Founder’s Day at this school celebrates the birthday of Thomas Jefferson, and many observe it differently. Some, like the various secret societies that emerge from their shadows, pay homage to Thomas Jefferson and his brainchild University with their wacky traditions. Others, however, might see the occasion as an opportunity to open discussions about the history and culture that permeate this institution. How far should such discourses go? What should they make us think of our positions at the University and how we fit into the narrative?
“That’s Thomas Jefferson’s school, right?” I hear this response too often, as a former undergraduate and current graduate student, when I tell people I study here. Of course, this place has changed drastically since it was founded, so the statement isn’t completely true. Jefferson himself couldn’t have visualized what his school is like today. But his name still holds weight on Grounds and beyond them. He’s both venerated because of his legacy as a founding father yet also vilified because of his social views, which often don’t correspond to modern conceptions of race and gender.
Despite those criticisms, Jefferson is a part of the brand-name of the University — a talking point for the tongues of pupils and parents alike. And, while some circles admire him for founding this historical institution, others have a different, more critical perspective. But the dialogue doesn’t stop there. The Cavalier Daily, in observance of Founder’s Day, published an article about the juxtaposed impressions that swirl around his image nowadays.
So it’s right to assume the issue remains quite controversial, even though one can’t really see what the article said. And it doesn’t seem like it will go away anytime soon. My predecessor, writing on the topic last semester, asked if similar protests against other figures at universities would eventually happen here. And they might just, as long as there are sides for and against the Jeffersonian image that comprises the “aura of gravitas” at this school.
Thinking about our own stances within the community, then, becomes quite important — not as adherents to this aura, necessarily, but as members of an institution that will inevitably maintain its association with this founding father. Yet we shouldn’t subscribe to Jeffersonian fetishism, nor should we dismantle it completely. We should find, ideally, a middle ground that will truly bring into question the image of Mr. Jefferson that we choose to maintain — for ourselves, and for the University as a whole.
Sasan Mousavi is the Public Editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at publiceditor@cavalierdaily.com or on Twitter at @CDPublicEditor.
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