through a China-themed talent show and demonstrations of Asian dance, martial arts, and food with around 130 students and faculty in attendance. The grant helped them offer authentic Chinese cuisine and decorate the Great Room in the UT International House for club members and other guests.
“Our event was a huge success, but it would not have been possible without the support of the Chinese program and the Arts and Humanities grant,” said club co-president Johnson Zhang. “Students were involved in several ways: Our talent show had around 15 participants, with about half of them being students and the other half being faculty or other members of the Chinese community in Knoxville.”
Two other campus student clubs, the K-Pop Dance Association and the WuShu Club, helped open China Day with performances.
“Through the involvement of performers and club collaborators, students were able to form connections through rehearsals and shared stages, while attendees could connect over authentic Chinese cuisine and cultural showcases,” said Zhang. “By featuring both student-led performances and contributions from the Chinese community in Knoxville, the event promoted not only Chinese culture at UT but also gave students a sense of pride in being part of a vibrant, interconnected campus community.”
Other 2025 Arts and Humanities Student Activities Grants recipients and uses:
- Department of Theatre: Musical theatre revue performance.
- UT Print Club: Display system for print sales.
- Black Students for Artistic Expression: Screening of the movie “The Cut.”
- Vols Japanese Culture Association: Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival.
- Sanskrit UTK: Sanskrit educational resources.
By Randall Brown