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The men's basketball team gathered to discuss the meaning of the National Anthem and recognize those who have served.

When parking lots open at 7 a.m. Saturday, the game — Tennessee and Virginia Tech in a border battle at Bristol Motor Speedway, playing in front of what will be a college football record attendance, topping 150,000 — will finally be here.

Michelle Obama will address Virginia Tech graduates at the 2012 commencement ceremony on May 11 at Lane Stadium. Mrs. Obama joins U.S. Sen. Mark Warner as commencement speaker. Both will deliver commencement addresses. This is the first time a first lady has addressed a Virginia Tech commencement, according to Tech's morning news release. Mrs. Obama will speak at three college graduation ceremonies this spring, including two in key general election battleground states. Her first commencement address will be at Tech. The White House says the first lady has been inspired by the school's resiliency following the deadly 2007 campus shootings....

BLACKSBURG -- They were: The apple of a parent's eye. A collector of friends. Brilliant. Warm. They dreamed. Volunteered. Had smiles that made others smile. They were 32 people who Virginia Tech paused yesterday to remember and to honor, on the second anniversary of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Under a cloudless sky, 3,000 gathered: families, friends, faculty -- the community of Virginia Tech -- to reflect on those who died.

With 41 percent of Tech's traveling roster having never played a college football game, the Hokies' opener against East Carolina this Saturday could be a tough match-up. "We're dressing 10 true freshmen and 15 redshirt freshmen," Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer said. "It's a little bit scary ... We lost a couple kids from last year, but we are very impressed with our freshman class." That is not to say Tech has no veterans on the team, but with only a few at each position, the freshmen will need to step up quickly in order to fend off...

BLACKSBURG -- Several thousands people gathered on Virginia Tech’s Drillfield this morning to form a giant message of thanks to the world for its support after the April 16 massacre. Photos of the event are posted on hokiesthanktheworld.org. Dressed in the school colors of maroon and orange, and surrounded by fall foliage of the same hues along the Blue Ridge Mountains, the crowd was arranged to form Tech’s "VT" logo, and under it, "THANKS YOU." At 11:10 a.m., a satellite aimed to capture the image as the thousands waved up at the sky.

AMERICANS BELIEVE that for every problem there is a solution. If we think and work hard enough, we believe we can solve every problem. Of course, we also live with the obdurate presence of contingency and uncertainty. We know that too, for we believe in Murphy's Law. But the media assume that this tragedy was avoidable and start blaming: the administrators were negligent despite the fact that their hands were tied. The gun store should never have sold firearms to Seung-Hui Cho. All relevant information concerning mentally ill persons should be known to the police and to gun store operators,...

Colleges face dilemma deciding fate of mentally ill students http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA042007.01A.campus.mental.health.35bbf82.html http://tinyurl.com/3xtbcl Web Posted: 04/20/2007 12:30 AM CDT Melissa Ludwig Express-News Campus administrators, health professionals and police, caught between federal privacy and anti-discrimination laws and the need to protect their campuses, face a daunting challenge deciding the fate of mentally ill students. Before 23-year-old Virginia Tech student Cho Seung-Hui gunned down 32 students and teachers Monday, his violent, lurid work in a creative writing class sparked a string of efforts to get him help. In 2005, after complaints from two female students that Cho was harassing them and a tip that...

...In modern America, there's always plenty of trauma to go around. Even if you knew no one involved in the shootings, have never been to Virginia and can't tell the difference between a Hokie and a Wahoo, there's no need for you to feel left out. Did you feel sad when you heard the news? Did you ponder, however fleetingly, the mystery of mortality? If so, don't just go on with your ordinary life as if nothing has happened to disrupt it (even though nothing has happened to disrupt it). Honor your grief! Attend a candlelight vigil, post a poignant...

Stuck When I first heard about the Virginia Tech murders I was driving home from work and at that time there was not information about who the shooter was. My first thought was what a sad and senseless tragedy this was, and all I wanted to do was go home and hug my kids. The next morning I found out the killer was Korean and the first thought I had was, Every Asian man in the United States must be terrified right now. And the second thought was When will the retaliation begin? It didn't take long, as it turns...

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - Virginia Tech suspended forward Deron Washington for one game Friday, one day after he appeared to drive his foot into the face of a Duke player when both were laying on the floor. Washington, a starting forward and the Hokies' third-leading scorer with an 11-point average, will miss Saturday's game at Wake Forest. He was ejected from Thursday night's 80-67 loss to No. 2 Duke for a flagrant foul, which came with 1:30 left after he was fouled by Lee Melchionni. Washington said afterward that he kicked Melchionni unintentionally as he was trying to hurry to...

Auburn Clings to Split Nat'l Title Hopes By PAUL NEWBERRY NEW ORLEANS (AP) - In college football, it's never too late to get in some last-minute campaigning. No. 3 Auburn did just that, pitching its Sugar Bowl matchup with ninth-ranked Virginia Tech as a co-national championship game. ``You always have hope,'' Auburn athletic director David Housel said. ``Winston Churchill was right. Never, never, never, never, never give up.'' So, on the eve of Monday night's Sugar Bowl, Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville made his pitch: Auburn (12-0) deserves at least a share of the national title if it beats the Hokies....

Go Tigers! Play your best game and you will beat the Hokies! It's great to be and Auburn Tiger! Best of luck to both teams. May the best team win. War Eagle!

<p>Marcus Vick, a quarterback on Virginia Tech's football team, is the subject of an investigation by the Blacksburg police.</p> <p>Vick's apartment was searched early yesterday morning by police trying to determine if Vick should be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The affidavit for the search warrant says three juvenile girls allege Vick provided alcohol for them and had sexual intercourse with one of them.</p>

With apologies to Dr. Seuss Rhymes for ACC expansion timesOn the Front Row Chris Graham chris@augustafreepress.com Every Hoo in Hooville hated the Hokies a lot, But the Governor, who lived just east of Hooville, did NOT! The Governor loved the Hokies, especially in football season. Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be his priorities weren't in an order just right. It could be, perhaps, that he's been staying out too late at night. But I think that the most likely reason of all May be that his chances at higher office are so...