My contribution to Monochromia this week.
A friend and I traveled to Tallahassee for the Virginia Tech / Florida State game last weekend and during a tour of the beautiful FSU Campus, saw the famous statue of Osceola, the historic leader of the Seminoles, and his Appaloosa horse, Renegade.
We enjoyed Tallahassee and even better, won the game! Go Hokies!
While it wasn’t the first time that College Gameday had been to Blacksburg, the crew had not been to Virginia Tech since 2011, when they came to bring a sense of normalcy back to a vulnerable community after the tragedy of April 16th. Saturday’s visit to Virginia Tech was the 6th appearance in Blacksburg, and the 10th featuring Virginia Tech.
Thousands of fans lined up early to be a part of the excitment, and even though our team did not win the day, we had an absolute blast!
Co-host Rece Davis commented that “this place has been special in the history of College Gameday, and it’s also been special, I think, in the evolution and growth of college football in general on ESPN”.
Virginia Tech’s famous Hokie Stone made for the perfect backdrop.
Davis continued “I think a lot of the Virginia Tech brand was built by the willingness to play on Thursday night. This is a place that I think is unique and special to both our show and to our coverage of the sport as a whole.
One of the hallmarks of Gameday are the signs, and I thought I’d share just a few that I saw. They may not make much sense if you are not a VT or Clemson fan but perhaps you’ll appreciate the creativity.
Gobblers – a reference to our mascot
Dabo Swinney is the Clemson Head Coach
Bud Foster is Virginia Tech’s beloved Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach
Howard’s Rock is touched by every Clemson player as they take the field; Hokie Stone is traditional to Virgina Tech
Kirk Herbstreit is a long time co-host of College Gameday
Enter Sandman by Metallica is the song played as the team takes the field. Check out this link to get a feel for the joyful insanity that reigns in Lane Stadium on game day. Seriously! Check it out!
Despite the loss, it was a great day in Blacksburg.
Proud to be a Hokie!
Go Hokies!
For the past 9 years, the Inn at Virginia Tech has hosted Fashions for Evergreens, a Christmas Tree competition. Established in 2006, the event enourages local businesses and organizations to come up with a theme, and create a professional, designer quality Christmas tree. The trees are on display throughout the holiday season, and members of the public get to vote for their favorite tree.
After enjoying a Raspberry Martini at the Continental Divide Lounge, my friends and I took a tour of the trees.
The atmosphere was magical, filled with light and color.
Prices Fork Elementary School’s theme was a Merry Mocha Christmas
The Virginia Quilt Museum went with a blue theme
Matt Hagan Outdoors celebrated outdoor sports
The Linus Project, an organization that hand makes blankets for critically ill children, adorned their entry with blankets
Radford Health and Rehab decorated their beautiful tree with photos of residents in their younger days
Sew Biz covered their tree with hand crafted ornaments
What a fun evening, and we definitely felt the magic of the season.
Before I close, let me tell you just a little bit about the Inn. Located on the campus of Virginia Tech, The Inn is designed in the Collegiate Gothic style and like the other buildings on campus, is made with Hokie Stone.
Hokie Stone is dolomite, a mineral found in the Appalachian Mountains (pronounced Ap – uh – latch – uhn) and is prevalent in Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama. Virginia Tech’s quarry operations produce some 50 tons of Hokie Stone per week, or about 2,500 tons per year. Individual stonemasons shape about a ton of stone a day
Hope you’ve found time to enjoy the magic of the season!
A few weeks back, some dear friends and I gathered along the river for a weekend of Gifts. The cabin we rented was situated beside the New River, and was surrounded by trees. The Japanese Maples were vibrant with color, and the two growing next to each other just outside the cabin door captured in nature the colors of Virginia Tech.
Chicago Maroon
Burnt Orange
I could not stop taking pictures of the beautiful contrast between the two colors.
People have questioned the Hokie colors, wondering why a school would choose orange and maroon.
Fans of Virginia Tech respond by saying “If God wasn’t a Hokie then why do the leaves turn orange and maroon in the fall”?
Go Hokies!!!
