A Traditional Convocation

Hi everyone, my name is Zoey Dorman!! I just made it through my first year at UVA and I'm planning to major in English and Cognitive Science. Technically, we’re all at UVA to go to classes, get degrees, and go off into the terrifying great unknown of the Real World after four years of preparation. Being in the middle of the college experience, though, they are a few factors besides academics that feel pretty important. Namely, traditions, which all starts with Convocation. Convocation is one of the first but also one of the most important days in any student’s UVA experience because it’s the ceremony that officially welcomes new students into the school. Here are my hall mates and I, dressed up all spiffy in our dorm before we headed out.

We definitely took the school tradition of “Girls in Pearls, Guys in Ties” seriously. Usually reserved for football means, it means everyone dresses up (preferably in UVA colors).

Once everyone parades over from their dorms, all of the new students sit on the Lawn, facing the Rotunda and thus looking into the education they are about to begin. Our Dean of Students, Allen Groves, and President Theresa Sullivan speak to the students about the importance of our honor system. 

(Here’s me with President Sullivan, post-speech, when we all hung out in her house after Convocation.)

UVA has the oldest student run honor system in the country, established in 1842. It means that all students pledge not to lie, cheat, or steal, plus they are responsible for upholding the ideals of the Honor System. Honor trials are run by students; decisions are made by student juries. I served on a jury last semester, and it made me respect the honor system even more than I already did. I had started to take living in the “Community of Trust” for granted, but having a frank conversation with other students, of different years and at different schools within the University, I realized all over again how important it is to go to a school where I can leave my laptop in the library, take an exam in my dorm room, and know that every other student respects the ideals of the honor system as much as I do. Listening to speakers discuss the importance of the Honor System made me sure once again that I had picked the right school.

Serving on a randomly selected jury, like the one pictured here, reminded me of that rush of school spirit I felt at Convocation when I first signed the pledge.

Those are not the only unique quirks that illustrated once again how special UVA is. One of our more exciting traditions is that of secret societies, one of which made an appearance at Convocation. When President Sullivan stood to give her speech, she paused before beginning to tell us that she had a message asking her to find the seventh student in the seventh row, who needed to look under his or her chair. There was automatically mass confusion, but finally the right student held up an envelope from under his seat. President Sullivan called him up in front everyone, and he served as a messenger from one of our most secret societies, the 7’s, who welcomed us to the school by promising our class a whopping $1,777.77 to use however we deemed fit. As he read the letter telling us this, we were all perched on the edges of our seats, absolutely enthralled. We could hardly believe we’d all just shared in a brush with the top secret society at our school. All of our secret societies exist to give back to the community in different ways, but the 7’s certainly have the most style in their philanthropic activities. They certainly succeeded in getting us even more excited about UVA with their mysterious message. At that point, I thought I could not be more proud to be a cavalier. That changed just a few minutes later, as the ceremony culminated in our school anthem.

This is a picture of one of our buildings, decorated with a banner from the 7 Society and a tag from the Z Society.

Our anthem is The Good Old Song, and we will sing it at a moment’s notice. Arguably the best part about going to UVA is that our school anthem is played to ring in every New Year. While other people are stumbling through the words of Auld Lang Syne, you can count on any UVA student or alum to be swaying arm in arm and belting out the lyrics that live so close to our hearts:

The Good Old Song of Wahoowa

We’ll sing it o’er and o’er

It cheers our hearts and warms our blood

To hear them shout and roar

We come from Old Virginia

Where all is bright and gay

Let’s all join hands and give a yell

For dear old UVA

I learned every word (including the intimidating chant at the end: Wahoowa, wahoowa, Univ-V Virginia, Hoorah-ray, Hoorah-ray, ray, ray, UVA!) before I moved in as a first year and it came in handy. We all stood on the lawn, threw our arms around each other, and swayed back and forth in dreamy school spirit as we belted out the song we were so proud to now be able to call our own. As I stood with the people who would become my best friends, at what I firmly believe to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, I was filled with so much cheesy school spirit that I can’t possibly express exactly how perfect the moment was. UVA’s traditions may not be most important aspect of the school, but I think they’re what bond all of together. They’re what remind me why I would not want to be anywhere else.

