President Barack Obama ran his campaign based on hope and change, more specifically the hope for a better tomorrow by changing the present. These may be just words to some, but it is a state of mind to many others. Labeling a campaign with simply two not-so-simple words can change the course of a nation.
As much as Obama has transgressed this country merely by being elected, the same cannot be said for what the Board of Visitors has done for the University with its funds. Hope and change are replaced by words such as tradition and authenticity. I would exceed my word limit if I commented on tradition, so I will stick to explaining how authenticity has impeded any social or academic growth and how that is reflected in our mindset as members of the University community.
A year ago, the Board of Visitors agreed to fund the restoration of Pavilion X and two Lawn rooms back to their appearance in the 1820s. The plan is to restore the attic parapet, to alter some windows and to repaint the columns to an off-white color because having a white-white color would be anachronistic according to Architect David Neuman.
The goal in mind is to make every aspect of the Lawn more authentic. Apparently, authenticity means giving an old building new life. However, restoration by nature directly opposes authenticity if it were defined as real or actual. If the Board of Visitors really wanted an authentic Lawn, they would leave it to Mother Nature's course and let her determine what it will look like in the future. Putting in a parapet and repainting some columns for the Lawn does no more for its authenticity than a hair dye and facelift does for a middle-aged woman. None of these things is natural and therefore neither of these situations is authentic. Sorry BOV and Neuman, but having a mint condition two-hundred-year-old building in the 21st century seems more of an anachronism than having a different shade of white on the columns.
It may seem like I'm arguing semantics, and to some degree I am. There is also a bigger issue here: what this time warp does to the already arrogant minds of those living on the Lawn. It seems as if the closer a group or individual is to Jefferson in ideals, physical proximity, or time, the better they compare to the rest of us commoners. Groups that either bear the Jefferson name or share his ideals such as the Jefferson Society or the Honor Committee are obviously inherently superior to plebeian groups like Hoo Crew. It's no wonder that the former are the ones that make up a disproportionate number of Lawnies, as they are affectionately called. Lawnies have always and will always be connected to Jefferson ideologically and physically just by being on the Lawn. Thanks to never-ending efforts to keep the Lawn "authentic", regardless of how much things change in the rest of the world, time stands still when you're on the Lawn.
You might be wondering what the problem is here. What could possibly be wrong with holding onto early 19th century morals in this modern world? For starters, the concept of equality, liberty, and any other intangible virtue out there has changed. Not only were racial and sexual inequalities tolerated back in Jefferson's time, they were also a way of life. Maybe these changes occurred so slowly at the University in general because the "important people" on the Lawn, not thinking about the present or future, were stuck in a primitive outlook. Imagine the dangers this would result in if social issues such as globalization, immigration and health care come up but the Lawnies are not prepared because they stuck to their dated morals.
Changing a person's state of mind is extremely difficult to do, but can be done if small changes are taken. Ideally, letting an old building see the normal wear and tear would be the first step in distancing ourselves from Jefferson and eventually freeing ourselves of old notions on contemporary virtues. Realistically, the University is going to oppose any change to the Lawn rooms, Pavilions, or Rotunda. In that case, let's stay honorable to our word and make these buildings fit the Board of Visitor's definition of authenticity. If details are paid to something as small as the shade of white on the columns, then it should apply to all aspects of Lawn life. Remember, there was no running water, electricity, or internet in Jefferson's day.
Hung Vu's column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at h.vu@cavalierdaily.com.
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