Virginia Tech is widely known for its engineering, football, and tailgating. All of which are wonderful things that contribute to student life in a massive way. However, there are plenty of other aspects to Virginia Tech that are less mentioned. Taking a walk down memory lane, I remember the way I felt about Virginia Tech on my campus tour. I thought it was a school for STEM students, cadets, and cowboys. Therefore, I was hesitant about my future here when I found myself committing to Virginia Tech just a few months ago. I’m not an engineer, in fact, I’m a double major within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Not only am I not a STEM major, but I have also doubled down on my liberal arts-ness, if you will. Nor am I a cadet or a cowboy. I hail from Richmond, Virginia – a city that bustles and breathes with color. Blacksburg is like one big strip mall off the highway. I know I haven’t been here long but I know what I have come to love about it.
The first thing I love about Virginia Tech is the people who call it home. The school pride that runs so deep through every Hokie, current or alumni, is impossible not to notice. Seriously, the next time you are in a grocery store parking lot, count how many Virginia Tech bumper stickers you see. Of course, most Hokies come and go but some stick around. There is nothing more special than seeing a family, dressed head to toe in maroon and orange, taking a stroll across the drillfield in the evening. You can see the glint of memory and longing in the parents’ eyes. You can also see them envisioning a future at Virginia Tech for their little ones.
Everybody’s college experience is unique. It’s all dependent on what you study and who you live with. What isn’t unique is where you belong and that’s to the campus of Virginia Tech, another thing I love. Almost every building is adorned with the familiar Hokie stone. The drillfield creates a hub, buzzing in the middle of Blacksburg, where one can find hurried students at almost any time of day. What’s more special is the drillfield at night. I love the endless rows of glowy lamp posts that sprinkle light across the criss-crossing paths. I love bringing a picnic blanket and watching the stars. I love sitting on the War Memorial and watching the sun go down behind the Duck Pond. All the while, Tyler Childers sings from my speaker in the background. There is nothing cozier. I love the library and Torgersen Bridge, where studying feels like Hogwarts. I love my dorm, West Ambler Johnston, that sits across from Cassell Coliseum and Lane Stadium. There’s nothing like getting woken up by “Sandman” at 8 o’clock in the morning. I love the nights when grabbing a sweet treat from Xpress Lane is absolutely necessary.
Being on campus is one thing but getting around it is another. Randomly enough, I kind of love Blacksburg Transit – the free, public transportation provided to every student at Virginia Tech. It’s silly but a joyride around Blacksburg that comes at no extra cost is really fun. Also, it takes you to Cookout so who could complain. Running for the bus, making a fool of yourself, and giggling with your friends is a right of passage. Sneaking a cookie and cream milkshake back on the bus is just a bonus. I cannot forget to mention Kroger, though. Kroger is every Virginia Tech student’s lord and savior. Of course, the bus does take you to Target and Walmart but there is something special about University City Boulevard Kroger. It greets you with orange and maroon flags, waving in the parking lot, and Hokie paraphernalia is sprinkled throughout every aisle. Another right of passage – missing the bus and walking back to campus with your paper towels and bananas in hand.
The downtown area of Blacksburg, a place I love, is small but mighty. Here, you can find the yummiest, cheapest eats around like Benny’s Pizza, where a slice is bigger than your face. Or Souvlaki – a hole in the wall Greek restaurant that serves curly fries by the pound. On any given weekend night, the streets of Blacksburg will be littered with lively college students, looking for a good time at Centros or Ridiculous Chicken. Amidst the throngs of chaotic students are families trying to have a nice night out on the town. The dichotomy between the two is beautifully ironic.
What Virginia Tech certainly doesn’t lack is tradition. I love our school’s motto: Ut Prosim. It means ‘that I may serve.’ I believe that nothing embodies this sentiment more than our Corps of Cadets. Unfortunately, it seems like most students prefer to poke and prod at the cadets for their outlandish choice to serve while being a student. Except, doesn’t this respectable, outstanding decision make them more of a Hokie than the rest of us? They commit to the very mission of Virginia Tech – service. I love seeing them in their uniforms. I love seeing them not in their uniforms. It’s like a peek into who they really are. Maybe I’m partial to the cadets because of my father who served 21 years in the military. Nonetheless, I admire our cadets and I think they make Virginia Tech what it is today.
Virginia Tech is a school that belongs to engineers, football players, cadets, and cowboys but also each and every Hokie. No matter how you spend your time here, one thing is for sure – you’ll leave a Hokie. And you’ll probably leave with a new bumper sticker and a lot of orange and maroon.