Virginia Tech Magazine
Corps of Cadets
Spring 2010
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Cadets on Capitol Hill: New experiences in democracy Hokie Day in Richmond provides alumni, students, and other members of the university community with an opportunity to update state legislators on Virginia Tech and to seek their continued support. Since 2003, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets (VTCC) has joined fellow Hokies for the special event.

Funding for the VTCC comes from a unique military appropriations line in the state budget that covers both Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Tech's corps. In December 2002, the governor submitted a budget that left VMI funding intact but reduced VTCC funding by 50 percent in fiscal year 2004 and 100 percent the following fiscal year, threatening the viability of Virginia Tech's longest standing tradition. Concerned, in-state alumni rallied in support of the corps, and legislators fully restored the funding. Since then, the focus of the corps during Hokie Day has been to seek continued state support.

by ROCK ROSZAK '71

Meeting with cadets helps state legislators put a face on the military program and provides cadets with a great opportunity to represent the corps--and to play a role in the legislative process.

Three cadets, Peter Laclede, Ashley Shepherd, and Christopher Nimmo, traveled to Richmond on Feb. 3 for Hokie Day 2010. There they met with their representatives and the newly elected governor, Bob McDonnell. They also mingled with numerous corps alumni who traveled to Richmond to support the corps that day, giving cadets, past and present, an opportunity to work together for a common goal.

View more images of Hokie Day at the Capitol on Feb. 3, 2010, with Gov. Bob McDonnell.
Cadets (l. to r.) Ashley Shepherd, Peter Laclede, and Christopher Nimmo meet with Gov. Bob McDonnell on Hokie Day at the state capitol.
Laclede, the spring semester regimental commander, attended Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Va., which gave him something to talk about with McDonnell, an alumnus of the same high school. Laclede has held numerous cadet leadership positions and will commission in May as an Air Force intelligence officer.

Shepherd, the current Regimental S-2 after being the Golf Company commander last fall, has attended several specialized Army training courses and was a member of the winning ROTC team in the Army 10-Miler for the past two years. She will commission as an Army intelligence officer in May.

Nimmo is a civilian-track cadet and serves as the recruiting officer on regimental staff. He has also been a member of the Student Alumni Association, the cadet member-at-large for the Class of 2010 Ring Committee, and the Student Government Association representative for VPI Company. Nimmo will graduate in May with a major in political science and minors in history and leadership.

Even with all of the leadership experience of these cadets, Hokie Day 2010 proved to be a learning tool, giving them an opportunity to witness--and to be a part of--democracy in action at the state level.

COL. ROCK ROSZAK '71, USAF (ret.), is the alumni director for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.
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