1 00:00:00,740 --> 00:00:15,880 Ten thousand voices sing thy acclaim; Ten thousand hearts beat high at thy name; 2 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:36,960 All unafraid and girded with good, Mother of men a queen thou hast stood; 3 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:48,550 Children of thine a true brotherhood, Virginia, Hail, All Hail! 4 00:00:48,550 --> 00:00:49,750 Virginia, Hail, All Hail! 5 00:00:49,750 --> 00:00:55,000 Virginia, Hail, All Hail! 6 00:01:09,530 --> 00:01:10,530 Good evening. 7 00:01:10,530 --> 00:01:14,690 I’m Allen Groves, Dean of Students for all schools of the University, and I get to be 8 00:01:14,690 --> 00:01:19,540 the first person to say to you “Welcome to Hooville,” otherwise known as UVA. 9 00:01:19,540 --> 00:01:24,920 Now, we traditionally hold this Opening Convocation on the Lawn, but as you are all-too-aware, 10 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:30,170 COVID-19 has upended many of our traditions and plans. 11 00:01:30,170 --> 00:01:34,630 But this doesn’t alter in any way the fact that you are starting what I hope will be 12 00:01:34,630 --> 00:01:37,920 one of the most memorable journeys in your life. 13 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,550 So whether you are joining us as a new First Year undergraduate, as a 1L in the Law School 14 00:01:42,550 --> 00:01:48,400 an undergraduate or graduate transfer student into the university , or just starting your graduate 15 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:54,460 or professional education in one of our 12 schools, I want to say welcome to the University 16 00:01:54,460 --> 00:01:55,460 of Virginia. 17 00:01:55,460 --> 00:02:01,340 You are now part of a very special community and, in a few years, you will join one of the 18 00:02:01,340 --> 00:02:05,100 most fervently loyal alumni networks in the country 19 00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:11,739 when you walk down this Lawn and take your degree and I promise you, you will get to walk down this 20 00:02:11,739 --> 00:02:13,069 Lawn. 21 00:02:13,069 --> 00:02:20,310 While it’s true this fall that you may not get to play Rugby in Mad Bowl, or enter Old Cabell Hall for an a cappella concert packed with your friends 22 00:02:20,310 --> 00:02:25,574 or sway with 100 other students singing the Good Old Song, 23 00:02:25,574 --> 00:02:28,500 or huff & puff your way up Humpback Rock with 25 of your 24 00:02:28,500 --> 00:02:34,879 closest friends – this will still be a memorable time in your life, with lots of opportunity 25 00:02:34,879 --> 00:02:38,049 to bond with friends and enrich your mind. 26 00:02:38,049 --> 00:02:43,349 And we will overcome the current COVID-19 challenge and be right back doing all these 27 00:02:43,349 --> 00:02:44,349 things we love. 28 00:02:44,349 --> 00:02:49,220 I’m so very happy to have you joining us this fall. 29 00:02:49,220 --> 00:02:55,329 In a few minutes, you will hear brief remarks from 4 key student leaders at the University: 30 00:02:55,329 --> 00:02:57,959 Ellen Yates, President of UVA Student Council 31 00:02:57,959 --> 00:03:02,980 Tre Tennyson, President of the Graduate & Professional Student Council 32 00:03:02,980 --> 00:03:05,079 Ryan Keane, Chair of the Honor Committee 33 00:03:05,079 --> 00:03:09,780 Gabby Cox, Chair of the University Judiciary Committee 34 00:03:09,780 --> 00:03:15,560 But first, I’d like to turn the podium over to Jim Ryan, the 9th President of the University 35 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:21,819 of Virginia, to offer his personal words of welcome to you as you begin this new journey 36 00:03:21,819 --> 00:03:23,349 as Wahoos. 37 00:03:23,349 --> 00:03:28,599 President Ryan is beginning his third year leading UVA, after a long stint as a distinguished 38 00:03:28,599 --> 00:03:34,859 professor in UVA’s School of Law followed by five years as Dean of the Harvard University 39 00:03:34,859 --> 00:03:36,469 Graduate School of Education. 40 00:03:36,469 --> 00:03:39,709 He’s also the author of two best-selling books. 41 00:03:39,709 --> 00:03:45,859 President Ryan has challenged us to be a University that is both “great” and “good” – meaning 42 00:03:45,859 --> 00:03:52,390 we should pursue excellence in all that we do – be it research, teaching, athletics 43 00:03:52,390 --> 00:03:59,579 or the arts – while always striving to do so in a manner that is ethical and good and 44 00:03:59,579 --> 00:04:02,900 right by the community we serve. 45 00:04:02,900 --> 00:04:08,459 Only in this way may be achieve our public mission and our objective to graduate true 46 00:04:08,459 --> 00:04:12,319 Citizen Leaders. 47 00:04:12,319 --> 00:04:18,660 President Ryan. 48 00:04:18,660 --> 00:04:22,330 Thanks to Dean Groves for that introduction, and thanks to all of you for watching. 