Bringing the Hype to Campus – Turner Pep Band

Picture this – it’s the Friday before game day, and campus is just too quiet. The clock strikes noon, and suddenly, live music can be heard from the northern side of campus. Students, faculty, and passerby can hear Tech Triumph, the Hokie Pokie, and other typical game day tunes. The source? It’s the Turner Pep Band!

Lavery Hall

With Turner Dining Hall being one of the few dining halls on the academic side of campus, it’s certainly a prime spot for our music to reach the largest number of Hokies.

Pep Band Pride

Although it’s only a small portion of our 330-member band, we still deliver the same energy and excitement as the entire Marching Virginians would. Each and every member of the Turner Pep Band can be seen jamming out in their best Hokie attire.

Pre-Game Day Traditions

Despite being the day before game day, we still consider Pep Band to be one our favorite Game Day Traditions. Turner Pep Band prepares us to be The Spirit of Tech in Lane Stadium!

…And Beyond

The MVs have had the privilege of performing at Coach Pry’s Arrival to Blacksburg, the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design Ceremony, the 2022 Alumni Picnic, and of course our annual pep band: Hokies for the Hungry, which will take place the morning of the Georgia Tech game for 2022. Help be a part of Virginia Tech’s Ut Prosim mission to provide aid for local Hokies.

Homecoming – VT vs. Miami

Warm-up in the cold! (Source: Beau Wong)

On the morning of October 15th, the Marching Virginians could be heard warming up in the frigid October air. After a brief but productive rehearsal, it was game time! After a three-week hiatus from Hokie football, the MVs were more than excited to get back into Lane and put on a show. That day, we’d be going up against Miami, a team that’s had their own fair share of high and lows this season.

High-fives! (Source: Beau Wong)

The March to Victory was particularly lively and jam-packed this time around. Why? Because it was homecoming, of course! Along with the usual tailgaters and super-fans, hundreds of alumni new and old lined the path to Lane Stadium and high-fived the Marching Virginians as they passed by.

1st Half

After the usual pre-game ritual in Lane, it was game time! The first half was disappointing for Hokie fans, to say the least. There were whispers of losing our streak of not being shut out; it's the third-longest active streak in the nation among FBS schools at over 350 games long. The first quarter ended 0 VT - 10 Miami.

WR #3 Da’Wain Lofton running the ball (Source: HokieSports)

With the Hokies down 0 - 17 at halftime, the MVs knew we had to do all we could to keep morale high in Lane Stadium. We got down onto the field and did what we do best; have the time of our lives out on the field!

Halftime

The Marching Virginians take the field! (Source: Beau Wong)

Preparing to perform the Virginia Tech Alma Mater (Source: Beau Wong)

This show was Homecoming, so we played a blend of traditional tunes and newer, more modern tunes. We played Preamble and the theme from Game of Thrones, which are both new this year, and marched into the shape of the vintage big VT. We finished the Game of Thrones theme with the form of a crown and a big “2022” to celebrate the homecoming royalty for this year. Next, we marched into a big block to play Moonlight and VPI as the homecoming royalty candidates made their way onto the field with their companions. After the three members of the Homecoming Court were named, Lane Stadium sang along to Alma Mater. And what better way to end a show than with every Hokie’s favorite song? The MVs Tech Triumphed off the field and completed our homecoming halftime show to lots of applause from the audience!

2nd Half

RB #24 Malachi Thomas making a picture-perfect play! (source: HokieSports)

The third quarter didn’t provide much hope for the Hokies, as the score was 0 VT - 20 Miami by the end of it. After another scary quarter of no scoring for the Hokies, the Hokies had a miraculous fourth quarter with two touchdowns. Though our shutout streak was saved, it wasn't enough to defeat the Miami Hurricanes, and the Hokies came away with another tough loss. 

The Hokies, hands on each others backs, listening to the band perform (Source: HokieSports)

Though the outcome of the game wasn’t how we’d hoped, the MVs still have a lot to be grateful for. The weather was beautiful and it’s always an honor to cheer on the Hokies. Afterall, we’re called The Spirit of Tech for a reason!