Humble Beginnings

Hey folks, my name is Beth Wagner. I am a rising third year double majoring in Political Philosophy & Law and History. Many of you all probably spent your Fourth of July cooking out, relaxing by the pool, and watching fireworks. I know I certainly did. After whiling away the day eating ribs and catching up with friends who had come in for the weekend, I headed up to Monticello for a mountaintop view of the fireworks exploding all over Albemarle County. When we arrived at the visitor’s center, school buses shuttled us over to where friends and family of the Monticello staff had gathered on top of Montalto, Monticello’s neighboring mountain. As we sat there, watching dusk gather over the blue ridge mountains, I could not help but think about how differently the atmosphere must have been on the day that has inspired almost 250 years of celebration.

When the founding fathers put their pens to Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, the mood must have been anything but carefree. By signing the declaration, they were committing the highest form of treason, literally signing their lives over to the cause. Patrick Henry was not exaggerating when he said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Remembering the bravery and sacrifices that gave birth to this country reminds me that I often take what we have for granted. I never think twice about voicing my political opinions. I have never hidden my religion. I have never been denied the right to vote. When I watch brave men and women in other countries risking their lives for a vote, I’m appalled that less than 60% of Americans choose to use theirs.

Obviously our country is not perfect, but it’s easy to forget to appreciate our circumstances when they seem so fundamental. It’s crazy to think that the American democracy started out largely as an experiment. No one had any idea if democracy could work on such a large scale. Case and point: the failure of the Articles of Confederation. Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia largely because he felt that the way to ensure the preservation of this country was to cultivate its citizens. Jefferson’s neo-classical style of architecture serves as a tribute to the first successful democracies of Greece and Rome. Jefferson centered his university around a library rather than a chapel to mirror the fundamental American value of separation of church and state. I walk around the lawn and I am reminded that I’m not here just to make friends and take tests. Thomas Jefferson imbued his university with the same responsibility that he carried on his own shoulders: the responsibility of citizenship.

So as I sat on the mountain, watching fireworks glinting off the copper dome of the Rotunda below, I felt more than just pride. I love my country, I’m proud to be an American, but, more than anything, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for those Americans who came before me. And I won’t let them down.

"We Come from Old Virginia..."

Hi guys! I am Trisha and this is a picture of Newcomb Hall, our Student Activities Building. It is actually one of my favorite buildings to hang out in, because it has a game room, food court, nice study spaces, and perfect couches for napping. It also houses a lot of our minority resources like the LGBTQ Center, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Asian Pacific American, Native American, and Middle Eastern Student Services and Programs. Outside of Newcomb, UVA has tons of resources in other areas, for example, the Office of African-American Affairs, the Women Center, the Brody Jewish Center, and on and on. I think it is great how many resources are available for minority students like me. 

I have personally gotten really involved in the LGBTQ community here. I spend a lot of my time volunteering in the LGBTQ Center. (My scrubs are irrelevant to the picture.) 

The LGBTQ Center provides free HIV testing, enthralling company, safe sex materials, a comprehensive library, and just a great hang out place with comfy couches. We also do this cool campaign on Valentine’s Day called “Love is Love” where we wear t-shirts promoting all kinds of love. 

I was asked to perform in Live Homosexual Acts (pardon the poor name choice) where we presented spoken word pieces, music, and monologues about different experiences concerning the LGBTQ community. My favorite one was probably “Coming Out Straight,” because it talked about how hard it was to be a straight ally. Here I am spitting out some mad lyrics about coming out to my dad. Let’s just all enjoy my intense face for a second.

Here I am with the fabulous Scott Rheinheimer, our LGBTQ Center Coordinator. He hails from Birmingham, New York and is ethnically ambiguous. I was also introduced to drag. That is me with Anita Numan on the left at one of the biggest events the Queer Student Union puts on: Drag Bingo. Five rounds of bingo and performances by drag queens and kings and dance-offs and skittles?? That's an incredible experience. On the right, is a picture of me and the phenomenal Pearl Harbor, who just finished performing at Fellini’s #9 Sunday Drag Brunch. Through the LGBTQ center, I have gotten the attention I need and I have been introduced to a whole new community of majestic people who are now some of my best friends.

