The Battalion - April 8, 2019

MONDAY, APRIL 8 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA

CORPS VALUES Part II: Perceptions and experiences of cadet life

Freshmen in the Corps of Cadets wave their 12th Man Towels and yell during the 2018 football season opener against Northwestern State on Aug. 30.

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear readers,

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ast month The Battalion published the first edition of our three part series: Corps Values. This is an in-depth project about the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, which we chose to pursue when we were selected to participate in the Poynter Institute’s 2018-2019 College Media Project.

The program gives extra funds and advising resources to student newspapers to report on a subject of their choice.

Our goal for the project is to tell the full story of the Corps. We want to help non-Corps students better understand the oldest organization on campus and to dispel misconceptions that Corps members often confront. We also want to dig deeper and answer any lingering questions students may

have about the Corps.

We were pleased with the feedback we received after the first editions. Some of this included former students calling the office to learn how to get involved and congratulating us on taking up the subject. Others’ comments were less positive, including emails from people telling us no one was going to talk to us or saying we did not accurately portray the Corps in our articles.

However, we were happy to see all of it because we had suggestions of what people wanted to see throughout the rest of the semester and it meant that Aggieland was taking note of our reporting. We also had students reaching out to be interviewed for stories about their experience in the Corps, and it was great to see how Aggies want to be heard through our publication.

While the first edition covered the history and structure of the Corps, Aggie involvement in various wars and much more, the edition you are currently reading takes a look at the experiences of students in the Corps and different perceptions of the organization.

Our staff enjoyed meeting students who have loved their time as a cadet, but also hearing from others who made the difficult decision to leave was equally intriguing. I believe The Battalion staff has done a great job of displaying what cadet life is like for students, past and present. However, we still have many stories to tell.

The last edition of Corps Values will be released at the end of the semester and will address ongoing issues in the Corps, including instances of hazing. As with our first round of content, we are opening the

door to anyone who has a story to share or feedback to offer.

The Battalion is the voice of the student body, so don’t hesitate to come to us for the last edition of this series. You can email me at editor@thebatt.com or come to our newsroom in the Memorial Student Center room L400.

I hope part two of Corps Values will give readers an inside look at cadets’ experiences and encourage others to speak up if they have personal stories they would like to share. Thank you for reading.

Respectfully, Megan Rodriguez Editor-in-chief

IN THIS EDITION

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CORPS STAFF FEATURES STUDENTS LEADING BY EXAMPLE

WOMEN IN THE CORPS FROM W-1 TO CORPS COMMANDER

BATT STAFF COLUMNS LOOKING BACK ON CORPS LIFE

Check out every article from The Battalion’s Corps Values series and a new feature video on our project website, BattCorpsValues.com

CORPS

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The Battalion | 4.8.19

TODAY’S CORPS OF CADETS Leadership continues to strive for greater diversity among members

By Jordan Burnham @RJordanBurnham The once all-male, non-integrated Corps of Cadets has come a long way when it comes to diversity, and it continues to strive for progress.

Brig. Gen. Joe Ramirez, Class of 1979, returned to Texas A&M as commandant of the Corps in 2010 and brought several initiatives to reinvigorate the organization.

Among those initiatives was a push for diversity among cadets, who made up a dwindling percentage of the university’s overall student body. In 2015, 68 percent of the Corps was made up of white cadets. As of 2018, that number was down to 66 percent.

Diversity does not stop with race. According to Col. Sam Hawes, Class of 1981 and assistant commandant for recruiting, the Corps has gone from nine percent female in 2009 to 17 percent in 2019.

“When General Ramirez got here he set several goals,” Hawes said. “One was to grow the Corps but one of the other key goals was to make the Corps more diverse, more representative of our state and nation.”

Hawes said Ramirez’s personal story as a first-generation Hispanic student who joined the Corps in 1975 played a large factor in recent efforts for an increase in diversity. Some of the methods of implementing these goals have been revising recruitment materials to more accurately reflect the Corps, making some of the previously all-male units co-ed and an increased visits to areas with high concentrations of underrepresented minorities.

“If you really look at the Corps now, we’ve got kids from all over the world,” Hawes said. “Twenty percent of our kids are out of state, we’ve got handicapped students, we’ve got two kids in a wheelchair.”

Women were permitted to join the Corps in 1974, and in 2015, the Corps saw its first female commander, Alyssa Michalke. A year after the integration of the previously allmale outfit E-2, A&M watched as biology

sophomore Mia Miller became the first female mascot corporal, taking responsibility for Reveille IX. “It was weird to me that it was ever a position that girls could never think about being the handler,” Miller said. “That’s so crazy to me, because I feel like it’s something that everybody should be able to do. You know it doesn’t take a guy to walk a dog; anybody can do it. Well, if you’re willing to put in the work, you can do it.”

University studies sophomore Cindy Jezierski will be the 2019-2020 Sergeant Major of 2nd Brigade. She said that despite backlash from some cadets against females in leadership positions and some lingering stigma against women being in the Corps, members of Corps leadership have proven to be supportive of diversity.

“I have a lot people come up to me and show me how they weren’t up for me being in the leadership position that I was in because I am the highest ranking non-commissioned officer in my entire brigade,” Jezierski said. “They were like ‘I don’t really like that because you’re a female and you’re not up for the position. But the leadership in the Corps, they were really supportive, and if they didn’t think that I was up for the position, they wouldn’t have given it to me in the first place.”

According to Col. Glenn Starnes, Class of 1981 and assistant commandant for operations and training, female demographics over the last four years have stayed pretty steady, not fluctuating by more than 2 or 3 points each year.

“You could say that our female population has grown over the years as the Corps has grown, but the percentage has stayed pretty much constant, because as you’re adding more female cadets we’re also adding more male cadets,” Starnes said.

Public health junior Pranav Menon, who is currently in D-1, said he has never perceived that his ethnicity has held him back from success throughout his time in the Corps.

