After arriving at the University of Virginia as a first-year student in 2023, Georgina Woodlock scored a job at Mincer’s, the iconic, UVA-themed clothing store on the Corner.
Intrigued, her father, John, back home in Goldsboro, North Carolina, immediately began researching the Charlottesville institution and decided to send his second-born a fact about the place. On Aug. 24, two days after the fall semester began, John sent a text titled “Mincing.”
“Mincers at the Corner started in 1948 as a tobacconist and pipe maker. It is now operated by the fourth generation of Mincers.”
Smokey the cat stands amid some of John Woodlock’s UVA library. He is “one of our 10 cats and a dog,” Woodlock said. Georgina and her mother Vanessa volunteered at the local animal shelter for 10 years and adopted several animals. (Contributed photo)
John was hooked. To learn more about Georgina’s new home and stay connected, he bought 30 books about the University, many from the local Daedalus Bookshop on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. They included several copies of Corks and Curls, 鶹ƽ yearbook, and histories about Thomas Jefferson.
“I did think it was funny … I think I actually bought more books that first year than my daughter did,” he said.
What began as a trickle of factoids became a geyser – one that lasted 254 days, with no breaks for holidays or weekends – the entirety of her first year.
John and Georgina stand inside the Library of Congress during a 2023 visit. (Photo by Vanessa Woodlock)
“It really just kind of spiraled,” Georgina said of her dad’s missives. “He started doing research and stuff, but I definitely had no idea he would keep doing it.”
Here are some of John and Georgina’s favorite facts, some culled from UVA Today stories. John’s titles for each entry are a window into his curiosity and wit. His entries are edited for brevity. The first references a Reddit “subthread” about UVA, thus “r/UVA.”
Read his words to his daughter.
Sept. 25, 2023 “r/մ”
You are undoubtedly familiar with Reddit, the so-called “front door of the internet,” as I often share links from the platform.
You may also know that Reddit was created by two UVA alumni the same year they graduated: Alexis Ohanian (Commerce ’05) and Steve Huffman (Engineering ’05). The two met as first-years living in the same dorm, became fast friends, and stayed close throughout their years on Grounds.
Today, a plaque at booth 19 of that Waffle House commemorates the moment.
Jan. 9, 2024 “As I lay dying”
Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner served as 鶹ƽ first writer-in-residence during the 1957 and 1958 academic years. Afterward, he continued to visit Grounds regularly as a guest lecturer and consultant until his death in 1962.
March 29, 2024 “Where did Monroe go?”
On the day of Edwin Alderman’s inauguration as 鶹ƽ first president, a large crowd gathered on the Lawn. Rising above the throng stood a white sculpture of James Monroe, proudly occupying the spot that the statue of Homer would later make famous.
The fate of this sculpture remains something of a mystery. It appears to have been on display briefly around 1905. Earlier photographs from 1898 show no trace of it, and records confirm that the current Homer statue was installed in June 1907.
April 25, 2024 “Treble in Scranton”
Established in 1987, the Hullabahoos are an all-male a cappella ensemble renowned for their captivating performances. They have left their mark on various prestigious stages, including appearances on “Good Morning America,” the Republican National Convention, the White House and even Major League Baseball games. Yet, their most iconic moment may well be their portrayal as on the hit TV show “The Office.”
In Season 4, Episode 3, titled “Launch Party,” viewers witnessed Andy’s charming attempt to win over Angela with a rendition of ABBA’s “Take a Chance on Me,” backed by none other than his Cornell a cappella group, Here Come Treble (aka the Hullabahoos). This memorable episode, aired in October 2007, captured the hearts of nearly 9 million viewers.
Georgina is now a third-year student majoring in behavioral neuroscience. She is still working at Mincer’s. She’s admitted she could not keep up with the daily inflow of information from her father, but she’s since read all of his UVA research.
“It just made me feel very cared for during my first year,” she said. “It is like a very special thing that he did for me, so I am very grateful for it.”
