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Volume XGVI Run independently by cadets since 1907 Friday, Allj»ust 30 , 2002 $ 1 . 0 0 Number 1 Rats Meet Cadre Minus Push-ups, Corporals Commandant Emphasizes More Focused Training By Glenn Walton fiUKTNews Editor On Saturday, August 17"', the Rat Mass o f 2003 + 3 entered Barracks to begin a journey that will end for some in May o f 2006 as a VMI graduate. Others will not make it that far, but the ones who do will look back on the week they just completed as the start o f it all. 411 new Rats signed the Matriculation Book in Cameron Hall that morning before moving in to their new rooms and changing into gym dyke uniform. While the ordeal facing the Rats was something completely new to them, the veterans o f the Corps saw a plethora o f changes to the experiences they knew from years before. Cadre members had reported to Barracks nearly a week before to train and prepare for that the key “is a training focus that focuses more on inspiration and less on demeaning and degrading activities.” The goal o f Cadre Week, or the so-called “Hell Week,’ was to be training rather than punishing. Rats in need o f discipline were reported At that meeting Hutchings also outlined several other new additions to the week o f training including a climb up House Mountain, Company Athletics nearly every night, a 2.6- mile run on Skyline Drive, a trip to the National D-Day the week ahead. Immediately after cadre returned. Colonel Eric Hutchings, ’77, Commandant of Cadets, held a meeting in Lejeune Hall. In that meeting he laid out the focus o f the week and what he expected of Cadre. He made it very clear that professionalism was the aim o f the week ahead. One o f the most obvious changes to the Cadre Period was a lack o f a physical punitive system. No longer could Cadre drop Rats for pushups when they observed an infraction. Hutchings said through company Tac Officers, and were subsequently counseled by the Commandant’s Office i f necessary. Memorial at Bedford, Virginia, and the culminating event o f the week: the “Rat Crucible.” During the rest o f the week company cadre members were kept occupied by memorizing countless drill blocks, and staff-level cadre members planned each and every event with meticulous detail. All members o f cadre also attended coeducational training, Title IX training, and even lessons on table etiquette. By the time the Rats arrived on Post during the morning o f August n"*, everyone concerned was more than ready.. Rather than having Rats spend a day or more being escorted by Cadet Counseling Staff members while they are issued identification cards and haircuts, Rats met Cadre almost immediately after the Superintendent’s we lcome brief concluded in Jackson Memorial Hall. The Rats said goodbye to their parents and were assembled on Letcher Avenue; they marched down the avenue, through Washington Arch, and into the New Barracks courtyard. Cadre’s Continued on page 5 M a n d a t o r y C o - E d T r a i n i n g By Joel Andrus f iuiTNews Writer This year cadets returning from summer furlough were bombarded with a number o f mandatory meetings. Most o f these meetings were expected, with one exception: a presentation that was given by a group called Triad Consulting. Cadets were not the only ones that were required to attend this meeting; attendance was also mandatory for the entire faculty and staff. The Triad Consulting Group is an international company that “specializes in helping clients navigate complex problems where important values are at stake and emotions run high.” They have worked with corporations like DuPont, Ford Motor Company, and IBM on leadership and negotiation issues, and have also spent a great deal o f time working with the Citadel on its co-edu-cation program. They help them establish policy and act as a liaison between the school and the Department of Justice. While cadets discussed how to keep in line with Title IX and still enforce the Ratline, other members of the VMI family had a slightly different concern. Their issue was gender and racial equality, which received mixed reviews from the faculty. Major Roger Thompson, assistant professor o f English and member o f the Faculty Education Sub-Committee, agreed with the issues raised at the meeting. He remarked that for the most part faculty-to- faculty dealings were good, but that there were still problems which needed to be dealt with. “For people who are willing to listen it can be valuable,” said Thompson. “These issues are important to family, faculty and friends.” Lt. Colonel David Rachels felt slightly different about the meeting. “When it comes to the practice o f this thing,” said Rachels, “. . . I know that we are equals. Why do I need to go to a meeting to be told this?” Rachels was not opposed to the problems being addressed, but thought that it would be much more effective to bring the faculty together and take care o f the problems in-house. He added that he was unaware o f any sort o f problems o f equality among Ae faculty. Many new