A stack of Virginia Tech Bugle yearbooks, February 9, 2020.
The Bugle, the Virginia Tech Directory and one of the oldest Hokie traditionsrecently announced that it would center its 2022 publication around the 150th anniversary of the university’s founding.
In the spirit of Virginia Tech’s 150th anniversary celebrations of telling stories covering from 1872 to 2022, the editorial staff of Le Bugle decided to give this year’s book an original verbal theme.
“It’s really going to inform our headlines – and I wanted the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary to have a bit of a voice rather than just a design vision. Having a verbal theme will give it a voice,” said Kristen Lewellen, editor of the Bugle.
Lewellen and his team were heavily inspired by Virginia Tech Irving L. Peddrew III Class of 2023 Namesake Ring Video which recorded a condensed account by Peddrew, the first black student admitted to Virginia Tech, about his experience as a barrier-breaking undergraduate in the early 1950s. The video featured Nikki Giovanni, American poet and distinguished university professor in the English department at Virginia Tech, who presented the video with a monologue. Marked with “We knew…” in almost every line, the monologue represented the journey endured by minority students like Peddrew to eventually join the Hokie Nation, live “Ut Prosim” and “be Virginia Tech”.
Lewellen felt that the incorporation of this “We knew…” language into the 2022 Bugle could help him represent the beginning of many untold and retold stories, like Peddrew’s, told during this time of reflection as our campus recognizes the past 150 years.
Because Le Bugle is often not recognized by the student body as the annual records officer, Lewellen’s mission this year is to join campus conversations about the importance of history and tradition through its printing platform.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize it’s (the Bugle) a record and it’s our story,” Lewellen said. “It’s not like, ‘oh, these are 10 people I graduated with.’ This is our story. And a hundred years later, people can look back and say, ‘OK, what happened during the pandemic?’ »
According to Lewellen, a cohesive design vision generally drives the Bugle’s organization and layout, followed by its copy editors’ written content, campus articles, taped news and more. However, the pages of the 2022 publication will guide its readers through important phrases as Giovanni did in his monologue – the titles will also inform important times, places, people and events from some of our most unprecedented amid the COVID-19 pandemic. as well as other reflections related to the 150th anniversary of the university.
Bugle’s 150th anniversary cover design will feature the Coat of arms and seal of Virginia Tech in its upper right corner and “We knew…” in the lower right. The staff opted for its white background as it would be the next logical color choice in the range of Bugles on their shelves.
Lewellen also discussed his staff’s decision to make the 2022 Bugle feel like a coffee table book with more visuals to go along with his powerful voice.
“We went from a less traditional high school yearbook to a coffee table book, so we have a lot more freedom when it comes to being more photo-heavy,” Lewellen said.
In order to document and showcase the work of our own community through its sesquicentennial yearbook, Lewellen is calling on all student and former photographers and writers to submit their work to the Bugle before it is produced at the end of March.
“If you already have something written that you think we (the Bugle) could feature or want to work with us to write something, throw your hat in the ring,” Lewellen said.
By joining the rest of Hokie Nation in its celebrations of Virginia Tech’s 150th anniversary, the Bugle hopes to revitalize a sense of historical remembrance through its 150th anniversary yearbook and encourages students to be part of its project – whether they submit their work or pick up a copy to indulge in the stories told about 2022.
Students and alumni can scan the QR code linked to this story or send an email vtbugle@gmail.comto submit photographs and written content for the 2022 yearbook. Follow @vtbugle on Instagram to stay up to date with Bugle announcements, deadlines, recruiting and events.
Bugle’s QR code that students can scan to access its interest and submission form.
