Volunteer Opportunities at UVA

Interested in learning about public service opportunities at UVA, but don't know where to start? Then this is the blog post for you! Read on to learn about some of the summer interns' favorite volunteer activities in the greater Charlottesville area.

Many UVA students enjoy giving back to the Charlottesville community through volunteer work with local organizations and service groups! Here are some of the opportunities that the student interns have taken part in over the past few years.

Abby 

Sometimes at UVa, you are given the opportunity to volunteer for a class! I took Teaching as a Profession in the Curry School and went into Charlottesville High School every week to tutor geometry students. It was a really cool way to get hands-on experience in the course while being able to volunteer. 

The Holiday Sharing program at Madison House.

Leah

When I arrived on grounds, I knew that I wanted to find a local church community. Charlottesville has hundreds of churches in the area, many of them with vibrant student fellowship and volunteer opportunities. Through Christ Episcopal Church, I was able to volunteer to usher for the Sunday service. This helped me get more involved in my church community, meeting other UVA students as well as adults in the Charlottesville community! In college, you’re constantly around 18 to 22 year olds, so it’s nice to expose yourself to another age group of people and help out while you’re at it.

You-Jin

Ever since first year, I have been so lucky to be part of Madison House’s CASH (Creating Assets, Savings & Hope) organization. It is known to be a very competitive volunteer organization to be admitted into, but once you get in, it is well worth your time. We provide free tax preparation services to low-income families and individuals in the Charlottesville community. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to interact with various types of people and to feel truly connected with my community. Each volunteer gets tax law and tax preparation training so that volunteers are able to take an IRS-mandated certification exam and become IRS-certified as Volunteer Income Tax Assistants. This definitely has helped me feel comfortable in making my own tax filing as I will continue to have to do so for the rest of my life.

The Madison House building, a central hub for many volunteer programs.

Mia

My second year I was able to volunteer in the Cavs in the Classroom through Madison House. Cavs in the Classroom is a way for students to become more involved in the Charlottesville community by volunteering in local elementary schools. Every Monday I got to drive to Johnson Elementary School and sit in a first grade classroom for an hour and help little kids learn how to read. It was not only super fun to get to hangout with adorable 7 year olds but it was also a really great way to break out of the UVA bubble and expose myself to new things. The kids were such a joy, so curious, and loved to learn. Cavs in the Classroom was definitely a highlight of my week. To learn more about all the programs that Madison House offers, follow this link: https://www.madisonhouse.org/list-of-programs.

Kelley

I remember when I came on a tour of UVA, my tour guide mentioned that he volunteered with a Madison House program called Latinx and Migrant Aid (LAMA). I signed up for the program as soon as I got to Grounds, and have volunteered with them every semester since. I have had the opportunity to meet different students at their homes, in churches, and during the school day for tutoring. It’s been an incredible way to connect with members of the Charlottesville community— like others have mentioned, I’ve loved getting to escape the 18-22 year old bubble for a little while and hang out with some cool kids. Now, in my third year, I work as a Program Director, overseeing my own volunteers and site!

Pancakes for Parkinson's, an impactful service organization at UVA.

Ben

Another great opportunity to get involved with service while studying at UVA is Alternative Spring Break (ASB). In the fall, ASB partners with local Charlottesville organizations, such as the Rivanna Trail Foundation and The Haven, for a weekend of service. Students can sign up to volunteer with these groups over the 4-day fall break, which usually occurs in early October. I volunteered at a local build site for Habitat for Humanity my first year, as well as Bellair Farm, which is a local cooperative farm that focuses on community-supported agriculture. Participating in Alternative Fall Break was a great way to learn more about local volunteer opportunities in the Charlottesville community and escape the "UVA Bubble!" My second semester of first year, I volunteered on a spring break trip, which is the main focus of ASB. You can apply for a number of trips in one of three areas - environmental, human services, or housing. To see a full list of trips from past years, check out their website: https://www.altbreak.org/. I was lucky enough to go to Point Reyes, California, where we helped a team of park rangers make a beach hiking trail handicap accessible by building a drainage system in a flooded section of the path, in addition to clearing trees and fallen debris on other trails. This was a fantastic experience which taught me a lot about the National Park Service as well as the environment and climate change. We spent our free time hiking, cooking food over the campfire, and watching elephant seals, and I was able to fund much of my trip through the research grants and need-based scholarships offered by ASB! Overall, ASB was a wonderful opportunity to learn about outdoors-based service in our National Parks while also bonding with a group of 10-12 fellow students through the adventures of camping and flying across the country together! 

