University of Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My good friend graduated from UVA in the late nineties. She’s a Black woman and said she doesn’t have a single white friend from UVA and managed to never socialize with white kids. I think that’s quite a feat and speaks to the diversity. I’m sure y’all will now jump
All over this but I thought it was incredible in a good way—she was able to make this choice because of the number of Black kids on campus.

+1

[Anonymous]

I do think it's easier to eschew the UVA bullshit and still be very happy there if you're eligible to be a member of the "elite" in the first place.

The issue is when you're not.

[Anonymous]

DS is a first year and wears only athletic shorts and sweatpants. He owns one pair of khakis. Is loving UVA and fitting in very well with a diverse group of kids from his dorm and classes. Joined a couple of clubs and is very happy while still being himself.

He did wear a polo to the football game when we came down to visit. Should I be worried that he's snobby now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a first year and wears only athletic shorts and sweatpants. He owns one pair of khakis. Is loving UVA and fitting in very well with a diverse group of kids from his dorm and classes. Joined a couple of clubs and is very happy while still being himself.

He did wear a polo to the football game when we came down to visit. Should I be worried that he's snobby now?

You're missing the entire point of this thread. What is your son's background. Is he white? UMC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a first year and wears only athletic shorts and sweatpants. He owns one pair of khakis. Is loving UVA and fitting in very well with a diverse group of kids from his dorm and classes. Joined a couple of clubs and is very happy while still being himself.

He did wear a polo to the football game when we came down to visit. Should I be worried that he's snobby now?

You're missing the entire point of this thread. What is your son's background. Is he white? UMC?

Not at all. People want to paint an entire university with the same brush. Are there affluent white NOVA kids (or non-white, non-affluent, non-NOVA kids as well) at UVA who announce or define their affluence and desired social status by wearing quarter zips and khakis all day long?? Of course there are. But there are also tons of kids there who don't fit that mold at all. And those kids also fit in perfectly well, many times, right along side the quarter-zippers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a first year and wears only athletic shorts and sweatpants. He owns one pair of khakis. Is loving UVA and fitting in very well with a diverse group of kids from his dorm and classes. Joined a couple of clubs and is very happy while still being himself.

He did wear a polo to the football game when we came down to visit. Should I be worried that he's snobby now?

A polo? Oh no, he'll never be the same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My good friend graduated from UVA in the late nineties. She’s a Black woman and said she doesn’t have a single white friend from UVA and managed to never socialize with white kids. I think that’s quite a feat and speaks to the diversity.

UVA was 12% black in the 90s - if she didn’t make non-black friends the problem was her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My good friend graduated from UVA in the late nineties. She’s a Black woman and said she doesn’t have a single white friend from UVA and managed to never socialize with white kids. I think that’s quite a feat and speaks to the diversity. I’m sure y’all will now jump
All over this but I thought it was incredible in a good way—she was able to make this choice because of the number of Black kids on campus.

I went to UVA in the late 90s and can attest that there was virtually no mixing between Black and white students back then, and it feels really shameful to me now.

🤷 They self segregate and that’s their choice, nothing for you to feel bad about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My good friend graduated from UVA in the late nineties. She’s a Black woman and said she doesn’t have a single white friend from UVA and managed to never socialize with white kids. I think that’s quite a feat and speaks to the diversity. I’m sure y’all will now jump
All over this but I thought it was incredible in a good way—she was able to make this choice because of the number of Black kids on campus.

I went to UVA in the late 90s and can attest that there was virtually no mixing between Black and white students back then, and it feels really shameful to me now.

🤷 They self segregate and that’s their choice, nothing for you to feel bad about.

Self-segregation happens everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a first year and wears only athletic shorts and sweatpants. He owns one pair of khakis. Is loving UVA and fitting in very well with a diverse group of kids from his dorm and classes. Joined a couple of clubs and is very happy while still being himself.

He did wear a polo to the football game when we came down to visit. Should I be worried that he's snobby now?

You're missing the entire point of this thread. What is your son's background. Is he white? UMC?

Not at all. People want to paint an entire university with the same brush. Are there affluent white NOVA kids (or non-white, non-affluent, non-NOVA kids as well) at UVA who announce or define their affluence and desired social status by wearing quarter zips and khakis all day long?? Of course there are. But there are also tons of kids there who don't fit that mold at all. And those kids also fit in perfectly well, many times, right along side the quarter-zippers.

+1. There are 26,000 students there, from all socio-economic classes and races, and poor from rural counties, and 50 states and the internationals. Those parents whose kids didn’t get in go off on this bizarre eitism argument but, in most cases, have never been on campus.

