Recap: Leadership Retreat!

It’s Tuesday evening and soon everyone will be arriving at the Marching Virginians Center for the third full day of band camp. 

While the rookies and returners are rolling in fresh off of months away, our 2024-2025 leadership have been hard at work since Friday in-person and long before behind-the-scenes. Let’s get some insight into the process and see what they’ve been up to!

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Friday

Friday for the MV Leadership was our work day! This meant different things for everyone.

For SSAs, drum majors, the head manager and the presidents or representatives of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, this meant individual meetings with Polly and Chad. Officers took care of tasks specific to their positions. Field leadership largely attended to chores to help prepare the MVC for the year, and officers helped out where they could. These jobs included organizing equipment, reorganizing both rooms at the MVC and the office, cleaning the MVC and so many more essential tasks for a smooth-running band camp!

In the evening, we completed registration and then proceeded into a leadership session with Paige, Thomas and Emily – our executive officer and drum majors, respectively. Here, we set goals and spent time bonding in preparation for meeting all of our new and returning members later in the weekend.

Saturday

On Saturday, our MV Leadership met in the morning to discuss important topics like our schedule for the year and the special events that go on at each game. Later on, we met with Marching Virginian alumni Ben Nelson for a leadership training centered around respect, inclusion and what it means to be a leader.

In the evening, field leadership met to dust off their marching and instructional skills. The excitement for hitting the ground running is building!

Sunday

On the final day of leadership retreat, our field leadership had the special opportunity to perform at a funeral for a dedicated fan of Virginia Tech football and the Marching Virginians. This event was a great way to remind us as band camp starts how much we mean to our fans and how strong the impact is that we have on our Hokie community. 

Sunday also included more prep tasks for before band camp, like uniform organization and printing music. Our new winds registered in the early evening, and as they met their sections and had their first general meeting and fundamentals session, our returners came back to register as well.

We are so excited to get to know everyone in the band this year, and can’t wait to see what this awesome season has in store!

Between Band Practices: Lauren Powell

For the fourth blog in this series, color guard rank captain Lauren Powell talks about balancing clubs, Greek, Disney and engineering with the Marching Virginians.

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How long have you been in the MVs and what is your role?

This will be my third season, I joined my freshman year in 2021, and I’m a rank captain in the color guard.

Photo courtesy of Lauren Powell

What’s your degree program and how far along in it are you?

I just switched to biomedical engineering, so technically this is my fourth year but I’m junior standing with taking a semester off for the Disney College Program. I’ll be able to do all four years of MVs, which is great, because I’ll get my mug!

Before you went to biomed, what were you doing? What inspired the shift?

Mechanical engineering. A lot of what I wanted to do with mechanical was working on animatronics for Disney. In the last couple of months, seeing a lot of my family members with their medical issues kind of inspired me – that’s what I want to do, help people. I do a lot of service stuff… and I just love to help people in every aspect of what I do. I think the biomedical engineering is something that my dad has really inspired because he has a pacemaker and a defibrillator in him – growing up knowing that was saving his life every day, any time he could possibly need it, was really inspiring. It was like, I could do that with my degree and help more people and take our technology to a new level of innovation. 

What extracurriculars outside of the MVs did you engage in?

My freshman year, I joined SWE, which is the Society of Women Engineers. It gets me tons of networking events, I get to meet a ton of people and I’ve made tons of friends. It’s such a wide group. 

Photo courtesy of Lauren Powell

I’m also part of Valiant Indoor Guard, which is more spring semester, so I get to spin all year-round, which is fantastic! I’ll be serving as our treasurer this year. It’s really nice to have that change of pace in color guard and step away from the marching style to go more towards the story-telling. It’s like a totally different thing with indoor color guard because you have all of your weapons, you can do really insane flag tricks that you can’t do in Lane Stadium. There’s also the dance component. It’s a lot more artistic.