“I’m from a South Asian background, and there’s maybe five or six of us in the entire Corps,” Menon said. “So there have been

Daoud Qamar — THE BATTALION

Students were asked to write what comes to mind when they think of the Corps of Cadets.

Inside and out

Cadets and non-regs discuss student perception of the Corps on campus

By Megan Rodriguez @MeganLRodriguez

While everyone at Texas A&M has a unique college experience, the most evident differences seem to exist between members of the Corps of Cadets and non-Corps students.

For 2,500 cadets, leadership training, waking up before dawn and meeting rigorous fitness standards to remain in the organization completely shapes their time in Aggieland.

However, there are about 65,000 other students on campus who will never wear a uniform to class and often hold a completely different view of the Corps.

So, over the last few weeks I have conduct-

ed interviews with cadets and other students to better understand viewpoints surrounding the Corps. Part of this process was led by Battalion multimedia editor Daoud Qamar whose video project asked students to write one word on a chalkboard that came to mind when they thought of the Corps.

Answers on the board varied greatly. For some, their first thoughts included hazing and discrimination, while others wrote about tradition and commitment. There is not one particular way that members and non-members view the organization. As with anything, there are different life experiences and interactions that have shaped each person’s perceptions, but it is important to take note of what students are saying. There are questions that non-cadets want answered and misconceptions that cadets want clarified.

Kinesiology sophomore Raven Stegall said she appreciates the contributions that Corps

Graphic by Nic Tan — THE BATTALION

Though the Corps has become more diverse, it remains around 10 percent more white and 30 percent more male than the overall student body. (Source: Fall 2018 demographic data.)

some difficulties, but at the end of the day it’s been a really rewarding experience.”

Starnes said Ramirez and the Corps recruiting staff have initiated more reach into the Rio Grande Valley as well as all the way out to El Paso.

“We’ve seen the populations from those two areas increase percentage-wise,” Starnes said. “We have 10 major unit commanders in the Corps of Cadets. This year, three of those members bring to the university but has always wondered if everyone in the organization pursues a military career after graduation.

“I feel like they keep traditions strong,” Stegall said. “If people are ignoring traditions, there is always the Corps that won’t be ignoring them and will be implementing them.”

Finance junior Madeline Sumner has friends in the Corps who she said frequently complain about the challenges of being a cadet. Even so, Sumner said she sees the benefits that members gain from the Corps and their influence at the university.

“I think it teaches them discipline with how early they’re up,” Sumner said. “I don’t know too much about it, but it definitely seems like something I would want to do if I was mentally strong enough to do so. … It has definitely promoted tradition and recognition.

I think whenever people think of A&M they associate that with the Corps and the armed forces. I think that’s a good thing.”

Poultry science junior Sean Cook said that while he sometimes hears students talk about how “intense” cadets can be, his cousin’s membership in the Corps has brought the family closer together.

“Since he joined, it has been a more family thing,” Cook said. “His family started to come up here more and they started to participate in school events like family weekend and football games. They are more involved, and I think that is one thing that the Corps does — is it gets more people involved.”

Even with support from many non-Corps students, member of Squadron 18 and university studies junior Austin Sweeney said there are times it feels like there are barriers between cadets and other Aggies.

“It is hard to feel like a normal student because you are in the uniform, and it feels like sometimes that is all people see,” Sweeney said. “I would encourage people to talk to a cadet because typically they are pretty cool people.”

This distinction from the rest of the student body is understandable since the Corps is a military leadership organization unlike those at most universities. While more than 1,700 schools offer ROTC programs, A&M is the largest of the nation’s six senior military colleges. This sets A&M apart as one of the most prestigious military programs in the nation. SMCs are similar to Military Service Academies like West Point in that each cadet receives a combination of military instruction

major unit commanders are from the same high school in El Paso.”

Despite some common misconceptions about the Corps, the cadets show students from all backgrounds that it is an organization worth joining, according to Hawes.

“People think that it’s an all white organization,” Hawes said. “And those simply aren’t the facts.”

and higher education. However, they are set apart from service academies by the fact that most cadets are not obligated to join the military upon graduation.

The Citadel is the second largest SMC in the U.S., and one in three of their 2,291 cadets earn commission after graduation. At A&M, approximately 40 to 45 percent of the 2,500 cadets pursue military service.

Sweeney said it is common to encounter students who wrongly assume that everyone in the Corps enters the military after graduation and others who don’t realize that the Corps has a lot of different outfits which are all unique from each other.

“A lot of people forget that cadets are people too,” Sweeney said. “I feel like that is partially on the cadets too. I feel like they can do a better job of reaching out to non-cadets, being more involved with the university outside of the Corps because most cadets aren’t and I know I’m not.”

The idea that there is a lot of hazing in the Corps of Cadets is a common misconception, according to political science senior in Company D2 Trey Coley. He said that while there are isolated incidents, the organization as a whole has come a long way since the early 2000s. Along with curbing hazing, Coley said that cadets do their best to uphold campus traditions.

“I think the Corps has maintained the relevancy of traditions,” Coley said. “For example, I don’t know many non-regs who go to Silver Taps but all 2,500 cadets attend. I see a lot more cadets than I see non-regs and that is just a small example.”

Recreation, park and tourism sciences senior Hank Manson said there often seems to be a major divide between the Corps and nonCorps students. After spending four years in the Corps, Manson is now completing his final credits to graduate but said he still feels a connection to the organization and hopes that students in and out of the Corps can see past their differences.

“I think a lot of people think if you’re in the Corps, you’re a Corps guy, and if you’re not then you’re a non-reg or they think about if you’re a traditional student or a non traditional student,” Manson said. “It is good to be proud of what you are, but at the end of the day we are all Aggies, regardless of whether you are in the Corps or just a regular student at A&M. If we close ourselves off to one another, we lose that.”

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The Battalion | 4.8.19

‘Leaders of character’ Three members of the 2018-2019 Corps of Cadets staff describe their personal journeys

Ennis Rios

Adam Buckley Corps Commander

Ashley Ralph Corps Chief of Staff

Deputy Corps Commander

Photos by Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

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rior to attending Texas A&M, political science and Russian senior Adam Buckley had little knowledge of what being an Aggie entailed, yet this did not hold him back from becoming the 2018-2019 Corps commander.

