Follow Friday: See Our @UVA_Summer Instagram!

Follow Friday

See Our @UVA_Summer Instagram!

Like hearing about student life at UVA? Want to see more of UVA's grounds and what there is for students to do during their time here? Then follow the summer interns and tour guides on Instagram! Be sure to search for the account--uva_summer, the hashtag--#uvasummer, and hashtag your own pictures of your UVA experiences. To view the Instagram in your browser, click here.

Below are some of the most-liked posts from the past week:

"Is it just me, or does it feel like a Monday? Thank goodness there's so many places to get caffeinated at #UVA! #ParaCoffee #Starbucks #DunkinDonuts #Greenberrys #uvasummer"

5.27.14

"Perfect weather and a perfect afternoon for corn hole outside the Newcomb Game Room! #uvasummer #cornhole #nofilter"

5.23.14

"#tbt to the time the Rotunda had a giant annex before the fire of 1895. #uva #history #uvasummer"

5.22.14

Hear Us Shout & Roar: My First UVA Football Game

Hear Us Shout & Roar

My First UVA Football Game

by Wyatt Moorer

Growing up I went to nearly every Alabama football home game that I could. Naturally, coming to Virginia I was initially apprehensive about our football team 'cause, to me, nothing could live up to the fanfare and excitement that an Alabama football game had. Turns out, this expectation was largely proven correct. Don’t get me wrong, UVA’s football games have their own creative traditions and features, but over the years I had grown too spoiled to Roll Tide and in all honesty – to winning.

That being said, UVA’s football team has its own advantages. The mood of the student body does not change with a win or a loss. We can fill the hill in our Sunday best and the good old song after every score is great (even if we do not sing it often). But what makes UVA’s football more entertaining than Alabama is that winning is not expected. That makes every win that much more enjoyable and exhilarating. Take for instance, the first game of the 2013 football season, UVA vs. BYU. It was my first ever UVA football game and I was excited to see what the atmosphere was like. Learning the new chants, hand motions, and traditions was a bit of an adjustment, but I slowly got a hold of them. Then to add to the excitement, there was a close to two-hour rain delay. The game was close throughout, but at the very end UVA was able to pull out a late touchdown to win the game. Rain drenched and belting the good old song was by far one of the best experiences of my first year at UVA.

Be sure not to miss the experience!

2014 Football Schedule: Click Here

Let's Get Traditional: Rotunda Sing

Let's Get Traditional

Rotunda Sing

by Will Bennett

The University of Virginia is a school with many old and historic traditions, but we start off the academic year with one of our most beloved traditions: Rotunda Sing. Rotunda Sing is an event where all of the A Capella groups at UVa perform on the steps of the Rotunda for the UVa student body as the students sit on the Lawn. Rotunda Sing is usually during the first week of classes, so it serves as a great welcome back to Grounds for the returning UVa students as well as a welcome to the new UVa first-year students. The A Cappella groups at UVa vary in size, history, and musical genre, with some groups specializing in Broadway show tunes, jazz songs, song remixes, and modern pop songs.

Rotunda Sing is an event that you do not want to miss, especially if you are a first year student. For starters, the UVa A Capella groups are incredibly talented and are always very entertaining to watch. Rotunda Sing is also one of the events that helps to create a strong sense of community among the UVa students at the beginning of the year, especially for the new first-year students. At the end of the concert, the students sing the Good Old Song together and as a first-year student, this is where I really felt that I was now a part of the UVa community. Any UVa student will tell you that the Rotunda and the Lawn are the center of the University of Virginia, and being able to sing the Good Old Song with hundreds of other UVa students on one of your first nights at UVa is truly an unforgettable experience.

Rotunda Sing Essentials

When: First week of the Fall semester.

Where: The Lawn

Stuff to Bring: Blankets or towels to sit on, food, water

In the Audience: Continue Your Interest in Theater with First Year Players

In the Audience

Continue Your Interest in Theater with First Year Players

by Andrew Barat

If you are an incoming or current first year or if you are an upperclassman who loves to see musicals,the performing arts group on grounds for you is First Year Players.  This organization puts on a show every semester and, despite its name, you can get involved no matter what year you are at UVa. I have been lucky enough to be a part of the cast for the two shows my first year, but my favorite experience so far has been watching the musical this past fall, Legally Blonde.  I served on the production staff for this show and got to watch all the aspects of the performance come together, from the great dances and songs to the movable set the tech teams had to construct.  When the first performance began, it was amazing to see how every aspect of FYP's community came together to create a successful show.