I’m also a part of Line Dance VT, which is our line dancing club. I’ll be serving as treasurer this year. It’s a nice group of people – just kind of getting people out, getting them on their feet. The last one is, I’m in Alpha Sigma Kappa, which is a social sorority for women in technical studies. It’s a lot more laid back from your actual sororities, but we do a lot of service events and philanthropy, and social events. 

How would you say the MVs impacted your time at Tech?

It is the best decision I’ve ever made at VT. I could say changing my major was an amazing decision, joining every organization I’ve joined is an amazing decision, but the MVs is the best one. I’ve made some of my closest friends and met so many awesome people. 

How would you say being in another organization outside of the MVs has benefited you?

It’s definitely been beneficial to me, because I’ve been able to meet people in similar majors who’ve had similar struggles. They know that experience and can help you through it. It’s really nice to have that support system academically. Being able to find those people and connect the dots is super nice. If I wasn’t in any of those organizations, who would I hang out with?

Photo courtesy of Lauren Powell

How have you managed your time?

One thing that I learned in my Hypatia class freshman year was to literally schedule my Google Calendar minute by minute. Importing all of your stuff from Canvas, your classes, the games, all the sorority events – I’m really able to manage it all and be like, so I can’t go this event, so I can do this, so I’ll go to this event instead. It works really well for me. Weekend off from band? I’m doing my homework for the next week. 

What advice do you have for folks who are new to the MVs?

Try everything. I went to GobblerFest freshman year, tried everything I could, went to a couple meetings – if I felt like it was a good path for me, I stuck with it. If you’re scared to join the MVs, at least give it a try for a semester and see how it goes. A lot of people talk about freshman year being scary and it definitely was but MVs was the one thing that really helped me.

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Lauren is from Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Between Band Practices: Carrie Craig

For the third blog in this series, trumpet rank captain Carrie Craig speaks on her time as an undergraduate as she prepares for graduate school and her first year of leadership.

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Photo courtesy of Carrie Craig.

How long have you been in the MVs and what is your role?

So I did the MVs ever since freshman year, so I’ve done it for four seasons. I joined in 2020, the Covid season, and all four years of undergrad I was just a normal band member but this year, I’ll be returning for my fifth and final season as a trumpet rank captain! I’m very excited about that.

What made you decide to go for leadership as you’re starting your masters, instead of during undergrad?

You would think I’d have more time as an undergrad, but the truth is, I had a lot of programs that I was apart of and leadership roles in other groups, specifically I was president of a club, so I didn’t really think it was fair to say I could be in a leadership position and then also be president of a club and maybe have conflicts with that. That’s why I never did it as an undergrad, but I always really wanted to do it. Now, I’m out of leadership with other groups, so I am 100% MVs right now. I also just wanted to give back and help train the next generation of MVs. 

Photo courtesy of Carrie Craig.

What was your undergraduate degree? What’s your master’s in now?

Mechanical engineering and mechanical engineering. Double ME! I love being a mechanical engineer. It’s a tough major, it’s a lot of time commitment, but as long as you’re good at time management and communicate… people are very understanding. 

What extracurriculars outside of the MVs did you engage in?

I was on the Baja Team at Virginia Tech, which is a competition design team that builds a new small high performance offroad vehicle every year and then we go and race against other colleges in different dynamic events… to see who has the best car. It’s a lot of fun! In addition to that, I was able to restart a club at Virginia Tech that’s been gone for about ten years. I was already a member of [the Society of Automotive Engineers] to do Baja, so I was like “well, I’ll look into it.” Little did I know, I would get so involved! We started with just three students and we were really able to take it and run with it. Virginia Tech has a lot of car teams… and what we were seeing was, teams weren’t actually talking to each other. What we did with SAE was, we kind of gave all those teams a place where they could come together and talk about their problems, share trailers, we’ve done all kind of stuff… meeting people in the industry, touring labs… It was so cool to grow it from three people to sixty – it was overwhelming.

Photo courtesy of Carrie Craig

How would you say the MVs impacted your time at Tech?

