Applications for living on the Lawn, a privilege given to few fourth-year undergraduate students, will launch at the end of October.
The Lawn houses 54 students in single unit rooms, which are part of the original Academical Village and contain a bed, dresser, sink and a rocking chair. All rooms except for room 50 also have fireplaces.
DeAnza Cook, a College student and senior resident of the Lawn, said the Lawn is the vision of Jefferson’s Academical Village come to life not only by its architectural design but also by the shared living space between faculty and students it provides.
“I think it really strikes at the core of what Jefferson’s vision was for U.Va., and how that can be physically represented at the epicenter of the University with fourth-year students and deans all living in the space,” Cook said.
The Academical Village was classified as an official UNESCO world heritage site in 1987, and Lawn residents take it upon themselves to make it a special place.
“It is important for us as Lawn residents to reach out to students and make our space as inviting as possible,” Cook said. “I think that it’s a great feature of U.Va. students in general but is especially true on the Lawn is that a lot of the social interaction turns into intellectual debate or discussing contemporary issues.”
Amelia Garcia, College student and Lawn resident, said the Lawn is the representation of student self-governance and the welcoming atmosphere she experienced when visiting the University in high school.
“Everyone was out on this day. It was a beautiful, gorgeous day — people were slacklining and throwing the frisbee, and at the same time I was walking around and people were saying ‘Are you thinking about coming to U.Va.?,’ ‘You should come here!’” Garcia said. “These were strangers I had never met before and they were really wanting me to come.”
Garcia also said the prestigious nature of the Lawn should not stand in the way of making it welcoming.
“A lot of people look to the Lawn as a place of prestige because historically it is reserved for these fourth-years who do so much for the University,” Garcia said. “But at the same time … we shouldn’t be put on this pedestal because we just want to make the University as welcoming a place [as possible].”
For College student Shariq Hashmi, the cons of living on the Lawn — such as the lack of air conditioning or a connecting bathroom — are minimal compared to the benefits of the community the residents share.
“The idea of being in such a historical place, the community that I have with the other Lawnies and Pavilion residents and being a minute by minute integral part of the U.Va. community as I talk to people walking by … that kind of overshadows the negative aspects of being here,” Hashmi said.
Prospective residents can apply through the Housing and Residence Life website. Applications contain essay questions and request the applicant’s transcript.
Each Lawn room application is anonymously reviewed by a panel of administrators and students. Applicants will also be able to attend an information session about the process.
The application is “a good time to reflect on the past three years at U.Va. and really why you appreciate the Lawn,” Garcia said, “and how you yourself want to be a part of the Lawn.”
The applications will close Jan. 4 at noon, and offers will be made Feb. 17.
“I love sitting in this rocking chair, and I do my work here, so I sit, enjoy the sights and I enjoy talking to people as they go by,” Hashmi said. “You get to see the things that everyone is doing on the Lawn, you get to see the things that visitors are doing as they walk by. For me that’s a day in the life.”
Correction: A previous version of this article stated Lawn rooms come with a lofted bed. Each room comes with a twin-sized bed that has lofting capabilities.
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