UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Tim Heaphy, UVA's General Counsel

“Looking back now at facilitating bad, drunken behavior, there’s a lot of risk involved. And I think there was sort of an attitude of ‘That’s to be expected’ or some of that is okay or even encouraged and that’s dangerous.

“My class was the first where alcohol was no longer allowed -- when I was an R.A. -- was no longer allowed.

“When I was a first year, there was a keg in the dorm that the R.A. actually sort of provided. Because again, the drinking age was 18. Yeah. And then the R.A. was right there pumping the tap. That was part of his job. That obviously changed pretty quickly thereafter.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Tim Heaphy, UVA's General Counsel

“Looking back now at facilitating bad, drunken behavior, there’s a lot of risk involved. And I think there was sort of an attitude of ‘That’s to be expected’ or some of that is okay or even encouraged and that’s dangerous.

“My class was the first where alcohol was no longer allowed -- when I was an R.A. -- was no longer allowed.

“When I was a first year, there was a keg in the dorm that the R.A. actually sort of provided. Because again, the drinking age was 18. Yeah. And then the R.A. was right there pumping the tap. That was part of his job. That obviously changed pretty quickly thereafter.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Director of Parking and Transportation at UVA

Interviewer: “Have you ever had a moment where your gender mattered?”

White: “Not to me!”

“Back when I was a driver and we did a lot of charters, you know, beyond our fixed route. President Hereford was president at that time. You know, you’d be sitting there at Carr’s Hill ready to take his party over to the stadium, and a gentleman age 60 plus would get on board and say, ‘Well, little lady, you sure you can handle this big ol’ bus?’

“So we all had to figure out a way to very graciously -- ‘tee hee’ -- laugh that off. But that happened a lot when I was a student driver, but no, that has not presented itself at all since then.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Director of Parking and Transportation at UVA

Interviewer: “Have you ever had a moment where your gender mattered?”

White: “Not to me!”

“Back when I was a driver and we did a lot of charters, you know, beyond our fixed route. President Hereford was president at that time. You know, you’d be sitting there at Carr’s Hill ready to take his party over to the stadium, and a gentleman age 60 plus would get on board and say, ‘Well, little lady, you sure you can handle this big ol’ bus?’

“So we all had to figure out a way to very graciously -- ‘tee hee’ -- laugh that off. But that happened a lot when I was a student driver, but no, that has not presented itself at all since then.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Director of Parking and Transportation at UVA

White: "My parents believe I majored in bus driving at UVa. I’m Becca White and I am the Director of Parking and Transportation at the University of Virginia. Graduated [in] ‘84.”

Interviewer: “With a degree in what?”

White: “Mathematics from the College.”

Interviewer: Did you do any extracurriculars?”

White: “I needed to work, and so I was a student bus driver for University Transit after my second year.”

Interviewer: “What did you like so much about it?”

White: “Oh, gosh, I love everything about it! I just -- I enjoy the driving. I find driving a bus very, very zen, you know, very relaxing. You’re so concentrated on smoothness and safety and safety and smoothness and you know, you just -- it’s a constant effort to perfect. It’s almost like the yoga of -- the blue collar yoga for me. Just very mindful. But really what I really loved were all my fellow bus drivers.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Director of Parking and Transportation at UVA

White: "My parents believe I majored in bus driving at UVa. I’m Becca White and I am the Director of Parking and Transportation at the University of Virginia. Graduated [in] ‘84.”

Interviewer: “With a degree in what?”

White: “Mathematics from the College.”

Interviewer: Did you do any extracurriculars?”

White: “I needed to work, and so I was a student bus driver for University Transit after my second year.”

Interviewer: “What did you like so much about it?”

White: “Oh, gosh, I love everything about it! I just -- I enjoy the driving. I find driving a bus very, very zen, you know, very relaxing. You’re so concentrated on smoothness and safety and safety and smoothness and you know, you just -- it’s a constant effort to perfect. It’s almost like the yoga of -- the blue collar yoga for me. Just very mindful. But really what I really loved were all my fellow bus drivers.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Director of Parking and Transportation at UVA

White: "So over the last 35 years, the technology that allows us to manage the bus system has drastically changed, much for the better. The GPS can track where the bus is, how fast the bus is going, dwell time, average speed through corridors.”

Interviewer: “How would it have worked 35 years ago, without all the technology?”

White: “As a passenger, you’d stand at a bus stop and just be happily surprised when the bus actually arrived. Really, for us, it came down to the trip decision, you know, somebody would just go out to a bus stop and just hope that the bus would come when it said it was going to come.

“Now a passenger can look at the app, and you can actually track the little bubble on a map, and you can make a trip decision. You can say, ‘You know what? That bus is not moving, I could walk to Alderman Library quicker than this bus is going to come.’”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Director of Parking and Transportation at UVA

White: "So over the last 35 years, the technology that allows us to manage the bus system has drastically changed, much for the better. The GPS can track where the bus is, how fast the bus is going, dwell time, average speed through corridors.”

Interviewer: “How would it have worked 35 years ago, without all the technology?”

White: “As a passenger, you’d stand at a bus stop and just be happily surprised when the bus actually arrived. Really, for us, it came down to the trip decision, you know, somebody would just go out to a bus stop and just hope that the bus would come when it said it was going to come.

“Now a passenger can look at the app, and you can actually track the little bubble on a map, and you can make a trip decision. You can say, ‘You know what? That bus is not moving, I could walk to Alderman Library quicker than this bus is going to come.’”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Marva Barnett, Professor Emeritus and Founding Director, Teaching Resource Center

“There was the Trinkle Report. Mr. Trinkle was a member of the Board of Visitors and it was one of those moments when somebody had come and mixed and stirred and said, ‘Look how many courses are being taught by graduate students! They’re not even professors!’

“The opportunity came to create a T.A. development center for the College initially. I jumped on that opportunity and that’s what started the Teaching Resource Center in 1990.

“I hired my assistant, the wonderful Freda Fretwell, and the two of us together for, I think four years, were the Teaching Resource Center in Hotel D on the east range, in the downstairs. Don’t call it the basement! Three of the four downstairs rooms, including the kitchen. The kitchen was our meeting room and Freda and I had offices down there.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Marva Barnett, Professor Emeritus and Founding Director, Teaching Resource Center

“There was the Trinkle Report. Mr. Trinkle was a member of the Board of Visitors and it was one of those moments when somebody had come and mixed and stirred and said, ‘Look how many courses are being taught by graduate students! They’re not even professors!’

“The opportunity came to create a T.A. development center for the College initially. I jumped on that opportunity and that’s what started the Teaching Resource Center in 1990.

“I hired my assistant, the wonderful Freda Fretwell, and the two of us together for, I think four years, were the Teaching Resource Center in Hotel D on the east range, in the downstairs. Don’t call it the basement! Three of the four downstairs rooms, including the kitchen. The kitchen was our meeting room and Freda and I had offices down there.”