As students return to Charlottesville for the new school year, there are many reasons for celebration: reunions with friends, excitement for the upcoming year and a last "hoo-rah" before the end of summer. Throughout the years, students have found several different ways to celebrate these events at the University. Among the most popular perennial are the Wertland Block Party and the University Programs Council's welcome concert.
Although the block party has become a tradition in the minds of many students, Patricia Lampkin, vice president and chief Student Affairs officer, emphasized that it is not a University-sanctioned event and that the students hosting parties on Wertland Street are private citizens in their apartments and houses.
"In my mind, students are being very inconsiderate," Lampkin said, explaining that the block party disrupts the neighborhood and, as the area is off-Grounds, pulls resources from the City of Charlottesville. Lampkin also noted students do not reserve the road for the block party, making it the job for City police to clear the street as party-goers spill off the sidewalk and block traffic.
"I like to think that our students are considerate, thoughtful people, but the fact is our students do not know where the line is," Lampkin said. "We should be smarter and better than that."
Lampkin worries that the block party, which occurs on the school year's opening weekend, sets a precedent of inconsiderate partying and disrespect for neighbors.
For some who live on Wertland, though, the festivities are eagerly anticipated and one of the perks of living on the street. Fourth-year College student Erika Troia said she and her housemates looked forward with excitement for being a part of the student tradition, although they took the precaution of locking their bedrooms.
"It wasn't a free-for-all" Troia said. "And the cleaning part the next morning was not as fun, but it was pretty typical of a college party. We all had good attitudes."
For Troia and many others, the aftermath was worth the night of celebration and the opportunity to carry on tradition.
Lampkin noted the University holds events the same night, but students either choose not to attend those or to go to both.
One alternative offered by the University is the UPC concert held the same night in the John Paul Jones arena.
UPC Chair Stephanie Nguyen explained that the organization aims to create options for students, not to discourage other forms of socializing.
"I think a common misconception people have about UPC is that we try to pull students away from drinking and block party but we know that's just as much a tradition," Nguyen said. "We're not creating these events to stop people from going to things like block party; it's just so there are alternatives."
The UPC concert is a fairly new tradition; the first one was held only two years ago. Before then, UPC hosted a carnival around the football stadium, but that event did not have the same appeal that the concerts have.
"People would wander through and not stay," Vice Chair of Programming Alana Heifetz said. "No one knew what it was."
Nguyen says that it's all about finding out what worked for the University and gauging student interest. After researching, UPC decided to book the popular musician Girl Talk for the first concert in 2009, knowing he would generate interest and hopefully a high attendance.
Several thousand students have attended the UPC concert each year. This year about 3,000 to 4,000 students came to see the featured band We The Kings, Vice Chair of Programming Megan Burke said.
The concert provides a comfortable, social atmosphere for first years who don't know many people or what there is to do at the University, Nguyen said.
"For those who don't know any upperclassmen, it's a big free event and not too overwhelming like block party can be. We want new students to feel included in the University," she said.
Read More
Breaking my silence
By Cecy Juárez | 23 hours agoI, Cecy Juárez, am one of the three “squirrels of U.Va.” running the @thesquirrelsofuva page.
Lending a hand during the finals push
By Abby Snowdon | 2 days agoThe race to the end of the year has begun, and University groups have set up pit stops along the course to help students get to the finish line.
The spring fashion trend for you based on your college lifestyle
By Malone Morchower | 3 days agoIn 2024, decades of different styles have come back, culminating in a casual yet exciting fashion.