Strutting and the Student Activities Fair

“Why are you both dressed in blue jeans and white t-shirts? Wait, are you guys wearing heels?” My roommates looked at me and nodded. “We are going to tryout to model in a fashion show, and we are leaving in two minutes. You should come!” they replied. I looked down at what I was wearing. I already had on a white t-shirt. “Why not?” I thought to myself. Without thinking, I quickly changed into blue jeans and grabbed my only pair of heels.

My name is Carol Yacoub. I am a third year at UVA studying Psychology on the Pre-Dental track. I had never been inside Runk Green Room before my tryout for Fashion for a Cause (FFC).  I was quickly greeted by strangers dressed in all black who gave me a form and told me to answer the questions as honestly as I could. I still wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, until I walked into the audition room alone, holding my paper form and facing a panel of six individuals. They were wearing all black and sunglasses. You could say I was a bit intimidated. One of the questions they asked me regarded the “unique talent” I had written on my form: belly dancing. “Can you belly dance for us, please?” Usually I would have laughed and walked away from a situation like this, but something kept me standing in front of them. The next thing I knew, I had them listening to my favorite Arabic song while they watched me dance. Just when I thought I could not be any more mortified, they asked me to do my best “model walk” to the end of the room. I was a bit nervous, considering that I had never model-walked in my life, but for some reason they liked me. My entire fall semester of my second year consisted of attending fashion show practices, getting fitted for the show, and learning how to act and dance. The theme for our fashion show was Cirque Du Soleil. Go ahead and laugh at my hair and make-up, but I looked Tyra Banks fierce. 

I had always put in extensive amount of time in my schoolwork but I had never invested so much time in an extracurricular activity in college. After the fashion show, I found myself surrounded by twenty-five new friends and a greater sense of purpose. All of the money raised from the fashion show went to college scholarships for high school students. As a member of FFC, I was required to participate in service even after the show was over.  FFC is just one of the thousand extremely special activities that students can get involved in at UVA. We call these student clubs and organizations CIOs, which stands for Contracted Independent Organizations. Each year we hold a Fall Student Activities Fair and each CIO sets up a display, trying to entice new students to come sign up for their club. Any student can use this Fair as an opportunity to sign up for any or all activities, whether they are artistically, athletically, academically, or service minded.

My advice would be to go to this Student Activities Fair each fall and go crazy. Talk to different people and see what UVA has to offer. Even if you go and you aren’t immediately attracted to an organization, leave the door open for potential opportunities later on. If I had been closed minded when my friends asked me to tryout for FFC, I may have missed a chance at amazing friends, gaining confidence, and serving those around me. And you can find that with any activity that you are passionate about. You just have to find it! Basically, at that Student Activities Fair, don’t be afraid to find your inner model. Strut like you mean it.

To tweet or not to tweet?

That is the question that one of the new essay prompts on our Common Application asks. There are five open-ended essay prompts and each one is open ended enough to return thousands of creative answers from new applicants. Since these prompts were released on Dean J’s Admissions Blog last week, everybody around Peabody is buzzing about them. (Follow the link to her blog right here: http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/!) Our summer intern staff was sitting around in our lounge and we started chatting about the essays while recalling our own experiences writing college essays. It turned into a conversation that I have titled “What I Wish I Knew When I Was Writing My College Essays.”

I remember my college application days being a very tense period. I viewed the college essay as a miserable undertaking. It was not the task that I dreaded, because I enjoyed writing and still do. What bothered me was that everyone had an opinion about how I should write my college essays. Everyone except for me. To save you some of the stress, strain, and sickness that I endured when starting my college essays, I have transcribed sections of our “What I Wish I Knew” conversation. I imagine that some of these collected tidbits of wisdom may be helpful, some may be useless, and some may be contradictory because everyone has their own writing style. Here’s our student perspective on how to approach a college essay:

Zoey: I wish I had known not to stress about writing what schools want to read. There's a perception that everyone needs to tell a heart-wrenching story about their experience with an almost-terminal disease or poverty or death. I think instead, students should just focus on giving an honest representation of themselves, whether that involves your struggle being raised by wolves or not.

