"Why don't we just put Christmas lights up around the Lawn and have a party?"
Sound like a good idea? Four years ago, the Class of 2002 Trustees thought so, and the annual Lighting of the Lawn tradition began.
The Class of 2002 Trustees wanted to hold an event that would bring all fourth years together on the Lawn sometime before they graduated. Near the end of the fall 2001 semester, however, they still had not been able to decide on an event to meet their goal. That's when one trustee came up with the idea to light the Lawn. The entire event then was put together in three weeks and ultimately deemed a success.
"It's kind of interesting that the first one was planned in about three weeks and now it's turned into this six-month adventure," said Erin Frackleton, Fourth-year Trustees' Lighting of the Lawn Committee chair.
Preparations for the Lighting of the Lawn began as early as June this year, when Frackleton started making arrangements for the festivities. The rest of the committee kept busy planning the event at weekly meetings beginning in September.
Responsibility for scheduling the performers and presenters fell to Sally Wood, programming chair for the Lighting of the Lawn Committee. Frackleton said Wood expected Virginia Football Coach Al Groh's secretary to respond when she contacted his office, but instead she received a phone call back from Groh himself, who said he was excited to be involved in the event.
This year's Lighting of the Lawn is scheduled for tomorrow, beginning at 7 p.m. with various receptions and vocal performances. Class receptions will be held on the first two tiers of the Lawn, offering free food and drinks for all. Each of the six undergraduate schools are sponsoring get-togethers in different Pavilions, and the Law School will also be there, marking the first time a graduate or professional school will host a reception at this event.
Lawn residents will also host receptions for organizations in which they participate, leading to a wide array of clubs represented at the event.
Madison House, one of the organizations commonly represented by an individual Lawn resident, has partnered with the Lighting of the Lawn Committee this year. Madison House will collect books and toys for its Holiday Sharing program during the ceremony with collection boxes available at all of the Lawn entrances.
On top of all the parties, 10 musical groups will perform from the Rotunda steps throughout the night. In the past, the musical entertainment has solely been a cappella groups, but this year planners enhanced the program with three additional groups: Black Voices, the Glee Club and the Virginia Women's Chorus.
The lighting ceremony will begin at 8:30 p.m. with a welcome address from Fourth-Year Class President Kat Shea and Groh's speech. He will also read a poem written by a member of the fourth-year class. The poem, a parody of "The Night Before Christmas," is intended to make light of some of the events of the semester.
Then five, four, three, two, one: the switch is flipped, the lights go on and the Lawn is illuminated by the glow of 5,000 miniature bulbs. Easy, right?
The whole event may only last for two hours, but preparing for it was far from simple.
"I don't think people realize how much work goes into all of this," said Vivienne Bui, Fourth-year Trustees' Lighting of the Lawn Committee logistics chair.
Bui, whose many tasks included ordering the lights and keeping in contact with Facilities Management (who put up the strings of lights), is also responsible for what some may call the most imperative part of the whole event: making sure the maintenance workers are ready to turn on the lights in accordance with the countdown.
"What has happened a couple times in the past years is that the program runs a little faster than expected and the maintenance people aren't quite in place, so there's an awkward two or three minutes," Frackleton said.
But hopefully all will go according to plan.
"The maintenance guys will flip on the switches and there will be lights, and hopefully a fuse won't blow -- I can see myself causing the second Rotunda fire," Frackleton added, jokingly.
The strings of white lights run down the columns of the Rotunda and the Pavilions, across the upper railing above the Lawn rooms and then outline the top of Old Cabell Hall. This year, there will be even more lights than in past years illuminating the Rotunda, according to Frackleton.
There are certain things, however, that are beyond the committee's control: namely, the weather.
A clear day certainly has its advantages because it allows the proceedings to go on as intended, but anyone who has ever witnessed a snow-covered Lawn might be willing to withstand the chilly temperatures for that spectacular view.
"My first year it didn't snow -- it was about 70 degrees," Frackleton said. "They actually had to cancel the hot chocolate orders and get lemonade instead."
The past two years have provided for a snow-covered ceremony, but the odds of getting snow again this year aren't very promising.
"I can't make it snow," Frackleton said. "It's what I think has been my biggest failure as committee chair -- I can't control the weather."
Whether it snows or not, the Lighting of the Lawn will still take place tomorrow night, illuminating the Academical Village with string upon string of bright white lights. (Unless, of course, it rains and the ceremony is held on the Dec. 11 rain date.) Several committee members and fourth-year students said they can hardly wait.
"I think it's just stunning," Wood said. "It's beautiful and it's also just a really unbelievable time for the community to come together; there's something magical about it."
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