Connecting the Hokie Nation is the heart of the Alumni Association's mission, and many events this fall encourage alumni to gather.
Oct. 29-31: Class of '64 reunion (VT vs. North Carolina) Oct. 29: College of Science homecoming (VT vs. North Carolina) Oct. 29: Multicultural Alumni meet and greet reception (VT vs. North Carolina)
Nov. 14: Multicultural Alumni tailgate Nov. 20-22: Class of '84 reunion (VT vs. N.C. State) Nov. 21: College of Architecture and Urban Studies homecoming (VT vs. N.C. State) Nov. 21: College of Natural Resources homecoming (VT vs. N.C. State) Nov. 21: College of Engineering homecoming (VT vs. N.C. State)
GET INVOLVED THROUGH ALUMNI CHAPTERS AND CLUBS Get involved with the Alumni Association and one or more of its 130+ chapters and clubs around the world. Make a difference and visit www.alumni.vt.edu/chapters to find a chapter or club near you. The chapters and clubs of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association facilitate communication between alumni and the university. Our chapters build strong relations among alumni, students, parents, and the community as a whole. Activities help achieve university goals and are planned by a strong core of alumni volunteers who serve as the marketing arm of the university. And, importantly, there are no membership dues, ever! All alumni are automatically members for life.
Some chapters have established an additional presence online in the Hokie Nation Network. Register for this free, exclusive social and professional network for alumni at www.alumni.vt.edu/hnn.
OCTOBER: THE 100-YEAR CELEBRATION OF THE TECH CLASS RING The 100-year celebration of the class ring will be celebrated in 2009 with the 2011 ring. The celebration will begin with the Class of 2011 Ring Premiere on Oct. 13 and end with the Ring Dance and Banquet March 26-27, 2010. The Virginia Tech class ring embodies memories, traditions, and pride that tie Hokies, young and old, together. The tradition began in the 1911-12 school session when four classes (1911-14) designed their rings. The Class of 2011 has the distinction of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Virginia Tech ring. Since the beginning, each Virginia Tech class has designed a ring distinctive to its class. In a tradition that started in 1991, each class ring collection honors a special person or couple, selected to be honored by the class. For the 100th anniversary, the Class of 2011 honored President Charles '69 and his wife Janet '70 Steger as their ring collection namesakes.
Today, Virginia Tech is among only a few colleges and universities that design their ring collection each year. To find out more and to view class rings since 1911, please visit www.alumni.vt.edu/classrings/100years/index.html.
STRENGTHEN YOUR CREDENTIALS AND YOUR FUTURE THROUGH VIRGINIA TECH ONLINE COURSES Did you know that Virginia Tech Online, the gateway to Virginia Tech's distance learning course offerings, provides a wealth of credit and non-credit offerings, including a wide array of courses across 41 programs, including graduate degrees, graduate certificates, and professional studies course series? Online credit courses are offered during the fall, spring, and summer semesters, with most non-credit offerings featuring an open-enrollment process that allows students to begin courses at any time.
Virginia Tech is committed to its mission of creating lifelong learning opportunities. The Office of Distance Learning and Summer Sessions oversaw more than 18,000 online enrollments this past year. The Hokie Nation has never been as far reaching as it is now, with eLearners from across the nation and the globe taking advantage of the university's eLearning offerings. As an alumnus or alumna, you also have the opportunity to earn your advanced degree or enroll in courses for personal and professional development at a distance, all without having to alter any of your work or family commitments. Course requests for the spring 2010 semester open Oct. 20, with spring classes starting on Jan. 19, 2010. For more information about how you can continue to invent your future, please visit www.vto.vt.edu or call 866/791-4898.
OCTOBER IS FIRE SAFETY MONTH: BE FIRE SMART
Our Liberty Mutual affinity partner wants you to know that October is fire safety month. Take these six fire safety tips from Liberty Mutual now:
1) Design a home evacuation plan -- Devise two exit strategies for every room, make sure doors and windows open easily, designate a meeting place outdoors, and run practice drills regularly.
2) Install and maintain smoke detectors -- Place smoke detectors on every level of your home and inside each bedroom, test them monthly, and replace the batteries when you change your clocks for daylight savings time.
3) Take precautions with appliances -- Deep flammables away from the stove; clean your dryer's lint tray after every use; turn off appliances that overheat; and replace cords that are worn, damaged, or frayed.
4) Lean how to extinguish cooking fires -- Smother grease fires with baking soda; close the door on oven and microwave fires; and use a multi-purpose ABC-rated extinguisher for small fires involving appliances, linens, and electrical outlets.
5) Monitor hazardous hot spots -- Never leave the stove unattended, place space heaters on a stable surface, trim candle wicks to a quarter inch, and service your furnace and fireplace once a year.
6) Protect critical documents -- Store your deeds, passports, birth and marriage certificates, social security cards, car titles, wills, tax returns, and backup computer files in a fireproof safe or a bank safe-deposit bank.
SPOTLIGHT ON CHAPTERS
The Alumni Association has more than 130 chapters and clubs around the world. To find the chapter nearest you, go to www.alumni.vt.edu/chapters/index.html.