Beth:  Don't overthink it. The point of an essay is to let people know who you are. It defeats the purpose to write about what you think the Admissions team wants to hear. 

Zoey: Just talking about something you really care about is going to go further than forcing out what you think fits the prescription of a winning essay. Remember that the prescription essay does not exist. 

Ryan: I wish I had known to stand out. And you stand out by expressing your personality. Don't write what you think the Admissions team wants to hear. Whatever you want, whatever you like to talk about.

Carol: Write about what you love and who you are and it will shine through your essay to the reader. If you try to force an essay about a topic you know nothing about it will show.

Sydney: I wish someone had made me start writing sooner. I made plans to start my college applications over the summer when I had nothing to focus on except those essay prompts. Even after that planning, I still wrote and edited and proofread my essays until the day applications were due.

Zoey: If the essay topics are already up, WRITE. As hard as it is to force yourself to do anything school-related over the summer, it's even harder to put enough thought into your essays when you also have three senior projects to work on at the same time. 

Carol: I wish someone had told me not to panic. Make sure you stay calm and write about yourself and what you have learned these past few years of high school. Have fun! 

Paul: Don't let someone tell you what topic to write about. Similarly, don't let someone tell you that your topic is a bad topic. If you like that topic and you think you can write a good, engaging essay about it, then you should write about it. It could be about marshmallows... it really doesn't matter as long as you show who you are through that topic. 

Sydney: Many people write about someone who had a huge impact on their life, whether it is someone who inspired them to apply somewhere in particular or someone who inspired them to study something in particular. When you are writing about that someone, whether it be your grandfather or your dog, keep in mind that the Admissions team wants to know you. They are not considering your grandfather or your dog for admission into UVA, they're considering you. Don't fall into that trap. Make sure if you are using a story about someone or some thing or some place, you use that as a vehicle to talk about you. That's who we are all trying to get to know.

Alexis: I try to grab their attention in a way that is not generic. I like to start with a surprise because it's better. If you confuse me in the first line, I always keep reading because I want to find out what your point is. 

Carol: Write about a flash moment or revelation or a specific moment in time. Not a narrative or a summary of your life. A shorter story will allow for more detail and more information to come across. 

Zoey: Lastly, it's important to talk about yourself. It seems obvious, but it's easy to end up talking all about that one coach who inspired you and never talk about exactly how you applied that in your life. It's fine to talk about events and people, but always bring it back to you. 

Alex: I don’t have any advice to give for essays… I just kind of nailed it.

Study Abroad: Do It.

Hi Guys! My name is Ida and I’m a rising fourth year in the College of Arts and Sciences. As a Chinese Language and Literature Major, I had the opportunity to go abroad and take Chinese language classes. It was by far one of the most challenging, rewarding, and ridiculous things I have ever done. For two months I lived in Shanghai, China—and looking back on it a year later I realize I learned more than I would have ever thought possible. So bear with me: I’m going to show you what it was like to be in China in the best way I can think of—through pictures. They will each come with a little piece of what studying abroad was like for me and hopefully by the end of the post you will have a slightly crooked puzzle.

One of the first things we did in Shanghai was go to the TV Tower. It is PACKED with people taking pictures in all sorts of funny poses—so we joined right in.

Classes were held at East China Normal University, a school in the middle of Shanghai that managed to be poetic and intimate in a city of 29 million. I went with twenty something students from UVA, split into three different levels of Chinese. We all took two semesters worth of Mandarin.

Once I had my feet underneath me and knew how to navigate a hospital and buy my own food, I felt ready for the world. And that’s when the travels began! Our first weekend trip was to Xitang. It is a beautiful water town with pictures of Tom Cruise everywhere—part of Mission Impossible 3 was filmed on the rooftops of Xitang. I was still too afraid to barter in Chinese at this point, but I was practicing to myself in my head!

