Following Obama’s electric oratory in Mile High Stadium, the best performance there since John Elway in 1998, the Democratic National Convention wound down and left pundits to pour over tracking polls and the electoral map. One state that has been long identified as a battleground is the usually red state of Virginia. Having elected Democratic governor Tim Kaine in 2005, then Democratic Senator Jim Webb in 2006, the DNC is hoping that former Governor Mark Warner can complete the trifecta in 2008 by filling the other senate seat. Obama did well in the primary there, and hopes to have it in the win column in November. Recent polls indicate that this is a distinct possibility, with the candidates running a dead heat.
With USC playing its opener against the University of Virginia, I had the opportunity to witness part of this newly “purple” state in person. I flew to Richmond where I stayed the night before the game. Looking around this former capital of the Confederacy, I was reminded that this state is below the Mason-Dixon line. And this part of it is way below the line! Pundits have described Virginia as being two states: Northern Virginia connected economically and culturally to Washington and Baltimore, and the rest of Virginia. Richmond, it seems, is in the “rest of Virginia.” Southern hospitality abounded. Grits accompanied my game-day pancakes. A local radio station described a party they were throwing as the “most fun you can have without turning left.” (NASCAR is big down here)
The game was held on the UVa campus in Charlottesville. As we drove the 50 miles between Richmond and Charlottesville, I saw a grand total of two Obama bumper stickers. Thomas Jefferson’s university is nestled the gorgeous foothills of the Appalachians. Shrouded in mid-Atlantic deciduous forest, the university that Jefferson founded and designed is designated as an UNESCO world heritage site. Interestingly, Jefferson created the school in 1819 as a secular institution, unlike other schools of that era. Most American universities that date back to the start of the 19th century or before were linked to a particular Christian sect, had a seminary as their first professional school, and arrayed the campus around a church at the center. Reflecting his own philosophy of an educated populace being essential to the stability of democracy, Jefferson placed his library at the center of Virginia’s campus (and blocked the study of Theology).
We climbed the hills traversing the campus up to the stadium and into the blazing hot August sun. The Cavalier’s home field is beautiful: set into one of the bigger hills on campus, a horseshoe capped on one end by a sloped lawn and wooden trellis. But apparently the only people that call students at Virginia “Cavaliers” are people from outside UVa. Virginians refer to themselves as “Hoos”, short for Wahoos. It comes from a school cheer dating back to 1890, “Wah-Hoo-Wah”. The stadium sings their school song (set to the tune of Auld Langsyne) after each touchdown, followed by the cheer. Of course, we only got to hear the song once, thanks to the brilliant play of the USC defense. But we did hear the Cavalier . . . er . . . the Hoo band plenty throughout the game. They actually mic the band and amplify them over the stadium loudspeakers.
Mic the band? Really?
With a final score of 52-7, the game mercifully ended, not soon enough for the Hoos. As we headed back to Richmond, I wondered what did I learn from my trip?
1. The University of Virginia campus is as beautiful as advertised.
2. A purple clad Cavalier on horseback is a much more impressive mascot than a Hoo.
3. Mark Sanchez is a smoking hot quarterback and the USC offense is better than expected.
4. The USC defense is as good as expected.
5. Obama may have a chance in Northern Virginia, but Richmond was the capital of the confederacy for a reason.
6. It’s a good year for the USC Song Girls.
Fight On,
Hans
PS: A Newsweek article earlier this year described Cindy McCain as a USC “Cheerleader” (not SongGirl). If that’s true it sets up an agonizing choice for November: Brilliant, inspiring leadership from an eloquent agent of change vs. having a USC Song Girl as a first lady. Hmmm . . . . Then again, I suppose that is just the kind of misogyny that is driving “life long Democrats” from Hillary over to Palin. Unfortunately, Newsweek’s assertion has yet to be confirmed and is in fact refuted by several university blogs, including by someone claiming to be her sorority sister.
With USC playing its opener against the University of Virginia, I had the opportunity to witness part of this newly “purple” state in person. I flew to Richmond where I stayed the night before the game. Looking around this former capital of the Confederacy, I was reminded that this state is below the Mason-Dixon line. And this part of it is way below the line! Pundits have described Virginia as being two states: Northern Virginia connected economically and culturally to Washington and Baltimore, and the rest of Virginia. Richmond, it seems, is in the “rest of Virginia.” Southern hospitality abounded. Grits accompanied my game-day pancakes. A local radio station described a party they were throwing as the “most fun you can have without turning left.” (NASCAR is big down here)
The game was held on the UVa campus in Charlottesville. As we drove the 50 miles between Richmond and Charlottesville, I saw a grand total of two Obama bumper stickers. Thomas Jefferson’s university is nestled the gorgeous foothills of the Appalachians. Shrouded in mid-Atlantic deciduous forest, the university that Jefferson founded and designed is designated as an UNESCO world heritage site. Interestingly, Jefferson created the school in 1819 as a secular institution, unlike other schools of that era. Most American universities that date back to the start of the 19th century or before were linked to a particular Christian sect, had a seminary as their first professional school, and arrayed the campus around a church at the center. Reflecting his own philosophy of an educated populace being essential to the stability of democracy, Jefferson placed his library at the center of Virginia’s campus (and blocked the study of Theology).
We climbed the hills traversing the campus up to the stadium and into the blazing hot August sun. The Cavalier’s home field is beautiful: set into one of the bigger hills on campus, a horseshoe capped on one end by a sloped lawn and wooden trellis. But apparently the only people that call students at Virginia “Cavaliers” are people from outside UVa. Virginians refer to themselves as “Hoos”, short for Wahoos. It comes from a school cheer dating back to 1890, “Wah-Hoo-Wah”. The stadium sings their school song (set to the tune of Auld Langsyne) after each touchdown, followed by the cheer. Of course, we only got to hear the song once, thanks to the brilliant play of the USC defense. But we did hear the Cavalier . . . er . . . the Hoo band plenty throughout the game. They actually mic the band and amplify them over the stadium loudspeakers.
Mic the band? Really?
With a final score of 52-7, the game mercifully ended, not soon enough for the Hoos. As we headed back to Richmond, I wondered what did I learn from my trip?
1. The University of Virginia campus is as beautiful as advertised.
2. A purple clad Cavalier on horseback is a much more impressive mascot than a Hoo.
3. Mark Sanchez is a smoking hot quarterback and the USC offense is better than expected.
4. The USC defense is as good as expected.
5. Obama may have a chance in Northern Virginia, but Richmond was the capital of the confederacy for a reason.
6. It’s a good year for the USC Song Girls.
Fight On,
Hans
PS: A Newsweek article earlier this year described Cindy McCain as a USC “Cheerleader” (not SongGirl). If that’s true it sets up an agonizing choice for November: Brilliant, inspiring leadership from an eloquent agent of change vs. having a USC Song Girl as a first lady. Hmmm . . . . Then again, I suppose that is just the kind of misogyny that is driving “life long Democrats” from Hillary over to Palin. Unfortunately, Newsweek’s assertion has yet to be confirmed and is in fact refuted by several university blogs, including by someone claiming to be her sorority sister.
