If you don't know anything about UVA, the first thing that almost anyone will tell you is that it was founded by 3rd President of the United States Thomas Jefferson (in 1819). Consequently, Jefferson is extremely popular here, and his words show up almost everywhere. Personally, I like the guy, but I think a lot of people take it too far. Anyway...
At the center of the university is "the Lawn," the oldest and most venerable part of the school, the center of Mr. Jefferson's design. At the head of this lawn is "the Rotunda," a building modeled on the Pantheon in Rome. It was originally intended to be a library (a rare thing to put at the center in an age when most schools were still built around churches), but it obviously isn't big enough for that anymore, so it's now used almost exclusively for special events.
The Rotunda
The Lawn was conceived as an "Academical Village," where students and professors lived and worked together. Along the sides of the lawn are 10 pavilions--each a bit different from the others--which traditionally have housed professors. Additionally, 54 (56?) individual rooms grace the sides of the lawn, each occupied even today by an undergraduate every year.
The Rotunda burned down in 1895, and when it was rebuilt a few more buildings were added to the south side of the lawn, enclosing it completely. At the opposite end of the lawn lies (Old) Cabell Hall, a rather nice old building used (IIRC) mostly for music classes; it has a nice--if rather small--auditorium inside it also.
Old Cabell Hall. The statue in front is of Homer.
At the far left end of that picture you can get a glimpse of New Cabell Hall, built in the 1950s, where a significant number of medium and small Arts and Sciences classes are held. It's an abomination.
New Cabell Hall. Ugh.
My department--the classics department--is in a building on the side of the lawn called Cocke Hall. Here's a picture:
UVA tends to be a more traditional place. We call the campus "grounds," we eschew freshman, sophmore, etc. in favor of "first year," "second year," and so on, and we don't use the title "Dr." Perhaps the most colorful of our traditions is the streaking of the Lawn, performed by a good number (most? I don't know that a survey's ever been done) of undergraduates before their time is up. Starting at the steps of the Rotunda, you are supposed to run all the way down the lawn, kiss Homer on the rear, run all the way back up to the Rotunda, look through the keyhole to the statue of Mr. Jefferson, and collect your clothes, hoping that one of the lawn's residents hasn't absconded with them.
Though not a part of grounds, the Corner is a pretty important hang out place, with a number of restaurants and bars. It's only a 2 or 3 minute walk from the Rotunda.
The Corner
Sports are moderately important here. The football games are usually pretty well attended, though many of the attendees are more interested in socializing and getting trashed than washing the game. The crowd definitely plays to the opponent; it can get rowdy when we're playing an important game, but it's pretty quiet against lesser opponents and the crowd is taken out of the game pretty easily.
Scott Stadium
Our basketball team is pretty good, and it promises to get better. We have a brand new arena, the John Paul Jones Arena (no, it's not named for the naval captain or the Led Zeppelin guy), which seats on the order of 17,000. It was inaugurated last year.
The JPJ
Alright, that's all I've got for now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
