So you've finally made it. You've struggled through mounds of applications and paperwork and teacher recommendations, and now you've finally reached the University of Virginia. You now are ready to move on to the next step of continuing education. However, you might notice that the second you step into the world that Mr. Jefferson built, everyone seems to be speaking a whole different language. Fear not, first-year Wahoo. Allow me to guide you on your first U.Va. course, Lingo 101, complete with footnotes and explanations.
Generally speaking
Mr. Jefferson: Founder of the University; also the third president of the United States; never referred to as TJ or Thomas Jefferson; after all, we're reverent because he is still in our midst.
First Year, Second Year, etc.: used instead of freshman, sophomore, etc; when the University was first established, no degrees were given out, therefore there was no set period of attendance; also, Mr. Jefferson was a believer in life-long learning, and did not consider that anyone could reach a "junior" or "senior" level..
Grounds: used instead of campus; when Mr. Jefferson drew the floor plans for the University, he labeled it as "Grounds," and it has been that way ever since.
Gut: a class that one expects to be an easy A, frequently a sure source of disagreement among students, since none of them can ever agree on which classes are guts; varies from student to student, not usually introductory classes, can be very boring and unexpectedly difficult.
sketch, sketchy: suspicious, shady, un-trustworthy ("that guy looked kind of sketch,") used to refer to a situation or members of the male gender, never a female.
Superfan: gentleman whose attire consists of half a basketball on his head, a short blue cape emblazoned with an orange V and tons of body paint. Can be seen yelling insults at opponents and cheering wildly at any sporting event, particularly football games.
Hoo Bus: free transportation to the Downtown Mall, stops every half an hour at the chapel and other stops Thursday through Sunday evenings.
Dormcest: when one member of a residence hall hooks up in any sort of way with another dorm member.
Foxfields: the large, annual outdoor drunken party at a field outside Charlottesville; rumored to also have horse races, although they rarely are noticed by most folks in attendance.
People, people
Politico: anyone in a position of student government, Judiciary Committee, Honor Committee or the editor-in-chief of the The Cavalier Daily.
Lawnie: one of the 54 fourth-year folks who live on the Lawn.
Townie: anyone who lives in Charlottesville.
Location, location, location
NoVa: Northern Virginia, where many University students call home. Warning: may cause you to appear less intelligent because "NoVa" also is used to refer to the group of community colleges in the aforesaid location.
U-Hall: University Hall, also known as the "Clamshell," site of basketball games and first-year parking.
AFC: Aquatic and Fitness Center, the gym to see and be seen at; location of many sightings of spandex and sorority t-shirts.
The Dell: the field behind Old Dorms, an ideal site for Frisbee, includes tennis and basketball courts.
Mad Bowl: short for Madison Bowl; the large area along Rugby Road, the site of many recreational activities, usually dominated by the Greeks.
Slaughter: the gym behind Watson House in New Dorms; where basketball player Adam Hall can be seen playing pickup games during the late hours.
Mem Gym: Memorial Gym, located along Emmett Street, ideal for weight-lifting in the quiet, contains a pool which is rarely seen and used, the site of many indoor Intramural games.
Bodo's: Bodo's Bagels; home of the best bagels in Charlottesville, located on Route 29 and Preston Avenue, and a location "coming" on the Corner.
Can we have some organization?
CD: by far the most important term of all, used to refer to The Cavalier Daily, the only daily newspaper on Grounds, located in the basement in Newcomb Hall.
Dec: The Declaration, second-fiddle news publication on Grounds, publishes essays and reviews weekly, located in a broom closet in the basement of Newcomb Hall.
Judish: University Judiciary Committee, which handles violations of the Standards of Conduct, has a file on nearly every student that has been caught drinking.
Honor: Honor Committee; handles all honor violations.
StudCo: short for Student Council.
So there you have it: the complete guide to sounding just like any other Wahoo when you arrive. Good luck!
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