Working as a team to move a fallen tree on an ASB trip in Point Reyes National Seashore.

As you can hopefully tell after reading our stories, there are so many volunteer opportunities at UVA, ranging from artistic groups to Madison House programs. To see a full list of public service organizations at UVA, follow this link: https://atuva.student.virginia.edu/organizations and set the search category to “public service.” There’s bound to be a service opportunity that matches your interests! 

A Weekend in Charlottesville

Visiting Charlottesville sometime soon? Check out our curated weekend itinerary!

For more Charlottesville recommendations, check out our Instagram page @uva_summer!

Good morning! It’s your first day visiting Charlottesville and you're getting an early start around 9 AM. Bodo's Bagels is an absolute Charlottesville staple. It is a tradition that before you graduate from UVA, you have to be the number one ticket when they open at 5 am! But you have a long day ahead of you and so much to see here, so let’s take it slow. At Bodo’s, you can get whatever you like on many different types of bagels. A favorite is the deli egg, which is basically like a mini omelette, on an everything bagel!

The sun is shining, and after eating a hearty breakfast, you walk to UVA’s Rotunda. The Rotunda is located on the Lawn, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can go inside the Rotunda to see the Dome Room, the pinnacle of Jefferson’s architecture, as well as other historical rooms and features. Free historical tours led by student members of the University Guide Service are typically offered at 10, 11 and 2 every day!

Your tour may end at the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, located between the Lawn and the Corner. The Memorial seeks to formally acknowledge and remember the names, lives and experiences of the African American enslaved laborers who worked to build and sustain the University. Its circular design represents the “Ring Shout,” a dance performed by African Americans to celebrate spiritual liberation as well as a broken shackle. Etched into the walls are documented names of enslaved peoples; this list continues to grow as more names and stories are uncovered. The memorial began as a student effort in 2010 and was finished earlier this year. A place for reflection and remembrance, the memorial welcomes visitors and acts as a landmark displaying UVA’s troubled history, while also its capacity for change and growth.

After exploring UVA’s grounds, you may want to get out and about. Vineyards are a great place to spend a weekend afternoon in Charlottesville. Once you are of drinking age you can take your parents to Pippin or King Family Vineyards and spend an afternoon sipping on delicious wine with a beautiful view of the mountains. Sometimes King Family Vineyards will even have polo matches to watch or pop up restaurants with amazing cuisine. Many students will also celebrate their 21st birthdays at one of the local vineyards. 

After a walking tour in the morning and afternoon in the sun, it’s time for dinner! As we’ve mentioned in some of our previous posts, Lampo is the ultimate “my parents are in town” spot. They have a variety of delicious pizzas and appetizers, but the catch is that they don’t take reservations, so sometimes the wait can get pretty long. However, this summer they announced their plans to open an additional takeout location, so there’s no excuse for it to not make your itinerary!

Before you head back home or to wherever you’re staying for the night, you should catch a Charlottesville sunset. Whether you make your way a little outside of town to visit Humpback Rock and hike to get a spectacular mountain view or you stay a little more local to watch from the top of Culbreth parking garage, you won’t want to miss it.

Whether the Weather

Hey y'all,

UVa has one of the most beautiful campuses out there, and as is the case for every claim of excellence we make here at the University, there is a ranking out there to confirm it 

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/ekkf45i/university-of-virginia-charlottesville-va/.

Recently, however, the Charlottesville spring I so look forward to has involved more white on the ground than white flowers on the trees. As my lab TA said, "If I've never seen snow in Poland this late in March, I shouldn't be seeing it in Virginia this late." Don't get me wrong, the snow is absolutely beautiful and doesn't really get in the way of anything. Grounds basically turns into Narnia, minus most of the power struggle and mind games, every time it snows. But, there is a time and a place for winter wonderlands, and it is not late March in the arguably southern state of Virginia. After the initial frenzy of snowball fights, sledding, and snowmen, the time just comes for some warm weather.

Let it be known that March 30th, UVa crossed over into that warm weather and man it felt good to thaw out. At least 1/4 of my legs were exposed to warm sunshine that day, and I could not stop smiling. What a lot of students don't realize coming into the University, is that there is so much to do off grounds as well as on grounds. The area surrounding UVa, as well as UVa itself obviously, is actually breathtaking. So where do UVa students decide to escape to on the first sunny day of spring? A vineyard of course! Now, vineyard doesn't just mean wine, it means absolutely amazing views of the mountains and sky, adorable puppies and children running around, really good cheese, horses, sunshine, and, yeah, wine for the 21 year olds. 