policies this year come from the newly instituted VLP, the VMI Leadership Program. Major Marti Bissell, Protocol Officer and Acting Deputy Title IX Officer, remarked that this presentation was not originally planned to be apart o f the VLP, but it had many o f the same characteristics as those VLP was trying to implement. This helped Triad Consulting to become more e f fec t ive, Bissell said, since they were following what had been already established earlier in the week. Bissell added that it was essential to bring this group in, as the training cadets and faculty had had in the past did not work and something better was needed. She felt that it was imperative for everyone to be on the same page, from the people in Buildings and Grounds to the Superintendent. S R C S t a t u s C h e c k By Daniel J. Cragg fiUfT Managing Editor The Honor Ctfuit ' week denied the administration’s request to implement a new status check in place o f SRC formation because it philosophically disagrees with the idea o f using the honor code for accountability purposes. The Dean’s office eliminated the evening formation in order to free up cadets’ time so that they can use bigger blocks o f time to study. (See related article “The End o f SRC.”) This also, o f course, frees up cadets’ time to run the block (leaving post without permission). The Commandant’s office wanted to remedy the situation with a status check at 1930 hrs in place o f SRC. “Their intentions were good. It does make sense,” says Honor Court President Chris Walsh ’02, “It is not an issue o f the Corps being dishonorable, but we are looking further ahead. This could be the starting point o f problems in the future [similar to the honor code scandal o f 1994-95].” In that scandal, multiple formations becoming status checks led to eonjusion and cheapened the honor code in the eyes o f many. Walsh does say with absolute certainty, “If we did administer [this check], it would be followed.” If the Honor Court did agree to this status check it would have set a historical precedent. Both the “stick check,” the Sunday morning status check, and the taps status check were requested by cadets to replace formations. The original stick check was an idea put forth by a cadet that essentially said: i f the administration would cancel the 2000 hrs formation, cadets would give their word of honor to be in an all right location when a stick was tapped against their door, or place themselves on report. Canceling SRC formation was not a cadet-led initiative, nor was the idea for a status check. For now, the issue has been decided, but the Honor Court expects the administration to push for this again in the future. I f f 1 s t B a t t a l i o n T a c : L T C R u s s e l R i v e r s ByJohn Thompson.-., flUfTNews Writer A f te r returning from what seemed to be a shor t summer, the Corps discovered that the Commandant’s Staff had inf il trated barracks by converting rooms in the concourse and on the second stoop into of fices for the new Battalion Advi- Deny Flight and has been an administrator, a director o f maintenance, and a flight instructor. His career highlight was serving as a flight instructor. “I l ik e wo rk in g with young people that want and try to be the best,” he explained. LTC Rivers came to VMI just for that reason. He sors. The office located in the concourse is that o f LTC R u s s e l l R iv e r s , USMC Ret. LTC Rivers is the Battalion advisor to P' B a t ta l io n and The Cadet's Faculty In Focus for this week. LTC R iv e r s is from a Navy family, was born in Spain, and grew up in Mississippi. He was in NROTC and graduated from Old Mi s s as an Honor Cadet and c om missioned in the United S ta te s Marine Corps. LTC Rivers, an aviator, has f lown both Cobras and Harrier jets. He has f low n m i s s io n s ove r B o sn ia for Op e ra t ion likes working with people and making improvements. His role is to improve on the regimental system at VMI, which seems to have atrop h ied o v e r r e c en t year s since the abolition o f mandatory commissioning. He speaks very highly o f the Corps o f Cadets and looks forward to wo rk in g with them to get the most out o f their training at the Institute. The placement o f his office in the concourse was “intentionally... to infiltrate barracks,” he explained. “[It is located] strategically in the concourse with the Fifth Yearmen, also b e caus e it provides better access to cadets, and is away from the Continued on page 5
Object Description
Repository | Virginia Military Institute Archives |
Collection | VMI Cadet Newspaper |
Title | VMI Cadet. August 30, 2002 |
Issue Date | 2002-08-30 |
Volume/Number | Volume 96, number 1 |
Publisher | Virginia Military Institute |
Publication History | The Cadet (originally the Keydet), VMI's student newspaper, began weekly publication in the fall of 1907. Not published 1943-44, 1944-45, 1945-46 |
Frequency | Weekly during academic year, except during examinations and vacations |
Subject |