Here's how you can get involved:

• Cast: At the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters auditions are held, but only first years or first year transfer students are allowed to audition. All you need to prepare is a short song, but be ready to dance and read a monologue as well.
• Pit orchestra: Anyone can audition to be a member of the orchestra for a show and auditions are held around the same time as cast auditions.  Each show will have its own requirements for instruments so contact the pit director of each show to see what they need.
• Technical Crews: You do not have to be a first year to join a technical crew.  Anyone can be a part of one of the various tech teams that are needed to put on each show.  These allow new students or upperclassmen to join as new members and meet once a week until about two weeks prior to the show.

If you want to know more about First Year Players, check out their website by clicking here. They will be putting on The Producers in the Fall semester of 2014, so be sure to come see it or join to help out with the show!

My Date with CVille: Brunching Off Grounds

My Date with CVille

Brunching Off Grounds

by Jared Morgan

If you think breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then you haven’t had brunch in Charlottesville. This past weekend I ventured off Grounds with friends to a student and Charlottesville favorite--The Pigeon Hole. If you need something to do on a Sunday between 9:00AM and 3:00PM (or just a really good reason to roll out of bed in between those times), then The Pigeon Hole is your best bet. Biscuits and Red Eye Gravy might be my favorite, but the whole menu is great including the Huevos Rancheros shown below.

Highlights of The Pigeon Hole include:

• The eggs benedict menu
• Sitting outside and enjoying the weather
• Running into practically everyone you know
• The aforementioned reason to roll out of bed on a Sunday morning

After brunch, my friends and I took advantage the public gardens at UVA and strolled around the Lawn and Pavilions. Our favorite spot was Garden X (below). Brunch in CVille is the perfect way to spend any morning or afternoon, get off grounds for a bit, but still enjoy all UVA has to offer.

Cost

• $7-$12 per meal

Transportation

• The Pigeon Hole is right on the Corner--just a short walk from grounds

Other Suggestions

• The Nook on the Downtown Mall (accessible in 10 min. via the Trolley) is great if you’re looking to get a little further off grounds
• For brunch on a budget, head straight to UVA’s gardens with Bodo’s Bagels in hand!

Introducing the 2014 Office of Admission Interns

Introducing the 2014 Office of Admission Interns

Welcome to our new tour guides and bloggers!

At the UVA Office of Undergraduate Admission, we're thrilled to welcome our eight new summer interns. Studying everything from Elementary Education to Marketing to Engineering, this group of rising second through fifth year Master's students will be leading UVA visitors around Grounds on informational walking tours. They'll cover everything from housing to extracurricular involvements to UVA traditions and secret societies (at least the not too secretive parts!). They'll also be leading online readers through bimonthly blog posts, with a new post from a different blogger every day Monday through Thursday. Keep your eyes peeled and follow Hoo Stories, this all starts next week!

Topics include...

Click on the name of one of the interns for his or her personal bio!

Mondays

Jared Morgan, a fourth year studying Commerce, will take you out for a night on the town with his posts entitled My Date with CVille.

Chelsea Marcelin, a Master's student in the Curry School of Education, will help you get to know some of the professors that make UVA so unique through her Office Hour posts.

Tuesdays

Andrew Barat, a rising third year majoring in Media Studies, will post every other week on different artistic events, opportunities, and performances in a series called "In the Audience."

Veronica Mercado, a second year Systems and Information Engineering major in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, is conducting interviews with UVA students about their experiences studying overseas. Every week, she'll post a new one in her piece called Hoos Abroad?

Wednesdays

Hawa Ahmed, a fourth year studying Foreign Affairs, will take a look at the different multicultural groups and events in the University community in #WeAreAllUVA .

Will Bennett, a third year majoring in Economics, will share his experiences with different traditions at UVA through his posts entitled Let's Get Traditional.

Thursdays

Wyatt Moorer, a third year History major, will describe different athletic events and opportunities at UVA in his piece Hear Us Shout & Roar, which takes its name from The Good Old Song UVA students sing to celebrate athletic events or other performances.

Belên Osman, an English Major and third year, will explain student self-governance at UVA and how UVA students have a say in the way their school is run and governed. Be looking out for her posts, Hoos in Charge!