49 00:04:22,330 --> 00:04:24,030 As you’ve heard, my name is Jim Ryan. 50 00:04:24,030 --> 00:04:29,700 I am the president of the University of Virginia, and on behalf of the entire community here, 51 00:04:29,700 --> 00:04:34,840 I would like to welcome you—the Class of 2024—to one of the finest universities in 52 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:36,340 the world. 53 00:04:36,340 --> 00:04:41,850 This not an ordinary convocation, as this is not going to an ordinary year. 54 00:04:41,850 --> 00:04:42,850 But you know that already. 55 00:04:42,850 --> 00:04:50,590 You’ve already to finish school online, attended virtual graduation, missed proms 56 00:04:50,590 --> 00:04:55,250 and other events, and you likely spent much of this summer at home. 57 00:04:55,250 --> 00:04:59,040 For all of that you have missed and given up, I’m sorry. 58 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:04,420 I wish I could say it’s all over and we’re back to normal, but you also know that’s 59 00:05:04,420 --> 00:05:05,610 not the case. 60 00:05:05,610 --> 00:05:12,430 This year at UVA is undoubtedly going to be different than any we’ve seen in our lifetimes, 61 00:05:12,430 --> 00:05:15,640 regardless of whether you are on Grounds or online. 62 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:22,840 There will be some challenges, for sure, but there will be some advantages as well. 63 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:27,420 One immediate advantage is that my speech this year will be much shorter than it would 64 00:05:27,420 --> 00:05:28,420 be if we were 65 00:05:28,420 --> 00:05:32,830 together on the Lawn, which should reduce your suffering considerably. 66 00:05:32,830 --> 00:05:54,310 So let me get right to it and make one quick point and offer one small piece of advice. 67 00:05:54,310 --> 00:05:59,710 The point is simple and obvious but worth emphasizing: You belong here. 68 00:05:59,710 --> 00:06:04,860 I don’t mean by this that you need to be here physically, I mean you all belong as 69 00:06:04,860 --> 00:06:09,900 members of this community--you deserve to be a part of this community. 70 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:15,020 I say this as someone who was a first-generation student, as more than one in ten of you are 71 00:06:15,020 --> 00:06:18,540 now, but it is a message for all of you. 72 00:06:18,540 --> 00:06:22,720 College will open doors for you and change your life in ways you probably cannot even 73 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:29,780 imagine at this point, and you will look back on your time here, I am confident, as four 74 00:06:29,780 --> 00:06:33,180 of the best and most important years of your life. 75 00:06:33,180 --> 00:06:38,720 But you may not feel that way now, as it’s only natural when you join a new place to 76 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:43,080 feel slightly uneasy, and that’s equally if not more true if you are joining a new 77 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:44,890 community virtually. 78 00:06:44,890 --> 00:06:50,730 I attended a small non-descript school in New Haven, and I still remember when I arrived 79 00:06:50,730 --> 00:06:52,980 on campus my freshman year. 80 00:06:52,980 --> 00:06:57,700 It was like landing on a new planet—one where I didn’t know the language and customs 81 00:06:57,700 --> 00:07:00,760 or fit in very well. 82 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:06,350 It took a while to feel comfortable, but it eventually felt like home, and became a place 83 00:07:06,350 --> 00:07:14,620 I fell in love with and love to this day. 84 00:07:14,620 --> 00:07:18,760 My deepest hope is that you will have a similar experience. 85 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:20,860 You are entering an incredibly caring community. 86 00:07:20,860 --> 00:07:25,700 The faculty, staff, and your fellow students will care not only about how you do in the 87 00:07:25,700 --> 00:07:33,710 classroom, but how you do outside of the classroom as well. 88 00:07:33,710 --> 00:07:36,560 So please understand this: you belong here. 89 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:42,040 It doesn’t matter where you are from, the color of your hair or the color of your skin, 90 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:47,830 your gender, your sexual orientation, your religion—whoever you are and wherever you 91 00:07:47,830 --> 00:07:50,340 are from, you belong. 92 00:07:50,340 --> 00:07:57,870 People are fond of saying this is Mr. Jefferson’s university, but know that as of this day it 93 00:07:57,870 --> 00:08:01,240 is also, very much, your university. 94 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:06,930 Ok, so I have also one small piece of advice, which I hope is memorable. 