VMI Cadet. January 29, 2000

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VOLUME XCII
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Number 12
In This Issue
Friday
Sports on page.4
Runnin' Roos on a twelve
game skid.
Wrestlers prepare for Pitt
and The Citadel
Opinion on p a g e .
Mess Hall and
Admin Praised,
Rats accused o f
harrassing women
Features on page 5
Rats raid the RDC, and
other News Briefs.
Next week's regimental
training schedule
Arts & Leisure
Win Free Pizza
Furlough Flicks Reviewed
Skiing with Liam
Humor
Flip over
and find out
' ■ ■
•It'sCadct-crific"
‘ .v«
VMI Expects to
Continue to
Change in the
■New
by Kendra Russell “ G e n iu s
Cabet Managing Editor k„ows no fixed
locality, and is as often bom under a cottage roof
as the dome of a palace; and there are hundreds of
young men whose minds thirst for an education
which they have not the means o f obtaining.”
So wrote J.T.L. Preston in an open letter to
the local newspaper in 1835. Preston was promot­ing
his idea to convert the old state arsenal into a
state-supported military school. One hundred and
sixty-five years later, the Virginia Military Insti­tute
faces a new millennium on the very site of the
old arsenal. Yet in many ways, VMI has come quite
a distance from its humble beginnings in the Spar­tan
existence of twenty-five cadets from Virginia.
As Director of the VMI Museum, Lt. Col.
Keith Gibson, ’77, is in a unique position to com­ment
on the challenges and changes which VMI
has faced in its 160-year history. To many, VMI
represents timeless tradition and an unwillingness
to accept change, but as Gibson pointed out, one
of VMI’s strongest traditions is progress.
Gibson said, “The actual founding of VMI
in 1839 was an experiment in education.” Besides
offering a military lifestyle, VMI provided a col­lege
education for a segment of the population that
was too often discouraged from pursuing higher
education. The curriculum, too, was innovative—
geared primarily towards engineering and the hard
sciences in an age when a classical education still
garnered far more prestige—and VMI was eventu­ally
one o f the first schools in the country to offer
chemical engineering as a course of study.
By 1857, VMI already enjoyed an excellent reputation even outside Vir­ginia.
Gibson related an anecdote about a young man from a prominent Dela­ware
family who wished to attend VMI. Although Henry DuPont’s father had
graduated from West Point with VMI’s first superintendent, Maj. Francis H. Smith,
and maintained a close friendship. Smith had to refuse the young man’s applica­tion
because VMI still restricted enrollment to residents of Virginia. Instead,
DuPont attended and graduated in 1861 from his second choice: West Point.
In 1864, during the Civil War, the order was handed down to a young Union
officer to train his artillery on VMI and shell the cadet barracks. By chance, that
officer was the same young man who had tried to enroll at VMI seven years
earlier. DuPont protested the order on the grounds that a college was not an
appropriate target. However, the Corps had already made its presence felt at New
See Millenium* page 5
Tony Conway/The Cadet
A Rat puts brass outside the room of David Stormont,
who was one of two First Classmen that died last
A Handicapped Corps?
I
I
Rat Scott Brotherton, sitting at his desk, lives a normal cadet life
with a hearing disability. Some question if VMI will be forced to
admit cadets with more severely dehibilitating handicaps.
by Tony Conway
(toilet News Writer
The Vuginia Military Institute’s
Board of Visitors, admissions policy is
still under question. Even though VMI
no longer requires cadets to commis­sion,
the 160-year old school still re­quires
them to meet the amied forces
physical standards of the Reserve Of­ficer
TYaining Coips.
With the decision to accept
women, VMI also chose to maintain
state iiinding. It is the same funding that
also brings the Institute under the regu­lation
of the Americans with Disabili­ties
Act (ADA). The ADA, in afifecting
public institutions, protects people in the
same way they are protected fiom dis­crimination
on the ba.sis of race, color,
sex, national origin, and religion.
Acconling to VMI’s Web page
and school catalogue, the general ad­missions
policy says, “The Institute
seeks to a ^ t young men and women
who aspire to both an academic degree
and a militaiy commission as the hall-maiks
of a complete VMI education.”
It also points out that seeking a military
commission is not mandatoiy at VMI.
VMI’s admissions policy goes
on to define the medical requirements
for applicants. The admissions policy says,
“Cadets must fully paiticipate in all required
activities including the intense fourth-class
year. Institute and ROTC physical fitness
tests, and mandatoiy physical education and
ROrC courses.”