That's the great thing about Uva, there are so many adventures to be had and so many unique experiences and traditions built into the UVa culture. We are a University of extremely talented and motivated students, diverse in background and thought, but the one thing we all have in common is a love of our school and all the adventures it has to offer. UVa is more than a school, it's a community and a place that you fall in love with over and over again. There isn't one moment where we realize this is the school for us, we are reminded time and time again. No matter where we go after our four years at the University, we cherish our time in this gorgeous area with such amazing people, no matter the weather.

Happy admissions, 

Emi

J is for Jam Packed

January Term 2013

The University of Virginia's January Term is a university-wide initiative sponsored by the Office of the Vice President and Provost. The purpose of January Term is to provide U.Va. students with unique opportunities: new courses that address topics of current interest, study abroad programs, undergraduate research seminars, and interdisciplinary courses. The intensive format of January Term classes encourages extensive student-faculty contact and allows students and faculty to immerse themselves in a subject. The College of Arts and Sciences, McIntire School of Commerce, Curry School of Education and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will offer over thirty undergraduate courses in January Term 2013. Areas of study include Anthropology, Art, Bio-Medical Ethics, Commerce, Drama, Engineering (STS), English, Environmental Sciences, History, Mathematics, Media Studies, Politics, Religious Studies, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Sociology, and Spanish. 

The virginia.edu/jterm site gives you the information shown above describing J-term, all of which is accurate and helpful. What they don't tell you, is what a day in the life of a J-term student is like at UVA, that's what I'm here for.

After being home for all of 10 days full of family, friends, and all my favorite restaurants, I headed back to grounds. During winter break, UVA is a bit of a ghost-town, but like a calm, beautiful, friendly ghost-town of sorts. Columns seem to be brighter and brick buildings more beautiful in the cold winter air despite the construction all around. Few people are on grounds, but those that are have a sense of purpose for the new year, and the possibilities seem limitless.

My sense of purpose that drove me to cut my couch-time short was driven by my job as a Resident Advisor for j-term residents in the same building that I am an RA during the rest of the year (pretty convenient, huh?), and an amazing J-term course: Gender, Class, and Race in Teen Film. I decided to take the Media Studies course, like many j-term students, to be able to really focus in on and master a subject, while lightening my credit load for the spring semester.

Unlike the usual go, go, go of a full course load during normal academic terms, J-term takes on a much more focused and efficient pace. Every morning, instead of scrambling to get all my things together and mentally check that I had everything mapped out for the day, I woke up, grabbed a quick bite to eat and my notebook, and headed to class. The first few hours of class consisted of discussion and lecture on a number of topics centered around different portrayals of gender, class, race, sexuality, and social issues in teen film and how those portrayals are both an effect of society and affect society. The last few hours of the class, accompanied by lunch brought in by whichever group of students presented that day, was a guided viewing of different teen films such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

After class, I went home to knock out the intense, but manageable, amount of reading assigned. I found myself fighting through the ideas in the articles, and fully understanding the implications of what was being discussed, finally understanding what professors hoped we would gain from the hours and hours of reading that supplement their amazing lectures. It was what pure, focused, unadulterated learning felt like, and it was fun. We took movies like Clueless and Mean Girls that I had never thought much about other than how funny they were to me, and broke them down to reveal their influences, their different perspectives, their feminist elements, and even the effect they had had on people's experiences. Our class learned to challenge what we thought and why we thought it and why we had accepted it as normal all these years. We ate and watched movies, and yet I learned more than in many other classes I have taken that I spent hours and hours and hours studying for from a book. 

J-term is multiple hours every single day of class when you could be sitting on your couch, but it is more than worth the credits you earn. It left me loving my school and the innovation of its students and faculty more than ever. It is just one of many amazing learning experiences offered to UVA students that challenges the norm of academics and presents information in an interactive and immersed format that really results in a deep and useful knowledge of a subject. J-term is jam-packed.

'Tis the season...

Of finals.

While college students around the country prepare for the festive holiday season by listening to their favorite holiday music, going to tacky Christmas sweater parties, or buying presents for their Secret Santas, there is one obstacle that must be overcome: finals. Sure, finals may bring students closer together and give a sense of comradery, but in reality, it's tough. It's even tougher when you have a fever (which was my case). Luckily my exams were spread out (Thursday being the last) so it wasn't too bad. I just loaded up on herbal tea and lots of soup. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to spend a lot of time in the most happening place during this season: the library. But I will let you guys in on the Final Festivities.