95 00:08:06,930 --> 00:08:09,030 It’s this: When in doubt, build a bridge. 96 00:08:09,030 --> 00:08:10,230 When in doubt, build a bridge. 97 00:08:10,230 --> 00:08:15,530 I don’t mean literally, except maybe if you are in the architecture or engineering 98 00:08:15,530 --> 00:08:16,530 schools. 99 00:08:16,530 --> 00:08:19,120 I mean make a connection and engage. 100 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:24,310 To be specific, I encourage you to make an effort to reach out and get to know someone 101 00:08:24,310 --> 00:08:30,260 who comes from a different background, or who took a different road to get here. 102 00:08:30,260 --> 00:08:37,519 This is a remarkably diverse community, but even amidst this diversity, it’s easy to 103 00:08:37,519 --> 00:08:38,930 stick with the familiar. 104 00:08:38,930 --> 00:08:43,839 I promise you will have a richer experience here if you build bridges across lines of 105 00:08:43,839 --> 00:08:49,769 apparent difference. 106 00:08:49,769 --> 00:08:55,600 As you engage with your peers, I especially encourage you to engage with people or ideas 107 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,810 you may disagree with, perhaps quite strongly. 108 00:08:58,810 --> 00:09:03,240 This is one of the best ways to sharpen your own thinking and, sometimes, to even change 109 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:08,060 your mind, both of which are part of learning and growing. 110 00:09:08,060 --> 00:09:09,060 And I encourage you 111 00:09:09,060 --> 00:09:13,730 along the way to practice the art of generous listening—to do your best to understand 112 00:09:13,730 --> 00:09:25,269 a view, and the rationale behind it, before deciding whether you agree or disagree. 113 00:09:25,269 --> 00:09:30,269 I would also encourage you to reach out to faculty and make an effort to get to know 114 00:09:30,269 --> 00:09:31,269 them. 115 00:09:31,269 --> 00:09:35,399 They are a remarkable group of people who are passionate about their research and about 116 00:09:35,399 --> 00:09:36,399 teaching. 117 00:09:36,399 --> 00:09:41,660 UVA has a well-earned reputation as a place where faculty genuinely care about their students 118 00:09:41,660 --> 00:09:43,420 and about teaching. 119 00:09:43,420 --> 00:09:48,870 So engage while you are in class, and go to office hours if and when you can whether virtual 120 00:09:48,870 --> 00:09:49,870 or live. 121 00:09:49,870 --> 00:09:51,240 Build a bridge to the faculty. 122 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,120 I promise it will make UVA feel more like home. 123 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:59,120 And while you are at it, look for a chance to build a bridge to the broader Charlottesville 124 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:00,120 community. 125 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,900 This is a wonderful place, but like other small cities, it has its challenges and a 126 00:10:04,900 --> 00:10:06,749 complicated history. 127 00:10:06,749 --> 00:10:10,740 I encourage you to learn about and engage with this broader community. 128 00:10:10,740 --> 00:10:15,810 There are countless ways to do so, including through the amazing programs at Madison House. 129 00:10:15,810 --> 00:10:21,430 UVA is your immediate home, but UVA sits within a larger community, and if you get involved 130 00:10:21,430 --> 00:10:27,040 in that community, I predict you will gain as much as you give. 131 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:28,269 These are just three examples. 132 00:10:28,269 --> 00:10:30,040 There are other ways to build a bridge that will become apparent to you over time. 133 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:31,959 It may involve building bridges across disciplines as you pursue your studies, partnering with 134 00:10:31,959 --> 00:10:33,800 other students to complete a project for class, or building a bridge to a foreign culture 135 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:34,800 if you study abroad. 136 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,750 My goal here is not to exhaust all the possibilities. 137 00:10:37,750 --> 00:10:41,089 Instead, I would like to get one simple idea stuck in your head, 138 00:10:41,089 --> 00:10:44,839 so that it pops up when you need it: When in doubt, build a bridge. 139 00:10:44,839 --> 00:10:49,779 Now, I realize some of you are probably thinking, how am I supposed to build bridges from home, 140 00:10:49,779 --> 00:10:53,829 or if I’m wearing a mask and standing six feet apart? 141 00:10:53,829 --> 00:11:00,279 As with all things related to the pandemic, it will be more challenging and will require 142 00:11:00,279 --> 00:11:05,959 more creativity, and some bridges may have to wait until you are all here in person and 143 00:11:05,959 --> 00:11:07,639 we are back to normal. 