For Those Who Have Passed, For Those To Come, Reach For Excellence Photo courtesy of Patty V. Photography Before you read my post, it is imperative to read the original article that I am responding to. I have linked it below: https://thefederalist.com/2019/08/14/sons-freshman-orientation-virginia-tech-full-leftist-propaganda/?fbclid=IwAR1jPLKhiXPQ40K0ebg257fENJKkfqTihFe5rb0YRm4v11_IVBIU8d0W2Yc To the author of The Federalist article "My Son's Freshman Orientation at Virginia Tech Was Full of Leftist Propaganda", I am very glad that your son made the choice to attend Virginia Tech and become a member of the Army ROTC. As a recent alumna of Virginia Tech myself, I know that he has chosen a university with a legacy of greatness and will flourish during his time there. He will grow not only academically, but personally and will begin to mold his own thoughts and perspectives as an independent adult. I wish your son the best of luck at Virginia Tech as he will be in caring hands. I am writing this article in response to the article you posted to The Federalist about the supposed leftist propaganda that you witnessed while at Virginia Tech’s orientation. I read your article this morning and immediately spent my entire afternoon combing through your article and crafting my response. There are several things that you cite in this article that are not leftist in any way, but instead promote acceptance and I want to clarify that for you and others so there is no misunderstanding of the message Virginia Tech is sending to its students. Why the University Welcome Didn’t Include Mention of Fallen Cadets and April 16th Your critique of the Virginia Tech orientation starts at the “University Welcome”, where everyone is jammed into the ballroom in Squires Student Center, listens to a few notable Virginia Tech speakers, and meets their orientation leaders as they parade on stage illuminating with Hokie Pride. You cited how families and students were separated immediately upon entering the auditorium and how there was no mention of the April 16th shooting or the fallen cadets. Let me explain why that is. Students and families are separated upon entering the auditorium as an effort to get kids conversing with one another instead of metaphorically holding onto mommy’s leg the whole time and not getting the most out of the orientation experience. Orientation is a place where you get to make a new name for yourself, meet new people, practice being semi-independent, and decide how you want to begin your legacy at Virginia Tech. As a very recent graduate of Virginia Tech and someone whose hometown is 30 minutes from the university, I know that Virginia Tech has endured much tragedy. Virginia Tech has lost many men and women who have given their lives for this country and has suffered violent tragedy on campus. The Virginia Tech community has grown tremendously from these tragedies and it has only made Hokie Nation stronger. I have heard from many authorities at Virginia Tech that this university does not want to be defined as “the school where the shooting happened”, but rather by its successful students and innovative programing. The fallen Hokies are not mentioned during the “University Welcome” because Virginia Tech is determined to create an incredibly exciting and joyous orientation experience for your Hokies while also attempting not to be defined by its tragedy. However, that is not to say that Virginia Tech has forgotten about those fallen, but instead eternally remembers our fallen Hokies in two ways. First, the Pylons have the names of every fallen Hokie who has served and paid the ultimate price etched into the Pylons. The cenotaph, which rests in the center, has the names of the Medal of Honor recipients from Virginia Tech and it is an unspoken rule that the cenotaph may never be touched out of respect and remembrance. Second, Virginia Tech has a memorial for the victims April 16th that is right across the street from Burrus Hall and serves as the focal point of the Drillfield. This memorial is beautifully ornate and has stones with the names of each individual who lost their life on April 16th. You can see students stopping by this memorial daily and paying their respects to their fallen Hokies. Additionally, every April 16th at midnight, Virginia Tech holds a silent vigil where families of the victims and survivors attend to remember these lives with us. It is the most beautiful and moving event to be a part of. So, before you insinuate that Virginia Tech failed to appropriately recognize our fallen Hokies, please understand that we, as Hokies, remember them every day as a part of the culture at this university. Hokies remain positive in the face of adversity and our fallen Hokies would want students to keep living Ut Prosim and enjoying their time on this one of a kind campus. Please remember that Virginia Tech tirelessly tries to shake the reputation of the “shooting school” in an effort to instead highlight the wonderful culture we have here at Tech. Virginia Tech’s lack of mention is not leftist whatsoever, but an effort to showcase how Hokie Nation has come together to be one of the strongest and most successful college/alumni communities in the country. Lastly, Virginia Tech opens orientation with a brief history lesson on how VT got its start. Virginia Tech discusses the two Native American tribes who occupied this land long before Virginia Tech existed. This discussion highlights the Native American sacrifice