It gave me my best friends, that’s probably the biggest way it changed my life. I met people I will stay in contact with for the rest of my life. It probably brought me out of my shell a lot too, because people were so energetic and welcoming and excited for you to be there, it’s just contagious. Everyone just wants the best for you and for you to succeed, it’s just such a refreshing environment to be a part of. Everyone has something to teach you, it’s just a big family. It’s awesome. 

How would you say being in another organization outside of the MVs has benefited you?

Those organizations for sure gave me professional contacts that are invaluable. I’ve met people in actual industry, and professors at tech – people who can help me going forward. It’s all these different connections and it’s really built a network for me. Everyone, if they see that you’re really applying yourself, especially doing multiple groups, that’s something that recruiters and professionals really look at in my experience.

Photo courtesy of Carrie Craig.

How have you managed your time?

A calendar. I learned how to make a really good color-coded calendar. Also, recognizing that you do have to be a person. Sometimes taking a step back is way more valuable than powering through. I’m going to go to band, and when I come back I’m refreshed – you flex a different muscle. That’s a big deal to my success as an undergrad, being able to have that break every day.

What advice do you have for folks who are new to the MVs?

Cherish your time here, because it’s going to go by very fast. It’s going to be hard sometimes. Recognizing that you’re not alone in it and that the MVs will give you the community and strength to push through it. I think it’s so important to have that.

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Carrie is a track geometry intern with Norfolk Southern.

Between Band Practices: Jaden Catalfamo

The first blog in this series, featuring trumpet rank captain Sarah Murray, showed that it’s possible to fully commit yourself to another organization – like VT Rec Sports – alongside the Marching Virginians. This week, we have an interview from piccolo rank captain Jaden Catalfamo, who shows that your time can be split even further, with just as much success. Let’s see what wisdom she has to share!

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Photo courtesy of Jaden Catalfamo

How long have you been in the MVs and what is your role?

This is going into my fourth season but this upcoming year will be my second year being a rank captain for the piccolo section.

What’s your degree program? How far into it are you?

So currently, I am pursuing a bachelor’s of science in neuroscience but my specific major is clinical neuroscience. I’m pretty much almost done. Technically I only have one semester left, it’s mostly prereqs that are left but everything else is just pharmacy school things. Spring semester [is] when I’ll be taking the remainder of my pharmacy school prerequisites, because some of them don’t necessarily line up with my degree program.

Is there a pre-pharmacy track you were able to enter into?

I kind of had to figure it out myself. I went onto multiple colleges’s websites and just looked at each prerequisite that they had. I had to create my own spreadsheet for what courses they required because some colleges are completely different. So that was pretty much all up to me.

Photo courtesy of Jaden Catalfamo

If you do engage in any extracurriculars outside of the MVs, what are they?

I am mostly involved in Hokie Ambassadors – those are the people who give those daily campus tours that you’ll see go around every day. Wthin that I am a mentor, so whenever the new training classes come around I usually mentor 2-3 different new guides. [I] help guide them throught the training process so they can give their own tours. Outside of that, I am also in Alpha Chi Sigma, which is a professional chemistry fraternity. Basically the whole point of this is to help develop my professionalism and to help get me ready for anything I want to do within the sciences, but it’s also a way for me to share my passion with other people who just so happen to like chemistry just as much as I do.

How would you say the MVs has impacted your time at Tech?

The biggest impact they’ve made on me I would say are the friendships, I’ve met all my best friends pretty much in the MVs. It’s created a sense of family… going to college, I was very much in my own little circle, but then I met the pix and whoever else is in band. It’s definitely deepened my sense of security when it comes to going to school. That’s something I’ll always be grateful for with the MVs.

Would you say that being in another organization outside of the MVs has benefited you? If so, how?

Photo courtesy of Jaden Catalfamo

Most definitely Hokie Ambassadors – becoming a mentor, I would say, strengthened the leadership qualities that I [can] work on in the MVs. It really put things into perspective for me, how I could actually apply the things that happened with that organization into the MVs. As for Alpha Chi Sigma, I would say, for me the big part of it was just trying to advocate for my littles. You have to advocate for other people in the MVs too sometimes because we’re one big family, we’re one big support system. Every single organization I’ve been in has contributed in some sort of way with the MVs.

