Students will return to classes Monday amidst two back-to-back snowstorms which blanketed Grounds over the past week. Beginning the new semester, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, including Greek Life recruitment in early January and University events later in the month.
Last week, the University received at least three inches of snow. This followed a winter storm warning Jan. 5 and was accompanied by near-freezing temperatures. As a result, the University instructed all January Term classes to be held online and all non-designated Academic Division employees to remain at home Jan. 6. The University also delayed opening until 10 a.m. Jan. 7.
According to Ulrich Atongazi, resident advisor and third-year College student, the University was quick to address any issues created by the snow, such as creating clear, accessible walkways for students and moving January Term classes online.
“There were some areas where it was pretty icy and slippery, but it was manageable … [and] they [cleared the snow] pretty quickly,” Atongazi said. “My professor sent out a notice a day before [to move class online and] they were communicative and understanding.”
While the record inches of snow and cold weather over the past two weeks has affected J-Term students, this weekend only saw a light dusting. Students have been moving back in for another semester and engaging in the normal January activities, including fraternity and sorority rush.
The formal rush process began Jan. 9 for sororities and Jan. 12 for fraternities. Julie Casper, Sigma Kappa member and third-year College student, said that while recruitment carried on as normal, the weather created some negative experiences.
“The snow and the cold weather definitely made it a lot less fun, especially having to get to houses at 7am in preparation,” Casper said. “[Recruiting] in the snow takes all of the glamor out of rush compared to other schools that do it in the fall.”
While there is an informal recruitment in the fall for upperclassmen and transfers, the spring formal rush attracts more participants.
According to Andrew Miles, Interfraternity Council Vice President for Membership and third-year College student, 793 students are registered to participate in fraternity recruitment this year. Miles said that this is an increase in registrations from years prior. He said that this may be because of an increase in marketing for recruitment or the addition of another open house day which will allow students to visit houses after the second round.
The Inter-Sorority Council has not responded to a request for comment on recruitment numbers, but in years past, close to 1000 girls participated in formal recruitment.
Sorority and fraternity rush will conclude on Bid Days which are set for Jan. 19 and Jan. 25 respectively.
Meanwhile, University organizations are hosting their own opportunities in the next few weeks to celebrate students coming back to Grounds. Housing & Residence Life will be inviting first-year students to First-Year Hot Cocoa & Treats Jan. 30 at the McCormick Quad.
Additionally, U.Va. Recreation is hosting a Free Week from Monday to Sunday, during which all group fitness classes will be free, including cycling, pilates and even aqua jogging.
Third-year College student Alexandra Williams who signed up for the aqua jogging class in the hopes of trying something new said that these sorts of events are a great way to introduce students to the gym environment.
“When you have new people coming to University, [free exercise classes are] a really good way for them to experience the gym in a less pressured situation,” Williams said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for people to try something new fitness-related and not feel like they have to figure out how to do it by themselves.”
The Free Week is a recurring event that often happens at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.
Student Council is also organizing a variety of activities. Specifically, Arts Week will take place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1. There will be events, such as Salsa lessons from the Salsa club and exhibition tours at the Fralin Museum of Art. Throughout the week there are also student showcases for spoken word from Flux Poetry, comedy groups on Grounds, music performances and an a cappella night.
In addition to artistic showcases, there are also opportunities for students wishing to engage with current political events — such as the recent presidential election and President Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20. The Miller Center, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will be hosting a discussion on the state of the Trump transition Monday, featuring Miller Center participants. Tuesday in the Rotunda Dome Room, The Karsh Institute of Democracy will also be welcoming Rep. Former U.S. Representative Will Hurd of Texas and Professor Jennifer Lawless to discuss Congress’ role in addressing America's needs.
Later in the month, the University’s Jewish Studies Program, the Miller Center and the Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages & Cultures Department will be hosting Thomas Friedman, a “The New York Times” foreign affairs columnist, and Salam Fayyad, the former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Jan. 28 in Old Cabell Hall. The event is part of the College of Arts & Sciences’ series on Enabling Difficult Conversations — an event series that brings together experts to discuss politics in the Middle East. Friedman and Fayyad will be discussing the future of the Middle East.
For the full list of University-sponsored events, please reference the University calendar which details upcoming art exhibitions, performances, varying guest speakers and more.
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