VMI, like the service academies,
holds applicants to strict physical standards.
Every service academy applicant must ac­cept
a commission - for this reason the acad­emies
require that applicants meet the en­try
requirements of the service in order to
gain entry to the academy. Unlike the ser­vice
academies, VMI does not require ap­plicants
to take up a commission upon
graduating.
The ADA says that no individual
nmy be discriminated against on the basis
of disability in the full and equal enjoyment
of the goods, services, facilities, privileges,
and advantages in any place of public ac­commodation.
VMI's admissions policy and the
ADA collide over the point of full use of
tlie services and privileges of a public ac­commodation.
Col. Michael Strickler, ‘71, Direc­tor
of Public Relations, said, ‘To come to
VMI, you have to pass the ROTC! physi­cal;
commissioning isn’t mandatoiy but you
have to be able to peifoim cadet duties. A
See ADA* page 5
2000 Loses Two BR's
by Todd Kennedy
^ b e t Editor-in-Chief
The Virginia Military Institute’s
Class of 2000 lost two of its members to
untimely deaths in the last two weeks
when Michael E. Amann was killed in a
car accident on Friday, Jan 14 and David
Northwood Stormont V passed away af­ter
having waged what was, according
to VMI’s Executive Officer Colonel
Leroy Hammond, ’57, “a long and cou­rageous
fight with cancer.”
Amann, a History major from
Stafford, Virginia, died of head injuries
sustained in an automobile accident on
U.S. 17 near Chesapeake, Virginia, on
his way home from Marine Corps reserv­ists’
drill in Norfolk, where he had re­cently
been promoted to corporal in the
Amphibious Assault Battalion.
Amann was a member of Foxtrot
Company and of the lacrosse team.
B.J. Arvin, ’00, remembered
Amann as “one of the most dedicated
members of F-Troop’s Rat Challenge
cadre_he was so deeply dedicated to ev­erything
he did.”
Liam Connor, ’00, said, “I think
what people will miss most about Mike
was his Kendliness and his ever-posi-tive
outlook on life. Mike always seemed
to find a way to overcome any obstacles
life threw at him.”
Amman's roomate, Chris
Lowrance, '00. commented, "Mike was
a very loyal friend that was always there
when his friends needed hi. He looked
after his friends and would never leave
them behind."
A military memorial service was
held at Quantico Marine Base for Amann
on Wednesday, Jan 19 with 30 cadets
and VMI Superintendent Maj. Gen.
Josiah Bunting III, ’.63, in attendance.
Flags were flown at half-mast on VMI’s
post, and a service was held at Jackson
Memorial Hall on Monday, Jan 24.
Stormont, who had been battling
cancer for over a year, was a Business
and Economics-major-from Duck,
North Carolina. Stormont passed away
Sunday morning, Jan 23, surrounded by
his family.
Keane Jones, ’00, said, “Dave
accepted everything that was going on
and he never complained. He accepted
that this was what God had planned and
was willing to go on to a better life if it
was God’s plan. He was happy with
life, content, and not scared.”
Sam McClure, ’00, added, “He
never complained about anything.”
Stormont’s family intends to
have his remains cremated and to hold
a memorial service Saturday, Jan 29, in
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Another
service will be held at VMI Feb 3.
On Tuesday, Jan 25, the entire
Rat Mass placed their hat brass around
Stormont's room in tribute to the first
classman, and flags are currently being
flown at half-mast at VMI through Sat­urday,
Jan 29.
The Class of2000 had previously
lost a Brother Rat in May of 1997 when
Matthew J. Ko wrach died of heart com­plications
at his home in Northern Vir­ginia.
Amann is survived by his par­ents,
Isabell and Duane Amann of
Stafford, and Stormont is survived by
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. David N.
Stormont, IV, ’74, and a brother, Ryan.
Search for Commandant Under Way
by Angelica Martinez
<tobet News Editor
Virginia M il ita ry In s t i tu te
Commandant o f Cadets Col. James
N. Joyner, ’67, announced on Nov
18, 1999, that he will leave his p o ­sition
as commandant at the end o f
this academic year in order to r e ­turn
to his former postion as the
d ire c to r o f Cad e t A f fa irs . Col.
Robert Green, ’67, will assume the
positon of VMI Post Engineer. Su­p
e r in te n d e n t Ma j. Gen. J o s ia h
Bunting III, ’63, is currently in the
process o f heading up two commit­tees
that will select the new com­mandant
of cadets.