Final Examinations this year started on December 9th and lasted until December 17th. The University has a strict exam schedule and policy that is posted even before students start registering for classes. The are two "Reading Days" in which no finals are scheduled and when the libraries are packed with students. It's impossible to find a nice place to study since all the good spots are taken, whether it be a cubicle in the Stacks in Clark, a table on the second floor of Clemons, or a nice nook in the McGregor Room of Alderman. I, myself, used to be a Clemons' girl last year but this year I've been finding myself in Alderman quite often- "room hopping."

One of my good friends (and future roommate's) birthday was on the 10th, just as finals started, and since we knew she would probably be stuck at Clemons studying for her Biopsychology Final on Monday, a bunch of friends and I decided to surprise her at midnight.

I tried to take a video of the Clemons library without looking creepy by recording everyone (as you can see it didn't work out so great.) In general, you can see how crowded the floor is on a Friday night during Finals. Some of the pros about studying in the library is that you may sometimes bump into your friends who are unfortunately in the same boat as you - pulling an all-nighter with a Starbucks Espresso Shot can in their hand. trying to bang out a paper. Various organizations and secret Societies also like to give out free food, have arts and crafts stands and other stress relieving activities. Apparently, last week a live Chicken was roaming around the first floor of Clemons. These spontaneous activities provide great study breaks in between long hours of studying.

I'm now home enjoying home-cooked meals and trying to fully recover from my fever. I hope you all enjoy the Holiday Season - Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Oh, and for all of you high schoool seniors out there - good luck on college applications!

I would hate to burst your bubble, but...

It’s easy to get caught up in your own life at UVa. Between your classes, your activities, your friends, and potentially a job and/or significant other, things can get hectic. And I’ll be honest—I’ve gotten lost in the “I’m too busy” mindset and unfortunately, sometimes not explored all that UVa has to offer. But this weekend, the opportunity to escape my “bubble” presented itself and I jumped on it—and am so glad I did. To my surprise, not only did I have an unforgettable experience, but it also made me realize something about myself.

Here’s what happened: My good friend Katie from dorms (and ironically, from South Florida—who knew!) casually invited me to her UDC (University Dance Club) fall performance when we ran into each other the other day. She told me the details (she was just in the third dance of many, and I could leave after that) and said if I was free to stop by, she’d love for me to come.

I figured it would be fun to surprise Katie, as she wasn’t expecting me to actually come. I had fully intended just to stay for those three dances—after all, the reason I was going was to see Katie dance and it was Sunday aka “catch-up-on-all-of-your-work”-day—and work, as usual, was plentiful.

After arriving in Newcomb, I found a seat, but as soon as the first dance started—to my surprise—I immediately got up and went to stand up behind the seats—I wanted to get the best view possible! The energy in the room was incredible. I even got the chills. Katie wasn’t on stage yet, but I was already loving it. Needless to say, I was completely caught off guard by my reaction. When Katie came on, it was awesome to see her strut her stuff, just as I had expected. But what I didn’t see coming: I stayed for the entire show! My automatic reaction after the third dance ended was “Time to go crank out that problem set!” But I stopped myself.

This is part of why I’m here, too. Although it’s easy to forget, it’s important to not just participate in your involvements. From older students and graduates, I’ve been told numerous times that part of why college is so great is that you have the opportunity to grow and learn in your experiences, by going outside your comfort zone and seeing what’s out there. And as I was reminded this weekend, it’s amazing what happens when you’re spontaneous! Going to the UDC concert reminded me of how rewarding that can be and how great a place UVa is, as there is so much going on here to explore.

And then it dawned on me, as I scheduled for classes next semester. This applies to academics, too. I scheduled myself to take three math and two commerce classes? Probably a good idea to round out that schedule a bit—I did want somewhat of a liberal arts experience, after all! Art history? Another psych class? Only time will tell. But I do know that I want at least one out-of-my-element class each semester. My social psych and advanced econ class have both been extremely gratifying, and arguably up there with my favorites. Shocking, I know. (I smell a future post on this).

Catch ya later, readers!

It's always the small things in life...

Hey guys! Thanks for checking out the Hoo Stories blog! You won’t regret it—okay, I might be biased—but, seriously, I think you’ll find helpful information here as you read through some posts.

Here’s my quick blurb to introduce myself: I’m Christina Reynolds, a second year in the College of Arts and Sciences (CLAS). I’m hoping to major in Commerce and toying with the idea of majoring in Financial Math, too. I come from the sunny beaches of Fort Lauderdale, Florida (if any of you OOS are curious about the transition, feel free to email me!) Although I do sometimes miss the sand between my toes, I absolutely LOVE living in Charlottesville and going to UVA—the seasons, the college town, the school spirit, and I could go on for hours, but I’ll save that for another post! I enjoy spending my free time working with Second Year Council and greening our community as a member of StudCo, as well as with my sorority and writing for you! (Here's a pic of me enjoying my first snowy winter with some sorority sisters—I'm the one on the right :)

It was difficult to choose one topic for my first post, but it became obvious as I went to the AFC (our newest gym, right between old and new dorms) yesterday—one subtle thing reminded me of why I absolutely love UVA and am so happy to be a Wahoo!

