Collegiate Times

While you may have chosen to come to Virginia Tech with the purpose of getting a fundamental grasp on the theory of relativity, or to explore Freud's Seduction Theory, or to survey British and American literature, never forget that the most important lesson you will learn is the value of people.

Arriving on a campus with 29,000 others may seem overwhelming at first, and with the transition to a rural area for residents from areas like Washington, D.C., or Northern Virginia, you may feel like Blacksburg is a small point on the map.

And while those things may be true, as you become more involved in the campus climate and the surrounding community, you will find that you have become apart of the biggest family in the country: the Hokie family.

The choice that you have as you enter your first year or arrive as a student from another university is whether you will accept the invitation to join. Everything that you will learn here in classes and labs will be vital to your future, but will mean absolutely nothing if you choose to ignore the component that is consistent among any rural, suburban, or urban area: people.

Do not let your college career at Tech slip by without remembering that we are all in it together. Never forget that our community is constantly striving to provide you with unique opportunities and challenges in which you should partake.

Try something new. Go someplace special. Most importantly, get involved. There are plenty of ways to give back to the community through the hundreds of student organizations our school offers. There is most likely a club for any interest you may have, and if not, you can start your own and make your own mark as a founder.

In a school with so many people, being involved is a surefire way to meet others and to create networks of friends who have the same passions and determinations you possess, will be working to vitalize and contribute to our family, and will challenge you to gain new perspectives on how to approach problems.

For purely selfish purposes, activities will look great on your resume for future employers or your curriculum vitale for graduate school admissions boards. But I hope that you will look beyond this and find that your participation impacts the lives of our students and faculty, and the men and women of Blacksburg who are and always will be a strong and dependable support system for our campus.

Take every opportunity to volunteer in Blacksburg, as it is a great way to meet community members and to show them that we appreciate all they have done for us. Most importantly, be sure to always remember that without the care and concern of everyone surrounding you, you would be embarking upon a long and lonely journey.

Don't do it alone. We are all in it for the same purpose, and at some point will need the help of each other to carry our burdens as we continue to climb. You will find no other group of people more willing to do so than the students, mentors, faculty, and community members at Tech. Congratulations on your decision to come, and welcome to our family.

Brittney is a senior honors English major and the Director of Communications for the Black Student Alliance.