University of Virginia Library

A red brick house behind Virginia National
Bank may be the closest thing the University
has to a residential college.

Right now the four-story house at 120
Chancellor Street serves as a meeting hall,
office, classroom building, and "dinner club"
for the Experimental University as well as a
place of residence for seven of its members.

For two years, the E.U. had no office
except for the dormitory rooms of members
of its coordinating committee. This year, the
vestry of St. Paul's Church rented its old
rectory to the E.U. staff.

So this year the E.U. committee had a
place to silk-screen their posters, collect and
organize registration forms, hold meetings,
and receive visitors.

The house has been the meeting place of
several of the courses and seminars offered by
the E.U. In addition, the house has allowed
for and been the cause of many new activities
and experiments by the committee.

The first development was that of the
"dinner meetings" of the E.U. Four nights a
week most of the twelve committee members,
those living in dormitories and apartments as
well as those living at the house, eat together.
At first a means of getting their plans
discussed, the dinner became a regular
dimension of the committee, not unlike the
meals in a fraternity house.

The committee members began inviting
their friends on the faculty, on the local
newspapers, with the United Ministry, and in
the Charlottesville community, to eat dinner
and talk.

"This is what education is all about," said
Ham Lob, co-chairman of the coordinating
committee. He explained that one evening a
professor stayed until early morning, sitting
with the committee around a fire, drinking
wine, and "exchanging ideas."

On February 11, the E.U. gave an "Irish
coffee" party for about 30 faculty members
that they knew as teachers and friends, to
answer questions about the E.U. and listen to
suggestions.

Because of the success of the
faculty-student interchange, the E.U.
committee plans for this spring a "Superstar
Series," when the house will be open in the
evening for anyone who wants to meet some
of the renowned faculty members on the
same informal basis.

The Experimental University as a
committee has other aspects than its original
structure of a "resource channel" for courses
and seminars. It has formed teams of Frisbee,
Football, and Soccer and challenges anyone
who will play them. Their foremost rival is
the "Bread Institute," consisting of assistant
professor of Law Charles Whitebread and a
group of his student friends.

The committee has said that its house is
open to anyone who wants to come by and
talk, ask questions, or give new ideas.

Flute Course Was Held In Dorm