I’ve always walked to the AFC, as the commute totaled a whopping three minutes last year. Now that I’m living on the Corner, I decided to drive for time’s sake (gotta make it to class!) Anyway, I knew there was some sort of parking fee to park in front of the AFC, so I went inside to see what it was all about. As expected, it was a typical parking meter that I’d see at any garage or airport. I paid (thankfully, a reasonable $.50/hr), printed my ticket, and—as I do whenever I pay for parking anywhere—went back to my car to put it on the dashboard.

I was curious, though, because it didn’t say anywhere on the ticket “Please put this on top of your dashboard, so that it is clearly visible” or anything of the sort. I’ve parked in many garages in my day, and the parking receipt has always required that in order to prove your purchase. Weird. I shrugged it off, but as I swiped into the gym, I decided to ask the attendant about the parking ticket out of curiosity. “No, you don’t need to put that back in your car,” she told me, casually.

I was confused: I knew that I needed to pay for parking. Why would I not have to leave proof of my parking purchase at the AFC, when I must do so every other place that I’ve parked in my life?

And then it hit me. I am a UVA student. And as one, I am inherently part of the community of trust we have here at UVA, an idea unique to our university and a direct benefit of our Honor Code. There’s no need to go back to my car and prove I paid for it because all students are assumed to be honorable, such that we will not lie, cheat, or steal. The UVA community trusts that if I park my car there, I will pay for parking. In this case, it saved me five minutes after the clock started ticking. But what stands out to me more is all that this experience represents, especially knowing the kinds of standards that all UVA students are expected to uphold for themselves and their fellow students from the day they step onto Grounds. And in most cases, they do. These are my peers. It's awesome to be in a place where I am surrounded by so much integrity.

Without a doubt, our community of trust is one of the many reasons I love being at UVA. As a first year, I lost my wallet TWICE—yes, I may be a bit distracted sometimes—full of cash, all my credit and debit cards, and both my student and state ID. The first was in Alderman library, and a student immediately emailed me saying he had it. The second time I must have dropped it on the sidewalk while walking, and the grad student who found my wallet dropped it off in the psych department office and notified me that it was waiting for me. On the other hand, I lost my wallet with all its contents while I was home—not only was it not returned, but whoever found (or stole it) used my credit cards multiple times! Of course, I can't promise you that if you lose your wallet here, it will be returned to you, but I do believe that your chances are better when you are surrounded by the community of trust found here.

I'm looking forward to blogging for you! Feel free to shoot me an email about anything (cr5rb@virginia.edu). Until next time....

The Good Old Dorm Life

One of my biggest concerns about going into college was definitely the living situation. It is a total new set up. I would be living among strangers and for once share a room with someone. There were also so many possibilities of ending up in different dorms. So many rumored horrors of college revolve the living situations, i.e. living in a hall dorm, where it is always too loud, getting a monstrous room mate, or living with no air conditioning, and etc. Truth is that certainly everything has it's pros and cons, which vary very differently from dorm to dorm.

Room mates. When deciding who I was going to live with, I had a lot of worries. Most people live with someone that they don't know. Well, nowadays people fill out little surveys on the UVA Facebook pages and then people chose each other, but still, they are strangers. There is only so much you can learn of someone through their Facebook profiles. Anyway, what was hard was worrying about what if the person is a complete psycho, an incredibly messy person, an annoying person, a snorer, someone that parties too hard, and the list goes on. I actually chose a good friend from high school to live with. Surely, I am missing a part of the "real ideal college experience" of living with someone I don't know, but there are just some major worries relieved. Everyone in high school was like you guys are going to get so sick of each other, you guys are going to hate each other, that is such a bad idea, but I'd argue that it is very nice to know someone that you can already trust. We have similar styles, tastes, and enjoy the same type of fun. I didn't go into college worrying about some weirdo watching me sleep and stealing my stuff. If we don't end up being friends forever, it won't be because we lived together, but rather because growing apart with people is a natural process that happens. There are so many great people at the university that it is not something to fret about.

