1 50 1 https://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/original/370a3c6d32d0271da79d10123738c6c9.jpg 736d3e0289934830c3226049a1349897 https://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/original/dd2539f47f7448a4503dfdcdf83c4904.mp3 11275356b01537710fa8669f0c0b44f1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource VT Stories Oral History Collection (Ms2016-015) Subject The topic of the resource University history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Ms2016-015 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/thumbnails/spec_forms/PubPermission.doc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Permission to publish material from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.</a> Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. <a href="http://spec.lib.vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, Virginia Tech</a> Description An account of the resource Initiated in 2015 by the President’s Office and managed by faculty and staff in History, English, TLOS, VT Libraries, and the Alumni Association, the VT Stories Oral History Project collects and examines stories, memories, tall tales, tragedies, and triumphs of all members of the Hokie community to help us know our shared history and to make sense of it. At the heart of the project is Hokies interviewing Hokies—largely student-staffed and trained by oral historians, interviewers engage with VT Alumni to learn their history and to make mentoring connections that go beyond the student experience. As we seek to understand why Virginia Tech is top rated in its success in engaging alumni, we highlight the exciting, memorable, historic moments in Hokie lives that have forged strong and enduring connections. Any questions regarding this collection should be directed to Ren Harman, Oral History Projects Archivist, harman07@vt.edu Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. <a href="http://vtstories.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VT Stories</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview. Ren Harman Location The location of the interview. Holtzman Alumni Center Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 1:39:40 Viewer Select which type of viewer is needed for the files OHMS Narrator A person being interviewed during an oral history recording. Matt Winston Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource VT Stories Oral History with Matt Winston Jr., April 6, 2017 (Ms2016-015) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Ms2016-015_MattWinston Subject The topic of the resource University History Description An account of the resource As one of Virginia Tech’s first black graduates, Matt Winston’s father was able to share a number of stories, both positive and negative, about the university. While he did hear stories of his father being called by the university’s president and asked to not attend ring dance so as to avoid stirring racial tensions, Winston was also told stories of the incredible leaders and supportive students within the university. His father told him the truth about some of the hardships he faced at Virginia Tech, but he also made sure to inform Winston of the many positive qualities of the university, particularly in terms of academic excellence. While he was aware of some of his father’s experiences at Tech, Winston, Class of 1990, says that his father wanted him to have the freedom to form his own opinion of the school based on his own experiences there. He made the choice to attend Virginia Tech to receive a degree in marketing management after being contacted directly by Norrine Bailey Spencer, the Associate Dean of the College of Business, and asked to join the university. Since then he has formed relationships within the Virginia Tech community both as a student and a faculty member. As a student, Winston was struck by the beauty of the campus and encouraged by the camaraderie of the students. He was able to enter Virginia Tech’s student body among others that he knew from his high school, allowing him to come in with a previously built support group, and he networked and formed new relationships to expand this support group as well. He remembers the hiring of Frank Beamer and Nikki Giovanni, both of which occurred the year after he enrolled, and he remembers the increase in Hokie Pride that followed after those hires. He can also share stories of watching superb athletes, experiencing nearly every natural disaster possible in Blacksburg, and visiting the most popular dance spots of the time. During his time here, Winston has been able to use the relationships he built to make a difference for the university. He worked with Nikki Giovanni to help create the first black studies program and he and his father both sponsor the mural on the outside of the Black Cultural Center. He also served as the public relations director for the Student Government Association, was part of the original Hokie camp, and worked as an orientation leader. Following graduation, Winston worked at Virginia Tech for eight years before spending 17 years working for the University of Georgia. During these 17 years and the years following, Winston continued his affiliations with Virginia Tech by volunteering with alumni associations, which led him to be given the Distinguished Service Award in 2015. Winston eventually returned to Virginia Tech after being offered a position as Senior Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations, and he has stayed with the university since then. After all of his time here as both a student and an employee, Winston has both seen and exemplified the university’s aptitude for service. He is encouraged by the number of alumni that work to stay involved with the university, and he is proud of the way the university continues to produce fantastic people who do great things in terms of both education and service. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-06 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Permission to publish material from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral histories Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Special Collections, University Libraries, Virginia Tech Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. <a href="http://vtstories.org/2017/08/31/matt-winston-spokesman-for-hokies/" target="blank">Matt Winston, VT Stories</a> References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. <a href="https://oralhistory-dev.cloud.lib.vt.edu/ohms-viewer/viewer.php?cachefile=Ms2016-015_MattWinston.xml" target="blank">Click here for synced audio and transcript</a> archived