TILOCK: What UVA Strong means to me

I had never heard of “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.”

I was a first-year student at UVA, not yet a journalist. It was tech week for the First Year Players production of Hello, Dolly! and we were at the Student Activities Building just outside Scott Stadium.

The Nov. 13, 2022 rehearsal was a long one, and we were getting ready to leave around 10:30 p.m. A few people had already left. Then we got the alert — “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.” There was a mass shooting on Grounds.

Upperclassmen barricaded the doors, and we sat on the floor, waiting for updates. Some people listened to the police radio. Others kept refreshing social media and news sites. I remember spending the night on the floor, trying to sleep but finding little success. This was scary. I had never been around anything like this before.

The next day, we got the all-clear and left. I got lunch with my close friend and we talked about our experiences. I scrolled through Instagram, X, Yikyak and other social media, reading about others’ stories. The phrase “UVA Strong” emerged. I’ll never forget it.

I remember there was a conversation FYP leadership had about what to do about the show — should rehearsal be canceled or postponed? What about the show itself?

Ultimately, we performed the show. Singing the title number with my peers in front of a packed audience just days after Nov. 13 was one of the most uplifting experiences of my life. But this was not the end.

The remaining football games were canceled, and teams around the country donned UVA Strong gear in support of UVA. There was a vigil for Lavel, Devin and D’Sean. National news sites quickly descended upon Charlottesville, lurking around crowded areas and trying to get quotes from students.

To be honest, I was having a hard time adjusting to UVA as a first-year. I actually took a prospective transfer tour at another school a few weeks earlier. It would not have been surprising to feel a heightened desire to leave after Nov. 13.

But I didn’t.

Community like FYP, and moments of unity after tragedy were truly beyond words. Every person at UVA had their story, and every person comforted one another, however that looked like.

A few months later, I joined The Cavalier Daily and began covering the football program. I watched UVA Strong become an integral pillar of Virginia football. I wrote about it. It was inspiring to see Coach Tony Elliott, kicker Will Bettridge and others keep 1-15-41 at the forefront of the program. They still do.

Unfortunately, throughout my time as a student at UVA, there were several other horrible moments. We received multiple “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.” alerts over the next few years. Some of them were false alarms or quickly resolved, but each time, they took me back to Nov. 13, 2022. It was traumatic.

I remember a few posts in particular, mostly from students who were not on Grounds in 2022. The captions were something along the lines of “POV: Fourth-years be like ‘not again.’” The response comments were nasty — the overwhelming consensus was disgust.

There were several more productions in the SAB after 2022, and to be completely honest, I never felt fully comfortable being in there for several hours late at night. Something was just off.

Many of the now-alumni do not want to revisit that day four years ago. To be honest, I do not either. But I feel better talking (or writing) about it. I think it is necessary, particularly for the current students who did not experience Nov. 13 in Charlottesville.

I also reflect on UVA Strong as a journalist. I know that one of the most holy principles is objectivity and a writer must separate themself from the story. Today, however, I am hovering around that line for this article. How could I not? Nov. 13 was a defining moment for thousands of students, faculty, staff and others associated with UVA.

I have written multiple stories about UVA Strong before, usually fueled by Elliott, Bettridge or other students. But today, I want to put pen to paper and share my experience. Ahead of the UVA Strong game, I have been reflecting about Nov. 13 and the years to come.

This is said not as a writer, but as a former student and now alumnus of UVA — I think that Elliott and Bettridge are defining leaders of their program and the University community at-large. As Elliott would say, they turned tragedy into triumph.

But as a writer, it has been an honor to share their stories and have the ability to convey the story of 1-15-41. I extend a virtual hug to everyone who was on Grounds back then, as well as the thousands of people who were deeply worried about their friends and family that night.

Since 2022, I have learned that UVA Strong is about more than remembrance. It is to honor, recognize, represent, cherish and uplift Lavel, Devin and D’Sean — and by extension, Virginia football, UVA and all who call it home. As Dr. Carla Williams said, joy comes in the morning.

As a community, let us embrace one another and be UVA Strong, both Saturday and always.

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