FwIW my UVA kid wore cargo shorts, a T shirt and hiking boots his first year. Why? H@LL if I know, but he was comfortable that way. None of his friends was “elite” or “snobby”. I met a great many of them and served as mentor to two.

[Anonymous]

Most of the people commenting on every single UVA thread have no actual experience with UVA. So do with that what you will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My good friend graduated from UVA in the late nineties. She’s a Black woman and said she doesn’t have a single white friend from UVA and managed to never socialize with white kids. I think that’s quite a feat and speaks to the diversity. I’m sure y’all will now jump
All over this but I thought it was incredible in a good way—she was able to make this choice because of the number of Black kids on campus.

I went to UVA in the late 90s and can attest that there was virtually no mixing between Black and white students back then, and it feels really shameful to me now.

🤷 They self segregate and that’s their choice, nothing for you to feel bad about.

Self-segregation happens everywhere.

Self-segregation is the reason for the continued popularity of HBCUs.

These colleges and universities also fill a niche for BIPOCs who desire a learning space free from the white gaze.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a third year there and that’s about right. The other day he remarked how students wear quarter zips to class as their regular daily wear. I agree that there is a level of elitism and he’s not white, so kind of on the outside looking in and trying to fit in?

What does a quarter zip have to do with anything? Because the kids don’t wear pajamas to class? I guess it is a social class thing. My high schooler wears quarter zips to school from October until May and has since 9th grade. So do all his friends. They have a dress code at their private school, so for them these clothes are a habit.

I was just discussing this very point with my food taster and my ball sack valet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a first year and wears only athletic shorts and sweatpants. He owns one pair of khakis. Is loving UVA and fitting in very well with a diverse group of kids from his dorm and classes. Joined a couple of clubs and is very happy while still being himself.

He did wear a polo to the football game when we came down to visit. Should I be worried that he's snobby now?

You're missing the entire point of this thread. What is your son's background. Is he white? UMC?

Not at all. People want to paint an entire university with the same brush. Are there affluent white NOVA kids (or non-white, non-affluent, non-NOVA kids as well) at UVA who announce or define their affluence and desired social status by wearing quarter zips and khakis all day long?? Of course there are. But there are also tons of kids there who don't fit that mold at all. And those kids also fit in perfectly well, many times, right along side the quarter-zippers.

+1. There are 26,000 students there, from all socio-economic classes and races, and poor from rural counties, and 50 states and the internationals. Those parents whose kids didn’t get in go off on this bizarre eitism argument but, in most cases, have never been on campus.

FwIW my UVA kid wore cargo shorts, a T shirt and hiking boots his first year. Why? H@LL if I know, but he was comfortable that way. None of his friends was “elite” or “snobby”. I met a great many of them and served as mentor to two.

Again, you're missing the point because you're not recognizing your own privilege. Yes, there are all types at UVA, but the happiest ones are the ones who come from privilege. Privilege gives them the freedom to eschew the elitism that's endemic to UVA because if that's what they wanted they could always do it. That's not the case with the non-privileged. They're on the outside looking in, not on the inside looking out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a first year and wears only athletic shorts and sweatpants. He owns one pair of khakis. Is loving UVA and fitting in very well with a diverse group of kids from his dorm and classes. Joined a couple of clubs and is very happy while still being himself.

He did wear a polo to the football game when we came down to visit. Should I be worried that he's snobby now?

You're missing the entire point of this thread. What is your son's background. Is he white? UMC?

Not at all. People want to paint an entire university with the same brush. Are there affluent white NOVA kids (or non-white, non-affluent, non-NOVA kids as well) at UVA who announce or define their affluence and desired social status by wearing quarter zips and khakis all day long?? Of course there are. But there are also tons of kids there who don't fit that mold at all. And those kids also fit in perfectly well, many times, right along side the quarter-zippers.

+1. There are 26,000 students there, from all socio-economic classes and races, and poor from rural counties, and 50 states and the internationals. Those parents whose kids didn’t get in go off on this bizarre eitism argument but, in most cases, have never been on campus.

FwIW my UVA kid wore cargo shorts, a T shirt and hiking boots his first year. Why? H@LL if I know, but he was comfortable that way. None of his friends was “elite” or “snobby”. I met a great many of them and served as mentor to two.

Again, you're missing the point because you're not recognizing your own privilege. Yes, there are all types at UVA, but the happiest ones are the ones who come from privilege. Privilege gives them the freedom to eschew the elitism that's endemic to UVA because if that's what they wanted they could always do it. That's not the case with the non-privileged. They're on the outside looking in, not on the inside looking out.

This is just goofy.