New students entering the fall semester at The University of Texas at Austin will be guests of honor during the traditional Gone To Texas welcoming ceremony at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 28. The event will feature greetings from President Bill Powers and an event finale by the Texas Longhorn Band.
Gone To Texas introduces new students including incoming freshmen and transfer, graduate and law students to the traditions of the institution and its core purpose, values and honor code.
The fun-filled program, sponsored by the Office of the President, also will feature live performances by student groups showcasing the diversity of the university community and will include presentation of the Gone to Texas video contest finalists and winners.
The university’s schools and colleges also have scheduled programs earlier in the evening to welcome new students and introduce them to fellow students, faculty members and staffers. A list of the pre-event activities by schools and colleges is available online.
The first Gone to Texas welcoming event on campus was held in 1997. The event’s theme is inspired by a chapter of Texas history. More than 200 years ago, as adventurers pulled up stakes seeking a fresh start, three letters etched on homestead doors revealed their destination. “GTT” was written on the doors of people indicating they had “Gone to Texas.”
The University of Texas at Austin is now a tobacco-free campus. Use of tobacco products is prohibited in university buildings and on university grounds within the state of Texas, including parking areas, sidewalks, walkways, attached parking structures and university-owned buildings.
More information about Gone To Texas is available at utexas.edu/events/gtt.
