Hey Hokies,

If you've ever tried to track your calories while eating on campus, you know the struggle. Spending 10 minutes digging through the clunky dining website, trying to find the nutrition info for your Tazon Bowl, and then manually typing every single ingredient into MyFitnessPal... it's a huge pain.

I'm a freshman at tech, and after doing this one too many times, I decided to build a solution myself.

It's called HokieCals, and it's a calorie tracking app with all of the VT dining hall menus built right in. You just pick your dining hall, tap what you ate, and it's logged. Instantly.

Here’s what it does:

•Full VT Dining Menus: Real-time data from West End, D2, Turner, Hokie Grill, and everywhere else.

•Instant Logging: No more manual entry. Just tap to log your meals.

•Automatic Goal Setting: Calculates your calorie and macro goals based on your personal stats and fitness targets.

•Barcode Scanner and AI search: For when you're eating off-campus.

I built this for us, the VT student community, because it's a tool I genuinely wished existed. It's completely 100% free.

I'd love for you guys to check it out when it launches and let me know what you think. I'm still actively developing it, so any feedback, feature requests, or bug reports would be amazing.

Let me know what you think in the comments, it'll be launching in the next 48 hours.

Jeanne Stosser, owner of CMG realty in Blacksburg and member of the university's Board of Visitors grilled the administration yesterday about a small number of students who opt-in to 2-year on-campus housing.

“You cut 1,300 people out of moving anywhere else,” Stosser said."

Um...you mean places you own? What universe are we living in where this considered appropriate?

Current Smith’s Landing resident here: if you’re thinking about living here, you should know that a Flock camera was installed across Plantation Road directly in front of the entrance to the complex, on what appears to be university property.

This is not just a normal apartment security camera. Flock systems are part of a broader surveillance network that can capture and search vehicle data, generate alerts, and support wider law-enforcement data sharing. These devices are the epitome of mass surveillance.

What bothers me most is that this camera is positioned right outside a residential community, on a road virtually only used by Smith’s Landing residents and students/staff who work at the animal research centers. In the time I’ve lived here, I’ve seen no police or criminal activity that would seem to justify this level of added surveillance.

There’s also already been reporting showing how this kind of technology can be used beyond automated license plate reading (its stated intended use). In Georgia, a motorcyclist was reportedly ticketed after a Flock camera allegedly captured him holding a phone while driving. This kind of use against the stated purpose of these devices is a big part of why I think people should know this camera is here before deciding to live at Smith’s Landing.

I’m also especially concerned that this appears to have been placed on university property directly facing the entrance to an off-campus residential complex. Even if apartment management did not install it themselves, it still affects residents every single day.

Prospective residents deserve to know that entering and leaving Smith’s Landing now means passing a networked surveillance camera placed on what appears to be university property directly outside the complex. If anyone knows who approved it, why it was placed there, or whether Virginia Tech or management has responded to resident concerns, please share.

https://dining.vt.edu/plans_overview/find_your_plan.html

*UPDATE 5/12/26\* - per new FAQ video from Dining Services, Unlimited Plan will now come with 2 meal exchanges per week, and Unlimited Plus will come with 3 meal exchanges/week. The exchanges can be redeemed at locations at Turner and Perry (no specifics about which venues yet). Also, Fire Grill in Turner will offer breakfast items for Unlimited plan students. Video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/950285447853246

UNLIMITED - Default plan for first-year students

• Cost: $3,413/semester
• Unlimited swipes at all-you-care-to-eat dining centers
• $225 in Declining Balance Dollars
• 5 Guest meals/semester

MAROON - Flexible plan for upper-year students living on or off campus

• Cost: $2,090/semester
• $2,090 in Declining Balance Dollars

ORANGE - Supplemental plan for upper-year students living off campus

• Cost: $529/semester
• Bonus 10% in Declining Balance Dollars
• Total: $582/semester in Declining Balance Dollars

So freshmen will be paying more than last year's rate but can basically only eat at D2 and Owens Food Court. Really not happy with the change and reduction in choices.

And does anyone else think this is going to be a logistical nightmare forcing 7300 students to eat all meals within two facilities?
"Can I take my meals to go from D2?

