Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Change of Command Parade to be held May 2

On Saturday, May 2, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will honor its graduating seniors and its rising senior class.

At the 10 a.m. ceremony to be held on the Drillfield in front of Burruss Hall, the corps will conduct a Pass in Review to honor the Class of 2009 as they become alumni of the corps and to usher in the Class of 2010. The new cadet officers and commanders of the Regiment Command will be passed from Cadet P.C. Gaddis of Hampton, Va., a senior majoring in sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, who will attend flight training with the U.S. Air Force after graduation, to Cadet John Steger of Springfield, Va., a junior majoring in history in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and a member of Army ROTC.

The Skipper, the corps cannon, will be fired at the beginning and the end of the ceremony and the Highty-Tighties, the Regimental Band, will play. The public is welcome to attend and view this culminating event for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Class of 2009.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the Regimental Commander for the fall 2009 semester,” said Steger. “I know that it will be a very demanding position with many unique leadership challenges, but I also know that I will benefit greatly from my experiences as commander."

"I am honored to have had the opportunity to lead the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets this semester, especially when I think back all the way to my freshman year when all I cared about was surviving the day at hand” said Gaddis.” This year has been amazing as a commander using the positive leadership model and focusing on rewarding the people who are doing an excellent job."

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has been producing military and corporate leaders since the university was founded in 1872. It is one of just two remaining military corps within a large, primarily civilian university. The corps holds its members to the highest standards of honor, integrity, and self-discipline. In return, cadets achieve high academic success and a long-lasting camaraderie with fellow members. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results for the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

This article was written by Cadet Jason Oberoi.