Monday, July 14, 2014

Office Hours: Professor Archie Holmes


Office Hours


Professor Archie Holmes


BChelsea Marcelin


Professor Archie Holmes is a professor in the Engineering School here at the University, specifically in the SEAS/Electrical and Computer Engineering programs. He has been with the University for 7.5 years now! When he isn't hanging around the E-School, Professor Holmes spends him time navigating his way around the kitchen! When he has the time, he loves to cook!



Want to learn more about Professor Holmes? Let’s hear what she has to say about his experiences as a professor at UVA:
How you became involved in your field:
The way I tell the story, I was “tricked” into my field.  In 8thgrade, I was introduced to an early portable computer that was the size of a briefcase.  I was fascinated.  My father told me that only engineers got to work with computers (which, to be fair, was probably true at the time), so that was the path I set for myself.  Turns out that a number of courses and summer internship later, I know that this was the best choice for me."


Favorite thing about UVa:
"A strong engineering school that is housed in a university with a strong liberal arts tradition"

Funny Story/Memory from a class:
"On the first day of class each year, my class and I have a discussion about expectation.  Clearly I have some for them, but I feel that it is important for us to also have a discussion about what they expect of me and that I live up to that (assuming that the expectation is reasonable).  Without fail, I get the request that I make them laugh each class (hard to do in an engineering classroom sometimes).  We always have a discussion about what qualifies.  For me, I want it to be my wry sense of humor, but the students want it to be much more formal (i.e., an obviously funny joke).  One day I will meet this expectation!"


Want to take a class with Professor Holmes? He is well known in the E-School for teaching Introduction to Engineering and Introductory Circuit Analysis! Check him out!!!

Friday, July 11, 2014

Follow Friday: Part VII


Follow Friday


Part VII: See Our @UVa_Summer Instagram!


Don't forget to follow @UVa_Summer and search the hashtag #UVaSummer on Instagram! To view the Instagram in your browser, click here.

This week has been all about the start of summer orientation sessions for the Class of 2018! Check out the pics below, as well as a couple throwbacks to Independence day!




"Get excited to know #UVa--orientation has begun! S/o to Ana and all the other awesome Orientation Leaders! 'Session A, here we go! @uva_summer @uvaonsp' --@anatehilah"
7.7.14


"Orientation is under way and the incoming first year class is learning their way around, registering for classes, and getting to know #UVaSummer 'Making friends in circles. #OL2013 #UVA2018' --@tpilnik"
7.8.14

7.4.14
7.10.14
 Left: "Happy 4th of July from all the tour guides here at the Office of Admission! #wahoowa #USA #redwhiteandblue #UVa #America #UVaSummer"

Right: "#tbt to that time your summer tour guides were super patriotic last week #UVaSummer"


Thursday, July 10, 2014

Hear Us Shout and Roar: UVA Club Sports



Hear Us Shout & Roar 


UVA Club Sports





Besides varsity sports at UVA, another great way to maintain physical fitness through organized sports is Club Sports. Ranging from cross country to rugby to water polo, we have a wide array of Club Sports available for both guys and girls. Club Sports at UVA are extremely similar in terms of time commitment to sports in high school. They are a great way to continue a high school interest during your time at the university. 
One of my close high school friends, (rising second year Sarah Bowron), is on UVA's club tennis team. In describing her experience with Club Tennis, Sarah has often spoken about how much she has enjoyed playing a sport she is passionate about while at UVA. In that respect, Club Sports are a great way to get involved at a lesser time commitment than the varsity program. 

For a more detailed list of all the club sports we have to offer, please feel free to look here.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Let's Get Traditional: Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn


Let's Get Traditional


Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn  

UVa’s Grounds are a well-integrated part of the Charlottesville community and throughout the year, residents of Charlottesville will come to the Lawn to walk their dogs, go for a run, play with their children, or even have a picnic. A favorite activity for Charlottesville families to participate in as well as a favorite tradition for UVa students is the annual Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn event. At this event, families in Charlottesville families will bring their children to go trick-or-treating on the Lawn with a UVa student that will be assigned to each attending child. The UVa student will be paired with a child to walk them to each of the Lawn Rooms to collect candy from the fourth-year students that live in the Lawn Rooms.


The event was started in the late 1980s by the students at UVa and has become one of the largest events of the Fall semester. Each of the Lawn Rooms houses a fourth year student throughout the year, but some student organizations will use the room of a member of their group to give out candy. Some students come to help their friends give out candy, other students will come just to be a part of the event and take part in a popular tradition for the people of Charlottesville. Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn is a great event for the students of UVa to give back to the local Charlottesville residents and to stay a part of the Charlottesville community.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

In the Audience: Live in Concert


In the Audience



Live in Concert





A great way to take advantage of the arts community in Charlottesville is by going to one of the many concerts that occur throughout the year.  Some artists come to John Paul Jones Arena, our basketball stadium, or to venues in downtown Charlottesville like the Jefferson or nTelos Wireless Pavilion.  All of these venues are just quick and free bus rides away from grounds.  A wide variety of artists come to Charlottesville that plays any kind of music from country to electronic. It has always been fun finding a band one of my friends or I like and going together to see them live.