“Truthfully, I had a Marine Corps ROTC scholarship and I was from Houston, so A&M and the Corps just made sense,” Buckley said. “I had no family or friends that had joined the Corps before me, so I knew almost nothing about what to expect.”

Since 2015, Buckley has been intertwined with the Corps.

From Squadron 4 to Corps commander, Buckley said he seized any opportunity to interact with cadets from all across the Quad.

“It’s truly not something I set out for,” Buckley said. “I simply believed that, since the Corps of Cadets is a leadership organization, I had to try and develop myself with as much leadership experience as possible while I have the chance. Once I was selected as Corps sergeant major and Corps commander, I have just tried to put all my effort into improving the lives and experiences of every cadet.”

As Corps commander, Buckley said the gravity of his duties are acute, as he is responsible for the accomplishments and failures of the Corps.

“I am the highest ranking cadet,” Buckley said. “I manage a group of 10 major unit commanders with a chief of staff and a deputy Corps commander, I craft policy for the Corps moving forward and I interface regularly with the commandant and his assistant commandants to speak for cadets.”

Buckley said the Corps has taught him many valuable attributes, including resilience, hard work and a profound sense of character. After his May graduation, Buckley will commission into the United States Marine Corps with an aviation contract.

“The Corps does a phenomenal job of providing a person with opportunities to grapple with difficult tasks and learn from the missteps one makes along the way,” Buckley said. “I truly believe that the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M offers an unparalleled leadership experience for young men and women from around the world, and its greatest strength is its ability to serve as a laboratory in which people can make mistakes, grow from them and craft themselves into the leaders of a generation.”

Buckley said the Corps has shaped who he is today. Additionally, the Corps taught him new ways to interact with people and has shown him how to care about people even while making difficult decisions.

“It’s shown me thousands of different ways to lead and to follow through the cadets that I’ve met through the years,” Buckley said. “Its supported me through the most difficult times of my life, and it’s given me the opportunity to lead a group of people that I truly respect and admire.”

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riginally from Kansas City, Kansas, geographic information systems senior Ennis Rios transferred to A&M from Austin Community College in spring 2017, taking the first step toward his role as deputy Corps com-

mander.

“Before I could even apply to Texas A&M, I had no credentials to get me into a proper university,” Rios said. “I dropped out of high school when I was 18. I didn’t have any SAT scores or ACT scores. I had nothing. I did the military and I did it well, but when I got out, it didn’t get me into college. So I had to take about a year and a half of junior college classes when I got out of the Navy.”

Marking the start of his junior year, Rios joined the Ross Volunteers, a special unit within the Corps. As he transitioned to his senior year, Rios said he had the choice of applying to become delta company’s commanding officer but instead applied for a staff position.

“I was inspired to do something more, to have a bigger impact and a broader reach,” Rios said. “I had my eye set on deputy Corps commander because I think it’s important that the Corps at large is led by someone who looks like them, feels like them, is the same age as them. Since I’m an older, nontraditional student, deputy Corps commander — the right-handman to the Corps commander — felt like a good fit. I could give an outside perspective from someone that hasn’t been in the Corps for the full four years.”

Rios said that although his duties are stated within a short paragraph on paper, creative initiative is allowed. With the lack of explicit guidelines, Rios said he is able to use his own discretion when executing his job.

“I’ve done a lot to bridge the gap that exists between the traditional Corps and the band,” Rios said. “We’re all the same Corps. I’ve tried to step over those lines and do some liaison stuff. If there’s a relationship to be built or maintained with the Corps, then I take that responsibility.”

With the Corps being a deeply rooted tradition at A&M, Rios said there is a lot to be proud of, but a lot that can still be improved.

“The Corps has always adapted to the times, allowing women and minorities, integrating outfits, facing the challenges of mental health,” Rios said. “We still have a long way to go, and we need leaders that are unafraid of going against the grain to lead us into the future. I’ve tried to do that with regard to the way we conduct training of junior classes, but there are miles to go in that and other areas. To the future cadets: Be fearless.

Be the change.”

A

dding to a family legacy, agricultural economics senior and Corps Chief of Staff Ashley Ralph, began her journey with the Corps at a young age as her grandfather passed on his appreciation of the organization to her.

“Part of me wanting big things in the Corps in the first place was my great grandfather because he was the Corps commander in 1923, and my grandfather was an outfit commander,” Ralph said. “When I was growing up, my grandfather always brought me to A&M and brought me to football games. As a kid, I was only exposed to the Corps at A&M.” When Ralph was a freshman, she joined an Army outfit, Company 1, before becoming sergeant major as a junior. Now as Chief of Staff, Ralph said her duties have been amplified.

“I’m the third highest ranking member of the Corps, but my primary job is to manage Corps staff and all of the chains in the Corps,” Ralph said. “We function to create policy and enforce it throughout the Corps. We decide on a vision and decide on policies that we want to implement, and I work with Corps staff so that those become a reality.”

According to Ralph, becoming chief of staff was not on her to-do list.

“As a junior, I was anticipating becoming major unit commander; I was not expecting to be chief of staff, and I actually didn’t want this position,” Ralph said. “After I got it, I was a little shocked, and after sitting back and taking it in for a little bit, I realized that it was the best position in the Corps for me.

It is my favorite position in the Corps that I didn’t know that I wanted.”

Surpassing any notion of a carefree job, chief of staff is a significant role that requires constant dedication, patience and humility, Ralph said.

“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is not to care who gets the credit for things,” Ralph said. “My job is a lot of behind-the-scenes work and day-to-day responsibilities and operations. At the end of the day, the Corps staff is what makes the entire Corps function, so it’s cool to see on a day-to-day basis all of the work that my staff puts in actually come to fruition.”

With roughly 2,500 cadets in the Corps, Ralph said it is rewarding to work through a variety of circumstances, but it can be hard to relay and remind the cadets of her good intentions.