The Special Advisory Com­mittee
was tasked with developing a
list of characteristics and expecta­tions
for an ideal commandant, stan­dards
which have been sent to news­papers
and posted on the VMI Web
page, and will be used as criteria to
interview the applicants . The mem­bers
of this committee include: Col.
William Dabney, ’61; Jo se p h J.
D uB o se , ’96; Col. L e ro y D.
Hammond, ’57; Col. W. Gr ig g
Mullen. Jr., ’76; Lt. Col. Holly J.
Richardson; Maj. Gen. Thomas H.
Tait, ’55; Donny T. White, ’65;
Darryl Horne, ’81; Carter Melton,
’67; and Douglas T. Bates, ’01. Can­didates
are to apply no later than Feb
15, 2000, as a decision is expected
to be announced by March 1.
Amo n g th e c a n d id a te s is
Deputy Commandant Col. Ronald
Williams, ’64, who has a number
o f supporters among the Corps o f
Cadets. During a CTT meeting o f
the en t ire Corp o f Cadets , F irs t
Class President Keane Jones called
on the Corps to sign a petition in
s u p p o r t o f W i l l iam s fo r
Commadant next year. Jones said
that although his class wil not be
a f f e c te d by the c h a n g e , c a d e t s
should push for Williams to take
over as he knows VMI and how the
system works. The petitions were
posted in Sally Port, they were put in
individual cadet's rooms, and even e-mail
went out in support of Williams.
Six hundred and eighty-four
cadets responded to Jones' call, and
of those, 6 6 6 were in support o f Wil­liams
as commandant. This came at
a time when nearly 500 members of
the Corps had already left for Christ­mas
furlough.
"I was concerned about who
they were going to bring in," Jones
said. "I didn't want them to bring
someone in who didn't know what
was going on in the Corps."
Jones turned the results of his
survey in to the selection commitee
in the form of a formal memoran­dum
in support o f Williams.
Jones thought o f the petition
after talking to Williams.
"[Williaiiis] told ine that he
w o u ld be w i l l in g to fo rg o his
planned retirement and remain on
as long as the cadets wanted him."
said Jones.
"I w an te d someo n e who
understood cadets," Jones contin­ued.
K. P. Scott, '01, said, "[Wil­liam
s ] is a s t r a ig h t sh o o te r . I
would rather have him than some­one
else."
A c c o rd in g to C o l .
Hammond, it is a fallacy to as­sume
that things will remain the
same should Col.Williams be cho­sen
as commandant
"He will have to go from
being the good guy to being the
bad guy,” said Hammond.
The actual search committee
will review applications and inter­view
the candidates.. They will then
make their own reccomendations to
Bqnting. The search committee in­cludes:
Brig. Gen. Alan Farrell,
Brig. Gen. Michael Bozeman and
Hammond. The members will each
look over the applications individu­ally
and then choose five or six can­didates
to interview. Bunting's de­cision
will be approved by the Board
of Visitors, and the new commadant
is slated to take over by July 1.
2000. THe new commandant will
mark the fourth commandant in
six years for VMI.
Trebuchet Gets National Recognition
by Devon Miller
<tobet News Writer
Mechanical Engineering Pro­fessor
Col. Wayne Neel was a major
player in NOVA’s recent attempt to
learn about the predecessor to artil­lery,
the trebuchet. PBS will air a
show Feb 1 on the experiment, car­ried
in Loch Ness, Scotland. Two
different camps operating side by
side used varying methods to con­struct
two separate trebuchets.
These catapults, powered by
enormous counter-weights, were the
cutting edge of technology 800 years
ago and permanently changed the
face of warfare. The trebuchets built
during the program were used to hurl
stone balls at a brick wall and were
tested primarily for accuracy.
Neel began ex p e r imen tin g
with sm a ll- s c a le mo d e ls o f
t reb u c h e ts th a t la u n ch e d foil
wrapped packs o f butter and had
worked with cadets and associate Lt.
Col. Grigg Mullen, Jr., ’76, to build
Neel's IVebuchet sitting on VMI
a trebuchet in Lexington. The ma­ch
in e s he re c en tly worked with
weighed in excess of twenty tons.
On the Loch, Neel worked
alongside other trebuchets enthusi­asts
including Hew Kennedy, who
was in the practice of hurling pianos
's Parade Ground last summer
and flaming gasoline drums with his
home-built trebuchet. The opposing
team constructed its trebuchet based
on the ideas of Renaud Beffeeyte,
who is c r e d ite d with being the
w o r ld ’s only full-time trebuchet
maker.