Spirit Week with The Spirit of Tech!

This week is Homecoming at Virginia Tech, a time where we welcome our alumni home and celebrate all the amazing things about our University. With events all week, the competition for Homecoming court, and fun celebrations such as the Friday night parade all leading up to the big game on Saturday, there is so much spirit running rampant through the University. 

For Homecoming week, Tau Beta Sigma organizes a Spirit Week for the Marching Virginians, a competition between the sections to see who has the most spirit in the band. 

Spirit Week consists of themed dress-up days with sections gaining points for participation. In addition to dress up days, points are earned through donations. As an organization, we are committed to serving the community around us, so at the end of the week, all Spirit Week donations get pulled together and will be donated to Cancer Research Institute, a non-profit organization researching cancer based in New York City. At the end of the week, the winning section receives party hats and the ability to choose a stand tune of their choice at Saturday’s football game, Homecoming against Miami.

Section Traditions

During Spirit Week, our Drum Majors, Managers, and Twirlers team up! (Source: Gillian Murphy)

During Spirit Week, there are some fun section traditions that take place. One notable one is of a competition between the combined saxophone section and the tuba section, where they “anti-theme”, purposefully dressing up in the opposite of the assigned theme. According to Saxophone Section Leader Daniel Gaete, they do this to earn the most negative amount of points possible, wanting to show their MV Spirit in their own way. Additionally, for Spirit Week, the Managers combine sections with the Drum Majors and Twirlers, joining forces to win as many points for their team.

Mosaic Monday

Our Nets sporting orange! (Source: Aaron George)

Monday started us off with Mosaic Monday, where sections were assigned a color to wear to earn points for their team. Practice looked beautiful, with hundreds of our amazing members matching each other. The Trombones quickly took the lead, gaining almost 100 points on the first day. Sections went all out, with people dressing from head to toe in their color. After everyone saw how committed the other sections were, donations started rolling in, kickstarting the service initiative.

Tropical Tuesday

Our Tropical Tones! (Source: Andrew Stewart)

Tuesday gave us Tropical Tuesday, where the band dressed up for a warm, tropical vacation on a cold, October night. Sections appeared in leis, hats, and sunglasses. Almost every single section received 100% participation rates, maximizing the amount of points they could earn. The winners from Monday were announced at rehearsal, and sections following close behind began sending in donations to increase their point totals and attempt to dethrone the winning section. The Trombones maintained their lead, with the Trumpets within 15 points. The competition is close, with it still being anyone’s game.

Looking Forward to Game Day!

Our twinning Drum Majors! (Source: Calvin Moore)

As we finish the rest of the week, the anticipation as to who will be the 2022 Marching Virginians Spirit Week winner is high. The themes for the last two days are Wacky Wednesday and Twin Thursday, both themes with a lot of room for creativity. As of Thursday, the lead is still held by the Trombones, but everythign could get turned on it’s head from donations in these last few days! Through this week’s donations, the MVs are taking the time to embody ‘Ut Prosim”, the school’s motto: “That I May Serve.” We are truly an organization devoted to giving back to the wonderful community around us.

Check back next week for our homecoming game recap!

Meet the Blog Writing Team!

It’s been a long couple weeks of back-to-back home football games, so now that we have a small breather, we’re thrilled to introduce our Blog Writing Team for this season! Up until now, all posts were written and edited by our Marketing Communications Officers, Abbie Robertson and Andrew Stewart. Members of the Multimedia Team filled out applications and were selected by the Multimedia Officers based on their aptitudes for photography, graphic design, and for our Blog Writing Team, writing.

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Marketing Communications Officers

Abbie Robertson

Abbie is a sophomore at Virginia Tech from Roanoke, VA, and is double majoring in Mathematics Education and Psychology. This is her second year marching in the tenor sax section in the MVs and is one of the Marketing Communications Officers. After her first year, she knew she needed to put more time into the organization and community that truly made Virginia Tech home. Every band she was in - the Marching Virginians, Campus and Symphony Band, Pep Band - secured her passion for this school, the music department, and the people involved in the bands. Some of her other passions are using her red hair as her only personality trait, making a fool of herself, and recently she’s picked up her old hobby of reading again. She is incredibly excited for what this year has to offer!