144 00:11:07,639 --> 00:11:12,279 But you can absolutely begin now, no matter where you are. 145 00:11:12,279 --> 00:11:16,610 And in fact, with the pandemic making everyone feel a little bit more isolated, it’s going 146 00:11:16,610 --> 00:11:20,580 to be more important than ever to reach out and create new connections. 147 00:11:20,580 --> 00:11:26,620 I can’t tell you exactly what those bridges will look like, or how exactly you should 148 00:11:26,620 --> 00:11:29,930 build them, whether in person or online. 149 00:11:29,930 --> 00:11:31,259 That is for you to decide. 150 00:11:31,259 --> 00:11:36,290 I can only tell you that the effort will be worth it. 151 00:11:36,290 --> 00:11:41,790 You’ll discover remarkable things on the other side—friendships you might not have 152 00:11:41,790 --> 00:11:47,040 had, knowledge you might never have gained, and perspectives you might never have considered. 153 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:52,959 Every time you build a bridge to somewhere or someone, and you make a connection, I promise 154 00:11:52,959 --> 00:11:57,829 you’ll be happier for the effort, and our community will be stronger for it as well. 155 00:11:57,829 --> 00:11:58,829 III. 156 00:11:58,829 --> 00:11:59,829 Conclusion 157 00:11:59,829 --> 00:12:00,829 a. 158 00:12:00,829 --> 00:12:01,829 So welcome to the UVA community and the UVA family. 159 00:12:01,829 --> 00:12:04,600 I can’t predict what this semester will bring. 160 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,149 No one can. 161 00:12:06,149 --> 00:12:11,490 But I have faith that, while things will certainly be different, the next few months will also 162 00:12:11,490 --> 00:12:17,430 offer opportunities to connect with some amazing people, broaden your own horizons, and make 163 00:12:17,430 --> 00:12:21,500 this community stronger—no matter where you happen to be. 164 00:12:21,500 --> 00:12:28,079 All we ask in return is that you engage, act responsibly, and treat others—whether faculty, 165 00:12:28,079 --> 00:12:33,519 students, staff, or members of the community—with kindness and respect. 166 00:12:33,519 --> 00:12:35,999 The next time we all get together as a group. 167 00:12:35,999 --> 00:12:42,250 hopefully in person, will be four years from now, on the Lawn for graduation. 168 00:12:42,250 --> 00:12:47,129 All of you—all of us—will be different people then, shaped by the choices we make 169 00:12:47,129 --> 00:12:50,269 over the next few months and the next few years. 170 00:12:50,269 --> 00:12:52,680 I hope you choose to build bridges. 171 00:12:52,680 --> 00:13:00,760 Thank you and good luck. 172 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,740 Hello Class of 2024, and our wonderful transfer students. 173 00:13:04,740 --> 00:13:07,350 My name is Ellen Yates, and I am the President of Student Council. 174 00:13:07,350 --> 00:13:11,449 I’m so excited to welcome you all to UVA and to our community 175 00:13:11,449 --> 00:13:15,329 -- we are so glad you’re here, even in the midst of these uncertain times. 176 00:13:15,329 --> 00:13:18,709 How many times in the last several months have you heard that word, 177 00:13:18,709 --> 00:13:19,709 “uncertain?” 178 00:13:19,709 --> 00:13:20,999 Perhaps too many times to count. 179 00:13:20,999 --> 00:13:22,680 I know that for most of you, the uncertainty 180 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:27,259 of our moment is unwelcome, especially because under normal circumstances, there are usually 181 00:13:27,259 --> 00:13:29,199 parts of the “college experience” that we can 182 00:13:29,199 --> 00:13:34,199 expect with certainty -- football games, nights out with friends, packed events on the Lawn. 183 00:13:34,199 --> 00:13:38,759 Uncertainty, however, is actually what has made my own path through UVA the meaningful 184 00:13:38,759 --> 00:13:40,649 and rich experience it has been. 185 00:13:40,649 --> 00:13:43,540 It was my lack of certainty about what my academic path would look 186 00:13:43,540 --> 00:13:47,300 like that led to the discovery of my interests in religion, politics, and human rights. 187 00:13:47,300 --> 00:13:49,831 It was my lack of certainty about where I would find 188 00:13:49,831 --> 00:13:54,610 my home at UVA that led me to explore my passion for leadership and community building in different 189 00:13:54,610 --> 00:13:57,079 organizations, forming close friendships along the way. 190 00:13:57,079 --> 00:14:01,440 And ultimately, it was my lack of certainty about how our community could be 191 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,949 made better that pushed me to seek out opportunities for change-making. 