Virginia Tech

One of the big reasons I fell in love with Virginia Tech was the sense of community. The sense of community is always there, all throughout the year. I first noticed it when I attended Hokie Focus in April, right after I was accepted, to make sure this is the college I wanted to spend my next four years. When I was here everyone was so welcoming and friendly. At the time, I thought part of it was so I would come here and the college would get my money. Then, when I announced that I was going to attend Virginia Tech to my church this older man…he had to be at least 60 years old…told me that Virginia Tech was the best four years of his life. He said this with a big, warm welcoming smile. It made me feel as a part of the community already. All I could do in return was give a genuine smile and say I can’t wait. It did not stop there. Every time I ran into someone going to Virginia Tech in the fall, an alumni, or a student they would say or do something similar to the man at church. Orientation rolled around and those people were more pumped than I could believe. I thought people only got that spirited at sporting events. That showed me how much school pride everyone here has. My first semester at Virginia Tech everyone I meant was so friendly and inviting, even though everyone came from different backgrounds. Now April 16th is tomorrow, which is the day 32 Virginia Tech students were killed by another Virginia Tech student. The spirit for Virginia Tech does not stop it only grows. As I look on Facebook, almost all my Virginia Tech friends have changed their profile picture to the Virginia Tech logo with the ribbon in the background or some picture that has to deal with April 16th. The majority of the people I see are freshman or sophomores and they were not here for the tragic day yet we are all united because we are all Hokies. There are tons of memorials planned, a marathon, candle lighting, etc. April 16th has affected everyone directly or indirectly. We will prevail and neVer forgeT.