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.

Lou Bloomfield, Professor of Physics

“Were there ever good old days? I think so. But at this point, I miss the community that I think was here when I first arrived.

“I talk to students who want to do more extracurricular stuff. They can’t afford time for class and study because they’re so busy trying to build a better resume. And faculty, finally, are no better. They, we, are all busy building our resumes.

“It is all, in my view, such a futile exercise. It used to be an academic community, and I don’t see that anymore. It’s a loose confederation of individuals pursuing self-interest, and that’s sad.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Lou Bloomfield, Professor of Physics

“Were there ever good old days? I think so. But at this point, I miss the community that I think was here when I first arrived.

“I talk to students who want to do more extracurricular stuff. They can’t afford time for class and study because they’re so busy trying to build a better resume. And faculty, finally, are no better. They, we, are all busy building our resumes.

“It is all, in my view, such a futile exercise. It used to be an academic community, and I don’t see that anymore. It’s a loose confederation of individuals pursuing self-interest, and that’s sad.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Lou Bloomfield, Professor of Physics

“There are all these studies, or supposed studies, about how valuable a college degree is, as opposed to not a college degree. But I think the study is not complete.

“What the study should do is it should compare people who have a college degree or not a college degree, and a college education and not a college education, and try to disentangle those two.

“Now the other two possibilities: a college education and no degree, and a college degree but no college education. And my guess is that the degree is what matters. This is why a lot of student come out of university now, with a college degree, and get jobs that do not require a college education. They need the degree, but not the education.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Lou Bloomfield, Professor of Physics

“There are all these studies, or supposed studies, about how valuable a college degree is, as opposed to not a college degree. But I think the study is not complete.

“What the study should do is it should compare people who have a college degree or not a college degree, and a college education and not a college education, and try to disentangle those two.

“Now the other two possibilities: a college education and no degree, and a college degree but no college education. And my guess is that the degree is what matters. This is why a lot of student come out of university now, with a college degree, and get jobs that do not require a college education. They need the degree, but not the education.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Ralph Sampson, 1983 UVa Graduate

“Again, we played against everybody. We played against Buck Williams, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Larry Nance, Horace Grant. We played against a lot of people in the ACC. So Michael was just Michael, I mean, to us another player we had to play against at UNC, we had to go against and play and try to win a basketball game.

“And you go from a boy’s game to a man’s game. It changes dramatically, the physicality, the rigors of the NBA, the schedule, the eating. I mean, everything changes in your world from one level to the next, it’s like going from high school to college. So it’s pretty dynamic and it kind of changes who you are at each level, even after you finish playing. It’s the nature of the beast.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Ralph Sampson, 1983 UVa Graduate

“Again, we played against everybody. We played against Buck Williams, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Larry Nance, Horace Grant. We played against a lot of people in the ACC. So Michael was just Michael, I mean, to us another player we had to play against at UNC, we had to go against and play and try to win a basketball game.

“And you go from a boy’s game to a man’s game. It changes dramatically, the physicality, the rigors of the NBA, the schedule, the eating. I mean, everything changes in your world from one level to the next, it’s like going from high school to college. So it’s pretty dynamic and it kind of changes who you are at each level, even after you finish playing. It’s the nature of the beast.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Ralph Sampson, 1983 UVa Graduate and Hall of Fame basketball player

“What should the role be for college athletes? I mean college is college, universities are universities, so it doesn’t make a difference what it is. But college sports is an earmark of any university, so it blends in.

“I think college athletes should get recruited and they have the ability to get there and learn. I think they need to do more at the college level to get them to learn lifestyle. But I think that any student-athlete or even student should take some lifestyle classes, because I don’t think they learn enough at the college level that can elude them to their normal daily life.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Ralph Sampson, 1983 UVa Graduate and Hall of Fame basketball player

“What should the role be for college athletes? I mean college is college, universities are universities, so it doesn’t make a difference what it is. But college sports is an earmark of any university, so it blends in.

“I think college athletes should get recruited and they have the ability to get there and learn. I think they need to do more at the college level to get them to learn lifestyle. But I think that any student-athlete or even student should take some lifestyle classes, because I don’t think they learn enough at the college level that can elude them to their normal daily life.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Ralph Sampson, 1983 UVa Graduate and Hall of Fame basketball player

“Again, I come from Harrisonburg, Virginia, so I never saw any racial divide anywhere in Harrisonburg or in University of Virginia. Maybe being an athlete I was kind of sheltered from that, but I grew up with Caucasian people, I went to school with multicultural people. So there wasn’t much racial divide when I went to UVa that I saw or that I heard of.

“I think I’m not a political type person, where you go to start changing everything and try to make it happen, but I think before I got to University of Virginia, there were only one or two African-Americans who had ever played on the team together. I brought four or five or six guys in with me that were African-American students or athletes. I think that changed the dynamics of the recruiting at the University of Virginia, where it opened doors for other African-American athletes, not only in basketball but all sports at UVA that’s in there.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

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.

Ralph Sampson, 1983 UVa Graduate and Hall of Fame basketball player

“Again, I come from Harrisonburg, Virginia, so I never saw any racial divide anywhere in Harrisonburg or in University of Virginia. Maybe being an athlete I was kind of sheltered from that, but I grew up with Caucasian people, I went to school with multicultural people. So there wasn’t much racial divide when I went to UVa that I saw or that I heard of.

“I think I’m not a political type person, where you go to start changing everything and try to make it happen, but I think before I got to University of Virginia, there were only one or two African-Americans who had ever played on the team together. I brought four or five or six guys in with me that were African-American students or athletes. I think that changed the dynamics of the recruiting at the University of Virginia, where it opened doors for other African-American athletes, not only in basketball but all sports at UVA that’s in there.”

For more: www.uvastories.org