With the semester winding down, University students' minds collectively turn to one thing: end of the year celebrations, the most extravagant event being the Foxfield Races April 28. But do the races warrant the hype, or is "watching" the races not a socially mandated tradition after all?
Students' opinions about Foxfield might differ, but many agree it is the largest event of the semester and is well-known beyond Grounds.
"Even people who don't go to U.Va. know about it," second-year College student Allison Comizio said.
For University students, the races hold significance because they occur with only two days of classes remaining.
"It's a good ending to classes and the semester," second-year College student Courtney Hintz said.
Though few students care about the actual horseracing, many still look forward to the experience.
"I feel like it'll be like a football game but off-Grounds," second-year College student Katie Doyle said.
Because the races are not sponsored by the University, students must pay to attend; tickets cost $30 and there is an additional charge for parking. Both prices increase by $5 within two weeks of the races.
Many students may be paying more for the social atmosphere than for the races. Though many students pay attention to football games, almost no one comes to Foxfield for the horses, giving them plenty of time to concentrate on other activities.
Fourth-year College student Ben Ellis said his idea of Foxfield is "people get drunk and do stupid things. It sounds like a good time ... for them -- not for me."
He reminisced about overhearing people return from previous Foxfield races talking about several drunken shenanigans and accidental injuries.
The debauchery is not a downside for everyone though.
"It's funny to watch really ridiculous people," fourth-year College student Candice Ng said, adding that she has seen people engage in activities such as mud wrestling at previous races.
The races and other sights are not enough to attract everyone to the event; some students said they just have other things to do that weekend.
"I don't really care" graduate Engineering student Ben Raydo said of the races, adding that he will have work to do that weekend.
"Maybe if I didn't have homework and exams [I'd go]," he said.
Many students, however, do not mind taking their minds off approaching finals for a popular social event.
"It's a whole day of pretty much everyone at U.Va. mixing together at a nice place off Grounds," Comizio said.
Ng said she felt Foxfield is a fun social event and something to look forward at the conclusion of the year.
"It's just nice we can put all of U.Va in one place for a good end to the semester and the year in general," she said.
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