Students, faculty and Charlottesville community members braved the cold weather Friday night to celebrate the University’s “Lights Up” themed Lighting of the Lawn. However, the light show, which included drones for the first time ever, was hindered throughout the show, with apparent technical issues causing a noticeable delay from one of the speakers.
This annual event traditionally brings together the larger U.Va. community, creating a space for joy, light and remembrance through holiday performances. This year, the budget exceeded $100,000, driven in part by the addition of the drone show and the purchase of brand-new lights.
The event opened with remarks from this year’s LOTL co-chairs, fourth-year College students Riley McNeill and Chelsea Huffman, who honored Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry, the football players who lost their lives in the Nov. 13, 2022 shooting on Grounds. They said that they hoped LOTL would be a time for the community to celebrate the three students’ lives. Their jersey numbers — 1, 15 and 41 — were displayed with light projections to the side of the Rotunda and remained illuminated throughout the program.
The co-chairs then read a letter to the community from the ANGELS Society, a secret society on Grounds. The letter, which is a tradition of LOTL, emphasized the importance of unity and resilience, commending the community for persisting through moments of darkness.
“Take a moment to look at those around you on this radiant, joyous night, those to your left and right, those in front and to the back of you,” Huffman read from the letter. “Though you may not know where they come from or where they aspire to go, this occasion brings us all together and links us to the past and future generations of those who walked, and will walk, the same Grounds.”
The University Singers began the musical portion of the program with performances, including a rendition of “Can the Circle Be Unbroken” and “Carol of the Bells,” setting a festive tone for the evening's holiday celebrations.
Following the University Singers, a variety of dance and a cappella groups took the stage, performing an array of holiday-themed pieces. Their performances showcased a mix of styles, ranging from traditional holiday remixes to K-pop and Indian-style dances.
The evening also featured vocal performances by groups such as the AcHOOstics, the Hullabahoos, the No Tones and The Virginia Gentlemen, among others. A variety of dance performances added to the night, with dances by the University Salsa Club, the Afro-Hoos, Fuego Dance Club, K-Edge and several other groups.
Sarah Petchel, third-year College student, performed at LOTL for the third time this year as a member of both the AcHOOstics and University Singers.
“It is such an honor to be involved in such a big production that spreads holiday cheer,” Petchel said.
The performances were followed by a poetry reading delivered by Philip Bourne, dean of the School of Data Science, Larry Sabato, director of the University’s Center for Politics and professor of politics, Vicki Gist, senior associate dean of students and Sky Dahl, fourth-year College student and athlete on U.Va.’s rowing team. The poem celebrated the University and the coming graduation of the Class of 2025 while extending a warm welcome to the Class of 2028.
After the poetry reading, the evening transitioned into a countdown to the highly-anticipated lighting of the Rotunda and Lawn, accompanied by a collective singing of “The Good Ol’ Song.” In keeping with this year’s theme, Harry Styles’ “Lights Up” played as the Rotunda light show began. A variety of popular songs followed throughout the show, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” and Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten.”
However, during the light show, technical difficulties with the audio and music tracks became apparent — the songs, at times, seemed to echo, resulting in a listening experience that failed to fully sync up with student expectations.
Third-year College student Riya Sharma said that she and her friends were disappointed that the audio issues went on for so long.
“Our immediate reactions were that it felt almost unprofessional.” Sharma said. “They take a lot of time to put [the lights] up, and [it seems] that they did a lot of extra planning for the drones this year. So I think it would have been nice if they had resolved the issue or tried to resolve it in some way, instead of letting it continue.”
The popular college app YikYak, which allows students to post comments anonymously, was also buzzing with criticism of the audio issues following the event. Nameless users shared a variety of reactions — one wrote, “I wouldn’t have cared if they stopped the show to fix that god-awful sound.”
In a joint statement to The Cavalier Daily, Huffman and McNeill said they recognized the disappointment attendees faced but hoped that students and the community were still able to gather together and celebrate each other which they said is the true purpose of the event.
“Following the event on Friday, we worked with our team to identify the issue and have taken steps to ensure it will not happen again,” the co-chairs said.
The drone show which accompanied certain songs and occurred in the sky above the Rotunda was put on by the lighting company Sky Elements and U.Va. Arts on The Hill. About halfway through the light show, the drones rose up from the right side of the Rotunda, as Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” played. The drones continued to illuminate the sky above the Rotunda throughout the show, creating a series of animated light displays. Among the images were the Cavalier logo, a snowman, Christmas lights, snowballs in motion and the numbers 1, 15 and 41. The drones also imitated fireworks as Katy Perry’s “Firework” played.
Class of 2023 alumna Kat Johnson, who returned to watch the event with her family, said she enjoyed the new drone show. She added that while she had some trouble hearing the music at some points, it did not take away from her overall experience.
“The drone show was definitely my favorite part of LOTL this year.” Johnson said. “I think it was a perfect moment for the event to evolve, and the addition of the drones really brought an exciting new aspect to the experience.”
She noted that LOTL is one of her favorite University traditions because of the strong sense of community it brings and said that there is something special about seeing the University and Charlottesville communities come together to celebrate the holiday season.
LOTL began in the winter of 2001 to promote unity within the student body and the broader community after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Originally a candlelight vigil, it has since evolved into a large-scale event, drawing approximately 15,000 attendees each year, according to McNeill and Huffman. In recent years, it has also become a tribute to Davis Jr, Chandler and Perry.
Past themes of LOTL, such as “Disglow,” “Brighter Than Ever,” “Illuminate” and “Finding Our Light,” have all focused on the central goal of uniting the community. This year’s theme, “Lights Up,” continues this tradition, serving as a reminder to reflect on and celebrate shared experiences while uplifting and strengthening the community.
Third-year College student Celia Calhoun shared her appreciation for the event, highlighting the atmosphere and sense of connection it creates.
“I think it's so special that our entire community can come together [at LOTL] to celebrate each other, the end of the year and the holidays.” Calhoun said.
The Rotunda will continue to be lit by lights through the new year.
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