Virginia Military Institute -- Publications. Virginia Military Institute -- Cadet life. College student newspapers and periodicals -- Virginia -- Lexington. |
Digital Publisher | Virginia Military Institute Archives |
VMI Archives Records Group | Publications |
Rights | Materials in the VMI Archives Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use and may be used for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. Acknowledgement of the Virginia Military Institute Archives Digital Collections is required. Contact the VMI Archives for additional information. |
Type | text |
Format | application/pdf |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
Issue Date | 2002-08-30 |
Full Text Search | Volume XGVI Run independently by cadets since 1907 Friday, Allj»ust 30 , 2002 $ 1 . 0 0 Number 1 Rats Meet Cadre Minus Push-ups, Corporals Commandant Emphasizes More Focused Training By Glenn Walton fiUKTNews Editor On Saturday, August 17"', the Rat Mass o f 2003 + 3 entered Barracks to begin a journey that will end for some in May o f 2006 as a VMI graduate. Others will not make it that far, but the ones who do will look back on the week they just completed as the start o f it all. 411 new Rats signed the Matriculation Book in Cameron Hall that morning before moving in to their new rooms and changing into gym dyke uniform. While the ordeal facing the Rats was something completely new to them, the veterans o f the Corps saw a plethora o f changes to the experiences they knew from years before. Cadre members had reported to Barracks nearly a week before to train and prepare for that the key “is a training focus that focuses more on inspiration and less on demeaning and degrading activities.” The goal o f Cadre Week, or the so-called “Hell Week,’ was to be training rather than punishing. Rats in need o f discipline were reported At that meeting Hutchings also outlined several other new additions to the week o f training including a climb up House Mountain, Company Athletics nearly every night, a 2.6- mile run on Skyline Drive, a trip to the National D-Day the week ahead. Immediately after cadre returned. Colonel Eric Hutchings, ’77, Commandant of Cadets, held a meeting in Lejeune Hall. In that meeting he laid out the focus o f the week and what he expected of Cadre. He made it very clear that professionalism was the aim o f the week ahead. One o f the most obvious changes to the Cadre Period was a lack o f a physical punitive system. No longer could Cadre drop Rats for pushups when they observed an infraction. Hutchings said through company Tac Officers, and were subsequently counseled by the Commandant’s Office i f necessary. Memorial at Bedford, Virginia, and the culminating event o f the week: the “Rat Crucible.” During the rest o f the week company cadre members were kept occupied by memorizing countless drill blocks, and staff-level cadre members planned each and every event with meticulous detail. All members o f cadre also attended coeducational training, Title IX training, and even lessons on table etiquette. By the time the Rats arrived on Post during the morning o f August n"*, everyone concerned was more than ready.. Rather than having Rats spend a day or more being escorted by Cadet Counseling Staff members while they are issued identification cards and haircuts, Rats met Cadre almost immediately after the Superintendent’s we lcome brief concluded in Jackson Memorial Hall. The Rats said goodbye to their parents and were assembled on Letcher Avenue; they marched down the avenue, through Washington Arch, and into the New Barracks courtyard. Cadre’s Continued on page 5 M a n d a t o r y C o - E d T r a i n i n g By Joel Andrus f iuiTNews Writer This year cadets returning from summer furlough were bombarded with a number o f mandatory meetings. Most o f these meetings were expected, with one exception: a presentation that was given by a group called Triad Consulting. Cadets were not the only ones that were required to attend this meeting; attendance was also mandatory for the entire faculty and staff. The Triad Consulting Group is an international company that “specializes in helping clients navigate complex problems where important values are at stake and emotions run high.” They have worked with corporations like DuPont, Ford Motor Company, and IBM on leadership and negotiation issues, and have also spent a great deal o f time working with the Citadel on its co-edu-cation program. They help them establish policy and act as a liaison between the school and the Department of Justice. While cadets discussed how to keep in line with Title IX and still enforce the Ratline, other members of the VMI family had a slightly different concern. Their issue was gender and racial equality, which received mixed reviews from the faculty. Major Roger Thompson, assistant professor o f English and member o f the Faculty Education Sub-Committee, agreed with the issues raised at the meeting. He remarked that for the most part faculty-to- faculty dealings were good, but that there were still problems which needed to be dealt with. “For people who are willing to listen