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Tech Aims For Unity At Opener

August 29, 2007

By Darryl Slater

BLACKSBURG, Va. — It is a moment millions in Hokie Nation have waited for all summer: the Virginia Tech football team running into Lane Stadium on Saturday to the minute-long opening guitar riff and thumping drum beat of Metallica's "Enter Sandman."

As part of pregame ceremonies remembering the April 16 campus shootings, Tech will amend its traditional entrance for the season opener against East Carolina and let the Pirates enter the stadium at the same time as the Hokies.

East Carolina will enter through a human tunnel formed by Tech's Corp of Cadets. Across the field, the Hokies will enter through a tunnel of Marching Virginians, the school band.

Other pregame ceremonies include a moment of silence, a fly-over by four F-15 jets after the national anthem and East Carolina representatives presenting a $100,000 check for the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

Tech athletic director Jim Weaver wanted to thank East Carolina for the donation by having the Pirates run into Lane with the Hokies.

"We thought it would be a fitting tribute to do it this way," he said.

After East Carolina's check presentation, Virginia Tech president Charles Steger and Gov. Tim Kaine will honor the first responders from April 16. A tribute video will follow, then a release of 32 balloons to honor those killed by gunman Seung-Hui Cho.

Tech's coaches and seniors will shake hands with East Carolina's coaches and seniors at midfield after the coin toss — a final gesture of friendship on a long-anticipated day of unity for Tech fans.

"I think there will be an esprit de corps, a warmness, a togetherness, a strength, a resilience that we haven't seen before," Weaver said.

As part of that, Weaver earlier this week sent a letter to season ticket holders, faculty, staff and students, encouraging them not to boo East Carolina.

"To be very honest with you, we don't think we can have it both ways," Weaver said. "The kind of outpouring of care and concern and love and sympathy and money that we received after our tragedy of April 16, it would be very dissettling if you had a booing situation when an opponent came into Lane Stadium."

Notes

Weaver said the athletic department will not retire or do anything with jersey No. 32 to honor the victims. The reasons: There is already a permanent memorial on campus in front of Burress Hall, and retiring No. 32 would not honor those wounded by Cho's bullets. Weaver said the decision was made in conjunction with the school's committee that handles April 16 memorials.

Two logos remembering April 16 — a maroon "VT" over an orange ribbon — will be painted on the field.

All ACC teams in all sports will wear a black bar on their uniforms to honor Tech's victims.

ESPN's "College GameDay" pregame show will broadcast its first hour on the artificial turf across the street from the Merryman Center. The second hour will be broadcast from a stage on the field in the northeast corner of Lane.

Contact Darryl Slater at (804) 649-6026 or dslater@timesdispatch.com.