Intro to Janna

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the student blog. I hope you enjoy reading what we enjoy writing about: UVa! Some of us have been here a few weeks, others, a few years. We all have different experiences, different points of view, different majors. The one thing us writers have in common is UVa and we want to share with you so you'd enjoy it just as much.

My name is Janna. I am a fourth year in the School of Architecture, majoring in Urban and Environmental Planning. Whenever someone asks me where I'm from, I ask them which version they'd like to hear. And no, not because I lie to people. But because I grew up in many places/countries/cultures and it's not always appropriate to share my entire life story. I was born in Russia, spent a few years in Kazakhstan and Germany, lived in Miami, Florida for six years, moved to Fairfax, Virginia for my senior year of high school, and now I'm going on my fourth year at Charlottesville. See? It's not as simple a question as you'd think. When someone asks me where I'm from and I feel like telling the whole truth, I say, "Planet Earth, have you heard of it?"

Thus, my life will most likely not be centered around one place or one city. I plan to travel and see different places, and raise my children the way I was raised, albeit for different reasons. Perhaps some things I write about will be influenced by my experiences. Perhaps not. You'll just have to wait and see.

Now, I hear I should write about some hobbies or whatnot. Well, let's not make this post more about me than it already is. If you are that interested, you will continue to read my posts and try to email me or something (which, please feel free to do!).

This blog is about UVa and its students, and the experiences one provides for the other. Thus, expect to read about the unexpected, including (but not limited to): classes, clubs, events, parties, volunteering, movies, graduate school, jobs, friends, family, heartbreak, elation, and life.

Take care! Come back often to experience some more of UVa!!

Image Source: http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/7/767/SSSZ000Z/planet-earth.jpg

Welcome from Patrick

Hey Future Wahoos-

Thanks so much for checking out our blog! My name is Patrick, and I'm a FOURTH YEAR student studying History and African American & African Studies. I'm from Belmont, New Hampshire and love my New England roots. I was lucky enough to spend my summer at a summer camp in Connecticut doing ridiculously Northern things like sailing, but I'm so psyched to be back to UVa for the school year!


When I first began my college search, UVa was not even on my radar. I was certain that I would go to school in an urban area, where I could be in the thick of politics, culture and fashion. During this phase, my family and I were touring schools in Washington, D.C., and my mom suggested that we check out UVa while we were there. I had no idea where UVa was, but my parents assured me that it was "just over the Virginia border." You can imagine my surprise when we finally arrived two hours later! Although I was skeptical at first, my tour and visit to Grounds really sold me on UVa. And now, four years later, I can't imagine myself anywhere else.

I've found everything that I was looking for in an urban school, plus the incredible community of Charlottesville as a bonus. There is so much to get involved with here, whether that's exploring the Blue Ridge mountains, eating at amazing restaurants downtown, going to sporting events (It's a building year for football), or playing in sporting events like Intra-Mural Inner Tube Water Polo. Not to brag, but I'm a force to be reckoned with; that is, if I can manage to stay in my tube for the whole game.


Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have, especially about being a far-from-home out of stater. I'm also a tour guide, so please come on my tour if you're visiting 'Hoo Country!

I are an engineer! (All About Steven)

Ok, so despite common misconceptions, most engineers do understand how to formulate sentences and use correct grammar. My name is Steven Cook and I am a new contributor to the Hoo Stories Blog. I am a first-year in the E-School and have plans of majoring in Systems Engineering. Some background info on me: I went to Lord Botetourt High School in Daleville, Virginia where I enjoyed four glorious years as a Cavalier. Upon graduation I had three choices, UVa, PSU, and VT. Having grown up in a predominately Hokie centered environment and cheering for VT all through my younger years, the choice was clear, I went to UVa. Something about this place, the people, the environment, everything was just awesome. I traded my maroon for navy and here I am.

I have several hobbies including biking, swimming, and cars. I love to mountain bike! Until I got situated in my dorm I didn't want to have my bike to worry about so I left it at home. Worst choice ever, I ended up missing it dearly and my parents brought it up one Sunday as a surprise. Yeah, I like inanimate objects a little too much, so what?


Another one of my major hobbies is cars. I have worked at Advance Auto Parts for over two years and will continue to next summer. My favorite car brands are Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, and Lotus. I currently have an 06 VW Jetta that I have done some modifications to, and I enjoy taking it to various car shows throughout the summer. It's my baby lol, and it has been quite hard being separated from it at school. If you have any VW questions, feel free to shoot me an email! (uvasteven@gmail.com)


My main goal in writing for the Hoo Stories Blog is to help show perspective students what a great place UVa is. I'm going to try my best to provide insight on what the life of a first-year E-Schooler is like and why UVa is the best college ever. I also want to prove to the world that engineers are more than just digit punching nerds, but that we have a heart and soul as well.

Thanks! :) 1337

The Magic of DeLuca

Last year in the Fall semester, I heard about Tom DeLuca--a traveling hypnotist who often visited Grounds. The whole event sounded hokey to me, so I wasn't disappointed when he didn't come my first year. This year, I wasn't planning on attending, but everyone I talked to seemed to be heading to the Amphitheater to go and see his show. I figured I had nothing to lose: the show was free, and I could easily leave if I wanted to.

An hour before the show, I headed to the Corner to grab a quick bite to eat at Bodos. This is what I saw:




This is was the crowd that had assembled an HOUR before the show even started. To remind you, this is what the Amphitheater normally looks like:


And this was the crowd by the time the show had started:

(This photo taken by a friend.)