192 00:14:03,949 --> 00:14:09,130 To me, this is what the true college experience is: taking the unknown 193 00:14:09,130 --> 00:14:11,540 and unpredictable and making it your own. 194 00:14:11,540 --> 00:14:16,910 As an organization, Student Council is also trying to lean into this uncertainty. 195 00:14:16,910 --> 00:14:18,839 We have been working hard this summer to ensure that the 196 00:14:18,839 --> 00:14:21,300 needs and concerns of our community are heard by 197 00:14:21,300 --> 00:14:25,579 administration, and that the most equitable and effective policies are enacted. 198 00:14:25,579 --> 00:14:28,629 However, student self-governance, a phrase you will hear frequently 199 00:14:28,629 --> 00:14:33,350 in your time at UVA, is fundamentally about your ability as students to act as individual 200 00:14:33,350 --> 00:14:35,640 agents of change. 201 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:39,440 Student Council’s role is to help equip students as best as we can to be these 202 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:40,990 instruments of change in whatever endeavor they 203 00:14:40,990 --> 00:14:45,500 choose, whether it be by helping connect students to important resources, serving as a bridge 204 00:14:45,500 --> 00:14:50,620 between students and administration, or amplifying the work and voices of students and their 205 00:14:50,620 --> 00:14:51,620 organizations. 206 00:14:51,620 --> 00:14:54,509 How you engage with those resources, and how you use your voice in your time 207 00:14:54,509 --> 00:14:59,222 here, is up to you, but know that we are here to support you, to listen to you, and to stand 208 00:14:59,222 --> 00:15:00,639 alongside you. 209 00:15:00,639 --> 00:15:04,399 This year may indeed be an uncertain one, but I want to impress upon you that you will 210 00:15:04,399 --> 00:15:05,809 never be alone in this unpredictability. 211 00:15:05,809 --> 00:15:09,330 You are joining a community of people with a wide variety of 212 00:15:09,330 --> 00:15:13,129 passions and a fierce love of their school and the students who comprise it. 213 00:15:13,129 --> 00:15:15,839 There is little you cannot find at UVA, if you’re looking with 214 00:15:15,839 --> 00:15:16,839 an open mind. 215 00:15:16,839 --> 00:15:21,410 No doubt, with this community comes a significant burden of responsibility. 216 00:15:21,410 --> 00:15:24,570 The responsibility to look out for one another’s safety, to 217 00:15:24,570 --> 00:15:28,319 hold each other accountable, and to prioritize each other's wellbeing. 218 00:15:28,319 --> 00:15:30,959 We have important obligations to each other that we must not 219 00:15:30,959 --> 00:15:33,559 abandon, during this time of uncertainty more than 220 00:15:33,559 --> 00:15:34,559 ever. 221 00:15:34,559 --> 00:15:36,929 So do not be afraid of uncertainty. 222 00:15:36,929 --> 00:15:40,180 See it for what it is, the good and the bad, but know that, no 223 00:15:40,180 --> 00:15:43,470 matter where you’re living or learning, there is always one thing you can be certain 224 00:15:43,470 --> 00:15:47,179 of: each of you are deserving, are loved and are welcome 225 00:15:47,179 --> 00:15:50,739 members of this community, and we are so excited to have you here. 226 00:15:50,739 --> 00:15:53,879 I wish you the best of luck in the coming year, and know that we have your 227 00:15:53,879 --> 00:15:55,230 back no matter what happens. 228 00:15:55,230 --> 00:15:59,759 We’re all rooting for you, every step of the way. 229 00:15:59,759 --> 00:16:04,499 Thank you. 230 00:16:04,499 --> 00:16:11,019 Hi, my name is Tre Tennyson, and I’m the Chair of the Graduate and Professional Council, 231 00:16:11,019 --> 00:16:12,639 and welcome to UVA. 232 00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:16,519 The Graduate and Professional Council is the representative body tasked with advocating 233 00:16:16,519 --> 00:16:20,740 on behalf of the University’s graduate and professional students. 234 00:16:20,740 --> 00:16:27,189 Like so many of you, I am excited and nervous about what this next year may mean. 235 00:16:27,189 --> 00:16:32,829 We stand collectively at a moment that demands adherence to our highest ideals, and yet so 236 00:16:32,829 --> 00:16:36,290 much has already been required of us. 237 00:16:36,290 --> 00:16:41,029 We felt the loneliness of being separated from friends and loved ones and the fear of 238 00:16:41,029 --> 00:16:44,100 looking out at an unfamiliar world. 239 00:16:44,100 --> 00:16:49,249 We felt, and still feel, the desperate hope that life can resume and our troubles can 240 00:16:49,249 --> 00:16:51,350 finally be behind us. 241 00:16:51,350 --> 00:16:56,720 These and so many other challenges are what we will carry with us going forward. 