How do you manage your time?

If I can get dates well ahead of time, then it’s easier for me to at least try and schedule whether I have to meet with mentees, whether I just want to spend some time with friends… I would say just – literally my Google Calendar has become my best friend for that. It’s always important to set time aside just for yourself and it took awhile for me to truly grasp that. I figured it, now, but  it took some time.

What advice do you have for new students both within and outside the MVs?

Honestly, don’t be afraid to branch out. With the MVs, it may feel very overwhelming, especially with how much time we spend at rehearsal, preparing for games… it can be a little overwhelming at first but if you have other passions that you want to pursue, then I highly suggest doing so, especially if you want to use your time in college wisely and want to enjoy it to the absolute fullest. I would recommend starting early – going to Gobblerfest, find what organizations you might want to join and just go from there, because you never know. There’s always going to be something for you, whether it’s the MVs or not.

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Jaden is from Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Between Band Practices: Sarah Murray

The Marching Virginians is home to students with a wide range of interests – academic, hobby or otherwise. Our students are proof that you can try anything you set your mind to, even with band commitments five or six days a week. One of our busy field leadership took the time to sit down and do an interview – let’s see what Sarah Murray does within and outside of the MVs!

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So, Sarah – how long have you been in the MVs? What’s your role?

I have been in the MVs for three years now, going into my fourth year and my role is trumpet rank captain. I’ve done that my junior year and I’m going to be doing it again my senior year.

What’s your degree program, and how far into it are you?

Photo courtesy of Sarah Murray

I’m an animal science major with an emphasis in poultry, and [I’m] minoring in food science and technology. I’ve just completed my third year, so I’m going into my last one. 

If you engage in any extracurricular activities outside of the MVs, what are they?

Outside of the MVs would be with VT Recreational Sports. I got into it my fall semester of freshman year, I took a class. I ended up being an instructor this past semester and I loved it. I taught two different formats and then, going to this next semester, I’m going to add on additional formats so I’ll be teaching three. That’ll be BodyPump, BodyCombat, and cardio-kickboxing.

How do people get involved with those?

The first week of classes is free week. Usually, it’s about $50 a semester, but the first week is free and finals week is free so that’s how I got into it freshman year. I fell in love with it just because it’s [such a] strong community, very encouraging community, and I guess emotional-building with each other. You get to know the instructors and your other participants, and it kind of keeps you accountable – something to look forward to. If you purchase the group exercise pass for the semester or the year, then you can just go to any class at any time. There’s probably 30 classes going on in one day, maybe more than that, with many different formats… we’ll have more next semester because War [Memorial Gym] is opening. 

How would you say the MVs has impacted your time at Tech?

I met all my best friends in the MVs. I’m sure everyone says that but it’s one hundred percent true. I wasn’t going to join MVs, actually, and then my roommate was doing it and I was like, ‘What am I going to do when she’s at practice all day?’ so I joined and I’m so glad I did… I had a huge 330 [person] family on my very first day on campus. I’ve always felt welcome and since then I’ve met people with the same interests as me but also different interests as me and it's kind of opened my view on what I can get involved with and what my opportunities are. That also applies to education – before, I didn’t know what food science was and now I’m very passionate about it. Everybody supports everybody… if you ever feel lost or overwhelmed or stressed, you always have that group to go back to, because we’re all in the same situation.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Murray

How manageable would you say that your work with Rec Sports is with the MVs?

I actually struggle more in the spring semester because I don’t have that daily schedule. The MVs help me manage my time a lot better and it kind of makes me get ahead on my schoolwork – or at least think I’m getting ahead when in reality it’s on time. In the spring semester I’m like ‘oh, I have time’ when I should probably do it ahead of time. Rec Sports, being an instructor kind of does the same thing [as the MVs]... in the spring. It actually really helps me and it’s very manageable.

