An open letter to the university
Wayne VanDyck
Roanoke -- Class of 1975

As a Virginia Tech alumnus I, along with my family, have followed the school's sports teams with great delight for many years, including holding season tickets to men's and women's basketball -- and of course football. Half of the family wardrobe is either maroon, orange or the beautiful combination, and our home is covered with more of the same.

While attendance at the sports events provides us a great outlet to enjoy return trips to the campus and relive the many fine moments spent there, they are not the overriding source of my love. From early high school years I yearned to attend VPI, and loved every minute of the five years I spent there. Like thousands of other alumni, I am very proud to be a graduate of the school, and any successes we've had in athletics have little to do with that pride.

It is thus with a strong sense of remorse that I write this letter, knowing that if published, I will be publicly chastising the institution that I love. Nevertheless, now is clearly the right time to express my great disdain for the behavior of some of our athletes. Like many I've talked to in the hours following the Boston College game, I am embarrassed and ashamed to be associated with Virginia Tech.

The sportscasters and newspapers have done a good job of highlighting for all of us the despicable behavior of several members of our team. I thank them for that, because I have to believe that by so doing, change will take place. There is no need for me to offer my own take on their actions, or to cite specific examples. While I do not know Frank Beamer personally, I feel that I do, and I do not envy the situation he faces.

I know Frank is a good and honorable man, and I respect what he has tried to do as head coach. Unfortunately, after seeing the body language of Chris Ellis when Frank spoke to him after his late-game, uncalled-for personal foul, I fear that Frank is no longer in control of the team.

By this letter, I petition the school administrators and Board of Visitors to restore the institution to its proper, long-standing, respected place in the community. I ask that they take whatever action is necessary to accomplish this. I ask that they put aside the short-sighted, money-grubbing habits of recent years and make restoring the school's reputation their only priority. I ask that they take severe and permanent actions to end this embarrassment.

In closing, I offer this final observation: When I was a kid growing up in Portsmouth, Va., a local benefactor provided a community center for the neighborhood's kids. We were there year-round in the gym, in the pool, playing pingpong, horseshoes, football, softball and just hanging out. Inside the main entrance, very prominently displayed on a wall near the entrance, were the words that Grantland Rice made famous. All of us who recreated there lived by those words, and they certainly seem appropriate now.

"For when the One Great Scorer comes -- To write against your name, He marks -- not that you won or lost -- But how you played the game."

Virginia Tech fans everywhere, and particularly proud Virginia Tech alumni, believe that these words must control our athletic programs, and unless something is done soon to that end, everything we've stood for since 1872 will be lost.

Tom Kirchner
Roanoke

I'm a college football fan who adopted Virginia Tech as "my team" when I moved to Roanoke 11 years ago. Through the years, I've had season tickets and have enjoyed the many victories supplied by the Hokies.

However, over the past two years I've been disappointed that Frank Beamer and his assistant coaches seem to be more interested in victories than in developing character in young men.

I've watched in amazement when the coaching staff continues to play troublemakers and hot heads. Please start sitting those players who display poor sportsmanship -- even if it costs us a victory now and then.

Ultimately, that will make this member of the Hokie Nation prouder of the team, coaches and the school than a few extra victories by the hooligans who are currently disgracing Virginia Tech.

Hopeful that Beamer will make changes

Jack Collins
Rocky Mount -- Class of 1954

Many thanks to Aaron McFarling of The Roanoke Times and Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN for telling it like it is regarding the football team at Virginia Tech. As an alumnus, I am not ashamed of the team losing, but I am ashamed and embarrassed about the manner in which several of the players conduct themselves, both on and off the field.

Perhaps criticism from respected observers will motivate Coach Beamer to begin corrective action.

Disappointed in the Hokies and their coaches