From the classrooms where students discover their lifelong passions to the Corner booths and Lawn picnics where friendships form, the University experience is often defined just as much by the places and traditions surrounding Grounds as the education within it. Certain lectures linger long after finals season has ended. Certain weekends become memories that will be retold for years to come. Certain places in Charlottesville became equally as important as the community that surrounds them.
Below, three graduating staff writers — Blaine Hutchens, Grace Traxler and Lindsay Lian — reflect on their favorite courses, University traditions and Charlottesville locales that came to feel like home. These favorites are a snapshot of the experiences they will carry with them long after their time at the University has come to an end.
From hikes to shops to favorite restaurants, what is your favorite Charlottesville staple?
Grace Traxler, staff writer: Mine is unequivocally Ragged Mountain Running & Walking Shop on the Corner. Working there for the past two years has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time in Charlottesville. Through my experiences fitting customers for shoes, I have become better at listening, paying attention to details and making conversation with anyone. In addition to becoming a more confident person, I have made great friends in my co-workers, some of whom I probably never would have met if not for Ragged.
The Lorenzonis — the family that owns Ragged — have made patience and kindness integral to their store for the past 44 years, from their leadership in local races to the way they teach their staff. The Charlottesville community would not be the same without them, and neither would the undergraduate years of myself, my coworkers and hundreds of former student employees. I know that the friendships I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned at Ragged will stay with me long after I leave Charlottesville.
Blaine Hutchens, staff writer: I’m sure I speak for many of my fellow fourth-years when I say that the Grit Coffee on Elliewood Avenue is the Charlottesville staple I couldn’t have lived without. My go-to coffee order is fairly simple — drip coffee with just a little bit of milk and sugar — but this particular coffee shop provides more than just a delicious dark roast. Grit’s warm, inviting atmosphere provided a much-needed space to work outside of the crowded University library scene. I can say with certainty that around half of all my schoolwork and work for extracurriculars was done from the café’s second floor — that is, when I managed to arrive early enough to secure a table. Meeting friends at this Corner staple for a cup of coffee will definitely be one of the things I’ll miss the most when I leave Charlottesville.
Lindsay Lian, staff writer: I would be remiss not to give Coupe Deville’s its proper recognition. Walking — or more likely, skipping — up the Corner Parking Lot, I can peer over the Coupe’s fence and see friends gathered around the stage or perched on the elevated stones. Visions of being surrounded by friends singing along horribly to Florence + The Machine’s “The Dog Days Are Over” flash before me, and I am reminded of how precious these carefree moments are amidst the feelings of impending doom surrounding graduation. Even the hour-long line to get inside can be a place of storytelling and giggles when accompanied by the droves of upperclassmen that flock that patio each weekend — regardless of time or temperature. Home to bands, date functions, card games and dancing, it is safe to say this bar holds a special place in my undergraduate experience.
What is your favorite University event or tradition?
GT: I love Foxfield. Standing in a field for five hours is not everyone’s cup of tea — especially if the weather is too warm or too cold — but it is definitely mine. It is an awesome fashion show for a sundress enthusiast such as myself, and I love seeing all the cool outfits girls wear. However, the best part about Foxfield is that everyone you have ever met at the University is at the same place. Even though the internet service is bad, if you just keep wandering through the various cars and suspiciously sleepy individuals, you are guaranteed to run into friends, classmates from semesters past and maybe even enemies. Unexpected encounters are one of the best parts of life, and Foxfield is the place to make them happen.
BH: Each December, I’ve looked forward to Lighting of the Lawn as a way for friends, classmates and members of the University community to come together amidst the stress of finals week. Something about huddling together in the 30-degree weather, listening to the a cappella performances and watching the Rotunda light show at the end makes it a really nice way to end the fall semester. Plus, if you know any fourth-years who live on the Lawn, visiting their rooms during the festivities provides a much-needed break from the cold and, if you’re lucky, some hot cocoa. At my last LOTL, I was even lucky enough to be invited to watch the performances from the balcony of one of the Pavilions, which made for an unforgettable experience.
LL: Despite not being much of a runner or an early riser myself, I have absolutely loved Run with Jim. At each one I attended, I saw a wholesome display of the University community during both sunshine and bitter cold. The energy is palpable walking up to the Rotunda steps at 7:30 a.m. which is typically already bustling with hundreds of smiling students, faculty and community members. The tradition transcends typical social delineators, bringing together people of all ages — and thankfully, athletic backgrounds — welcoming sprinters and leisurely walkers alike. The route follows a scenic tour of Grounds that, on my last run, felt like a Hannah Montana finale-esque reflection of my favorite spots throughout the last four years. The run is a testament to former University President Jim Ryan’s humility and care for the University, and the tight-knit community we have in Charlottesville — and to how many members of the community are unexpectedly ridiculously fast runners.
In your four years at the University, what has been your favorite class and why?
GT: I seem to have saved the best for last. This semester, I took ENGL 4559, “Aesthetic Theory” with Professor Chad Wellmon, and it was the most engaging class I’ve taken at the University. The questions driving this course were behemoths — how do we talk about concepts such as authorship, beauty, creativity and more in the age of artificial intelligence? Do we need new concepts? Initially, I was drawn to this class because I am incredibly fearful of AI’s hold on the world. I was also one of The Cavalier Daily’s Arts & Entertainment editors last year, so I have spent a lot of time thinking about the value of art.
Throughout the semester, we studied how various philosophers define these aesthetic concepts, while also looking at examples of and scholarship on computer-generated texts. Having a space to think about these philosophical questions has really sharpened my ability to articulate my opinions, and I know I will bring these skills with me as I begin a career in the media world.
BH: My history major seminar, HIST 4501, was the perfect opportunity to do original, independent research in a small, relatively informal class setting. In what turned out to be a very hectic semester for me, this class was a nice way to set out on my own research course, write what I wanted to write about and produce a piece of work I was genuinely happy with. Since I had taken a fair amount of British history courses before this class, and since I’d like to go to law school one day, I opted for the English Legal History topic. Choosing a seminar topic that really interested me made the completion of this major requirement so much more enjoyable and fulfilling. Plus, getting to discuss research topics and writing methods in a small group provided opportunities for better connection with classmates and my professor than would be available in a more structured, lecture-style class.
LL: I took EBUS 2830, “Innovation and New Ventures” to fulfill a requirement for my technology entrepreneurship minor this fall. The project-based class was somewhat of an introduction to customer discovery, pitching and all things startup-related, and culminated in each small group of three to four students pitching a startup idea at the end of the semester. My group’s was a University-exclusive Facebook Marketplace for furniture, school supplies and clothing. Associate chemical engineering professor George Prpich and Doug Garland, associate dean of entrepreneurship and innovation, made uncomfortable and unfamiliar tasks — such as interviewing dozens of strangers in one day — an exciting and fun experience. No two classes were the same, and sessions flowed seamlessly between guest lectures, paper airplane pitch competitions, heartfelt life lessons and murder mystery themed case studies. No matter what the class centered around, each topic would somehow tie back to key entrepreneurial principles. The class truly lived up to Professor Garland’s favorite quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
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