Do you have any other time management tips for incoming students?

Find study buddies. Sometimes I need those people to keep me accountable and just make me feel that I’m not in this alone. College is supposed to be hard.

Do you have any advice for new students who get involved outside of the MVs?

Talk to as many people as you can, because they’re all in different organizations that you’re not involved with and you don’t even know if they exist, probably. Going to Gobblerfest, that got me involved with a lot… visually seeing what is out there. There’s some organizations that I wish that I would have gotten involved with before that I didn’t know existed. 

Do you have any advice for making friends outside of the MVs, especially as you’re getting there in the fall and it’s your whole world?

Photo courtesy of Sarah Murray

Right, it is very overwhelming. I would say – talk to people in class, because I didn’t do that my freshman year but I’ve been doing it now and it really helps. If you’re in a class with someone, if you’re not in the same major, you’re probably in a similar major… if you’re scared to talk to them, they’re probably scared to talk to you too. It’s nice to feel like you are welcome, that you are home. 

Anything else you think incoming students should know?

Joining the MVs can seem overwhelming at first. Have an open mind and understand that it comes with time and make those small relationships at first. I can guarantee you that it will be a second home that you can always go to when you need it.

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Sarah Murray is from Abingdon, Virginia, and is interning this summer in Wytheville with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).

Goodbye to the Graduates: Outgoing Field Leadership, 2023-2024

As with the officer team, the field leadership for the 2024 edition of the Marching Virginians is in the process of being selected. While we wait in excitement to hear, let’s take a look at the graduating field leadership.

Sean christian — pix section leader

Sean is graduating in May with a chemical engineering degree and hopes to use his knowledge to benefit sustainability efforts. 

ERIN STEVENSON — Pix rank captain

Graduating a year early, Erin will cross the stage this May with a degree in biomedical biology. Next up is a gap year, then medical school.

rachel virostek — pix rank captain

After graduating, Rachel wants to pursue a career in medicine with the aim of becoming a PA. She will earn her biomedical biology degree this May.

EMILY TUCKER — net section leader

Emily is graduating this May with a B.S. in childhood pre-education.

DILLON KEY — NET RANK CAPTAIN

Dillon will receive his degree in finance with a concentration in certified financial planning. He recently accepted a client service associate position in Atlanta and will begin this summer.

LISA SMALL — NET RANK CAPTAIN

Lisa will gain her degree in biological systems engineering this spring and hopes to focus in watershed and resource management.

kayla roberts — sax rank captain

Kayla will graduate this May with her degree in English.

Thomas McWithey – Trumpet s. leader

Thomas will gain his mechanical engineering degree this spring as the walks the stage in Lane.

NICK MARTIN — TRUMPET R. CAPTAIN

Nick will move on from the MVs this year with his degree in electrical engineering, with a focus in radio frequency and microwave technology communications.

JOSH PRYOR — TRUMPET R. CAPTAIN

Josh will receive his degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics.

LENA SCAER — TRUMPET R. CAPTAIN

 Lena will graduate this May with a degree in aerospace engineering.

JADEN YON — TRUMPET R. CAPTAIN

Jaden will graduate from Tech this spring with two degrees: computer science and chemistry. Jaden hopes to pursue a career in computational quantum chemistry.

JACKSON MOYER — HORN RANK CAPTAIN

Jackson will receive his B.E. in industrial systems engineering in May. After he graduates, Jackson will begin his role as a process engineer for BWX Technologies.

COLE SAWYER — HORN S. LEADER

Cole will receive his degree in construction engineering and management at graduation.

rafael garcia-rodriguez — trombone s. LEADER

Rafael, resident pilot of the Marching Virginians, will receive his degree in aerospace engineering in May.

sam knowles — bone rank captain

Sam will receive his degree in market management this June.

silas nickerson — bone rank captain

Silas will say goodbye to the MVs, and VT, when he receives his aerospace engineering degree this spring.

anthony “bubbles” white — tuba s.L.

