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5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

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I remember the very
first song turned on

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and the entire lawn
flashes and blinks.

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The lights show is on, the music
was booming, everyone at UVA

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is going crazy.

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Despite it being
finals, despite it

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being sub 30 degrees, and
maybe even snowing or raining,

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thousands and
thousands of people

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will be coming to the lawn.

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There's this really powerful
feeling when everyone at UVA

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is out here for
Lighting of the Lawn.

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Last year we estimated there
was 13,000 people out there

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screaming and jumping.

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I have seen them
standing out there

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with umbrellas and raincoats.

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They've stood out there
when it was snowing.

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Lighting of the Lawn started
in 2001 following the September

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11th attacks.

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Somebody in the room said,
what if we lit up the lawn.

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I think we all kind of laughed
and thought they would never

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let us do that.

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That December 2001, was the
first Lightning of the Lawn.

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The first time
the poem was read,

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the a capella group sang,
the lights were switched on

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and everybody got to see the
magic that is the lawn lit up.

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And that tradition
has kept on year

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after year coming up
to this year, 2016.

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We're having the
16th anniversary

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of Lighting of the Lawn.

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And it was really
thought of as a way

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to bring the community
together as a healing event.

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And this year we're really
focusing on the community

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and making everyone feel like
they're personally invited

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to Lighting of the Lawn.

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It is run by a group of students
from the trustees and the class

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councils.

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But they work really
closely with lots

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of departments, especially
facilities management.

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We all sacrifice so that
this one event can happen.

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Being able to look
out into the lawn

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to be able to see the
people and their friends.

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All the hard work did pay
off because we can all

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come together to have this
perfect night of celebration

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of unity and community.

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This is not just our space.

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This is not just our school.

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This is a home.

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This is a community that
we can all feel a part of.

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