Dining with History: A Jeffersonian Dinner in Pavilion II
On March 10, 2025, I received an email from the Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Christa Acampora, that I was selected to participate in the Jeffersonian Dinner in Pavilion II on The Lawn on March 17 at 6 p.m. The invite was extended to Professor Deborah of the English Studies Department, Assistant Professor Mona Slone of the Media Studies Department, and six other students. In the email, students were informed of the smart casual dress code and encouraged to think about the topic, “What has made (or will make) your experience in the College distinctive.”
During the Fall of 2022, Jeffersonian Dinners were brought back to Grounds. Originally, Thomas Jefferson hosted these gatherings as small group discussions or one-on-one conversations at his home, Monticello. At my own Jeffersonian Dinner, I learned about this tradition and how it has evolved to bring UVA students together over a meal to engage in meaningful conversations on topics of shared interest.
Since the Fall of 2022, UVA has organized over 25 dinners, hosted by the faculty members and deans who live in the University’s Lawn Pavilions or at Carr’s Hill, President Jim Ryan’s residence. Each host selects a discussion topic, invites two or three faculty members with a relevant interest, and the remaining guests are students chosen through a lottery system. Discussion topics for this spring’s Jeffersonian Dinners spanned from college experiences to the ethics of AI.
My particular Jeffersonian Dinner was a night to remember. I parked in the Central Grounds Parking Garage at 5:30 pm to avoid being late. When I walked over to Pavillion II, I stood outside in my smart casual attire and looked around for fellow lottery winners. Within five minutes of my arrival, another girl asked what we should do. We were hesitant about whether we should walk into the building or stay outside and wait for someone to invite us in. We reread the email from Dean Acampora several times before deciding to remain outside until more students arrived. Two more students joined us, and still no one walked in. By 6:05pm, we took the courage to knock on the locked door, to eventually be let in.
When we were let in we were greeted by a man holding a clipboard. He asked for our names and checked us in. He instructed us to leave our coats and bags in the room to the left of the main entrance. Before transitioning to the other room, he asked if any of us were 21 and would like to have a glass of wine. However, only one of us was of age and they declined the offer. Once we moved into the living room to the right of the main entrance, the three other students and I who were waiting outside were met by Dean Acampora, Professor Deborah, Assistant Professor Mona Sloane, and three other students.
After making name tags and settling in, Dean Acampora asked for each of us to introduce ourselves with our name, year, hometown, and major. The room was a mix of all years — first, second, third, fourth years. The group also included Mary Ann Parr, Charlottesville restaurateur, who began taking classes at the University of Virginia in 1980 and, after a 45-year journey, will complete her undergraduate degree in studio art in 2025. To my surprise and delight as a native-Californian, four out of the six students were from states outside Virginia including New York, Texas, and Florida.
Here, during our brief talk in the living room, I learned about the architectural history of the pavilion and how its design reflected UVA’s past. Dean Acampora showed us how marks on the floor indicated that a wall once stood there, likely built to shield professors’ houses from students who, at one point in time, would throw rocks at their windows. This does not happen anymore, but Dean Acampora paralleled this to the recent snowball fight on the Lawn and how there was an ambush, with students from the west side of Grounds launching a surprise attack on their east-side counterparts.
As we moved into the dining room, we were greeted by an unexpected guest — Henry, the cat, who knocked on the door asking to join. With everyone settled, we were reminded of the dinner’s rules: everyone had to participate, ensuring an engaging conversation, just as Thomas Jefferson intended for his own dinners. After attributing traditions and classes to answer the initial topic of what made our experience in the College distinctive, the following topics varied from lighthearted debates about whether birds are real to the ethics of sci-fi. We talked about first-year engagement classes and one participant’s involvement in the “UVA London First program.” Monticello and Carter’s Mountain Orchard came up, as did reflections on Charlottesville’s evolving restaurant scene and how the city has changed over the past 75 years. At one point, we then discussed what we would want to remain the same at UVA for the next 200 years. Someone answered that we should maintain the architectural tradition that every building visible from the Rotunda is made of brick. As the evening progressed, traditions remained a key theme, culminating in a conversation about AI and its potential role in shaping future generations at UVA.
What made this night even more incredible was the food itself. The meal began with a salad of artisan greens complemented by seasonal fruit, pickled red onion, chèvre, candied pecans, and a light balsamic vinaigrette. For the entrée, we were treated to a choice of Scottish salmon or roast Provençal chicken, both paired with sautéed French beans and macaroni and cheese. To finish, dessert was a classic Bananas Foster, served with smooth vanilla ice cream.
After finishing our meal, we gathered by the living room fireplace for two more traditions: a group photo and a signing of the guest book. Each of us added our name to its pages, joining the list of past attendees who have visited Pavilion II. Dean Acampora noted that once she moves out of Pavilion II, her guest book will be sent to the Special Collections Library and we would forever be part of UVA’s history. It isa simple tradition but a meaningful one, connecting us to generations of students, faculty, and guests who had come before us.
The Jeffersonian Dinner at Pavilion II was more than just a meal. To me, it will remain one of my most distinct memories at UVA. The evening embodied everything that makes this university special — rich traditions, intellectual curiosity, and community. The dinner was not only a reflection on UVA’s past but also an opportunity to imagine its future. As I said goodbye to Dean Acampora and thanked her for a lovely evening, I felt a renewed appreciation for the University, its history, and the people who make it such a distinctive and enduring institution.