Monday, June 2, 2008

Hokie Nation

I love being a Hokie!

I love, love, love that I went to a college with such great school spirit. Once a Hokie, always a Hokie! It seems like no matter where I go, I always encounter some form of Hokie spirit. There is this shared bond between Hokies that transcends time and distance.

Last week at the beach, Hunter and I were walking to the pier and Hunter was wearing a VT t-shirt. An older couple in a convertible drives by and shouts "How 'bout them Hokies!" It brought smiles to our faces.

On Sunday I wore an old VT shirt while doing some errands. I hadn't worn it in a long time, but finding it at the bottom of my drawer made me happy, since it's one of my favorite VT shirts. I'm glad I found it. While taking out the trash I noticed a mother helping her son move in to an apartment upstairs. As I walked past the guy carrying an armload of stuff, I caught a glimpse of his VT "Orange Effect" shirt. He noticed my Hokie shirt and instantly acknowledged me with a look of recognition and a big smile, as if he was silently saying "Hey, fellow Hokie!"

Then I went to the grocery store. I'm waiting at the seafood counter, looking at the shrimp I'm about to get, when I hear an enthusiastic, "What can I get for the Hokie!?" I look up and there's a college -aged guy smiling at me ready to take my order. I'm not sure if it was the VT shirt I was wearing, or just the fact that I am a girl, but the guy definitely skipped a bunch of people at the counter in order to help me first. Small proof that it pays to be a Hokie. ;)

I love that no matter where I drive up here in DC, I will ALWAYS see a Hokie bumper sticker or license plate cover. During my morning commutes navigating traffic, I will gladly let a VT-clad car merge in front of me--and vice-versa. We have an unspoken, common-Hokie bond.

If your car has any type of UVA sticker or license plate...forget it. I am not letting you merge.

Even when I lived in Illinois, I would find Hokies (or Hokie affiliates). While walking to my car, a woman who had just parked next to me got out of her car and asked me if I went to Tech. (I thought this was pretty obvious since I had VT stickers on my car). Turns out her son was the same year as me at Tech, in the Corps of Cadets.

Hokies are everywhere and I absolutely love it!

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