With no air conditioning, limited space, and an outdoor jaunt necessary to access bathrooms and showers, life in one of Thomas Jefferson’s 54 original Lawn rooms is light on amenities. But the life of a "Lawnie" — rooted in historical grandeur and a vibrant social atmosphere — is central to what makes these rooms some of the most sought-after real estate at the University.
Because visitors are constantly sightseeing and bottlenecking into Lawn rooms, residents often play the role of unofficial tour guides for the University.
“Your friends, visitors and tourists will always be coming by and stopping in,” Batten graduate student Kurt Lockhart said. “Your room is a place where you can hang out and take a break during the day; tourists can stop in and enjoy it. You don’t really have your own personal space sometimes, so there’s definitely that challenge of managing your life in the public eye.”
The Lawn's public status gives residents a sense of responsibility.
“Everyone who lives here understands that you have a duty to be a host and a tour guide for people at U.Va.,” Lockhart said. “You have a duty to the visitors and to the organizations at U.Va. to really be someone who’s welcoming and hospitable.”
With all the hubbub, it can sometimes be a struggle to find time alone. But Lawn residents like fourth-year Commerce student Alex Sneider welcome the atmosphere with open arms.
“Because of the nature of the Lawn being such an open and public space that it is, I knew that [even though I was living alone] it would be a very public thing,” Sneider said. “You don’t have privacy, which isn’t necessarily a problem. I’ve loved it, just the fact that I can come back from class and there are always people in my room and my friends are always hanging out here.”
Even still, with the constant bustling of people on the Lawn, residents value the rare times they find the landmark void of people.
“Sometimes I’ll wake up at 7:30 and come out here and have a coffee and newspaper and there’s absolutely nobody out here,” Sneider said. “That’s something that you really don’t experience anywhere else. It’s given me a really different appreciation for the space and it’s probably my favorite part thus far.”
According to the probationary packet for members of the University Guide Service, members that University students did not find the rooms desirable until the administration introduced an application for the rooms in the 1960s. Now, Lawn residents go through a competitive application process — last year, 310 applicants applied for the rooms — and are selected by a diverse committee of students to ensure residents represent all facets of the University community.
“I think that a lot of people feel that Lawnies have a certain formula or a certain GPA, but I feel like I have messed up a lot and I became a stronger person [because of it],” fourth-year College student Sandra Menendez said. “A big façade that U.Va. has is that everyone is perfect all the time and everyone has these great grades, but my experience at college wasn’t like that. I still struggle even though I am on the Lawn. We’re just like everybody else.”
Most Lawn residents have achieved some form of leadership at the University. But living on the Lawn gives students a final opportunity to foster new and unexpected relationships.
“Everyone is just very nice and excited to get to know one another because we all come from different parts of the University,” Sneider said. “It’s been really neat to expand your friend circle and meet people you might not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. It’s accentuated by the fact that everyone is really friendly.”
This year is unlike any other for Lawn residents, however, as ongoing construction projects obscure the view of the Rotunda and offer, at times, an earlier-than-desirable wake up call for residents.
“It’s really unfortunate that [the construction is] during the year that we’re here on the Lawn,” Lockhart said. “I especially feel bad for my friends who live in the rooms closer to the construction because they definitely have to deal with the noise. It’s not ideal to have the construction going on, but I know it’s necessary.”
But residents, Menendez said, are taking the construction in stride — and the payoff of surrounding yourself with such a passionate segment of the University community makes the experience worthwhile.
“You’re surrounded by 54 other people who adore U.Va. and that has such a power to it,” Menendez said. “It’s really wonderful to be surrounded by all those people who have given so much and care so deeply for this University — so that, I think, has been really beneficial to me and has constantly expanded me. It feels like [even though] I am a fourth year, it’s a new beginning.”
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