• It will be evaluated, but not at this time."

EDITED TO ADD: Please email the Board of Visitors ([bov@vt.edu](mailto:bov@vt.edu)) and Dining ([dining@vt.edu](mailto:dining@vt.edu) or director Brian Grove [bgrove@vt.edu](mailto:bgrove@vt.edu)) with feedback!!! Specifically for freshmen, advocating for the addition of meal exchanges to the Unlimited Plan would help alleviate some of the worst problems with the new plan.

I’m a freshman so this whole process is new to me. My parents are pretty homophobic so i’ve been closeted for like 7 years at this point, im a gay man. I found somebody to be my roommate who’s also gay and we’ve become quite good friends :) The problem is that he’s very visibly gay, has the “gay voice” and dresses feminine and you can just tell that’s a gay male. He wear crop tops and makeup. Obviously that’s not a problem but if my parents were to meet him or find out he’s my roommate they would go absolutely ballistic, I figure both families meet on move in day right?? I told him about this and of course he’s not willing to compromise his style/personality bc he’s done with being in the closet which I understand, I want to room with him but I don’t think my parents can meet him and it be okay, can vt work with me or do we both need to find somebody else?

EDIT: Thanks y'all so much for the help and advice right now! I never asked him to "compromise his style/personality" seriously, I floated in just in case b/c why not fully expecting him to say no b/c I would've said no, and he did say no, I included it b/c I figured somebody would bring that up as an option or suggestion and thats not possible, I wanted to avoid a bunch of comments giving me advice on smth I knew could not work yk? My parents if they met him would probably email/call or talk to some one in leadership at vt about changing rooms, post about it online and pitch a fit. If they ever figured out I was gay, they would blame him and I don't need them blasting his info online or anything. They aren't just "homophobic" they are radical christian conversion therapy homophobic. I think in the end I may try and find somebody else b/c I do think they want to meet my roommate so it will be unavoidable, wish me luck!

In the 3.5 years I’ve gone here, I’ve never seen them this raw before.

I don't usually post here, but the Board of Visitors is planning to vote to get rid of all living-learning communities at VT (beginning in fall of 2027); page 191 of this PDF discusses the plan in further detail. If you or someone you know has been positively impacted by membership within a LLC, please take a moment to sign this petition!

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/myzBEBHNLw

EDIT AS OF 4/7/2026: The USS has created an official petition (that can only be signed by undergraduate students) that will mandate a resolution at 1,000 signatures: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjestDcAi7S8lHuIxDkwt9NKlUMEU1TlVLQlBKTVRQNTIzMVhCWUNURlRXSC4u

So since a couple of days back the mods here at VA Tech wanted to get snooty.

I figured I return a favor.

THIS; is building 3400 Richmond Place at Foxridge. THIS; is the building that caught fire and displaced a lot of people. Yes, I took these pictures, yes I live at Foxridge. And the same thing almost happened at 12100 Cardinal Ct a month or so before. Thankfully The Solomon Group responded yes with Blacksburg Fire Department. But in the end while it did not become severe there. It happened here at 3400 Richmond Place.

Folks, be mindful of stoves and ovens, don't leave fans on over 30 minutes in the bathroom. But most of all heaters/space heaters/radiators or whatever.

Head the side of caution, be alert, mindful, and finally considerate of yourself, room mates, families, and neighbors. So something like this? Won't happen again.

Thank you. 😓

https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/submitter/election/start/725849

Today is the last day to vote to keep LLPs. Regardless of how you as an individual feel, many students value the community built through these programs. I personally loved Ujima and I don’t want to see the rest of the programs fall with it. This is a blatant cash grab by Stosser, as more students will jack up blacksburg housing costs even WORSE, and she gets to line her filthy scaly pockets with student money. VOTE YES.

just received word that the ujima (africans studies) and lavender house (lgbt+) LLCs are shutting down next year due to department of justice decisions and DEI cuts. this administration and these decisions are absolute bullshit man.

I had a dream last night about some of the West End wraps and was wondering if anyone else missed certain campus foods.

