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Commentary

What's in a word... or a phrase? Sometimes plenty. And it becomes our BRAND. Slogans continue to advance Virginia Tech and also our Alumni Association. They help communicate to our alumni, faculty, staff and current and prospective students our university's vision. The university recently adopted "Invent the Future" as part of a new branding campaign. According to President Steger, "The land-grant mission of learning, discovery, and engagement still underscores all that we do. We remain committed to transforming individuals through the highest standards of excellence in teaching, research, and public service. The branding process, however, will help us communicate our unique excellence more consistently and more effectively." If you think about it, these three words communicate a powerful message - representing Virginia Tech's leadership as an institution of learning, discovery and extending service.

Our Alumni Association adopted a slogan in recent years - VirginiaTechforlife - that communicates our commitment to maintaining a life-long and mutually beneficial bond between the university and its alumni. Everything we do in the Alumni Association aims at that strategic objective. Our reason for being is quite simply to ensure that alumni continue to influence and support their university. They have both the ownership and sense of obligation to do so. Virginia Tech does indeed Invent the Future for its alumni over their lifetimes.

A different topic of growing concern to those of us at the university is the standard of SPORTSMANSHIP and FAN BEHAVIOR at major athletic games on campus. I am pleased that our Alumni Association and other groups have seized this issue as one they wish to tackle and attempt to improve. This is not a concern unique to Virginia Tech. It spreads across intercollegiate athletics everywhere and professional sports as well. In the following article (page 4), our Alumni Association President Jim Smith also speaks to this issue and emphasizes that good sportsmanship and civility are part of our Hokie heritage. It is going to take a concerted effort by all associated with game attendance to create a climate that raises the bar of behavior which is deemed acceptable for Hokies. This means alumni, students, their guests, and other fans must partner toward this mutual goal. The players and coaches are committed to setting examples with field and court behavior that fans will admire. Everyone must buy in and do their part.

Our Alumni Association leadership is convinced that the time is now to aspire to be better in sportsmanship. And the time is now to demonstrate for our opponents that we have the integrity and decency to set a higher standard of fan behavior for our stadium and coliseum. We want those who visit our campus to compliment Hokies on how we receive visiting team members and their fans. We strive to be exemplary in both wins and defeats. That, too, will become part of our "Invent the Future" brand.

The year 2006 should not pass without mention of the birthday of one of our most familiar and widely used campus buildings. The WAR MEMORIAL GYM was opened 80 years ago in 1926 as a recreation center for students and also the first home of our Alumni Association. The first Alumni Secretary, Henry B. Redd, was hired that year and administered the Association from the tower offices of the gym for some 40 years. There were a few guest rooms for visiting athletic teams, occasionally used by visiting alumni. About $440,000 was raised by our Alumni Association to construct the gym as a memorial to alumni killed in World War I. That was an impressive sum, considering 1920s dollars and only volunteer solicitors to achieve the goal. Our Alumni Association staff has had several other office locations since the gym, but now finally a home of our own - the Holtzman Alumni Center. Please visit our new home, if you have not yet had the opportunity. We expect to be here for at least the next 80 years!

This issue of Alma Mater is dedicated to the memory of W. Thomas Rice '34. Few alumni have given over 70 years of service to this university as did Major General Rice, who held every major leadership position and received every major university service recognition during his lifetime. We are grateful for his loyal service and proudly honor his memory.