“I am a people person; I like people to like me, and I think that sometimes in the Corps and especially in leadership, people aren’t always going to like you,” Ralph said. “At the end of the day, I hope everyone in the Corps understands that I do have their best interest at heart, and I absolutely love and cherish every single person in the Corps.”

By Kathryn Whitlock @KathrynWhitloc8

Photos by Meredith Seaver and Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION

Biology sophomore Mia Miller was named Mascot Corporal in April of 2018. She is now preparing to pass the leash along to her successor.

Miller reflects on year with Rev First female mascot corporal says it takes a team to care for A&M’s queen

By Samantha Mahler @mahlersamantha Mia Miller has had quite the sophomore year.

As one of the first female cadets in the E-2 Mascot Company, which was an all-male outfit until fall 2017, Miller made history early on during her time at Texas A&M. In spring of 2018, she was named mascot corporal, becoming the first woman to serve as Reveille’s handler. Though she initially joined the Corps of Cadets to fulfill an ROTC requirement for a Marine Corps scholarship, Miller soon learned that the organization had much more

to offer her.

Miller entered into the Corps with a very limited understanding of the organization. It wasn’t until her Freshmen Orientation Week, 10 days before her freshman year began, that she realized what the program was all about.

“It was the craziest freshman year ever,” Miller said. “I thought I was going to come in as a normal college student, and I found out really fast that’s not the way it was going to go.”

The surprises didn’t end once school started, though. Miller had originally planned to be a Guidon for E-2 — the class leader who holds the flag in front of formation. As tryouts approached her sophomore year, the upperclassmen started directing her toward the position of mascot corporal instead.

“The more I studied about the tradition …

the more interested I became in it, and I just kept trying harder and harder to do my best to impress my upperclassmen and make it,” Miller said. “I didn’t come on with the intention like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be mascot corporal next year.’”

Perhaps the biggest misconception about Miller is that she’s a one-woman show.

Though she said she struggled with trying to carry the responsibility herself the first semester as mascot corporal, the most important thing she’s learned this past year is how to delegate small tasks to other members of E-2.

“I feel like most of the time, it’s usually ‘Mia Miller: the first female mascot corporal,’” Miller said. “I’m not the only one that does things for this. My friends help me a whole bunch going to different events and supporting me.”

That’s where Assistant Mascot Corporal Austin Etier comes in. His main duty is to be there for Miller, which could include anything from taking Reveille to the groomer to making sure Reveille is looking at the camera when taking photos.

“We’re first and foremost students, and taking care of Rev is a job,” Etier said. “We need to do homework, go take a test and sometimes Mia can’t do something. If Mia can’t do something, I’ll usually fill in for her for that time period and help her out with whatever she needs.”

One of the most difficult things about their jobs is finding free time. Both have made it a priority to balance their responsibilities within E-2 and their friendships outside the Corps.

“People think the Corps teaches you time management, but time management’s really easy to learn,” Etier said. “What makes her such a great handler is that, from what I’ve known, she knows how to put aside her free time and use that for schoolwork, use that for Rev.” Now at the end of her tenure as Reveille’s handler, Miller has learned how to navigate the responsibility of being mascot corporal.

Where she used to leave for class five minutes before, she now leaves at least 30 minutes early to make sure those who she encounters will have the chance to meet Reveille.

“It’s super cool just realizing that what you do can have such a big impact on people,” Miller said. “Every time I see somebody and they’re super excited for Rev, I’ve got to put on a big smile, even if I’m not having a good day, because you don’t want their experience with Rev to be when you were being rude to them.”

During Parent’s Weekend, Miller will hand her title over to a new rising sophomore within E-2. Though her year as mascot corporal has come to an end, Miller is confident about turning over Reveille’s leash to a new handler.

“It’ll feel good,” Miller said. “Especially being able to help choose the next mascot corporal and knowing whoever you choose, it’s going to be your choice and you’re going to put it in their hands.”

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The Battalion | 4.8.19

Company W-1 was founded in 1974 to allow women to join the Corps. The outfit was originally led by men and did not have female leadership until 1977. Above: W-1 seniors 1987

PROVIDED

By Meagan Sheffield @mshef350 After Texas A&M fully opened its enrollment to women in 1969, it was only a matter of time before they were permitted to join the university’s oldest organization, the Corps of Cadets.

Throughout the 70s, senior military colleges began to lift their restrictions on women joining ROTC programs, including Virginia Tech in 1973 and the Military Service Academies in 1976.

In the fall of 1973, six junior cadets on the Corps Staff — John Chappelle, Steven Eberhard, Daniel Gibbs, Rickey Gray, Frederick Martin and Terry Rathert — secretly came together to develop a five-year plan to incorporate women into the Corps. The document, named the Minerva Plan after the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, would ultimately make A&M the second senior military school in the U.S. to admit women.

Establishing a precedent Originally, the Minerva Plan established one unit, Company W-1, as a detachment of Corps Staff. The Minerva Plan also ruled that all women would join as “fish” no matter their classification. Unit leadership would be supervised by male underclassmen for four years, and women would not be allowed to join the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, wear senior boots, carry a saber or participate in elite Corps organizations.

the Fish Drill Team, and Ruth Ann (Schumacher) Burns, Class of 1977, was named the commander.

Burns came from a military family and attended A&M as a non-reg for a year when she first arrived in 1973.

“I didn’t need the self-discipline, I had the good grades,” Burns said. “I wanted to be part of the tradition that makes A&M different — the Corps. I wanted the spirit, the camaraderie and the leadership opportunities that the Corps had to offer.”

Burns said her father initially discouraged her from joining because there were other ways for her to get a military commission

less than 12 inches in diameter. Previously, they were only allowed to work as “Cookie Crew” or “Water Wenches.”

Women were given the opportunity to wear senior boots in 1980, but Holick’s — the shop in College Station that had been making senior boots since they became a part of the uniform in the 1920s — refused to make female boots. Corps women often had to drive to Houston for their boots instead.