For those who can't see it for the darkness of the setting, wherever grass used to be, there's now a person sitting there cheering. The crowd was immense. I've only ever seen events that well-attended: Rotunda Sing and The Lighting of the Lawn. Having seen the show, I can understand why. Even I who thought it would be boring found myself laughing and cheering along with the masses. My favorite part was when DeLuca told this young man (while he was sleeping hypnotized) that when he woke up, he'd realize that he was the friend of all fruit. So after about ten minutes--just when you were beginning to forget that DeLuca had mentioned the fruit at all--DeLuca draws two apples from a pocket, and the guy lunges forward, seizing the apples. The entire show was really well done. It didn't feel cheesy or like some magic show for third graders. I had a blast and would definitely recommend it.

Project SERVE

Greetings! Classes have begun and first-years are getting used to many new things from taking classes with 300 other people to doing their own laundry. In the mix of it all, there are many activities that have been held to welcome the new students to Grounds including Opening Convocation, the Student Activities Fair, and the annual Tom DeLuca's Hypnotist show.

As part of this mix, there was Project SERVE, which was a one-day service project held this past Saturday. Project SERVE is an annual event with two main purposes: to introduce incoming students (yes, that includes transfers!) to service learning opportunities at UVa while creating a venue to build new friendships among like-minded volunteers. It has to be held on a Saturday due to classes and early in the morning (9AM!) to accommodate the sites, but check out the turn out we had(the free breakfast doesn't hurt though)!



This year, we had close to 30 sites all over Charlottesville including local parks, nursing homes, schools, and non-profit agencies. To the left are two students who are taking part in a car wash to benefit the Sexual Assault Resource Agency. After the sites were done with their projects, we invited them to come back on Grounds to attend ServiceFest which is an annual activities fair held specifically for service oriented organizations such as Global Medical Bridges, FACE AIDS activism, and Madison House, our student volunteer center. Below are some pictures post-project as sites are reflecting on their service and enjoying some yummy pizza and cookies!

Dance Opportunities at UVA

This past spring's dance show.

UVA's Dance Program
The dance department here at UVa started in 2006, and it currently offers a minor (although we are avidly working towards creating a major). The minor's made up of 21 credits' worth of performance, lecture, production, and technique requirements, and you can look at the requirements here at http://www.virginia.edu/drama/danceminor.htm . There is no audition required to be a dance minor although a background in dance is preferred. You can also get a feel of what kind of dance classes are offered here by looking at that list.

That said, you do not have to be a dance minor to take any of these classes. All of the dance classes are open to anybody and everybody who's interested. That means that you can still take the Modern, Ballet, or Jazz technique classes that we offer regardless of your major/minor, and we put on a production every semester that is open to anyone that wants to audition for it.

Below, in the "Fine Arts" blog post, you can see some pictures from a previous guest artist, Gesel Mason, and the aerial piece from our fall dance show.

Dance Clubs and Organizations On Grounds

We also have lots of club and ensemble groups covering all kinds of dance, whether ethnic, liturgical, ballroom, hip hop, ballet, or modern. Some are focused on specific types; for instance, Rhapsody Ballet Ensemble does only, you guessed it, ballet and Mahogany Dance Troupe does hip hop. Then we have other organizations that cover all kinds of dance like the University Dance Club (UDC) which has every type of dance from tap to jazz to ballet. To see the list of all of the dance club/organizations on grounds, type "dance" into the search box and click on one of the groups that shows up on the drop down list at http://atuva.student.virginia.edu/. That search will only yield dance organizations with "dance" in their name, so try specific types of dance like "salsa" if you're having trouble finding one that covers your dance interest.

Dance Opportunities in the Local Charlottesville Community

The Downtown Mall is home to many of the dance events that happen here in Charlottesville. I've gone to the Live Arts Theater and the McGuffey Arts Center to see various dance productions, and the local Piedmont Virginia Community College also does many dance productions every semester. There are also some dance studios in and around Charlottesville like Zabor Dance Academy which specializes in social and ballroom dancing and which is located near the Downtown Mall.

University Seminars

Wherever you go for school, I have a few suggestions as to class choice. For starters, take professors, not courses. Professors can have a phenomenal impact on their students. An amazing professor can turn dirt into gold, opening your eyes to horizons you had never known existed while a terrible professor can make you want to change your major. Expand your views by signing up for a professor with views different from yours. Frankly, if you're going to college to have all of your views reaffirmed, don't go; you already know everything. My last piece of advice is to take advantage of courses that are on a time basis. What I mean by that is UVa has courses that only specific years can take. Take them; you have such a limited opportunity to experience them that you shouldn't squander any.


What a University Seminar (USEM) is
These are classes capped at under 20 students and led by phenomenal professors. As a First Year in my first semester, I had Dr. Wormington as one of my professors. Not only was he extremely approachable and personable, he was the Director of Undergraduate Programs, so right from the start I got to see the head of my major department.


My Favorite Class (so far)
When I first heard of University Seminars, my impression was that they were watered down courses for students who weren't ready for the big time college scene. I. Was. Wrong. They are amazing. While signing up for classes, I saw a class entitled Clones and Genomes and was too intrigued not to sign up for it. I'm so glad I did. Our class discussed the ethics and methods behind how to clone frogs, sheep, and humans. By no means was the material elementary: we delved into the techniques and ethics headfirst. About a third of the class was against cloning, a third in favor, and a third uncertain. Having seen Dr. Wormington's views, I asked where I should go for the other point of view. I know what I think now, but I want to hear the arguments from both sides. For that reason, I want to take a course in the Religious Studies department.