242 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:04,919 But what excites me now is how we plan to put this hard-won wisdom to use. 243 00:17:04,919 --> 00:17:11,079 Together, imagine the things we can create, the programs we can put into place, and the 244 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:13,630 supports we can build. 245 00:17:13,630 --> 00:17:19,740 As we make sense of a world we’ve inherited and then been told to change, I know we can 246 00:17:19,740 --> 00:17:22,299 rise to the occasion. 247 00:17:22,299 --> 00:17:25,360 I’ve been where you are twice. 248 00:17:25,360 --> 00:17:31,500 I was an undergraduate at UVA, Class of 2010, and am now a second year at UVA’s Darden 249 00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:33,990 Graduate School of Business. 250 00:17:33,990 --> 00:17:39,090 So on two separate occasions I looked at this University and all the possibilities held 251 00:17:39,090 --> 00:17:42,350 within and wondered where I would fit. 252 00:17:42,350 --> 00:17:43,350 Who would I meet? 253 00:17:43,350 --> 00:18:02,809 And at what point would this place begin to feel like home? …or home again. 254 00:18:02,809 --> 00:18:15,340 And the 255 00:18:15,340 --> 00:18:19,990 answers came…not from imagining myself as separate from the University, or where it 256 00:18:19,990 --> 00:18:25,570 was going, or what it could be…but by diving in, getting active and involved, finding the 257 00:18:25,570 --> 00:18:30,799 friends that I would grow with and love not only for two years or four years but for a 258 00:18:30,799 --> 00:18:37,390 lifetime, as we pushed, supported, challenged each other, and made space for each other’s 259 00:18:37,390 --> 00:18:39,620 peace and frailty. 260 00:18:39,620 --> 00:18:46,980 For being a student at UVA is, at its heart, about striving to be fully human, and cultivating 261 00:18:46,980 --> 00:18:52,500 those key relationships and experiences that advance your community and reveal to you, 262 00:18:52,500 --> 00:18:57,090 at all times, who you are. 263 00:18:57,090 --> 00:19:02,679 You are now entering a very special place at a very special time, and I am excited to 264 00:19:02,679 --> 00:19:10,950 see how you will uplift, transform, and grant us the benefit of your wisdom and good nature. 265 00:19:10,950 --> 00:19:13,730 So welcome to UVA. 266 00:19:13,730 --> 00:19:20,270 Our community is stronger, wiser, and more complete now that you are here. 267 00:19:20,270 --> 00:19:24,610 Thank you. 268 00:19:24,610 --> 00:19:30,600 Good evening everyone and welcome to the University of Virginia. 269 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:32,841 I wish you were all here in Charlottesville with me, but while 270 00:19:32,841 --> 00:19:35,600 we may be apart physically, I am so excited to 271 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,280 welcome you all into our community. 272 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,159 My name is Ryan Keane and I am a rising fourth year in the Batten School of Leadership and 273 00:19:42,159 --> 00:19:46,769 Public Policy and I'm serving as the Chair of the Honor Committee for the upcoming year. 274 00:19:46,769 --> 00:19:52,090 The reality is, we are in a crisis, but with crisis comes opportunity. 275 00:19:52,090 --> 00:19:54,400 Of course you already know that, and while we grapple with 276 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:59,480 the question of how our time at UVA will be different this semester, it begs the question 277 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,620 of how Honor looks in this COVID world? 278 00:20:02,620 --> 00:20:05,510 And the easy answer is, it looks the same. 279 00:20:05,510 --> 00:20:10,330 You see, all of this is a test: a test of student self-governance and wether or not 280 00:20:10,330 --> 00:20:12,090 we can uphold the values of Honor. 281 00:20:12,090 --> 00:20:15,541 And I firmly believe we can pass that test, but 282 00:20:15,541 --> 00:20:16,880 it takes work. 283 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,900 And with that, I’m going to say something you may not want to hear, but needs to be 284 00:20:20,900 --> 00:20:21,900 said. 285 00:20:21,900 --> 00:20:24,429 The next 4 years won’t be easy. 286 00:20:24,429 --> 00:20:27,039 You’ve worked so hard to get here and not to 287 00:20:27,039 --> 00:20:32,440 take away from any of that, but during your time here at UVA you will be pushed to 288 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,460 your limits in ways you never have before. 289 00:20:35,460 --> 00:20:40,649 And when you are pushed to those limits, it will be easy, so easy, to feel like you don’t 290 00:20:40,649 --> 00:20:43,019 belong, to feel that this isn’t the place for 291 00:20:43,019 --> 00:20:44,019 you. 292 00:20:44,019 --> 00:20:45,260 And I know that because I’ve been there. 