In 1981, Leaugeay C. “Beebe” Barnes, Class of 1982, was the first woman to join Parsons Mounted Cavalry.

Melanie Zentgraf, Class of 1980, joined the Corps in fall 1976, earned an Air Force

From W-1 to the highest levels of leadership

of success.”

In 1990, W-1 and Squadron 14 were disbanded to form the first two co-ed units: Company G-1 and Squadron 9.

Lori Seelhoff, Class of 1993, entered into the Corps as part of Squadron 14. She was moved into Squadron 9 in 1990, and Squadron 5 in 1991 when Squadron 3 and 9 combined.

“Going to Squadron 9 was not too bad,” Seelhoff said. “Going into 5 was more difficult because we didn’t get a chance to meet each other and there was a lot of tension initially.

It was tough, but we knew it was important to move forward.”

Seelhoff was one of two women in the Parsons Mounted Cavalry at the time. She was the veterinary sergeant and officer.

“We always told people ‘I’m not doing this because I want to prove a point to the guys; I’m not here to change things; I just want to participate,’” Seelhoff said.

In September of 1991, a female sophomore cadet reported that she was attacked by male members of the Cavalry, and throughout October, others came forward and shared their own stories of abuse ranging from insults to beatings and rape. However, the original accuser recanted her stories, making it unclear which stories were legitimate.

“I backed up the Cav, and my male buddies realized that I’m here for the unit,” Seelhoff said.

Leading in a new direction Around the turn of the 21st century, women continued to pursue leadership positions in the Corps and were gradually faced with less backlash.

In 1999, Erica (Smith) Ketchen became the combined band commander, the first woman and African-American to hold that position.

Alyssa Michalke became the first female Corps commander in 2015, and Cecille Sorio

A look back on the women who shaped the Corps of Cadets from the 1970s to today

PROVIDED

Ruth Ann (Schumacher) Burns, Class of 1977, was the first woman to commission upon graduation from the Corps of Cadets.

Fifty-one women enrolled in the Corps of Cadets in the fall of 1974. Steven “Don” Roper, Class of 1975, volunteered to be Company W-1’s first commanding officer.

An article in The Battalion published during the first week of drill dubbed women in the Corps “Waggies,” a term that eventually took on a derogatory meaning.

During its first semester, the outfit members were given black name tags in place of uniforms and were scattered across campus in dorms and apartments. It was not until spring 1975 that a female uniform was designed and distributed, comprised of a polyester blouse and skirt, Army green jacket, black beret, black leather shoes and a black shoulder-strap purse.

The Minerva Plan was also altered for the first time during that semester. When it was time for final review, W-1 became an official outfit under the 3rd Battalion so that they would march with the Corps instead of in front with Corps Staff. At that time, outfit membership had dropped to 26 women.

The Minerva Plan was changed again when the W-1 cadets were given their proper ranks that April. Executive Officer Nancy A. Heart and 1st Sgt. Claire-Jean Atmar were the first women in Corps leadership positions beginning in fall 1975.

Also in 1975, the Women’s Drill Team was established as an alternative to women joining

with less resistance. However, according to Burns, he later became her greatest advocate and adviser, even all the way from her home in Pennsylvania.

Burns said she didn’t want to dwell on the negative experiences, but was grateful to those who helped the women even as many people opposed them.

“The male upperclassmen who were our chain of command and our advisers suffered just as much as we did,” Burns said. “W-1 is indebted to those who volunteered and disrupted their lives for leading and mentoring us in those first tenuous years. They deserve a lot of credit for going out of their comfort zones to see the women established in the Corps.”

Going into their second year as an outfit, W-1 was assigned to a dorm on the Quad — Spence Hall or Dorm 1.

W-1 officially became an all-female outfit in 1977 when Burns took the role of commanding officer. According to Burns, she was not the first choice. When she graduated, she was also the first woman from A&M to be commissioned into the armed forces.

“The girl who was supposed to be the commander had to bring her grades up during summer school and did not,” Burns said. “I did well at the six-week ROTC summer camp between my junior and senior year. I think they wanted someone on contract.”

Burns said she didn’t like A&M’s model of integrating women in the early years, but the unit persevered anyway.

“Change is hard,” Burns said. “Seek out those who will support you in your goals. Be positive, and always be grateful for the help you got along the way.”

Fighting for equal opportunity At the end of the decade, more restrictions on women’s participation were gradually lifted, occasionally through intense pressure, and more women took leadership roles.

In 1978, women expanded to a second unit, Squadron 14, and female cadets were permitted to participate in Bonfire cut, as long as they worked in a segregated area and cut trees

ROTC scholarship and became first sergeant in Squadron 14 her junior year. When she tried out for the color guard, she was rejected despite her high rankings. When she attended Elephant Walk as a junior wearing senior boots — a prank often pulled by male juniors during the walk — 20 cadets surrounded her and forced her to remove her boots.

In 1979, Zentgraf filed a class action lawsuit against the Corps in 1979 on the basis of discrimination. The U.S. Department of Justice intervened, and an out-of-court settlement was reached in 1985 that required A&M to actively encourage women to join the Corps and its associated organizations.

In the fall of that year, freshmen Jennifer Peeler, Carol Rockwell and Andrea Abat became the first women to join the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. Mandy (Schubert) Scott became the first female Deputy Corps Commander — the second highest student leadership position in the Corps — in 1987. Scott was also the first woman on Corps Staff and one of the first two women to join the Ross Volunteer Company.

Scott grew up in an Aggie family, and her father was a drum major in the Aggie Band.

She said going to A&M was “always in the cards” for her. Scott remembers seeing an article in the Texas Aggie magazine before she left for college that mentioned a family sending their sons to the A&M Corps to gain leadership experience, while they sent their daughters to the University of Texas.

“I just felt like I would always regret it if I didn’t give [the Corps] a shot,” Scott said.

Scott said other women in her year and before her had also applied to and qualified for the Ross Volunteers, but the class before her had decided to finally seriously consider women for the role.

