I got my long-awaited “sucks to be you” letter from UVa today. I wrote to their director of admissions (Jack Blackburn) the day that I was declined, asking why I wasn’t accepted. The response was predictable: There were a lot of good applicants, maybe I’ll apply again and they might accept me then, they hope that I can attend UVa. Of course, if they really did hope that I could attend UVa, they would have accepted me one of the first three times that I applied.
Since I sent my deposit to Virginia Tech last week, I got a letter from them today, in which they referred to me as a “Hokie.” Here in Charlottesville, that is a word that is spat out, a sound to allowed to remain in the mouth for as little time as possible. It is not a word used in any manner other than a derisive one. So it is hopefully understandable that every time that I read this word, directed at me, it is like a small slap. I can only assume that this will wear off. Until that time, every letter that I get will surely contain fightin’ words.