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Commentary by Tom Tillar

The New Alumni and Conference Center
Final Campaign Stretch

We are in the final year of our campaign for the new Alumni and Conference Center. This final stretch is an opportunity for all alumni to participate. Many alumni have already made leadership gifts to help launch the campaign. We are more than three-fourths of the way toward completing our goal of $16.2 million. This center is to be a home for ALL Tech alumni, and we plan for those who support it financially to be recognized permanently for participating.

Many rooms and areas throughout the Alumni Center, the conference center and the hotel will be named in honor of leadership donors to the campaign contributing $25,000 or more. Some rooms and spaces still are available for naming. An additional donor recognition opportunity will be created on the South side of the Alumni Center - an Alumni Terrace. The terrace will be paved with "Hokie Stones" inscribed with the names of donors who commit gifts ranging from $1,000 to $24,999. Gifts may be pledged and paid over several years while the center is being constructed.

On pages 11-12 we illustrate further the plans for the new center and its special Alumni Terrace. It will be a home in which all alumni can take special pride. The reception spaces, meeting rooms, library, museum, staff offices, conference facilities, and modern hotel will be like no other facilities on the campus - truly a special place to serve our rapidly expanding number of alumni. It is your Alumni Center. Completion of the campaign is expected in the next twelve months. Construction will begin early in 2003. Please lend your support using the convenient gift/pledge envelope in this issue between pages 11 and 12. All donors will be listed in a permanent Register of Donors.

College Homecomings New This Fall

A new type of program providing alumni opportunities to join others from their academic college will be part of our fall events schedule. Beginning this fall, different College Homecomings will be held on home game weekends for all seven undergraduate colleges. The dates for each college are included in the schedule of fall events on page 16. The specific schedules for the different college programs and registration information are available online or by calling our main Alumni Association number. College publications mailed to alumni also will include specific registration information.

College Homecoming weekends will be excellent occasions for alumni to visit with faculty and other alumni. For several colleges, the Homecoming activities are focused on specific departments, rather than college-wide. But in each case, the colleges will showcase their programs and extend their hospitality to all who attend. Our Alumni Association staff will assist the colleges with planning and hosting these weekends. Visit www.alumni.vt.edu online for details under the heading "Fall 2002 Events" or call 540/231-6285.

Joint Class Reunions New for Young Alumni

Also new this fall will be reunions for groupings of three consecutive '80s classes and three other '90s classes. Many graduates of those decades have told us they prefer reunions for other alums they knew in college, but not necessarily in their same graduating classes. So we have created a Joint Class Reunion program for three classes in each decade, with several activities planned at attractive registration fees. Descriptions of these and accompanying registration materials may be found on pages 16-20. Football game tickets in reunion seating sections may be ordered with reunion registrations. Under this new reunion program, additional classes will be similarly grouped in our reunion schedules for subsequent years.

These new joint reunions will complement other anniversary reunions planned for the Classes of '52, '57, '62, '67, '72, and '77. Reunion announcements already have been mailed to these classes.

In summary, I urge you to join in supporting our Alumni and Conference Center campaign. It is an important project for all alumni. Also, consider returning for your college Homecoming this fall, or for one of our class reunions, including the new joint class reunions.