Winter Evening in the American South

I wanted to share these pictures I took this weekend as the sun disappeared on a cold, winter evening at the Central Lawn of the University of Virginia. 

These buildings, which look like houses, are called pavilions. There are ten of these buildings in total, five on each side of the Lawn. Thomas Jefferson, the founder of the University, believed that academic discussions and learning should not only take place in the classrooms, but outside. Originally, the heads of the ten schools at the University and their families lived in these buildings, while the students lived in the rooms in between the pavilions. This way, the learning never ended, for professors and students lived in the same community.

With 15 thousand students, it is no longer possible for all the students to live with professors and their families in the same community. Today, students have to apply to live in the rooms next to the pavilions. It is a great privilege to live on the Lawn; only Seniors can apply for a room there. The only downside is that the bathrooms are outside, which is the main reason I would never live on the Lawn. Imagine having to wake up in the freezing cold to go to the bathroom. 

P.S. It is that time of the year when all the books are arriving. This is the main lobby of the building where I live. 

Just thinking...