Dorm rooms. I am now living in Echols, one of the McCormick Rd. residences, a first-year dorm. It has no air conditioning and yucky plastic tile floors, but I love it to death. My room mate and I get along very well and we love our room. Throw in a nice rug and get a comfy floor, a floor lamp for some nice ambient lighting, and various other things to make it more homey. Wall decorations are definitely a must. If you're worried about the heat, it'll only be a problem for the first month. We haven't turned on our fans in very long, but we just leave the window open. It really isn't all too bad at all. The location of Old Dorms is also really the most ideal place to live at, because it is right among everything. The other first-year dorms are really nice too, although a little bit further from Central Grounds. Some of them are the Alderman Residences, Gooch/Dillard, and Hereford. These have air conditioning (minus some of the Alderman Residences that are going to be renovated) and if I remember correctly they have carpet as well. These suite-style residences are nice, because it's almost as if you had little apartments with a couple of people. There are rooms and then a common area that connects all of them. Suite-mates can become really close friends, but so can hall-mates. Everything is really about how you make out your experience living in any place with any people, as opposed to having to deal with the living arrangements you are assigned with.

I hope that this can relieve at least some worries about living in dorms at the university, because quite frankly, as a first-year you have no choice but to live in them. It's really not a big deal at all, because everywhere you go, you will find great fellow Wahoos. When you come visit, make sure you get a look at some dorms, but remember that you can keep it how you want it (as long as it coincides with the fire code). With it being the Halloween season, I leave you lovely readers with this:

Be safe! =)

Write Club

The Student Activities Fair gathers about four hundred clubs into one spot on the Lawn for one purpose: to impress students and encourage interest in the club. Some of the biggest recruiting happens here, and it's not just for first years. I go every year, and it was there that I ran into an old friend and roommate of mine Jessica Hatch. Along with Anna Kovatcheva (another friend and suite mate who is not pictured), these two formed Write Club.

My favorite product of Write Club is that it fills a much needed niche. Fiction Writing classes at UVa are small and amazingly popular. Snagging a seat in one of those few classes can be tricky, but for this CIO, there isn't a minimum. Anyone with a desire to write is welcome, regardless of talent or experience in writing poetry, novels, or short stories. It's a setting that is informal enough to attract the shier writers but undoubtedly structured enough to be a positive experience for any level of writer.

In their own words:

What We Do: In the fall term, Write Club supports National Novel Writing Month participants through October Boot Camp - meaning that we spend the month of October working up to writing 2,000 words a day - and through a writing buddy system. Like having a gym buddy makes you exercise more often, having a writing buddy helps you get through NaNoWriMo more easily. In the spring term, we host a series of fiction writing workshops to provide an outlet for feedback on short stories, novel excerpts, and the occasional poem. We have also, at various times during the year, organized scavenger hunts, open mic nights, and charitable bake sales.

For those of you a few years off from applying to college, no worries, because an Exec Board has been established. It really is a great group of people running the show, and they do so many activities outside of just writing that Write Club ceases to be simply a writers club and instead turns so much more dynamic.

If any of you have any questions about Write Club, feel free to post them or email me, and I can forward you on to them.


Some other pictures from the Fair:

What to do after graduation? Reminisce, of course!

 It's that time after graduation when you have nothing to do but apply to jobs and reminisce about a time when everything was planned out for you in advance. I always knew I would be going to college, taking a year off was not even an option (I did not even know people did that until senior year in high school). And so, my four years at U.Va. are finished. No more classes, no more homework, no more tests, no more easy decisions. Now I have to find a way to support myself, figure out the future, find my own niche in the world, discover something new, and everything else that goes with "growing up." As a way to remember my years at this wonderful University, here are a couple of questions I answered just to make it easier to understand. Enjoy!

Why did you even look at U.Va. and what drew you to the school?
    I found a picture of the Lawn and the Rotunda in 10th grade and fell in love.

What was the first-year experience like?
    During my first semester I took 13 credits, studied and didn’t really do much else. I didn’t even meet that many new people. My second semester I signed up for 15 credits, joined Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Incorporated, and transferred from a Commerce direction to the School of Architecture to major in Urban and Environmental Planning. It took a while to get to know the Grounds and feel comfortable with the place but after a rocky first year I had no troubles at all.

What one activity has been the most meaningful and why?
    Two activities: my sorority and Residence Life. In my sorority, I met a great group of women and learned more about myself than I could have in any other club or organization. As the only multicultural sorority on Grounds the women who join are dedicated to diversity and are leaders in everything that they do. As a Resident Advisor, I met people with interested quite different from my own, learned to interact with them, and create an amazing living environment. These two activities influenced my University years so much that I sometimes wonder what my life here would have been like if I hadn’t joined one (or either).