Andrew Stewart

Andrew Stewart is a junior from Hillsboro, VA majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering, and minoring in Human-Computer Interactions. He is in his third year with the Marching Virginians, is serving as a baritone rank captain for his second year, and is a Marketing Communications Officer this year! Apart from The Marching Virginians, Andrew is a proud member of the Hokies Volleyball and Basketball Pep Bands, and is a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi. Outside of the band, Andrew enjoys lifting weights, stargazing, Britney Spears, and telling people about his tattoo. Andrew hopes to apply to the ISE graduate school program to study cognitive engineering or biomechanics. Andrew is very excited to serve the band in every way he can!

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Blog Writing Team

Julia Darden

Julia is a second year History major from Yorktown, Virginia. She focuses mainly on American and European History and wants to use her education to work in Museums. This is her second year in the Marching Virginians saxophone section and her second year on the multimedia team. Outside of MV’s she has participated in Campus Band and Symphony Band. Julia has played saxophone for nine years and she was Band President and Drum Major for the Grafton High School Marching band her junior and senior years of high school. Hobbies outside of band include reading an absurd amount of books, making bomb smoothies, and telling everyone around her that “they sang this on Glee”!

Emy Delaporte

Emy is a dual degree sophomore in technical writing and journalism with double minors in natural resources and conservation. This is her second season marching with and blogging for the Marching Virginians! She’s a proud member of the MVPix. Outside of the band, she’s an editor for the Silhouette magazine and blog and a staff writer for the Collegiate Times, as well as a member of the Bird Club, The Wildlife Society, the National Deer Association, and more. Emy likes to spend her free time birding, volunteering in CNRE’s Wildlife Habitat and Population Analysis lab, writing novels, camping, going on drives, and taking in the cold night air.

Sarah-Faith Mukuna

Sarah-Faith is a second year engineering major from Fairfax County, VA, with plans to declare Biological Systems Engineering on the Health Professions (specifically pre-med) track. She also minors in French. She is a proud member of Rank 69, the managers section! One of her biggest hobbies is writing, which is why she is so excited to serve the band on this team! Sarah-Faith also loves listening to music and playing her instruments; she just started playing the tenor sax! Outside of MVs, Sarah-Faith is the Treasurer of Tau Beta Sigma and a member of National Society of Black Engineers. In her free time, she loves reading books (90% chance it’s Percy Jackson), going to the gym, and cooking.

Emery Poulsen

Emery is a senior from Fairfax County, Virginia and is studying Environmental Data Science. This is her fourth and final year as a member of the Marching Virginians, where she serves the band as its Treasurer. She has loved her time in the baritone section, where she finds herself laughing constantly. Trying out for the MVs was the best decision Emery could have made coming into college, and she hopes to communicate that through her blog posts! She's excited to write for Marching with the Virginians for a fourth year. Outside of the Marching Virginians, Emery is involved in numerous other student organizations, including serving as the Treasurer for Kappa Kappa Psi, being a Programming Executive for the Big Event at Virginia Tech, practicing with the Virginia Tech Running Club, or playing in the Hokies Pep Band. In her occasional spare time, Emery loves running, hiking, and trying new foods.

Atlas Vernier

Atlas is a fifth-year student at Tech pursuing dual degrees in Industrial & Systems Engineering and French. This is their fifth year playing piccolo in the Marching Virginians, where they are the proud rank captain of Rank 7! They serve as a photographer and a writer for the MV Blog. Outside of marching band, Atlas is a researcher, focusing on immersive augmented/virtual reality experiences and autonomous collaborative robotics. They are also a translator and subtitler for multiple international broadcasts, as well as a post-production lead for a TV series set to be released in 2023. Atlas is so excited to be a part of the multimedia team, and they can't wait to share their experiences and stories!