This little guy sat and watched us take pictures of him. The red lanterns are everywhere in China! Red is an important color in Chinese culture, and the lanterns often have phrases of luck and well wishes on them.

This is our entire group in Hangzhou! We climbed a seven-story pagoda (behind us) and all regretted our choice of shoes.

After Hangzhou we settled back in to finish off the semester. There were plenty of late nights studying, vocabulary lists to be memorized, and “danbanke” or “one-on-one” classes to quiz our teachers with any questions we came up with during the day. Once our “first semester” was over we headed off to Beijing for a week to really dip our feet into Chinese culture.

One of the first places we went in Beijing was Tiananmen Square/Gugong. This is my class hanging out with Chairman Mao in front of Tiananmen.

We were all sure to be respectful and appropriate at all times. Pictured here with my teacher, Zhao Laoshi.

And I finally remembered to start taking pictures of the food! I tried so many new foods while I was in China, and I came back to the States with a new appreciation of spicy and sweet!

Then we went back to Shanghai. Took three more weeks of classes. Ate a few more dumplings. Learned a LOT more, and tried to hang on to all of the things that were happening.

This was our class on our last night in Shanghai. We went to karaoke with our professors and walked around the park that was a few blocks from our school.

So that is it, guys. Here we are laughing and crying on our last night. That’s Zhao Laoshi and I holding hands and pretending that I was not going to get on a plane in the morning. I know this picture is not the most attractive one to show you, Internet world, but it is definitely the best way I know to end this post.

Life in Shanghai was real, it was a mess, and it was beautiful. It was an experience I got to have as a UVA student, and it was an experience I could not have imagined before I came here. Now, looking back a year later, it is an experience I cannot imagine living without. 

Introducing the New Dream Team

Welcome to Hoo Stories, a UVA student blog for prospective students! My name is Sydney Sampson and I’m one of the student tour guides interning in the Admissions Office this summer. Over the course of the summer, the other guides and I will continue to blog about our student experiences at UVA. Each intern will share a story or discuss an event that illustrates something unique about student life. Our blog posts could include anything from student activities, fond traditions, research opportunities, study abroad programs, athletics, academic programs and so much more! And if there are any topics that you are particularly interested in, feel free to comment and let us know. We cannot wait to share our stories with you this summer. But before the summer gets started, I want to start by introducing everyone…

Alexander Bozicevich

Major: Political and Social Thought; Minor: Theatre

Hometown: Ruther Glen, VA

Talents: Sarcasm, coming of age, and stopping hunger. 

Zoey Dorman

Major: English, Cognitive Science

Hometown: Lynchburg, VA

Talents: Impersonating Dr. Seuss characters, smiling, and bubble blowing.

Trisha Hongcharti
Major: Spanish, Foreign Affairs; Minor: Business Spanish
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Talents: Self-defense, reporting the weather, and getting her tourists to fill out evaluations.

Ida Knox

Major: Chinese Language and Literature, Philosophy

Hometown: Starkville, MS

Talents: Improv Comedy, shaving her head, and telling people to calm down. 

Alexis Richardson

Major: American Studies

Hometown: Orange County, VA

Talents: Being on time, vacationing, and remembering everything. 

Sydney Sampson

Major: Psychology, Economics

Hometown: Vienna, VA

Talents: Understanding Shakespeare, talking to strangers, and walking quickly.

Ryan Schlobach
Major: Biology (Pre-Medicine)
Hometown: Fairfax, VA
Talents: Tanning, saving lives, and simultaneously patting his head while rubbing his tummy.

Paul Strader

Major: American Studies, History

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Talents: Using power tools, avoiding back sweat, and golf. 

Beth Wagner

Major: Political Philosophy and Law

Hometown: Hagerstown, MD

Talents: Juggling, volunteering, and wearing maxi dresses. 

Carol Yacoub

Major: Psychology (Pre-Dental)

Hometown: Leesburg, VA

Talents: Fashion, being exotic, and looking good in scrubs.