VMI Cadet. April 6, 1973

              VOLUME LXIV Virginia Military Institute/ Lexington, Virginia April 6, 1973 NUMBER 22
MICHAEL AUGUSTUS BURKE
Mike Burke Voted
1973 Valedictorian
Michael Augustus Burke of
San Di^o, California has been
chosen by the Class of 1973 as
their valedictorian for
graduation. Mike is a Dean's
List student, an Honors
English candidate, a career
Private in the Band and the
Regimental Bass Drummer. He
has attended VMI on a four year
Army ROTC scholarship. In
July, following graduation, he
will enter active duty with a
reserve commission in the
Transportation Corps.
Mike has been active in
various extracurricular ac-tivities
during his cadetship.
He was co-founder of the VMI
Theatre and has served as vice
president. He served as the
Band Company representative
to the Intramural Protest Board
and was a member of the
Tankers Platoon. He is the
Outrage Editor of this year's
Bomb and was the Humor
Editor of the Ring Figure
magazine for his class. He is
presently serving as the
president of the VMI English
Society. Mike is also Managing
Editor for the VMI Cadet.
He was chosen by his brother
r a t s in an election
held during the past week.
Several runoffs were required
due to the large number of
nominations. The final runoff
was held on Tuesday and results
were announced late Tuesday
night.
Easter Hops begin tonight,
with a slightly different
schedule than in the past. The
weekend will begin with an
informal concert, featuring the
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,
beginning at 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, there will be a full
dress parade at 12:15 p.m.,
followed by a party at
Zollomans, sponsored by the
third class. The Superintendent
has authorized all men to miss
S.R.C. to attend, and a chicken
dinner will be offered for only
$1.00.
Saturday night, there will be a
formal dance, starting at 9:00
p.m. The dance will feature two
bands, La Belle, and the New
Rythm and Blues Quintet. This
will conclude at 12:00 midnight.
Attendance for two con-secutive
hours will again be
necessary to gain hop
privileges. Doors will open both
nights, at 2045.
Hop privileges will be as
follows:
Friday:
1st 0330 hours
2nd 0300 hours
3rd 0230 hours
4th 0200 hours
Saturday:
1st BRC
2nd 0300 hours
3rd 0230 hours
4th 0200 hours
\ew Market Ceremony
To Remain Unchanged
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
To Perform This Evening
The VMI Board of Visitors, it
was announced by Major
General Richard L. Irby this
past Monday, April 2, has
reached a decision to continue
the New Market Day ceremony
in its present form.
Unanimous Decision
The unanimous decision was
reached sometime during the
course of the regularly
scheduled two-day meeting of
the Board of Visitors on March
30th and 31st. The superin-tendent's
announcement was
held until April 2nd, when he
addressed a meeting of the
Corps and Institute officials at
4:15 p.m. in Jackson Memorial
HaU.
The resolution read: "It was
moved, seconded and
unanimously carried that the
long'standing New Market Day
ceremony will be continued at
the Virginia Military Institute
with its purpose, now as always,
being to honor the spirit,
courage, integrity and devotion
to duty represented by the
young cadets who fought and
died in the Battle of New
Market on 15 May 1864."
February Poll
A survey conducted by the
Corps Posit Committee in
February of this year indicated
a solid maioritv of the cadets in
favor of altering the ceremony
in some manner so that the
observances would no longer be
offensive to objecting cadets.
The- Posit Committee then
submitted a recommendation to
the Board of Visitors. Details of
the recommendation were not
released.
The text of the Superin-tendent's
speech and the
Board's resolution follow:
"As promised, the New
Market ceremony has received
full and careful consideration.
The Board of Visitors has had
made available to it the posit
study, the VMI Cadet
newspaper articles, the letters
from friends, patrons, and
alumni which have crossed my
desk and the desks of the in-dividual
members of the board
as well as alumni officials. As
you all know, there has been a
great amount of expression of
opinion on this matter.
"This weekend the board
viewed and reviewed every
facet of the discussion brought
to its attention before passing
the following resolution:'
"It was moved, seconded and
unanimously carried that the
long-standing New Market Day
ceremony will be continued at
the Virginia Military Institute
with its purpose, now as always,
being to honor the spirit,
courage, integrity, and devotion
to duty represented by the
young cadets who fought and
died in the battle of New Market
on 15 May 1864.
"The board also made this
amplifying statement: "In
arriving at its unanimous
decision, the board of visitors of
the Virginia Military Institute
reaffirms the long-standing
'citzien-soldier' concept, which
is so nobly exemplified by 'duty
above self,' which has b ^ n the
hallmark of VMI cadets since
the founding of the Institute in
1839. The Board further ex-presses
pride in the Institute's
record of equal treatment for all
cadets with any reservations.
"The Board stresses the
I n s t i t u t e ' s democratic
processes and notes with pride
the calm, in-depth discussion of
this matter participated in by
the Corps of Cadets, the alumni,
friends, administration, and the
Board itself.
"Finally, the bonds that bind
all of us together preclude
divisiveness of our VMI unity
for any cause at any time. Our
strength lies in our unity of
purpose, ideals and spirit.
"As you gentlemen well
realize, making decisions is the
hardest thing any individual or
group of individuals can be
faced with. Decisions at any
level and in all walks of life are
difficults to arrive at and
sometimes difficult to accept.
"I assure each of you that in
arriving at the decision
reached, the board has fully and
carefully giyen proper weight to
a l l r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s,
arguments, and opinions ad-vanced.
"Now that a decision has been
made every man here knows
that the state and the nation will
be watching to measure the
reaction of the Corps of Cadets.
At VMI we are all on one team.
Once a decision is reached it is
imperative that we all go down
the line on that decision. That is
the true spirit of VMI.
"In closing, allow me to turn
to history for a moment. On the
even of the Battle of Agincourt,
King Henry, as reported by
Shakespeare, said the following
words:
"This day is called the feast of
Crispian. He that outlives this
day and comes safe home will
stand — tiptoe when this day is
named this story shall the good
man teach his son...From this
(continued on page 2 )
Air Force Major James R. Berger. VMI '«1, is shown with the items
he broght back from his six year stay as a POW in Vietnam. These
items have been donated to the VMI Museum. Major General
Richard L. Irby. Superintendent, looks on. See story, page two.