293 00:20:45,260 --> 00:20:49,799 My second year here I worked at Crossroads, a dining hall of sorts that you 294 00:20:49,799 --> 00:20:55,080 unfortunately, or fortunately, are not getting to eat at right now. 295 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,690 And I would work the evening shift, from 5:30 in the afternoon 296 00:20:57,690 --> 00:20:59,260 until 2:30 in the morning. 297 00:20:59,260 --> 00:21:02,830 And it was hard: my classmates and friends would be coming back 298 00:21:02,830 --> 00:21:06,830 from bars and parties, and there I was, making them a burrito. 299 00:21:06,830 --> 00:21:09,970 And in that moment, I couldn’t help but feel that I was different 300 00:21:09,970 --> 00:21:15,129 from them, that I was on the other side of the glass because I don’t belong. 301 00:21:15,129 --> 00:21:18,170 But the truth is that I, and every single one of you, 302 00:21:18,170 --> 00:21:24,360 was chosen to be here for a reason, and therefore, you belong. 303 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:29,070 We are all different pieces of the puzzle that makes the UVA community so great. 304 00:21:29,070 --> 00:21:31,710 We all come from different backgrounds and have our 305 00:21:31,710 --> 00:21:37,649 own strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, but Honor brings us together. 306 00:21:37,649 --> 00:21:41,850 This shared accord that we will hold ourselves to a higher standard even in the 307 00:21:41,850 --> 00:21:43,159 face of adversity. 308 00:21:43,159 --> 00:21:47,190 In life we have good times and bad times, ups and downs. 309 00:21:47,190 --> 00:21:49,289 Everything’s great when times are good. 310 00:21:49,289 --> 00:21:52,260 It’s easy to be Honorable when you studied and know all the 311 00:21:52,260 --> 00:21:53,380 answers on a test. 312 00:21:53,380 --> 00:21:57,250 But it’s what you do in the hard times that really matters. 313 00:21:57,250 --> 00:21:59,710 How we respond to the current situation both as 314 00:21:59,710 --> 00:22:04,780 individuals and as a community defines who we are. 315 00:22:04,780 --> 00:22:09,190 As we make our way through this year and you continue your time at UVA, always 316 00:22:09,190 --> 00:22:15,120 ask yourself this: How do you respond when things get hard? 317 00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:18,169 And the answer to that question is what sets us apart as UVA 318 00:22:18,169 --> 00:22:19,169 students. 319 00:22:19,169 --> 00:22:22,920 When times are tough, we don’t falter, we don’t cut corners. 320 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,970 We keep pushing forward and stay true to who we are. 321 00:22:26,970 --> 00:22:31,220 That is what Honor means and that is what makes this community and the bond we 322 00:22:31,220 --> 00:22:33,279 share so great. 323 00:22:33,279 --> 00:22:38,240 Thank you and welcome home. 324 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:47,240 Hi, my name is Gabby Cox, I am a fourth year in the Batten School of Public Policy and 325 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,820 I am currently the Chair of the UJC. 326 00:22:50,820 --> 00:22:54,910 I know this isn’t necessarily the welcome you pictured when sending in your admittance 327 00:22:54,910 --> 00:22:57,500 acceptance letter, but this is our new reality. 328 00:22:57,500 --> 00:23:01,120 I hope all of you are safe and healthy and welcome 329 00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:02,860 to UVA. 330 00:23:02,860 --> 00:23:07,030 When I was sitting in your position my first year, a student leader said that life is about 331 00:23:07,030 --> 00:23:12,309 making choices, and then capitalizing on opportunities to be happy with that choice. 332 00:23:12,309 --> 00:23:14,370 You all have already chosen to attend the University 333 00:23:14,370 --> 00:23:15,750 of Virginia. 334 00:23:15,750 --> 00:23:19,899 Over the next four years you will have to answer the question “why did I stay here?” 335 00:23:19,899 --> 00:23:21,480 Every one of you will question if you made the 336 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:27,340 right choice in coming here, but one thing you should never question is your place here. 337 00:23:27,340 --> 00:23:30,370 Student governance is where I found my reason for staying. 338 00:23:30,370 --> 00:23:35,559 I define student governance with three phrases: having a voice, holding each 339 00:23:35,559 --> 00:23:37,810 other to a higher standard, and acknowledging the 340 00:23:37,810 --> 00:23:40,520 past while looking to the future. 341 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,179 Simply put, student governance is holding our members of the 342 00:23:43,179 --> 00:23:47,639 community to a higher standard in order to craft a better future that students wish to 343 00:23:47,639 --> 00:23:49,070 see. 344 00:23:49,070 --> 00:23:51,400 Student governance is a multibranch system, but the 345 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,570 one that stuck out to me my first year was the 346 00:23:53,570 --> 00:23:57,480 University Judiciary Committee, or the UJC for short. 