“I have heard that there were guys in the class of 1986 that said ‘we can’t keep ignoring this,’” Scott said. “Wherever you are — in a volunteer group, in corporate America, in the military — the more diverse the group or the team you have, the greater your chance

FILE

Alyssa Michalke, Class of 2016, was the first female Corps commander, followed by Cecille Sorio in 2017.

was selected to take her place in 2016.

Michalke said she initially joined the Corps because of a scholarship offered to her and did not know much about the organization, which was about the size of her hometown.

Michalke said although becoming commander was not her initial goal, peers in the class above her encouraged her to apply.

“The number one lesson I took away from all of that is that leadership is a service position,” Michalke said. “If you’re not willing to serve, you’re not going to be successful. I honestly would not be where I am at in my life without the Corps.”

Company E-2 was integrated in 2017, giving biology sophomore Mia Miller the opportunity to become the first mascot corporal. As of fall 2018, 16 percent of the 2,415-person Corps was female, and 36 of 44 outfits are now integrated.

Sorio is currently an officer in the Air Force and said she has met female cadets from the 70s who shared their stories.

“Fortunately for me, I never felt like being a female in the Corps was an anomaly,” Sorio said. “The way was paved for me, and I was lucky to be able to stand on the foundation other women before me were able to create.”

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Life after the Corps Ex-cadets discuss why they dropped and how they see the group today

By Hannah Falcon @ hannahfalcon_ Some cadets never receive their senior boots. Some never even receive their Corps Brass.

There are many reasons people choose to drop out of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M. Some simply decide the lifestyle is not for them. Others may face medical problems or disciplinary issues. While every ex-cadet has a unique story, dropping the Corps is not an unusual circumstance. Fifteen to 25 percent of cadets drop out of the Corps their freshman year.

Col. Glenn Starnes, Class of 1981 and assistant commandant for operations and training, said the number of cadets dropping the Corps has significantly decreased since his time in the Corps, and the goal is to continue that trend.

“I started with 20 freshman in my unit,” Starnes said. “Seven of us made it through our freshman year, and that was kind of standard.

Has it gotten better? Yes.” A common reason people drop the Corps is because they realize the regimented way of life is not for them, Starnes said.

“Some don’t like the lifestyle,” Starnes said.

“Some don’t like the regimen of being told to wake up at a certain time, being told to study at a certain time, being told to keep your room up. They wanted to have it their way, and you don’t have it your way in the Corps. You have it the Corps way.”

Angelo Romero, industrial distribution sophomore, was in Squadron 5 for the first semester of his freshman year. He dropped after receiving his Corps Brass because he didn’t want to follow the Corps routine anymore.

“I learned a lot about values while in the Corps,” Romero said. “I found a lot of my

Photos by Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

(Left to right) Industrial distribution sophomore Angelo Romero, international studies senior Tenoch Aztecatl and Spanish senior Cole Rodriguez hold up photos of themselves from their time in the Corps.

personal values, and one of those is freedom. ... I’m much better at doing things if I want to do them, and that’s simply not how the Corps works.”

Tenoch Aztecatl, international studies senior, never wanted to join the Corps in the first place. His parents told him they would only pay his tuition if he was a cadet, but he found out those were just empty threats after dropping out of Squadron 12 in November of his sophomore year. Although he was planning on becoming an officer in the Air Force, he realized he wanted to take a different path, and the Corps was no longer a part of it.

“I was just thinking that if I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, this is not my college experience — maybe someone else who was planning on joining the military, but at that point I didn’t want to anymore,” Aztecatl said.

According to Starnes, Aztecatl’s change of heart is not uncommon. Others who fully intended to join the military realize through their time in the Corps that it’s not for them.

“You also have ones who came to the Corps to get a military contract, then they find out for medical reasons or something else that they’re not going to get a military contract. Well, they don’t need to do this then,” Starnes said.

Coley Lee, now a University of Oklahoma senior, dropped out of A&M and Squadron 4 when he realized his back injury prevented him from enjoying the Corps lifestyle. Lee was on a Sul Ross scholarship, which allows cadets from other states to receive in-state tuition, so he knew dropping the Corps meant he could no longer afford to attend A&M. Right before the beginning of his sophomore year, Lee dropped out.

“I drove down to College Station, and the day before the Corps started again, I left,” Lee said. “I decided, ‘I don’t think I can do this again.’ It was a pretty difficult decision to make, especially one day before the beginning

of school. I ended up taking a semester off and kind of figuring out who I was. I worked full time back home in Oklahoma and then started back my spring sophomore semester at the University of Oklahoma.”

Spanish senior Cole Rodriguez transferred to A&M from Marion Military Institute in the spring of his freshman year after realizing the military school lifestyle was not a good fit for him. He no longer wanted to join the military, but thought joining the Corps in fall of 2017 would help him get connected at A&M. Rodriguez dropped out of K-1 a few weeks into the fall semester.

“The biggest deciding factor was that I realized I didn’t want to commission into the military,” Rodriguez said. “I was like, ‘If I don’t want to join in the future why would I dress up and play army everyday?’ So I dropped out.”

Starnes said some cadets find themselves dropping due to disciplinary issues.

“A lot of it is self-selection; they get in trouble,” Starnes said. “I would say probably over half of those upperclassmen who either leave the Corps or are dismissed from the Corps are for discipline reasons.”

International studies senior Zach Russell was in E-2 before he was charged with conduct unbecoming of a cadet, complicity, physical abuse and harassment. While he was only found guilty of complicity and conduct unbecoming of a cadet, Russell was transferred to Squadron 4.

Russell said he dropped because he didn’t like the way the Corps leadership handled his trial.

“I don’t like the way that the university investigates these sort of things,” Russell said.

“From my perspective, the university looked at it as ‘you’re guilty until proven innocent’ with a lot of things. It was hard for us to prove our innocence. … We also felt that our incident was used as a reason for the commandant and his office to make changes within outfits

that he saw as problematic.”