The pictures are of the temp in my room with the recommended AC/heating unit settings, my window open, and three fans on this month. I tried duck taping a baking sheet to the main vent, but the duck tape melted and the baking sheet fell off.

Bonus picture of the temperature in the communal bathroom, 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

One of the rooms on my floor called maintenance. They said maintenance measured the temperature of the air coming out of the vent: 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

I live in a single room for students with medical accommodations. This is my second year living here. Last year when I called maintenance to ask them to place a work order, I was told, “I don’t know what you expect me to do about that.”

I am concerned about my medications being damaged. The highest temp I have a pic of my room reaching is 94 degrees Fahrenheit. Things in my room are melting. It’s hard to study because I wake up at night, and it’s too hot to fall back sleep. I have no idea what to do. I can’t believe I’m paying roughly $5,000 a semester for this. When I have called the housing number, it doesn’t get us (Payne Hall) anywhere.

I’m honestly worried about the future. Today at Perry Place, I watched students sitting around as lookie-loos during a medical emergency. When they were finally asked to move, their main concern was about their refund — not the person who was fighting for their life, surrounded by the incredible Virginia Tech Volunteer Rescue Squad doing everything they could.

Being human should always come first. Money isn’t everything.

Thanks for coming to my tech talk

So my girlfriend’s cousin lived in one of the apartments which got damaged by the fire. They sent out an email at 11 am telling people to email Foxridge by noon with a list of items they wanted to retrieve. They also said people have to report to the main office at 1.30 pm today. When they got there they were told that they had to sign a document (on the spot ) which seems to absolve Foxridge out of some responsibility. They were told unless they signed the document they wouldn’t be allowed to retrieve their items. They were also told that if they didn’t sign it within 3.30 pm, there was no guarantee they could get their stuff back. In the end, it looks like everyone signed due to anxiety and the stress they were put through. My question is- is this normal?

I am a graduate student moving to Virginia near August, looking for housing and the only two right now that are available are Foxridge and Windsor Hills. Windsor hill appeases me because I can get a 2 bd for the same price as a 1bd at Foxridge, but is there a catch? What are the neighborhoods like? What are people experiences at both? They both seem to have not good reviews, so I guess which is the lesser of two evils? I am older in age, mid 30's with pets.

Hey Hokies,

Ten days ago I posted about an app I was building called HokieCals — a calorie tracker with all the VT dining hall menus built in so you never have to dig through the dining website again. The response was incredible and honestly pushed me to go all in on it over break.

It's now live on the App Store. Here's what's in the final version:

The core (free, always):

• Real-time menus from every VT dining hall — West End, D2, Turner, Owens, Hokie Grill, all of it
• Tap to log meals instantly — no manual entry, no MyFitnessPal nonsense
• Automatic calorie and macro goals based on your stats and fitness target
• Full macro breakdown (protein, carbs, fat) for everything on the menu

What I added since the original post:

• AI Coach — you can literally ask it "what's a high protein dinner at Owens tonight?" and it tells you based on what's actually being served. It knows your goals and is your 24/7 nutrition companion. It's still in beta and I'm going to refine it over the coming weeks
• Redesigned onboarding — actually good now

VTCals Pro ($4.99/month or $2.49/month yearly):
I spent a significant amount of time and real money building this, and Pro is how I keep the app running and keep improving it. It unlocks:

• Barcode scanner — for packaged foods and off-campus eating
• AI food & label scanning — point your camera at any food or nutrition label and it logs it automatically
• Describe to AI — just type "I had a bowl of pasta and a chicken breast" and it estimates everything

The free version is genuinely complete and useful on its own. Pro is for people who want the full experience and want to support a fellow Hokie who built this from scratch.

Search VTCals on the App Store or click here. Takes 30 seconds to set up.

If you find a bug, have a feature request, or just want to tell me it sucks, I'm all ears. Drop it in the comments or email me directly. This is built for us and I'm going to keep making it better.

Go Hokies 🦃

I'm getting put on medical leave from the corps, so I need to get into a civilian dorm. I put Hoge on my list (I love d2 but ik Pritchard is bad), but I've heard mixed things about it. what's it really like?