that helped Virginia Tech be what it is today. It is an attempt to acknowledge others’ sufferings to instill gratitude and understanding in students who may encounter Native Americans who still harbor the pain from their ancestors’ pasts. The Native American tribes are discussed during orientation because it is the beginning of the Virginia Tech story, not because Virginia Tech deems it more important than the fallen cadets and victims of April 16th. Virginia Tech does its best to recognize all the suffering that has occurred because of and within this university through sacred spaces of campus, memorials, and public acknowledgment. You may not like the way it is being done, but don’t accuse Virginia Tech of not properly remembering its fallen Hokies without understanding its culture. Why Using Pronoun Signifiers are Not Leftist, But Humanistic In your article, it seems you took offense to the mention of personal pronoun preferences coming from speakers on stage as well as on students’ name badges. The instillation of personal pronoun preferences is SO important I cannot stress this enough. But first, let me discuss the difference between gender and sex. There is a biological spectrum of sexes that differs based on the primary and secondary sex characteristics that you possess (genitalia, breasts, hormones, chromosomes, etc.). However, gender is a socially constructed phenomenon that communicates to society how people should act and look if they identify with a certain gender. Gender and sex do NOT have to agree. Yes, it is tricky. Yes, it is complicated, but that does not make it bad whatsoever. This is where pronouns come in. People assign pronouns based on their gender, not their sex. Therefore, if someone is assigned male sex at birth, but identifies as a female in gender, they can denote their pronouns on their name badge so others can know how to interact with and not offend them as it is incredibly embarrassing for anyone to be misgendered. It is the same as putting the phonetic spelling of your name below how you actually spell your name. It is so others can correctly pronounce your name without offending you or your culture. Furthermore, people with gender dysphoria can feel empowered to choose what pronouns they would prefer. This gives them the autonomy to choose how they would like to be addressed and is in no way pressuring them to choose certain pronouns. Please do not attempt to attack Virginia Tech for creating an environment where individuals can freely choose their identities. Furthermore, you came off annoyed that the orientation leaders used pronouns because every leader “looked exactly as you would expect them to identify”. That is a direct quote from your article. Politely, this communicates your ignorance concerning gender. Today, there is no one way for a male or female to look as both genders are constantly breaking their own stereotypes and being individuals not bound by the confines of societal constructs. That is beautifully freeing. As a result, these pronouns are utilized to help all individuals feel accepted and free to be themselves without fear of judgement or hate. Lastly, you had contention with Virginia Tech encouraging students to “fluidly ‘explore’ their gender and sexuality” and said that it seemed off message in “the era of Me Too”. Promoting gender/sexual fluidity and supporting the accountability of sexual perpetrators are NOT mutually exclusive. The Me-Too movement is a movement encouraging survivors of sexual assault/harassment to come forward and hold abusers accountable for their actions. Gender/sexual fluidity is being able to challenge the stereotypes of gender and move freely between the gender spectrum. Virginia Tech is communicating to its students that it is important to explore all facets of your personal identity and challenge your beliefs in the pursuit of personal growth. Why Virginia Tech Preaches Against Underage Drinking, But Teaches Kids About Important Resources That Can Be Used While Drinking Virginia Tech is a top educational institution- notice how there are no quotes around this. Virginia Tech is a phenomenal university because it is not naïve. Parents and kids are separated to have conversations with Virginia Tech authorities about underage drinking so that the kids do not feel uncomfortable in the presence of their parents and the Virginia Tech speakers can talk to them as adults who make their own decisions. Your article mentions that the parents were given the “hard line against underage and excessive drinking” while the students were given a presentation that noted that the “campus police are there to help them navigate wayward behavior, which was implied to be normal”. Here is why the parents get a whole other presentation from the students. Can you imagine being in a room with your mom while someone is talking about the use of marijuana and where to go if your marijuana is laced with something bad and you need help? Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be in that position either. Some parents freak out over the potential of their child getting into drugs or alcohol, so much so that this prevents the child from obtaining the information they need to keep them safe. Also, it is normal to dabble in “wayward” behavior such as underage drinking and it doesn’t make you a delinquent. Virginia Tech CAN be against underage drinking while ALSO providing students with resources if they do choose to partake. These two are NOT mutually exclusive and it is unsafe for universities to assume that they are. Virginia Tech provides resources such as SafeRide and the Virginia Tech campus police to ensure that any student who feels unsafe, regardless of whether they have participated in underage or excessive drinking, can reach out to these departments and get the help they need without fear of legal repercussions. So, before you take judgement against Virginia Tech, be thankful that they have so many safety nets for kids who are stumbling through the early stages of their adult lives making mistakes. Newsflash: Being a “Minority Transwoman with Food Allergies” is the SAME as “Simply [Being] an American College Student” You noted that it is “apparently cooler to be a minority transwoman with food allergies than simply to be an American college student”. This is a gross example of using characteristics of peoples’ identities to keep them separate. NEWSFLASH: being a minority transwoman with food allergies attending college is the SAME as simply being “an American college student”. This comment came with a discussion about how Virginia Tech had food options for certain identity groups, but not others. You, specifically, cited that kosher meals, which are meals that cater to Jewish dietary restrictions, were not offered at the university. Virginia Tech is the #1 college dining facility in the nation. During orientation, not all of the dining halls are open to students; therefore, you can’t really assume that they don’t have kosher options when you haven’t seen the menus at all the dining halls. Additionally, VT Dining Services is extremely accommodating to any and all dietary restrictions that they are notified of. Virginia Tech is not perfect, but it would never purposely disregard certain identity groups. Virginia Tech is NOT Asking Your Kid to be Liberal, But Just to Be a Good Human Being Virginia Tech is not a laboratory where they are brainwashing all students to become liberals, nor are they shaming people in their community who are not. There are about 30,000 students at Virginia Tech, which means there are a plethora of different opinions, thoughts, and perspectives. There is ample opportunity to meet people who think like you; however, the greatest personal growth comes from meeting those who don’t think like you and challenge your beliefs. Virginia Tech strives to shape its students into excellently educated, capable, and accepting human beings that will go out into this world with the tools they need to change it for the better. This is why I challenge your statement that states that the VT alumni do not approve of what their institution has become. I, as a VT alumna, in fact take pride in my university and at the progress it is making in ensuring all students can enjoy and grow from their experience at Virginia Tech. Furthermore, my stepdad is also an alum and he has never uttered a disappointing word about the university that has taken care of him, me, and more of my family members to come as they gear up to apply to Virginia Tech this fall. Do not lump all of the Virginia Tech alumni against their alma mater because you will find that us Hokie alum are very proud of this institution and the wonderful young people it is generating. Lastly, let’s be clear, Virginia Tech does NOT work for you. Your taxes may help pay it, but Virginia Tech works for the students, faculty, and future Hokies to ensure that it remains a leading research university that is dedicated to improving the lives of many and to promote academic and personal growth for all its students. Closing As a recent alumna of Virginia Tech, I am the most proud to say that I graduated from this prestigious university that has not only educated me about the 3 degrees that I acquired from it, but more importantly taught me about myself and how to be compassionate towards all others, unconditionally. Virginia Tech is striving to make sure EVERYONE gets a seat at the table and many of the initiatives cited in the original article that I am responding to are actually Virginia Tech’s attempt at doing so. Virginia Tech is not perfect, but it is trying. This is Home, Aubree Courtesy of Patty V. Photography I am not speaking on behalf of Virginia Tech. I am a recent Virginia Tech graduate that has spent the last 4 years immersed in Hokie Nation and am trying to provide some clarity on what I believe to be misinterpretations of Virginia Tech's actions by the author of "My Son's Freshman Orientation Was Full Of Leftist Propaganda".
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I am blessed to have a wide variety of friends who love and support me. They are courageous, strong, beautiful, hilarious, caring, and so much more. I have chosen my friends based upon their hearts, which has allowed me to have a variety of close friends. This diversity presents itself through phases of life. Some of my friends are engaged, some are partying in fraternity houses, some are in graduate school, some are drinking 4 nights a week, and some have full-time jobs. I love and appreciate my friends for all different reasons, but sometimes I feel like I have one handful of friends who are in one phase of life while the others seem to be in the polar opposite phase. Some of my friends are partying like we are still in undergrad while others are ready to settle down with their life partner. Neither phase is wrong, but I do feel stuck in the middle not really sure which end of the spectrum I best fit into.