While Starnes explained that the process of dropping out of the Corps can be as quick as one day, the social aspect of moving from cadet to non-reg seems challenging to some.

Romero expressed difficulty adjusting to his newfound freedom, while Aztecatl said he had a hard time finding where he fit in without the Corps.

“I think it was extremely hard because you’re isolated from the rest of the university,” Aztecatl said. “My experience as a black A&M student, I feel like it was especially hard, because in the Corps you’re not that networked with other black students. Getting out leaves you with no network, especially as a sophomore.”

Some ex-cadets expressed gratitude for their time in the Corps, such as Romero who said it helped him realize who he is; or Lee, who said his closest friends to this day are his Corps buddies.

“I think if you would’ve asked me my freshman year how I feel about the Corps, I probably wouldn’t answer the exact same way,” Lee said. “But I think from an outside perspective and kind of looking at my life and the impact it had on my life, it was a challenge.

It’s a challenge for anyone, but I think it’s a good challenge.”

On the other hand, some ex-cadets came out of their time in the Corps with resentment toward the leadership and the way it was run.

Rodriguez said he thinks the Corps does not do a good job of representing the university.

Russell said while he acknowledges his experience is not the same as others, he feels the Corps is over-glorified.

“I think the university sees the Corps as its crown jewel,” Russell said. “I think there are definitely things that aren’t said about it that are said about other organizations, like Greek life, that the university just turns a blind eye because it’s the Corps.”

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Junior Marine veteran Derrick Calzada, junior Army veteran Patrick Gaume, senior Navy veteran Ennis Rios and junior Army veteran Nikolas Bogost are in Delta Company.

Community beyond combat Delta Company offers veterans a unique community in the Corps

By Jordan Burnham @RJordanBurnham After serving overseas, veterans find community and shared military experience within the Corps of Cadets’ Delta Company, an outfit designated specifically for combat veterans.

The Corps is typically known for creating tomorrow’s leaders and military officers, but in the Delta Company, those who already have experience in the military can continue to serve others throughout their time at Texas A&M. According to Navy veteran and Deputy Corps Commander Ennis Rios, the Delta Company existed during the Vietnam War era but was recently re-established in 2010. There

are currently 18 veterans serving in the outfit.

Delta Company allows both Rios and others to be a part of a community with shared experiences and backgrounds, which keeps them motivated to push through challenges after the military.

“When I got out [of the Navy] and thought about college, it was really intimidating to me,” Rios said. “But some of the stuff that I read or looked up said that veterans need a community to be successful because that’s how we operate in the military.”

Army veteran and sports conditioning junior Nikolas Bogost said he joined Delta company to be with like-minded people who share more than just a living arrangement.

“We share experiences, the same humor, similar interests and it feels more like family than I think most other units would,” Bogost said.

According to Army veteran and history junior Patrick Gaume, members of the out-

fit have served overseas a minimum of three years, which makes incoming fish as old or older than most other companies’ seniors.

“Delta company allows us to come in, specifically focus on our education, as well as gives us the flexibility to maintain our relationships, our lives and our commitments,” Gaume said. “So we have the flexibility to both participate in the corps in a meaningful way as well as do what we need to do without having to learn all of the day-one things.”

Marine corps veteran and electrical engineering junior Derrick Calzada is considered a fish in the corps and said he’s looking forward to living the Aggie experience alongside fellow veterans and other cadets.

“I joined because I missed the structure that the military provided, also more so the camaraderie,” Calzada said. “It’s already another home, and that’s what the military was like.”

According to Rios, one of the biggest challenges Delta Company members face comes

with the misconceptions traditional cadets and veterans have of each other. However, becoming a part of the ceremonial Ross Volunteer Company allowed him to share experiences with cadets from throughout the corps.

“To see how inspired they are to do good things, not just here, but when they leave here, how inspired they are to be good people… It’s really refreshing and really motivational,” Rios said.

Rios said he encourages veterans who have considered joining the corps to speak with current members of Delta Company.

“There is another family outside of your military family, and your new family is just as invested in you being successful here as your military family would have been in you being successful there,” Rios said.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in August 2018, but numbers of members have been updated to reflect current information.

Megan Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief

CORPS

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VOICES FROM A&M’S PAST Former students speak on Corps life

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Melvin Maltz Class of 1947

J. L. “Corky” Frank Class of 1958

Harvey Haas Class of 1959

Harry Brand Class of 1962

Tom Wisdom Class of 1960

Photos from Longhorn and Aggieland Yearbooks

The Corps of Cadets has seen a lot throughout its 143-year history, and Aggies in the Sul Ross Group are living testaments to how traditions have been upheld and how changes have been made in the organization.

The 13,000-member Sul Ross Group, an organization for Aggies who have been graduated for 55 years or more, hosts an annual reunion in College Station. These five former students recount their favorite times as cadets, from Corps trips to Yell Practice, in an audio gallery on BattCorpsValues.com. Log on to listen to their stories first hand and to hear how Texas A&M has changed — and remained the same — over the years.

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Keepers of the spirit Cadets play unique role in traditions, observe many specific to the Corps

By Jane Turchi @ JaneTurchi The Corps of Cadets is famously known for keeping tradition at Texas A&M. While many of the traditions they participate in are observed by all students, there are some which are unique to cadets. From their special role in Silver Taps, to receiving their Corps Brass, Corps members involvement in tradition runs deep.

Corps Brass Culmination The Corps holds the Corps Brass culmination ceremony at the end of November. After three hours of physical training, freshmen cadets receive the Corps Brass that they will wear for the remainder of their time in the Corps.

Philosophy sophomore and member of C-2 Mason Loss said the event is meaningful to cadets because of the unique sense of community it creates.

“Culmination was really big for me because it’s you earning your place in the Corps,” Loss said. “Going through this awful workout that’s just so intense and so difficult but finally getting to the end of that and you’re rewarded with this thing — you feel like you earned it together with all of your closest friends.”

