This past week was quite the week for the MVs! This week was Hokies for the Hungry, Senior Night, and Parents Night! Before rehearsal during the long-awaited competition for who would donate the most to H4TH, each section was hard at work. From the Pix all the way to the VTubas, each of the sections within the Marching Virginians put their heads together to find a way to win the competition! Every day there was a new “bonus item,” where a certain canned food would earn a section extra points in the competition. However, there was always an item that one section could sabotage another section with: canned beans. If a section saw fit, they could put cans of beans onto another section’s donation pile and drag their points down. This created quite the rivalry between the sections in the MVs this week. After such an eventful week of friendly competition, the Tubas and the Nets were named the winners of Hokies for the Hungry!
This weekend was also our Parents Weekend! We invited parents and families of our MVs to see a sneak peak of our Space Show that we’d be performing for the game, and for dinner with us as well! Each of us were so grateful to spend time with and meet other families this past weekend!
Roaming pep bands! Photo credit: MV Online Content
During the middle of our fundraiser, the MVs enlisted the help of friendly Hokie tailgaters before the game against North Carolina State this past Saturday! The MVs were divided up into what we called “Roaming Bands” and each band went to a section of campus where we played for the tailgaters. Depending on what someone donated, whether is was a monetary donation or a canned good, we would play one of our stand tunes for the group. We absolutely loved getting to meet each of the tailgaters, and we are so very thankful for each of their contributions! After meeting and playing for everyone going to the game that afternoon, we were off to Lane Stadium!
First Half
The game between the Hokies and NC State was off to a slow start during the first quarter, with the score sitting at 0-0. Right into the second quarter, NC State wide receiver Kevin Concepcion scored a touchdown from a 3 yd pass by their quarterback, Brennan Armstrong. A little while later, NC State scored another touchdown, putting the score at 14-0 against Virginia Tech. Quickly after, Virginia Tech wide receiver Turner-Bradshaw scored a touchdown against NC State. The opposing team quickly responded with yet another touchdown, putting the score at 21-7 at the end of the first half.
Halftime
And just like that, the MVs performance was just a clock-tick away; we had the Space Show to perform. Our last show of the season in Lane Stadium included Gustav Holsts’s “Mars,” “Defying Gravity” from the popular Broadway show Wicked, and familiar tunes from Star Wars and Star Trek. Just before we performed works from Star Wars, by John Williams, we invited the graduating seniors and graduate students up to the front sideline to be recognized. This is our traditional senior recognition, for their tremendous effort in each practice and performance. Each of the graduating MVs has been a role model for new and returning MVs; they are what being a Marching Virginian is all about. We will miss them dearly, and we wish them all the best.
Second Half
After halftime, the Hokies were back in business on the field. NC State’s quarterback scored a touchdown a little bit before halfway through the third quarter. VT scored another touchdown in response, and NC State quickly sped ahead. This put the score at 35-14 at the end of the third quarter. The Hokies scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but fell short of a win against the opposing team by 7 points. NC State won against Virginia Tech with 35-28.
Hi there! Photo credit: MV Online Content
As we wrap up our 2023-2024 season, we look forward to our game against the University of Virginia this coming weekend! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, each of us are thankful for our graduating MVs, donations for Hokies for the Hungry (including donations from NC State’s marching band, the Power Sound of the South!), and our MV families! We look forward to seeing you at our game against UVA in just a couple days!