What is your favorite memory from your time at Virginia?
    On the day of Foxfield, my third year, a couple of my friends and I decided to do nothing (i.e. lie on the lawn the entire day and do absolutely nothing) and it was everything we thought it could be. Yes, that’s an “Office Space” reference.

What’s next?
    I am looking for a job that might help me figure out what I want to do in life. Looking for a job is not easy but all you need is determination and patience. And as my dad always says: things will work out somehow and there's no need for worry as long as you put in the effort.

Sum up your U.Va. experience in one word.
    Multidimensional.

Best. Photograph. Ever.

 If I had to give advice to future students, it would be this: take advantage of the opportunities you have at the University. Seriously, you will never again have the same options. Meet new people, try new hobbies/activities, go out and explore the area. And don't let the future hold you back because you are only young once. Good luck! Go forth and discover!

Walk A Mile and The Community

UVa definitely enjoys a close relationship with Charlottesville. For Halloween, children from both Charlottesville and Albemarle come to trick or treat on the Lawn, and on any day of the week, students visits local restaurants and craft shops. And for the last three years, both UVa students and community members have journeyed out to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.

Walk a Mile is an awareness event sponsored by SARA (Sexual Assault Resource Agency). The goal is to involve men in the process of ending rape, sexual assault, and gender violence. At the event, men wear high heels and literally walk a mile through and around the Downtown area. During the march, the participants have flyers that they can hand out, and of course, every marcher is encouraged to stop and engage the onlookers.

Alpha Phi Omega--the only co-ed service fraternity at UVa--was one of a number of student groups that came out to support the event. All in all, at least eighty people showed up to march. On a personal note, I thought the unity that Charlottesville-UVa community showed was admirable. This event wasn't a city-only meeting or student-only activity, and it's wide scale cooperation, mass participation that excites change for us all. I can only hope that people who get a chance to be part of movement certainly do not simply sit by and watch. Whatever the interest-- Amnesty International, QuAA, Minority Rights Coalition, Environmental Conservation, Global Public Health, anything--I encourage everyone to take a proactive stance. The rewards are immense, and cliche as it may sound, people find not only strength and purpose but also a stronger sense of self in pursuing ideals about which they are passionate.

To learn more about Walk a Mile or any of the number of services SARA offers, please visit:

http://www.walkamileinhershoes.org/index.html

Residence Life

One of the best things I've done at U.Va. was to become an RA. Oh no, another acronym!! But I'm sure this one you've heard before: a Residence Advisor. From movies and older-sibling stories, you've heard about the role that is played by a single student in every dorm (or floor or suite(s) or house). Whatever you've heard out there, here's from an actual RA:

Who are we?

Language Houses Staff 2009-2010

What do we do?

• RA's help create a positive living and studying environment in the dorm
• We solve issues, enforce policies, and refer our residents, when necessary, to the proper information
• Serve as a role model for students and promote a community of trust and support
• We support residents in their time of need (a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, a cookie to eat)
• RA's host programs for residents to get to know each other, bond, and come out of their comfort zone

Why do we do it?

• Because we love people (especially U.Va. students!)
• Because we love the community feel of dorms
• Because the free housing and meals can't be beat
• Because the experience is one of the best you can have at U.Va.

Every RA has his/her own reasons for being an RA and each one brings something different to the program. This is why I applied to be an RA: the dedication of the people. This relatively small group of people is so passionate about the work that makes me proud to put "Resident Advisor" on my resume. We are all such a diverse group, no matter where on-Grounds you are placed, the experience will be unforgettable. I've learned more about interacting with people and hosting events from being an RA than from any other experience here. The friends I've made will last me a lifetime and the skills learned will follow me into any and every profession I choose.

Now, a little bit about my specific community. I am in the Russian House, which is on Ivy Rd., next to the International Residence College. The small house of 7 people (plus a professor and his wife in the separate, upstairs apartment) has made the residents a tight-knit group. We host a weekly event "Russian Tea and Conversation" where students and local residents meet to practice their Russian skills and learn more about Russian culture and each other. In addition, we host other events (both within the House and open to the community) to improve our language skills, start friendships, and learn more about each other. Having lived in the House for two years as the Resident Advisor, I've met many new people and learned more about myself than I thought was possible in such a short time period. The Russian House is the cherry on top of my U.Va. experience.

 The Russian House from our driveway

In short, I hope everyone has the experience I've had here! And maybe I'll see more RA's in the future (maybe some who've read this post!).

Greatest Memories (so far)

What have been your greatest memories (so far) during your time at U.Va.?