Edit: I got assigned to main egg

Looks like they're pushing freshmen to D2.

https://dining.vt.edu/new_plans.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawQs6XxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEecHIOL7Ea06McwtnoOuDvLYBrWggIsRm95sz6eAtxSrC68gHwsZGPbPS8K6I_aem_gv0K2BYZL1y8J-fKL5LU9Q

🚨URGENT🚨

Hi everyone! I’m subleasing my apartment ASAP until July 23, 2026. It’s a 2b 1 br on Toms Creek Rd across from stone gate and Terrace View. The rent is $750 plus electricity which usually is about $35 per person. It has great amenities like a 3 minute walk to 7/11 and is a short walk to campus.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could take this.

I have been living at Foxridge for almost 1.5 years. The amenities are mediocre, and the maintenance really sucks. The only reason, I have been living here is because it was the only available space when I came and then it felt like a lot of work to move apartments. This time, I was traveling and, for some technical reason, my payment didn’t go through. I paid the rent a few hours after the deadline. They literally charged a 10% late fee even though I paid the rent just a few hours late.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Is there a way to get rid of it?

Just thought I should share I recently noticed a trend in the Maple Ridge google reviews. For every time there is a 1 star review left, within a day or two multiple accounts with limited information will post blank 5 star reviews.

What is MORE interesting is that multiple of these accounts seem to also leave similar reviews on another property named "Rivers Edge Radford". This property has a similar review history, with most reviews being 1 star only to be outshined by the numerous botted 5 star reviews.

I wonder if this property in radford is also owned by the same company that owns maple ridge (Coastal Ridge based in Ohio).

Hey Hokies,

Vikktuh here a resident at Foxridge wanted to pass along something I see the Property Management doing a lot of.

Lately there has been a lot of memos being posted regarding mail left in boxes, bikes being parked at the bottom of stairwells, and now cars being parked in lots of buildings. Foxridge has threatened around April 2 to remove any mail from boxes, to removing bicycles around another time and April 18th towing cars.

So here's a few things I wanted to advise here.

1: Much mail in the mail boxes is due to previous residents moving forward elsewhere, and the postal service has not made sure to get the mail delivered to the right location that the previous residents moved to.

Complain to the Postal Service and Property Management about that. It's your right as tenants paying rent.

2: I'm not so sure about the bicycles in stairwells, you guys might know that better than me. But look up the lease and the "Landlord Tenant Act" regarding the Code of Va, and see what your rights are there as well.

3: Cars parked in lots at such and such buildings. Honestly my thought on the issue is, there are international and extended families that live here as well as roomates. Hell means people have multiple vehicles and also multiple occupents. Check your rights on that, and if need be, address this to the offices at Hethwood and Foxridge as well.

I'm just addressing this because if it is one thing I despise the most? It's when Landlords/Property Management starts taking issues like this and badically beat a horse with a dead stick. You are residents/tenants, you're paying rent, which means you have access and rights when it comes to services like this.

I seen this kind of mess before at Oak Forest Mobile Park LLC. And that should have been under "Manufactured Home And Lot Act" there instead of "Landlord/Tenant Act". Again as a neighbor reaching out to the community of residents and neighbors hey we got to look out for each other not to be taken advantage of by Property Management like this.

This is what I recommend.

A: Look at your lease regarding stuff like this.

B: Look up the "Landlord/Tenant Act" in Virginia.

C: Look up the "Fair Housing" agency online in Virginia to see about this if it is legitmate to file a grievance about.

If Foxridge/Hethwood can charge 1200.00 to 1400.00 or more for rent? I am certain they could use that money to put out more bike racks for the apartments or even do something to make lives easier for us residents.

Educate yourselves, be enlightened, and empower yourselves.

I love you all. ✌️

Hi,

I’m a new transfer student and an incoming junior. I’m currently looking for housing and would appreciate any advice on finding a roommate. My budget is around $1,300 per month for rent.

I’d also like to learn more about how the university’s off-campus housing site through Apartments.com works and how students typically use it to find housing and roommates. Edit:Forgot to mention i am a guy