4 Matching Annotations
  1. Nov 2017
    1. The considerations which have governed the specification of languages to be taught by the professor of Modern Languages were that the French is the language of general intercourse among nations, and as a depository of human Science is unsurpassed by any other language living or dead: that the Spanish is highly interesting to us, as the language spoken by so great a portion of the inhabitants of our Continents, with whom we shall possibly have great intercourse ere long; and is that also in which is written the greater part of the early history of America.

      I found this excerpt very admirable, as it emphasizes the importance of teaching and learning different languages. This not only broadens the possibilities for someone, but in this day and age, it is necessary to be at least bilingual given the amount of languages people speak in the U.S. alone.

    2. the erection, preservation & repair of the buildings, the care of the grounds

      The inclusion of the importance of the architecture in this document does not surprise me, as UVA takes great pride in being known as one of the most beautiful universities in America. They are constantly working to improve the look of buildings, hence why there is always some form of construction going on. However, the university remains with the same Jeffersonian architecture look, since that is what it is known for. Of course many universities work of preserving their buildings; however, the fact that this needed to be incorporated shows that UVA wants it to be known how much they care for the grounds.

      • Katherine Palencia-Monterrosa
    3. These are the objects of that higher grade of education

      While so much of UVA's aims as a university has changed since this writing, I feel that the objectives (referred to in the document as "objects") remain today. These goals are essentially to transform the students into the best versions of themselves, both for themselves and their community, and I think UVA still does this today. The objectives taken in the context of the time of the writing, however, changes not so much the meaning of the objects, but the gross, cruel, senseless exclusivity of them, pertaining to only white men. As we have discussed in my class, Telling the Truth, the historical context can greatly alter the complete truth of something. I feel that these objects today are true as we read these differently from the writers of the RFGR, specifically we include all races and genders in the definition of words such as citizen and equal, and we see these groups as people with rights as well. While the objects have not changed themselves, their exclusivity has, so in that sense they remain as true to part of the schools basic principles and goals. -Drew Parks

    4. a sound spirit of legislation, which banishing all arbitrary & unnecessary restraint on individual action shall leave us free to do whatever does not violate the equal rights of another.

      I think all would agree that this kind of legislature, being implemented with the aim of promoting freedom and the equal rights of one another, is for the best, yet this idea holds a fair amount of hypocrisy in the time of this documents writing. As they set the foundations of UVA in the ideology of freedom and equality they simultaneously have slaves constructing the grounds. I also picked this quote because I thought it related to my current engagement class, Telling the Truth, where we analyze the interplay between the beauty of a medium of information and the truth. Metaphors comparing this legislature to "a sound spirit" evokes a wholesome mood, yet this beautiful writing in a way hides the deep flaws and hypocritical nature of this statement which claims to establish equality. -Drew Parks