After reading through and learning about the purpose of "The centennial of the University of Virginia, 1819-1921; the Proceedings of the Centenary Celebration, May 31 to June 3, 1921", the book provided me with a broader understanding of not only what the University of Virginia was like at the time but how this book and celebration fits into UVA's general timeline. First of all, in regards to the centennial celebration as an influence for the future, the events at UVA served as an identity for its culture over time. The four day celebration, as described in the script, revealed an extremely strong sense of community – something that has remained constant over the years.

One of the most common acknowledgements throughout the entire series of events was the fact that the celebrations heavily recognized and honored the university's founder, Thomas Jefferson. Ever since the University was founded, UVA and the student body has continuously commemorated Jefferson and his impacts on all of us students for the last two centuries. The University itself has celebrated Jefferson annually through Founder's Day on April 13 ever since the year of the first academic session at UVA in 1817, as well as through a prominent Thomas Jefferson statue just outside of the Rotunda, the Jefferson Scholarship (fully funded by UVA), the Jefferson Commons, and more. Additionally, the student body at UVA regularly and even subconsciously celebrates Jefferson through language, stating that “Jefferson’s Academical Village gave physical shape to his ideals--ideals that would alter the course of higher education in America and the world,” (UVA Website) tributes, traditions, and more. Jefferson’s presence and impact on the university is undeniable.

Additionally, the script described a letter from former president Woodrow Wilson that functioned as a ceremonial affirmation of UVA's values and also reinforced UVA as a central university for higher education in the United States. The sense of togetherness, traditions, and values that these events displayed and that are still present at UVA today reveal a great deal about the community at UVA that has permeated life on grounds for hundreds of years, especially regarding the presence of alumni in our community. Nowadays, UVA constantly brings in renowned alumni to deliver speeches and addresses to the students during final exercises, reunions, special events, and more. Additionally, UVA’s alumni presence inside and outside of grounds is also incredibly strong, as seen through the UVA clubs network, which hosts events in over 100 different locations, alumni mentorship and career support, in which the Virginia Alumni Mentoring program matches current students with alumni mentors to provide students with guidance on career path, graduate school, and networking, and the UVA secret societies, that leave their mark on UVA through generous contributions that uphold university traditions.

Outside of UVA specific culture, the celebration staged a grand pageant in order to depict key moments in UVA history, including its founding by Thomas Jefferson and its growth into a prestigious and prominent institution. The events also included speeches and letters from distinguished figures at the time (including Woodrow Wilson), music and folk traditions, and more. The UVA centennial pageant reflected a national trend at the time of using historical dramatization in order to celebrate history and heritage. This use of dramatization to honor UVA’s heritage is still present today. While UVA no longer hosts pageants to this degree, similar events such as Founder’s Day ceremonies, historical reenactments during Reunions Weekend (ranging from performances of Jefferson discussing his ideals/beliefs to the dramatization of student life at UVA in different eras), Jefferson Society Debates, and more help connect UVA students and alumni to the university’s history. These events not only serve as a reminder of UVA’s rich past but also connect students to previous generations of alumni.

A second archival source that I researched at Special Collections was Arthur Fickénscher’s “College Songs of the University of Virginia,” which included the sheet music of football songs, including “Just Another Touchdown for U-V-a,” and “Hike Virginia,” student songs, including “The Good Old Song,” and “Orange and Blue,” and other songs, including “Virginia Hail, All Hail!” and “In a Rose-tinted Valley.” These songs and others seen in the archives at Special Collections are some of the first records of the student body community at UVA. Songs like these bring students and alumni together not just at athletic events like football games but as well as university events, ceremonies, and other celebrations or gatherings.

While not all of these songs are pertinent to UVA culture today, many are extremely well-known and help shape the UVA student experience, decades later. For example, the “Good Old Song” serves as a unifying anthem for students, alumni, faculty, and the broader UVA community. Every student at the university has at one point listened to the Good Old Song, as it brings everyone at UVA closer together and tightens the community as a whole. Additionally, songs like “Virginia Hail, All Hail,” “Hike Virginia,” and “The Orange and Blue” are all still prevalent at UVA, as groups like the Cavalier Marching Band, the UVA Glee Club, and acapella groups regularly perform some of these songs. The lyrics of some of these songs may have been slightly altered over time, but the messaging and resulting sense of community has had a long lasting impact.

From the founding of the university to the centennial celebration to the present day, UVA has changed and developed in many different and important aspects. However, a lot of aspects of the university have remained the same. The sense of community built through long lasting traditions, groups, events, and even songs that are significant to both current students and alumni is still present today, and has created an environment that all students can embrace and appreciate. Whether attending a football game, partaking in a university ceremony, or simply walking through the historic grounds, the seemingly immortal traditions and connections provide a strong foundation for students to feel a sense of belonging and pride.

As UVA looks to the future, it will undoubtedly continue to adapt and evolve. While everyone at UVA appreciates Jefferson and the legacy he has provided to the university, it is nonetheless extremely important to recognize his contradictions of liberty and slavery that remained at UVA for decades after its founding. Enslaved laborers in Virginia built the University, maintained its grounds, and even assisted professors and students. Jefferson’s vision for education and democracy was true for white, male students at the time, proving to only be true when it didn’t clash with Jefferson’s personal beliefs and values.

In recent years, UVA has taken steps to acknowledge the difficult and conflicting history of the University and its founding. Through the memorial for enslaved laborers and ongoing discussions about Jefferson’s paradoxical legacy, past, current, and future generations of UVA students will continue to grapple with how to recognize both Jefferson’s achievements along with his moral failures.

While culture has grown a great deal since the university’s founding and will continue to grow for centuries to come, the deeply-rooted traditions that have built our community at UVA have remained firmly planted in life at our university and define what it means to be a UVA student.

Sources:

The Centennial of University of Virginia, 1819 - 1921

● College Songs of the University of Virginia

● https://uvamagazine.org/articles/reflecting_on_uva_anniversaries_past

● https://uvamagazine.org/articles/the_good_old_song_is_it_beloved_by_all

● https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2023/04/university-commemorates-and-reflects-on-f ounders-day

● Pageants in U.S. Music History: Research Brief (Week 5 Day 2)