5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
I remember the very first song turned on
and the entire lawn flashes and blinks.
The lights show is on, the music was booming, everyone at UVA
is going crazy.
Despite it being finals, despite it
being sub 30 degrees, and maybe even snowing or raining,
thousands and thousands of people
will be coming to the lawn.
There's this really powerful feeling when everyone at UVA
is out here for Lighting of the Lawn.
Last year we estimated there was 13,000 people out there
screaming and jumping.
I have seen them standing out there
with umbrellas and raincoats.
They've stood out there when it was snowing.
Lighting of the Lawn started in 2001 following the September
11th attacks.
Somebody in the room said, what if we lit up the lawn.
I think we all kind of laughed and thought they would never
let us do that.
That December 2001, was the first Lightning of the Lawn.
The first time the poem was read,
the a capella group sang, the lights were switched on
and everybody got to see the magic that is the lawn lit up.
And that tradition has kept on year
after year coming up to this year, 2016.
We're having the 16th anniversary
of Lighting of the Lawn.
And it was really thought of as a way
to bring the community together as a healing event.
And this year we're really focusing on the community
and making everyone feel like they're personally invited
to Lighting of the Lawn.
It is run by a group of students from the trustees and the class
councils.
But they work really closely with lots
of departments, especially facilities management.
We all sacrifice so that this one event can happen.
Being able to look out into the lawn
to be able to see the people and their friends.
All the hard work did pay off because we can all
come together to have this perfect night of celebration
of unity and community.
This is not just our space.
This is not just our school.
This is a home.
This is a community that we can all feel a part of.