sweet like sugar

The past four days have been a wonderful whirlwind of a trip to New Orleans to see the Hokies take on Michigan in the Sugar Bowl.  Before I share my thoughts about the game (and we all know that there is plenty to say there..) let me recap my time in this fabulous city:

first night on bourbon street with the boys

lunch at riverfront restaurant on decatur street

with the family in jackson square

fan fest with my roomie 

with the joan of arc statue

loved all the little details of the city..like this quote painted in a store window

hand grenades on bourbon street before the game

mom and me with our game faces on...hokie colored masks

We really could not have asked for a more fun destination for a bowl game.  All of the locals were super welcoming, and the Michigan fans were also very friendly.  As it was my first visit to N'awlins, I was sure to embrace the excess of mardi gras beads and masquerade masks, toasts with tangy cocktails in souvenir glasses, being covered in powdered sugar from Cafe Du Monde's beignets, and a horse and buggy tour around the French quarter.  I simply did not want to leave. 

Now, for the outcome of the actual game... As one of my friends said, "the best team can't always win."  While there were a number of plays that led to our fight for the win in overtime, I truly believe in my heart that Danny Coale's catch was a touchdown.  In spite of whatever  ruling the refs called, Danny deserves credit for his incredible athleticism and natural presence on the field.  I mean, how many other players could have made a catch like that??  He has carried himself with class and grace while showing everyone he is a damn good ball player too.  I am proud to call him a Hokie and a member of the Class of 2012.

I don't know what exactly it is that strikes a chord with me when it comes to Virginia Tech, especially Tech football.  I attribute part of my heart-wrenching dedication to my being raised coming to games and standing by the team, win or lose.  It could also be that my time as a Tech student has connected me to something much bigger than myself.  I love college football, as opposed to the professional league, because it isn't so much about the money as it is about the sheer talent, athleticism, and spirit of universities.  It brings colleges together on a national platform and allows us to share different experiences against similar rivals or conferences or bowl games.  Having mutual respect and sportsmanship towards the opposing team often overshadows competitiveness, which was definitely the case with the Michigan fans; they were so easy to get along with!

I think this loss is more heartbreaking than our loss to Clemson or our loss to Stanford in the Orange Bowl last year.  We weren't outplayed this game.  We earned the title.  A quote from an article on The Key Play blog sums up my feelings pretty well:

"This team won 11 games. The seniors have never lost to Virginia. They've won 3 ACC Championships. We'll be pleasantly reminded of that in Lane until we're too old, too fat, too dead to go to games... I love this team. I love that they finished strong. I love that they contended. I loved that they did more than was expected. I love that the core will be back next year. I love that they broke my heart.  I do. Really. The day I don't care, is the day I'm not a Hokie. That day was not today."

For more insight on the outcome of The Sugar Bowl, check out football player Collin Carroll's article. 

V. P., old V. P., You know our hearts are with you,

In our luck which never seems to die;

Win or lose we'll greet you with a glad returning,

You're the pride of V. P. I. 

virginia tech freshmen orientation: living each day like "day one"

I have been MIA from blogging and social media in general for the duration of the summer because I have been involved with Virginia Tech's Freshmen Orientation through the office of New Student Programs. To give a little background on the program, the office selected 11 males and 13 females in the fall semester 2010 to become Orientation Leaders (OL's) for the summer 2011. In addition to this team of 24 OL's, there were 3 male and 3 female Orientation Assistants (OA's) who were returning to the program after serving as OL's the previous summer. The OA's helped mentor the group of OL's and worked more on the logistics of Orientation, rather than with the students.

From the second I walked into Commonwealth Ballroom for my own freshmen orientation in July 2008, I knew I wanted to be an Orientation Leader. Little did I know just how much it would change my life and inspire me to become a better person.

As a Leadership and Social Change minor, I loved learning about leadership theories, strengths, and group dynamics during orientation training in the spring semester 2011. I am a very passionate leader, as I have spent the majority of my college career in extracurricular activities based on leadership or team building. I really appreciated how much time and energy the Dean of Students Office at Virginia Tech invested in the developing our leadership skills as well as our character. I acquired many life lessons through my experience as an OL while also forming meaningful relationships with not only the freshmen I worked with, but also the Orientation Team and Staff. I hope that I am able to articulate just how much I learned this summer, though I know I could not put into words how grateful I am to have had this opportunity.

