MC News Briefs: Oct. 20, 2026

From Staff Reports | Oct. 20, 2026

New this year, The Highland Echo is collecting news briefs about the College, events, activities and news of note that give you greater insight into what’s happening around Maryville College. If you have a suggestion for something specific you’d like to see published, email News Editor Ansley Hoard at [email protected].

Get your Dog on

The Office of Community and Belonging will hold a “Chili Dog Fest” from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at McArthur Pavilion on the edge of the Maryville College Woods.

The event will feature chili dogs for consumption, lawn games, a program on “Chili” — the beloved pet buried just outside of the Maryville College cemetery — and a visit from the therapy dogs of HABIT (Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee), a program by the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Admission is free, and the “Chili Dog Fest” is open to all students.

Homecoming this weekend

Just in case you pay absolutely no attention to anything happening on campus … get ready for a whirlwind of activity this week. Maryville College’s annual Homecoming celebration officially kicks off Friday, Oct. 23, but Homecoming-related events will be taking place all week. 

On Monday, student clubs and organizations revealed their respective Homecoming banners along the railing of the balcony overlooking Isaac’s; winners will be announced by end of day on Friday, Oct. 23, according to Doniqua Chen (’15), MC director of student involvement. In addition, Chen said, the 2026 Maryville College Homecoming Court will be recognized during halftime ceremonies of Saturday’s Maryville College Football game vs. Berry College, which kicks off at 1 p.m.

Another Homecoming event sponsored by the MC Division of Student Affairs includes a “silent disco” for current MC students at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, in the SCOT-LAND entertainment area (in front of Cooper Athletic Center). Those events are free, and no registration is required. 

Other Homecoming Week activities of note:

• “Love Shouldn’t Be Scary,” a workshop on healthy relationships and how to recognize those that might be unhealthy, from 1-2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the MC PAVE Lounge (Bartlett 102). It’s a presentation of PAVE and the MC Counseling Center; 
• The Knoxville Vintage Market at Camp 4, from 2-7 p.m. in the Crawford House parking lot, featuring 15 vintage vendors, a food truck and lemonade stand and $10 Alpine Tower climbs;
• A Student Homecoming Art Gallery exhibit of recent works by MC students in all concentrations of art and design, on display on the second floor of the Clayton Center’s Building B from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday;
• A Homecoming Mocktail Hour from 1-2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Center for Campus Ministry featuring three to four pre-made mocktails for sampling, trivia and the promotion of safe alcohol use; and
• The Connection Plate Lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, in Isaac’s Café, presented by the MC Office of Community and Belonging, and the MC Alumni Community and Belonging Taskforce. Designed to promote connections, storytelling and conversation across generations, you must RSVP in advance, but you can get a free lunch voucher from Isaac’s. RSVP through the Maryville College Cairn portal.

The weekend will include numerous long-standing Homecoming traditions as well, from the Founder’s Day Showcase and a full concert by the Maryville College Homecoming Choir on Friday; the Alvin C. Baker (’72) Harvest Craft Fair, SCOT-LAND Fan Zone and the annual Homecoming Parade on Saturday; and the Service of Remembrance on Sunday. For more information, visit www.maryvillecollege.edu/homecoming.

Spooky stuff on the horizon

Mark your calendars: At 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, the MC Global Citizenship Organization, Residence Life and the Alpha Psi Omega theatrical honor society are putting on a haunted house at House in the Woods. Students interested in playing a role, helping decorate or helping out can complete a Google form sent last week through your Today@MC email.

‘Highland Hires’ set for Nov. 4

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Maryville College Career Center will host “Highland Hires,” described as “our flagship career and internship fair,” in the William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer of the Clayton Center for the Arts.

The annual event brings roughly 50 organizations, businesses, recruiters and nonprofits to the Clayton Center for a tabling event aimed at MC juniors and seniors. It’s designed to fit into a student’s job search alongside other Career Center amenities, said Dr. Niklas Trzaskowski, Career Center director.

“Several of our students are very determined in knowing what they want to do after they graduate,” Trzaskowski told MC Marketing & Communications in 2024. “They often approach these events as an opportunity to discover if an organization will have careers available that match their interest. Many other students use our events as an opportunity to explore and to find out more about organizations as well as opportunities available to them both while they are still in school through internships and after they graduate.”

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and follows six weeks after the Career Center’s Graduate School and Continuing Education Fair, which took place Wednesday, Sept. 23. For more information, call the Career Center at 865-981-8400, or email [email protected].