Like responsible Hokies, the Marching Virginians are practicing social distancing and staying home as much as they can. After a while, though, it’s hard not to feel like you’re going a little crazy. Luckily, many of us have faithful companions to keep us company: our pets! Whether two-legged or four-legged, big or small, furry or not, simply having a pet around is enough to brighten many MVs’ days. From guinea pig to German Shepherd, the pets of the Spirit of Tech are almost as diverse as the Marching Virginians themselves!
Dogs
Clockwise from top left: Church the six-year-old black Lab (source: Evan Fox); Feliz the 12-year-old dachshund (top) and Auggie the two-year-old dachshund (bottom) (source: Sara Elwood); Grady the six-year-old Golden Retriever (source: Brad Lanza); Max the 11-year-old cavachon (Cavalier and Bichon mix) (source: Dylan Guy)
The dog owners have given quite a wide variety of answers to the question “what is your pet doing to keep you sane during quarantine?” Many have credited their dogs for giving them an excuse to get out of the house and go for a walk, hike, or run. Toby the 11-year-old Yorkie, owned by Jordan Downing (piccolo), even went on a “3.2 for 32” walk this year!
Some dogs bring joy by playing the role of study buddy. By keeping their owners company while they study or do homework, their presence alone is enough to brighten the otherwise drab days of many of the Marching Virginians. For Audrey Jones, a freshman piccolo, her dogs Samson and Delilah are great study buddies… most of the time.
Clockwise from top left: Sammie the 11-year-old black Lab mix (source: Emery Poulsen); Delilah the seven-year-old Greyhound (source: Audrey Jones); Brenna the 11-year-old mixed-breed dog (source: Faith Kalten); Archie the 10-month-old Corgi (source: Adam Seigler)
“If someone's outside, their combined howls could rival the band. At that point they get to be more along the lines of distractions than study buddies.”
-Audrey Jones, freshman piccolo
Other dogs like to play or do tricks, including Adam Seigler’s 10-month-old Corgi named Archie. Archie’s favorite toy to play with? Surprisingly enough, a yoga ball.
Clockwise from top left: Finn the 10-month-old Lab/pitbull mix (source: Jordan Downing); Eliza the seven-year-old German Shepherd (source: Allie Schrant); Bunches the three-year-old Sheepdog/Poodle mix (source: Nikki Jean); Abby the eight-year-old Cocker Spaniel (source: Matt Minter)
“He loves pushing the yoga ball with his nose. We would kick it back to him and we would just go back and forth with that. It started with him playing with the yoga ball by himself by bouncing it off of a wall, then he pushed it and missed the wall and we kicked it back and he was so excited.”
-Adam Seigler, sophomore manager
Some dogs even enjoy watching Netflix or TikToks with their owners, providing much-needed cuddles all the while. Most dogs, however, are simply overjoyed that their humans are home all the time, and brighten the days of their owners just by constantly being excited to see their people, or providing entertainment value with their high-energy antics.
Clockwise from top left: Samson the five-year-old miniature dachshund (Source: Audrey Jones); Izzie the 11-year-old Havanese (left) and Mac the two-year-old Mini Goldendoodle (right) (source: Connor Lindsay); Toby the 11-year-old Yorkie (source: Jordan Downing); Reggie the four-year-old Boston Terrier (source: Christin Miller)
Cats
The cat owners among the Marching Virginians are very affectionate toward their animals. Some cats play fetch, some like to curl up in their owners’ laps, and others, such as Anna Bohlmann’s nine-year-old calico domestic shorthair named Lila, try their absolute hardest to keep their humans from getting any work done. For Matt Minter, a senior in the baritone section, his cat Gandalf, a one-year-old Russian Blue, provides something we’ve all been craving recently: structure.
“I think having Gandalf around definitely adds some structure to my life especially right now when I don’t have much of a schedule… having to feed him breakfast gives me a reason to get out of bed before noon.”
-Matt Minter, senior baritone
Clockwise from top left: Sailor the six-year old calico (left) and Seven the six-year-old tabby (right) (source: Cami Kudrna); Lila the nine-year-old calico domestic shorthair (source: Anna Bohlmann); Gandalf the one-year-old Russian Blue (source: Matt Minter); Merlin the six-year-old black cat (source: Faith Kalten)
Other Pets
The living situation for the average college student generally limits the kinds of pets one can own. Most apartment complexes wouldn’t allow you to own a goat, for example. During these unprecedented times, however, many MVs are home with their parents, where the pet options are virtually limitless. Leah Childers, a freshman in the piccolo section, shared a picture of her beautiful Percheron/thoroughbred-cross horse named Cilla, saying this:
“Getting outside to ride has been a nice stress reliever and dose of fresh air.”
-Leah Childers, freshman piccolo
Other unusual pets among the MVs include fish, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. Despite not being able to take these pets for walks, they still bring joy in different ways to their owners’ lives. Elvis the guinea pig, owned by Reagan Bullins (trumpet), Jessica Bridge (clarinet), Kensley Bullins (saxophone), and Erika Wright (clarinet), brings joy through his cute noises and plentiful cuddles. Loki the Black Orchid Betta fish, owned by trombone Jessica Stewart, makes online classes more bearable by following Jessica’s finger as she drags it across the glass of his tank.
In the spirit of being positive, staying at home has given many of us the chance to spend quality time with our pets that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Though our pets likely have no idea what’s happening in the outside world, it’s comforting to know that they don’t really care. They’re just happy to have us home, and willing to give us love no matter what.
Clockwise from top left: Merry (left) and Pippin (right) the chinchillas (source: Michael “Beefcake” Deitch); Cilla the Percheron/thoroughbred-cross (source: Leah Childers); Elvis the two-year-old guinea pig (source: Reagan Bullins); Loki the one-year-old Black Orchid Betta fish (source: Jessica Stewart)