The extracurriculars around Grounds have always provided a way for students to connect and explore their interests. In the 1950s, orientation highlighted the wide range of organizations available to the incoming first-year students from drama and music to student government. The 1960s article offers insight into the sports activities available around Grounds, specifically the Virginia Rugby Club. While the 1970s discussed the changing culture of fraternities, the 1980s shows the creativity of U.Va. students with the Bob club. The 1990s article focused on student publication with an advertisement for The Cavalier Daily, and in the 2000s the marching band made its return.
1950s
Sep. 13, 1957
“University Extracurricular Activities Are Described At Orientation Meeting”
This article, which recounts an orientation panel put on for the benefit of the newly-arrived class of 1961, outlines many of the clubs and organizations available for students attending the University in the late 1950s. At the event, five student leaders in their fourth year at the University provided extracurricular recommendations ranging from student publications to drama and music organizations.
1960s
Sep. 1, 1966
“Virginia Rugby Club Invites First-Year Men To Participate”
By Tommy Ruch
As the Fall 1966 semester got underway, the Virginia Rugby Club, which had recently won games against skilled teams such as Duke and Richmond, looked to recruit first-year men to join its team. The author of this article wrote that while rugby at the University had garnered a reputation as a “gentleman’s sport,” it is a game in which “the rules are lenient and the play very competitive and rough.”
1970s
Sept. 14, 1970
“Fraternities Fight to Retain Status”
By Brian Siegel
Photo by Unknown
At one time, joining a fraternity was one of the most reliable ways to become socially successful on Grounds. However, as new independent groups began to emerge, fraternities were beginning to recognize the need to adapt in order to keep their status on Grounds. In 1969, Black students were pledged for the first time, and by 1970, the rush period was shortened and rushees were able to be more selective with the fraternities they wanted.
1980s
Sept. 1, 1983
“Society aspires to ‘Bobness’”
By Kim Herbel
Photos by Bill Skenderis
In an elite social organization called the University Bobs, members, who like being called Bob, gather. These meetings happen without a schedule or plan, but always with lots of beer. The University Bobs also created a Bob Awareness Week as they felt they were a minority that was being treated unfairly by the Student Council.
1990s
Sept. 1 1992
“WHY JOIN THE CAVALIER DAILY? TEN GOOD REASONS”
As The Cavalier Daily recruitment was underway in 1992, this article gave prospective members a taste of the different ways to get involved. Providing a comprehensive overview of all that The Cavalier Daily had to offer, the reasons vary from social and networking opportunities, to the chance to earn commissions from advertisements or even go on trips to capture sporting events.
2000s
Sept. 3, 2004
“New marching band prepares for debut”
By Sarah R. Gatsos
Photos by Peter Dunn
This article reports on the reestablishment of the University marching band, which had last existed at the University in the 1940s. The band had less than a month to practice together before their debut, but believed that they could surpass all expectations and greatly raise crowd spirits at football games.
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