Crash Into Me_ A Survivor's Search for Justice - Liz Seccuro [11]
In high school, I turned the focus I had given to ballet to schoolwork and socializing. I dated a bit, but not seriously. I was a virgin, which was not uncommon in my set of friends. We were at Catholic school and took our religion seriously, believing for the most part that sex was best saved for marriage, or at the very least for someone we truly loved. Mostly, I spent time with my girl friends, and at our small school, we were a close-knit group. I was a straight-A student, played the lead in many school plays, and was a member of the student council, swim team, math club, yearbook staff, and cheerleading squad. I also became heavily involved in public speaking. Like dance, it was a way to express myself. I became state champion one year and a nationally ranked speaker in many categories, including Original Speech, Dramatic Interpretation, and Debate.
I had worked hard to get into college, and I was thrilled about going to UVA. Ever the perfectionist, I made multiple checklists as I readied myself for the trip down to Charlottesville, going through them with military precision. It was a hot Sunday in August when I crammed into the family car with my parents and most of my old and new belongings to head south. My best friend, Meg, was going to Trinity College in Washington, D.C., and was leaving at the same time, so our parents drove the same approximate speed. We spent that night at a hotel in the District to say good-bye to Meg, after which my parents and I journeyed on to Charlottesville. I felt good knowing that although I would be far from home, Meg would only be a two-and-a-half-hour drive away, if I needed her.
When I finally did arrive at my new home, I was struck by all the gorgeous red and white Georgian brick buildings, the expanses of greenery both on campus and off, the wildflowers and the vistas of the mountains in the distance. There were so many attractive and tanned students and families running about downtown that it seemed the small town would just burst from all of the action. I was excited about all of the new people to meet and classes to take. Once there and checked into our hotel, my parents and I were able to take the college tour we had never taken and learn about the university beyond the glossy brochure.
The University of Virginia, arguably one of the finest public universities in the United States, is in Charlottesville, Virginia, nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Chartered by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, it opened six years later. It is referred to as Jefferson’s “Academical Village,” a term he coined himself, envisioning a private, sequestered village where students and teachers would live together surrounded by beauty. The centerpiece of the university is the Rotunda, the original academic headquarters that sits at the head of the Lawn, a vast expanse of green that serves as the jewel of the university’s physical plant. (The Rotunda you see today is a replica, as the original was destroyed in a fire in 1895.)
The great Lawn is lined by ten Pavilions, and a professor from each area of study lives with his or her family in that place of honor. The Pavilion Gardens, which echo the Georgian architectural style, are frequent gathering spots for parties and events for students and professors alike. I think this is how Mr. Jefferson would have wanted it.
Another legacy from Mr. Jefferson, and a big reason the university appealed to me, is its Honor Code. Under the single sanction Honor Code, those found lying, cheating, or stealing at the university are brought before the Honor Committee and, if found guilty by a trial of their peers, are expelled. There is no other punishment such as suspension or probation—expulsion is the only choice if you are found guilty. I served as an Honor Educator, and most of the cases I saw involved plagiarism and “over-the-shoulder” cheating. The Honor Code does not extend to more serious criminal offenses such as assault, rape, stalking, or murder. I liked that the Honor Code reinforced