Sometimes I want to be the girl who goes out to bars wearing tiny crop tops and is recklessly carefree. Other times, I want to be a professional, pay my bills, and settle down. I never really thought much about this internal conflict until I spoke to two different people about how I was feeling. One of them was definitely on the side of “live up your 20’s”, “don’t settle down”, “have fun while you can”. The other one mentioned that he felt like he did a bunch of his fun, crazy antics in undergrad, that he lived those “crazy 20’s” already, and was ready to be a professional and look for a life partner. I was more confused than ever because I don’t feel like I want to get drunk 4 nights a week, but at the same time I also am not ready to get married either. I feel sandwiched between being a shacker (iykyk) and a wife. I let this internal debate marinate in myself for a bit, but then I had an enlightening conversation with another friend who said they wanted to find their “forever” by the time they graduated undergrad and didn’t want to be in their late 20’s still trying to meet people at bars. This struck me because I didn’t find anything wrong with either option, but I noticed that some of my friends feel pressure to find their life partners before they even get their degrees. I told him that everyone takes life at their own pace and everyone’s journeys are not made to be the same and that is the beauty of life. You take your adventure one step at a time, never knowing where it is taking you, but just being happy to be on the ride. I realized that I needed to take my own advice. I was busy comparing myself to my friends and where they were in their lives, which left me so confused because they are all in different places. Instead of appreciating that everyone’s journey is unique, I tried to compare my course to others' to figure out what the “right” place to be in my early 20’s is. I now realize, there is no “right” place to be. There is no “right” way to venture through life. There is just your way and your way is whatever you make it. You can't compare apples to oranges, but both are beautiful in their own right. Live your life the way you want to at your own pace. After all, you only get one shot at life, don't waste it trying to copy someone else's. "What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be. "-Ellen Burstyn When I think of eating at a restaurant all alone my skin CRAWLS. I don’t want to be judged by others to think I have no friends; therefore, I RARELY do anything by myself. This week I moved to Louisville, Kentucky without knowing anyone here. I will confess at times it has been lonely not having anyone to pal around with because my doctoral school doesn’t start for another month. However, I am too hyperactive to sit at home in front of my TV all day watching Stranger Things (which I recently finished) and Money Heist (don’t spoil this for me pls). Yesterday, I sat with my phone in my hands as I usually do during days when I have nothing else going on and googled fun, FREE (super important because we stan a ~frugal~ gal) things to do in Louisville. I scrolled through many walking trails, several “free but not really free” distilleries (as I now live in the bourbon state), and a plethora of malls. The only thing that caught my eye that I would be ballsy enough to do by myself was the Big Four Bridge. The Big Four Bridge is a walking bridge that crosses the Ohio River and transports you from Louisville, Kentucky to Jeffersonville, Indiana in a swift 1-mile walk. The bridge used to be a railroad truss bridge that transported goods across the Ohio but has since been converted into a pedestrian bridge and tourist attraction with beautiful, vintage architecture. I thought “what the hell why not”, put on my tennis shoes, and headed for the bridge. It was a Saturday afternoon, so parking was scarce and there were TONS of people on and around the bridge. With my water bottle and phone in tow, I began to ascend up the ramp that leads to the bridge. While on this ramp I saw a lot of people; however, I noticed that basically everyone I saw was with another person. I was the only person there that was alone. Oh no, anxiety. Maybe people thought I was meeting up with somebody on the bridge or maybe, as I tried to portray, people thought I was there purely to exercise. It would’ve been more believable if I had headphones, but I don’t have any running headphones, so it was just me and my thoughts on the bridge yesterday. At first, I admittedly did feel uncomfortable with being alone on the bridge as I pass couples and families holding hands and snapping photos. I felt people looking at me, which I took as judgement, but maybe they thought my outfit was cute-I don’t know. I was so worried about what other people were thinking of me as they passed by, but after a while I was at ease and enjoyed being in my own thoughts and taking in the spectacular sights with no pressure to socialize or entertain others. This experience was my first outing alone and while it was challenging, it proved to me that I could be comfortable and confident in being alone. I often am so worried about what other people (that I don’t even know) will think of me that I let those thoughts control my actions and prevent me from doing what I want to do because I feel like I always need to find someone to do it with me. I think tackling an experience alone is the first step to loving yourself wholly and letting the pressure of others fade. After all, you get along best with yourself, right? So, I urge and challenge you to pick an activity and do it alone -confidently- to cultivate your true happiness. |
Aubree HarringtonClinical psychology student based out of Louisville, KY, trying to figure out this whole "adulting" thing. ArchivesCategories |