Each of these venues has something different to offer with their varied size and atmosphere.  John Paul Jones Arena is a much larger venue than the others, and has ticketed seating to accommodate for the large amount of people who come to these concerts.  The Jefferson is an indoor theater that has a smaller crowd size but lets you get closer to the artist with a smaller crowd.  nTelos Wireless Pavilion is an outdoor venue that is covered to provide shade and block rain, and has general admission tickets for standing room for most of the crowd.

Two of my favorite concerts I have ever been at were at nTelos Wireless Pavilion, just at the end of the downtown mall.  Jack White came my first year at UVa and, this summer, Vampire Weekend stopped by on their tour.  Both concerts were incredible, and me and my friends enjoyed being in the outdoor venue for both concerts.  There was a large crowd for both of these performances, which was fun to see a lot of UVa students come out to see the same bands that I love.

There are always plenty of shows scheduled so be sure to check out all the listings for each of these venues:



Monday, July 7, 2014

My Date with CVille: Going to a Show


My Date with CVille


Going to a Show


This weekend I thought about going out to a restaurant on the Corner again or seeing another movie, but instead I decided to see Heritage Theater Festival's Thoroughly Modern Millie with a friend. If you're looking for a change of pace, there's always a performance going on at UVa that can be fun, exciting, dramatic, showy, and might even have you leaving the theater feeling a little more cultured.

Millie was great! It's a high energy, upbeat tap musical with humor just about anyone could enjoy. But just because Millie's run has ended, that doesn't mean there's nothing else to go out and see! Throughout the summer, Heritage Theater Festival puts on many different kinds of shows like last year's Annie Get Your Gun and later this summer Avenue Q.

During the school year, there are even more options to see the UVa Drama Department's to dramas and musicals (tickets are free to students!), countless performances led by UVa student groups, and shows by Charlottesville organizations like Live Arts.



Cost

-Heritage Theater Festival: $20 student tickets
-UVa Drama Department Performances: Free to students

Transportation
-Culbreth Theater is on grounds (the brand new Casteen Arts Grounds to be precise)

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Saturday Q&A: Part V


Saturday Q&A


Frequently Asked Questions from Our Tours...


Every week we'll post answers to prospective students' questions. Some will be FAQs from tours, like this week, and others will be responses to comments and emails received via this blog. If you have a question about a post we've covered previously, comment to ask us for more information. Have we not covered it yet? Email us at UVaSummer14@virginia.edu and we'll reply with an answer!


How can I get involved with sports at UVa?

There are a lot of ways to get involved in sports at UVa. There are three tiers of sports: Intramural, Club, and Varsity. Intramural (IM) sports are more casual and you can get involved through the clubs and activities at UVa who will organize an IM team for the sports that are offered throughout the semester. If you are a first-year student, then the dorm building that you live in will organize a team to play in the IM leagues for different sports during the year. Additionally, if you want to play sports more competitively then you can try out for the Club and Varsity teams at UVa.Our Varsity sports teams compete in the Division 1 of the NCAA and we are a member of the ACC. If you want to just play with some of your friends then you can always rent athletic equipment from the gyms at UVa and reserve some of the athletic fields and courts around Grounds. 
--Will Bennett

Where's the student union?

U.Va. does not have one single Student Union building with student resources, but rather has many resources all over grounds for students to use when they need! There are 4 main gyms, The Aquatic and Fitness Center, Memorial Gym, Slaughter Gym, and North Grounds Gym that are all available to students with different amenities and sports/recreational facilities. There are also tons of fields and courts around grounds students can use for a variety of purposes. In Newcomb Hall, there is a game room for students to use with televisions, pool tables, and a variety of games students can use. In each dorm, there are even common rooms with televisions, couches, study spaces, and more! Plus - we even have 3 main dining halls for students to choose from: Newcomb Dining Hall, Observatory Hill Dining Hall, and Runk Dining Hall, all located in different areas around grounds! We may not have a single Student Union building, but we definitely have a vast variety of resources for students to use all over grounds that serve a similar purpose!


What kind of events happen on the Lawn?

As you may have guessed, the Lawn is indeed the large grassy field located right in the center of the University's historical Academical Village, which includes the Rotunda, the 10 Pavilions and 54 Lawn rooms. The Lawn was part of Mr.Jefferson's original design for the University and is terraced by the very first buildings to be built on Grounds. Although the Lawn is such a historical  place, it's still a very active part of daily student life. On the average day, you can see dozens of students scattered across the Lawn, studying, hanging out with friends or simply catching a tan. Two of our long-standing student traditions also take place on the Lawn: Rotunda Sing and Lighting of the Lawn. To kick off  the Fall semester, over a dozen of our acapella groups gather on the Lawn to put on a huge acapella concert called Rotunda Sing and students spread out on their beach blankets and enjoy the wonderful welcome back event. We end off the Fall Semester with the Lighting of the Lawn. There are lights streamed across the entire Academical Village, illuminating every inch, and the entire UVa community gathers on the Lawn to socialize amongst each other while sipping hot chocolate and listening to musical performances. The Lawn is always open for use for the entire UVa community, and there's nothing like laying right in the middle of it, surrounded by the beautiful architecture of the Academical Village.
--Belen Osman