Bubbles will receive his degree in automotive engineering this May. Bubbles will follow his car-themed passion and is moving to Roanoke to begin a new position after he graduates.

kat zinn — flag rank captain

Kat graduated in December with her B.A. in English language and literature. Kat is currently working at Tech as a project archivist.

Zarah king — flag section leader

Zarah will graduate in May from Pamplin with an undergraduate degree in hospitality and management.

To all our graduating (and graduated) leadership, thank you for making our last season possible. We can’t wait to see what comes next for you, and hope to see you at a football game soon.

From an Extreme Rookie to Leadership

Carter conducting at Hokies 4 The Hungry 2023! (MV Online Content)

I have been going to Virginia Tech football games my entire life; maroon and orange runs through my blood. I would sit by my Papa and Mama through the warm and sunny, rainy and windy, and whatever weather Blacksburg might bring us during the game. While I was always excited for every touchdown Virginia Tech made, I was more excited of the results of the touchdown — hearing the Marching Virginians play “Tech Triumph!”

I grew up begging my parents not to leave during halftime, saying “we can’t miss the band!” I knew that someday, I would be a dedicated marcher in high school, and furthermore, I would be a part of the Spirit of Tech. However, my dreams of participating in marching band were put on pause when I learned that I would have no high school marching band experience. My friends at other schools bragged about the community and all of the fun that they had at practice and making friends, practicing and rehearsing, and going to band competitions. My freshman year of high school, I remember going to the Virginia Tech football game and thinking “I will never be in that band; I will never be as good as them.”

Carter and Pix friends at dinner on the Military Bowl trip. (Rafael Garcia-Rodriguez)

Entering into my freshman year at Virginia Tech, I applied to the band and went to band camp to try out for the Marching Virginians. I cannot lie, it was overwhelming at first. To show up at a band camp with scores of freshmen sharing their high school experiences, talking about how incredible their high school bands were, terrified me. I thought I would not last. However, I did my best, I pushed to learn, and I worked as hard as I could to be the best marcher I could be. The leadership of the band was nothing but welcoming and encouraging. I remember one of my leaders in the piccolo section sharing with me that she had never marched before coming to Virginia Tech and she was impressed by the progress I was showing. I was determined to finish auditions as strong as I could whether I made the band or not. But let me tell you, to play Tech Triumph for my first time with the Marching Virginians was the most emotional experience I have ever had. I could not help but to cry. I had finally made it to the point I had dreamed about since elementary school. Whether or not I made the final cuts for the band, I finally had reached my goal.

Carter during band camp 2023. (MV Online Content)

Since then, I’ve surpassed that goal and have made it to my next goal, which was to become a member of MV leadership. Now, I am a piccolo rank captain.

I hope my story can be a testimony to what new members of the band can do, regardless of experience, and share what the Spirit of Tech is all about. The Marching Virginians is an organization that cares about community and service. I have made friends that I have gone through some amazing and terrible times with, and I know I can lean on them for anything. I have had some of my greatest memories of college in this band, whether it be at rehearsal laughing on the turf field, standing in the freezing and pouring rain, or jumping during “Enter Sandman” on Worsham Field in Lane Stadium. The Marching Virginians is an experience like no other.

If I could give any advice, tips, and tricks to any new member to the band, experienced or new to the world of marching, I would say you never know until you try. The Marching Virginians care about attitude, integrity, grit, and persistence. It is a matter of trying your best, listening to feedback, staying positive, and contributing as a member of the organization and the band. It takes work, but marching and adjusting to a different band arrangement is not hard if you put your time and effort into it. I now look back as a leader in the band to understand the incredible progress I have made, and how thankful I am to have people like Dr. Polly, Chad, and my section leadership who believed in me from the beginning, even as a new marcher.

There is nothing on this campus more incredible to be a part of than the Marching Virginians. It’s family, it’s support, it’s memories, and it truly is the foundation and the Spirit of Tech.