347 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:02,299 The UJC is a student run organization that adjudicates violations of the University’s 348 00:24:02,299 --> 00:24:04,481 Twelve Standards of Conduct, which can be found 349 00:24:04,481 --> 00:24:09,300 online or on the plaques located in the first-floor lounge of each dorm. 350 00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:12,840 Some examples can include drinking/smoking in dorms to physical 351 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,610 assault, DIP and DUI charges. 352 00:24:16,610 --> 00:24:20,159 This year the UJC is in a unique position where we are now tasked 353 00:24:20,159 --> 00:24:25,990 with adjudicating COVID-19 policy violations which are classified as any act that violates 354 00:24:25,990 --> 00:24:31,120 local, state, federal and/or university guidelines. 355 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:35,200 Students who are brought before the UJC are tried for the alleged conduct by a jury of 356 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,929 their peers and, if they plead guilty or are found 357 00:24:37,929 --> 00:24:40,669 guilty, are given a sanction. 358 00:24:40,669 --> 00:24:44,149 These sanctions are educational rather than punitive to help students 359 00:24:44,149 --> 00:24:49,280 understand our community’s values and their individual impact at the university. 360 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,809 We don’t operate on precedent, meaning there is no set 361 00:24:51,809 --> 00:24:56,990 outcome for any type of violation and we take into consideration the full range of circumstances 362 00:24:56,990 --> 00:24:59,260 that can define a single incident. 363 00:24:59,260 --> 00:25:03,899 The UJC is a fully student-run body. 364 00:25:03,899 --> 00:25:08,169 In our system, cases are investigated by students, parties are represented 365 00:25:08,169 --> 00:25:12,179 by students, and outcomes are decided by students. 366 00:25:12,179 --> 00:25:16,730 My time on the Committee and at the University of Virginia has been deeply fulfilling. 367 00:25:16,730 --> 00:25:19,570 In my time here students have stood in unity against 368 00:25:19,570 --> 00:25:25,110 neo-nazis and alt right members filled with nothing but hate on August 11th and 12th of 369 00:25:25,110 --> 00:25:26,110 2017. 370 00:25:26,110 --> 00:25:29,809 In the Charlottesville community, just weeks ago, students stood in peaceful demonstration 371 00:25:29,809 --> 00:25:32,289 while black students endured death threats. 372 00:25:32,289 --> 00:25:34,350 In our world minorities have fought too long and 373 00:25:34,350 --> 00:25:36,759 too hard to have their voices heard. 374 00:25:36,759 --> 00:25:40,610 But I encourage all of you who are seeking change to get involved. 375 00:25:40,610 --> 00:25:44,690 Student governance opens a window for organizations like Black Student Alliance, 376 00:25:44,690 --> 00:25:50,360 Latinx SA, the LGTBQ+ community and countless others to demand more from its university 377 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:52,029 and its leaders. 378 00:25:52,029 --> 00:25:56,899 One purpose of UVA is to promote a “ community bound together by foundational values 379 00:25:56,899 --> 00:26:00,339 of honor, integrity, trust, and respect. 380 00:26:00,339 --> 00:26:03,330 ” Class of 2024, use your voice to push for equitable 381 00:26:03,330 --> 00:26:07,139 change in an environment that you are unsatisfied with. 382 00:26:07,139 --> 00:26:08,980 Thank you and best of luck this year. 383 00:26:08,980 --> 00:26:15,120 That Good Old Song of Wahoowa, We’ll sing it o’er and o’er. 384 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:22,410 It cheers our heart and warms the blood To hear them shout and roar. 385 00:26:22,410 --> 00:26:23,410 We come from old Virginia, Where all is bright and gay. 386 00:26:23,410 --> 00:26:24,410 Let’s all join hands and give a yell For dear old UVA. 387 00:26:24,410 --> 00:26:43,450 What though the tide of years may roll And drift us far apart, 388 00:26:43,450 --> 00:27:00,452 For Alma Mater still there’ll be A place in ev’ry heart. 389 00:27:00,452 --> 00:27:01,452 In college days we’ll sing her praise, And so, when far away, 390 00:27:01,452 --> 00:27:04,139 In memory we still shall be At the dear old UVA. 391 00:27:04,139 --> 00:27:05,139 WAHOOWA, WAHOOWA UNI-V, VIR-GIN-I-A 392 00:27:05,139 --> 00:27:06,139 HOO-RAH-RAY, HOO-RAH-RAY RAY! 393 00:27:06,139 --> 00:27:07,139 RAY! 394 00:27:07,139 --> 00:27:07,639 U-V-A!