Collegiate Times

Two weeks ago, the Collegiate Times ran an article announcing the movement of Virginia Tech's Dairy Science Complex to Kentland Farm in Northeast Montgomery County. Cattle now graze on land that will be used to expand the airport and the Corporate Research Center. This endeavor is part of a long-range land use plan that will relocate several of Tech's agricultural activities.

To me, this screams something about Tech's priorities. For years, the drive in to campus from 460 had a scenic view of fields and farmland, with the university rising up in the middle of it.

There are reasons for this: Tech was founded in 1862 as a land-grant college. This means that it was created to give an education for agricultural and technical students with practical aspects instead of just the classic education.

I realize that today Tech is known for engineering and architecture. I realize that it's a large school and sometimes expansion is needed.

But this university is deeply rooted in agriculture, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is as important as any of the other colleges here.

Is it necessary that the Corporate Research Center expand on those particular lands? Does the entire dairy science facility get kicked off campus so we can expand an airport runway, when there is a perfectly good established airport just down the road in Roanoke?

In 2004, Tech celebrated the opening of its new state-of-the-art dairy complex. The facility includes a 232-cow freestall research barn and a double-eight rapid-exit herringbone milking parlor and milking center.

Sen. John Chichester was crucial in getting $3.4 million in funding from the General Assembly back in 2002's budget and an additional $1.1 million through his own efforts.

At the time, Chichester was quoted as saying, "No, it's not the physics building, it's not the aerospace engineering building, it's not the new chemistry building, but it is just as important. It is the new dairy facility, and that's part of our mission, and it should always be."

A few years later, Tech's Board of Visitors has voted in favor of the $500,000 project to move agricultural teaching and research facilities. That complex is used for hands-on classroom experience and research and deserves a spot near campus just as the engineering labs and architecture studio do.

Perhaps there are some people at other universities, and even here at our own school, who think being a "cow college" makes Tech seem redneck or country, in the same way computer engineers can be stereotyped as nerds or environmental science majors as hippies.

In reality, agricultural education at Tech produces intelligent, well-educated graduates who go into their field with important knowledge that can be used anywhere from managing farms to working in genetics to veterinary work.

These people are important to our society; their education should be important to Tech, and the facilities are important to their education.

Additionally, many people do not realize how recognized dairy science students here are. This past year, Tech's dairy judging team won first place at the national contest in Madison, Wisc., competing against teams from all over the country.

The Dairy Club was recognized as Outstanding Chapter at the Southern American Dairy Science Association meeting. This past year, it hosted the first live showcase cattle sale at Tech, and just this past weekend held its traditional Little All-American show, which has been going on since the 1920s.

What I'm trying to say is dairy science is important, too. Agriculture is a part of Tech just like the engineering and business schools are.

It's part of what distinguishes us from the other colleges in Virginia, part of what makes us Hokies and not Cavaliers.

Personally, I'm refreshed by seeing Carhartt jackets and pickup trucks on campus. It's a lot better than the popped collars they have up in Charlottesville.

Our university needs to remember what's valuable at Tech. Students are just as important as research. Agriculture is just as important as engineering. And the dairy science facility is definitely just as important as the Montgomery County Executive Airport.