it can be valuable,” said Thompson. “These issues are important to family, faculty and friends.” Lt. Colonel David Rachels felt slightly different about the meeting. “When it comes to the practice o f this thing,” said Rachels, “. . . I know that we are equals. Why do I need to go to a meeting to be told this?” Rachels was not opposed to the problems being addressed, but thought that it would be much more effective to bring the faculty together and take care o f the problems in-house. He added that he was unaware o f any sort o f problems o f equality among Ae faculty. Many new policies this year come from the newly instituted VLP, the VMI Leadership Program. Major Marti Bissell, Protocol Officer and Acting Deputy Title IX Officer, remarked that this presentation was not originally planned to be apart o f the VLP, but it had many o f the same characteristics as those VLP was trying to implement. This helped Triad Consulting to become more e f fec t ive, Bissell said, since they were following what had been already established earlier in the week. Bissell added that it was essential to bring this group in, as the training cadets and faculty had had in the past did not work and something better was needed. She felt that it was imperative for everyone to be on the same page, from the people in Buildings and Grounds to the Superintendent. S R C S t a t u s C h e c k By Daniel J. Cragg fiUfT Managing Editor The Honor Ctfuit ' week denied the administration’s request to implement a new status check in place o f SRC formation because it philosophically disagrees with the idea o f using the honor code for accountability purposes. The Dean’s office eliminated the evening formation in order to free up cadets’ time so that they can use bigger blocks o f time to study. (See related article “The End o f SRC.”) This also, o f course, frees up cadets’ time to run the block (leaving post without permission). The Commandant’s office wanted to remedy the situation with a status check at 1930 hrs in place o f SRC. “Their intentions were good. It does make sense,” says Honor Court President Chris Walsh ’02, “It is not an issue o f the Corps being dishonorable, but we are looking further ahead. This could be the starting point o f problems in the future [similar to the honor code scandal o f 1994-95].” In that scandal, multiple formations becoming status checks led to eonjusion and cheapened the honor code in the eyes o f many. Walsh does say with absolute certainty, “If we did administer [this check], it would be followed.” If the Honor Court did agree to this status check it would have set a historical precedent. Both the “stick check,” the Sunday morning status check, and the taps status check were requested by cadets to replace formations. The original stick check was an idea put forth by a cadet that essentially said: i f the administration would cancel the 2000 hrs formation, cadets would give their word of honor to be in an all right location when a stick was tapped against their door, or place themselves on report. Canceling SRC formation was not a cadet-led initiative, nor was the idea for a status check. For now, the issue has been decided, but the Honor Court expects the administration to push for this again in the future. I f f 1 s t B a t t a l i o n T a c : L T C R u s s e l R i v e r s ByJohn Thompson.-., flUfTNews Writer A f te r returning from what seemed to be a shor t summer, the Corps discovered that the Commandant’s Staff had inf il trated barracks by converting rooms in the concourse and on the second stoop into of fices for the new Battalion Advi- Deny Flight and has been an administrator, a director o f maintenance, and a flight instructor. His career highlight was serving as a flight instructor. “I l ik e wo rk in g with young people that want and try to be the best,” he explained. LTC Rivers came to VMI just for that reason. He sors. The office located in the concourse is that o f LTC R u s s e l l R iv e r s , USMC Ret. LTC Rivers is the Battalion advisor to P' B a t ta l io n and The Cadet's Faculty In Focus for this week. LTC R iv e r s is from a Navy family, was born in Spain, and grew up in Mississippi. He was in NROTC and graduated from Old Mi s s as an Honor Cadet and c om missioned in the United S ta te s Marine Corps. LTC Rivers, an aviator, has f lown both Cobras and Harrier jets. He has f low n m i s s io n s ove r B o sn ia for Op e ra t ion likes working with people and making improvements. His role is to improve on the regimental system at VMI, which seems to have atrop h ied o v e r r e c en t year s since the abolition o f mandatory commissioning. He speaks very highly o f the Corps o f Cadets and looks forward to wo rk in g with them to get the most out o f their training at the Institute. The placement o f his office in the concourse was “intentionally... to infiltrate barracks,” he explained. “[It is located] strategically in the concourse with the Fifth Yearmen, also b e caus e it provides better access to cadets, and is away from the Continued on page 5 |