University of Virginia Library

Our Sea Of Mud

While I will agree that the
University of Virginia has some of
the most appealing architecture of
any campus I have seen, the
grounds themselves have to be
among the worst. I think they were
designed for spawning trout rather
than students. When it rains, the
campus undergoes an amazing
change.

The McCormick Road dorms are
instantly surrounded by one large
reflecting pool. Each step has been
constructed with the peculiar
ability to transform itself into a
trough, and eventually join with
others to create a frolicking
cascade. Sidewalks rapidly become
surging spillways.

The Alderman Road dorms were
constructed in such a manner that
all the rain that falls on Dobie and
Balz flows down the hill, goes
between Maupin and Lile, and
unites with runoff from the rest of
the dorms to form the most
dangerous rapids south of the
Rappahannock. And all this goes on
right outside the side entrance to
thy Glass Hat, making for exciting
dining conditions. And it seems the
grounds crew must still be mad at
students who wore away the grass
they planted fifty years ago,
because they have yet to plant any
more.

However, this provides us with
many wonderful examples of
erosion at work, notably behind the
McCormick Road dorms and
around the now defunct
amphitheater. (Of course all the
grounds' crew trucks that use the
too narrow sidewalks and the bike
riders that don't have nothing to do
with this.) Gee but its great to have
such a versatile campus.