One important message that I will always treasure from Orientation is what I like to call the "Day One" mentality. Essentially, this mentality is based in a customer service aspect, meaning to treat each day of work at orientation as the first day since it was each student's and family's "day one." In the long hours, intense schedule, and energy-demanding days of orientation, it was easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and relax on our duties. We were working over 16 hour days and were constantly interacting with parents and students alike. It was crucial to give these families everything we could offer so as to make their orientation experience (and official welcome to Virginia Tech) the best it could be. Whenever someone was tired or zoning out or having a bad day, we'd simply remind each other: "Day One."

The "Day One" mentality of orientation will be a mantra I remember forever. I think of it as a positive spin on the phrase "live each day as though it is your last." "Day One" was just a motivating insight when the days were long or if my students didn't participate in activities as much as I would have liked. I think that "Day One" is a succinct reminder that we only have one chance: to impact someone's life, to make someone's day, to enjoy our family and friends, and to experience life. I now strive to treat each day as "Day One" and remember how lucky I am.

I am incredibly grateful to have been selected to be a part of something so much bigger than myself. I now have a better understanding that Virginia Tech's Orientation is more than school spirit and a welcome to campus-- it is a chance for students to connect to each other and to the university, as well as becoming a part of this wonderful community. Each day of the summer, I was lucky enough to be reminded of how much I love my school and the people attached to it.

This is just one of the many lessons I will take with me from my time as a 2011 Orientation Leader, and I plan on sharing more of these insights in later posts.

On another note, today is my last "first day of school," and you better believe I am treating it as "Day One"-- literally and figuratively.

ut prosim

I recently ordered this customized pair of NikeID shoes to wear during freshman orientation next month. A large number of the orientation leaders are ordering "hokie-fied" footwear to match our uniform orange and maroon polos, and I thought that this choice of shoe was really cool. I decided to personalize my shoes with the Virginia Tech motto, "Ut Prosim:" That I May Serve, on the tongues of the shoes. One of my favorite things about Virginia Tech is its loyalty to the school's values and traditions. During my undergraduate years at Virginia Tech, I've noticed that the campus culture truly adheres to these values. The pylons, a focal point of the campus, are regarded as a special and sacred place to any Hokie, mainly for the core values that the eight pillars represent (Brotherhood, Ut Prosim, Loyalty, Leadership, Service, Honor, Duty, Sacrifice). Why is all of this relevant to marketing for me? Aside from Nike being one of my favorite brands, I respect the way that Virginia Tech has branded its motto and values to not only the Hokie community, but externally as well. Virginia Tech is renowned for its athletics, research, and outstanding programs for architecture and engineering. While these are incredible ways to brand the university, I believe that the concept of service and loyalty are more widespread brands that relate to everyone. At our university, each student learns the meaning of Ut Prosim through orientation and Camp activities, and even in campus organizations like HokieSGA, The Big Event, Relay for Life, and Student Alumni Associates. Students enthusiastically exemplify the motto in their daily lives on campus. Virginia Tech's Relay for Life is the largest collegiate Relay in the world. Our Big Event is the second largest event of its kind in the nation. The energy to impact the community and society as a whole is bursting all over campus, and it radiates further as Hokies graduate and disperse. For the season opening football game this past fall, Nike created an exclusive uniform for the Virginia Tech football team to wear against Boise State. To coordinate with the uniforms, the university also released special "black out" shirts for students and fans to purchase. The theme of these shirts was "Ut Prosim." Proceeds from the sales of the shirts were donated back to Virginia Tech's Corps of Cadets, another longstanding Hokie tradition. Just to see our motto being promoted outside of community service work proved to me that Ut Prosim can be more than a school's Latin motto. It's an attitude, a way of life, branded by the Hokie community. And Ut Prosim will now be with me with each step that I take, once my delivery from NikeID arrives.