That was the question posed to me by an application that I was filling out. Oh boy...I hadn't really thought of them. So I started my reminiscing and here are some ones that really stood out:

First-Year 

1. Playing pick-up soccer on the basketball courts by the Dell 
2. Greek Rush 
3. Taking a USEM, The American Health Care System, which was taught by an ER physician 
4. Cheering on the Cardiac Cavs at all the home football games

                                           Second-Year 

1. Tutoring a girl at the local high school and having her test score jump from a 63 to an 83 
2. Going to Monster Jam at the John Paul Jones arena to watch Grave Digger 
3. Having lunch with the producer and director of the award winning documentary In the Family Joanna Rudnick 
4. Navigating the Popular Ridge ropes course 
5. Shadowing a neurologist at U.Va. Hospital 
6. Taking the class Arts and Medicine 
7. Ice skating and going hiking for the first time

Third-Year  
1. Attending Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Yunus's lecture on social entrepreneurship 

2. Having dinner in the Dome Room of the Rotunda and sitting next to the keynote speaker, a former Congressman 
3. Snowball fight on the Lawn 
4. Rock-climbing at Rocky Top gym

These are just a small sampling of the many memories that I have made so far and I'm sure there are many more to come during the rest of my time here.

JPJ picture from Wikipedia

Go Greek

One of my most meaningful involvements here at UVa has been my membership in my sorority. My sorority has provided me with lifelong friends, academic support, community service opportunities, and thousands of fond memories. A few weeks ago, UVa’s Inter-Sorority Council and Inter-Fraternity Council held formal recruitment (usually referred to as “rush”), offering first and second years the opportunity to consider joining a sorority or fraternity. The UVa Greek system is a strong and vibrant community; 1,500 females belong to 15 different houses and 1,800 males make up the 28 fraternities at UVa. While some universities hold rush at the beginning of the fall semester, UVa defers recruitment to the start of the spring semester. I personally believe this system to be ideal, as first years are able to spend their first semester of college meeting people and making friends in their dorms, classes, and various organizations. Rush itself is a really positive experience, as individuals are able to meet all kinds of new people through the process. UVa’s Greek Community is a diverse body full of interesting and passionate individuals, and my experience as a member of a Greek organization has been absolutely wonderful, providing me with a home away from home. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about sororities and fraternities at UVa!

Organizations Galore

I am a part of Black Student Alliance and every year we are involved in helping the MRC (Minority Rights Coalition) decide which person we want to endorse in the numerous elections that go on around this time of year. Today I was a part of the interviewing process of the different candidates and it hit me just how well UVa prepares its students for the real world. Every candidate we interviewed was very professional and came with a thought out platform. The entire process was just like something that would happen out in the real world, and it just goes to show how much of a community UVa is. UVa is more than just a university; it is a collection of individuals that want to improve not only the UVa community, but the surrounding communities and more.

UVa is a great place to not only learn through classes and professors but also through our fellow students. UVa is a great community to learn and grow in.

Way More Than 110 Things to Do!

To echo Janna's post a bit, allow me to indulge some 4th Year nostalgia as well. Every fall, the Fourth Year Class Council compiles a list of “UVa Must-Sees” to distribute to all graduating 4th years. My friends and I have been working hard to complete all of the tasks on our list of “110 Things to do Before Graduation” but I still have a few more to check off before I can walk the Lawn this May. For the rest of the semester, I’ll keep you guys updated on my adventures, but I’ll start by re-capping a few of the things-to-do that I’ve already done.

“Check out final Fridays at the UVa art museum”- On the last Friday of every month, the UVa art museum opens its doors to students and community members for a special viewing of its current collection. There’s always free food and drinks and the artwork is fantastic. It’s a great way to wind down on a Friday afternoon; after all, you’ve got to save some energy for the weekend!

“Celebrate TJs birthday, try to see the purple shadows”- Everyone loves a good birthday party, but especially in honor of our founder, Thomas Jefferson. On April 13th, the community comes together to celebrate Mr. Jefferson’s birthday on the Lawn, and Founders Day events have been some of my fondest UVa memories. And if you can manage to stay up all night, you may even catch a glimpse of the Purple Shadows (one of our many secret societies) processing down the Lawn to place a wreath at the Jefferson statue.

“Visit Edgar Allen Poe’s Room” – Though he was only a UVa student for a brief period of time, we still herald Edgar Allen Poe as one of our favorite alumni. His room, 13 West Range, is still preserved with original furniture and stands as a monument to the brilliant writer. There’s nothing more inspiring than walking to class along the same route once walked by Poe, though I’d steer clear of the area on Halloween.