Final Review Final Review is an event where the entire Corps of Cadets assemble at the Simpson Drill Field for a full military review. It is the last official requirement Corps members must complete before they are released for summer break. The tradition consists of two Passes in Review in which Corps student march in front of a reviewing party consisting of various dignitaries and the commandant of the Corps.

The first review of the day is for all Corps students of the school year followed by the second review, in which that year’s freshmen, sophomores and juniors pass in front of the graduating seniors.

At the end of this semester, aerospace engineering senior and Squadron 23 member Matthew Trumm will attend his last final review.

“Final review is special each year for different reasons,” Trumm said. “Your freshman year, you’re no longer a freshman; you’re an upperclassman. Your sophomore year, you’re finally a whitebelt, which gives you more privileges. Your junior year, you finally get to wear your boots and your senior year, you’re finally done.”

Final review is a symbolic time for underclassmen as they honor graduating seniors and take on new roles in the Corps as the year comes to a close, Trumm said.

“Final review is the official ‘Congratulations, zips. You’re done,’” Trumm said.

March to the Brazos Each year, the Corps leads the largest student-led March of Dimes fundraiser in the

country. March to the Brazos was originally held on April Fool’s Day to prevent cadets from playing tricks, but ended in 1912. The event was restarted in 1977. It begins with a nine-mile trek from main campus to the Brazos River, where the cadets compete in various competitions. On their return, the senior class “dies off” and rides buses while next year’s seniors lead the cadets on their return to campus.

“It’s kind of like we’re in our new roles, and we are going to act accordingly,” Trumm said.

Donations gathered as part of the march support the March of Dimes’ work to improve the health of mothers and babies.

“You do the whole thing together as an outfit,” Loss said. “So it really draws you close and brings you together because at the end of the day you’ve walked like 18 miles together.”

Silver Taps and Echo Taps Silver Taps was first held in 1898 to honor Lawrence Sullivan Ross. Today, it is a university-wide tradition to honor students who have passed away. It is held in Academic Plaza on the first Tuesday of the month throughout the school year.

Industrial distribution senior Josh Donnell is a member of the Ross Volunteer Company.

In addition to serving as the official Honor Guard of the Governor of Texas, the RVs are responsible for performing the 21-gun salute at Silver Taps and Aggie Muster.

“There’s nothing like Silver Taps and Mus-

Final Review is a cadet’s passage into the next year of the Corps. It symbolizes the transition to the coming year’s Corps leadership.

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

ter anywhere,” Donnell said. “So I think being a direct part of that and given the opportunity to help in any way is just an amazing part of being an Aggie.”

English junior Nathanael Duty is a member of the H-1 outfit. Duty said that on the day of Silver Taps, freshmen cadets carry notecards with the names of classmates who have died. “[Silver Taps] creates an atmosphere or culture where people value someone after their death, so they take a moment and remember the legacy that someone has created,” Duty said.

Similar to Silver Taps, when a current member of the Corps dies or there is a national tragedy, the cadets have an Echo Taps ceremony at the Quad. The ceremony begins at 10:30 p.m., when cadets line the length of the Quad at attention. A bugler plays taps at one end of the Quad followed by another bugler at the opposite end who echoes the call.

Annual Echo Taps are held in remembrance of tragedies such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the collapse of the A&M Bonfire on Nov. 18, 1999.

Donnell said traditions are more important than many students think because they can connect Aggies throughout time.

“I think it’s important that we maintain these traditions because that’s who we are,” Donnell said. “It’s a joke that if something happens twice it’s a tradition, but I think that there’s a greater meaning behind traditions that people don’t realize.”

Growing the Corps family Recruitment staff uses programs and school visits to bring in new cadets

By Abigail Ochoa @ AbigailOchoa88

Via AggiesJCAP Instagram

The Corps of Cadets has multiple recruitment programs, including Spend the Night with the Corps and the Junior Cadet Accessions Program.

Deciding to come to Texas A&M is a big decision for students, and joining the Corps of Cadets is no different. The Corps recruitment department helps students with this choice and the transition to college life through high school visits, new student conferences and former student referrals.

Assistant Commandant for Recruiting Col. Sam Hawes, Class of 1981, said the first stage of getting a student interested in the Corps begins even before the university accepts them.

The department establishes contact with prospects during the application process, in which students can choose to receive more information about the Corps.

“There are a lot of ways we can find out about a kid being interested,” Hawes said.

“Through the admissions process, our school visits, them contacting us through our website, contacting us through social media, [or] through former students and other people who contact us on behalf of students.”

Hawes said he then tries to get students on campus for a program called Spend the Night with the Corps. The program offers incoming students a chance to see what dorm living is like, meet members in the Corps and see what life would be like as a cadet. Hawes said a major selling point for the program is the ability to dismiss preconceived notions of the Corps and help incoming students realize “they are just like me.”

University studies junior Austin Sweeney of Squadron 18 said he was personally impacted by this program.

When applying to college, Sweeney turned in his transcripts late and had to take a year of classes at Blinn. By the time he came to A&M, he had already essentially decided to join the Corps. However, his experience with the Spend the Night with the Corps program, coupled with the long line of Aggies in his family, solidified his decision.

Once a cadet, Sweeney spent a semester

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets: Keepers of the Spirit & Guardians of Tradition Thank you for cultivating the Spirit of Aggieland for more than 140 years

in the Darling Recruiting Company to help organize Spend the Night with the Corps and said he saw first hand how potential cadets were influenced by this unique type of recruitment.

“I would see some prospects come in who weren’t sure if they wanted to join,” Sweeney said. “They were kind of nervous, and then they start hanging around the sophomores who watch them that night and they have a great time. They realize these people are pretty cool.”

The recruitment office works year-round, trying to recruit high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. The two things they emphasize to incoming students is the university itself and how the Corps might complement their college experience.

As for current students who want to join, Hawes said it’s a simple process. Those interested have to be a student at A&M and have a GPA higher than a 2.0.

“We get a lot of current students who sign up,” Hawes said. “Kids who didn’t know about the Corps or they got cold feet at the end and didn’t join.”

Hawes welcomes 800 to 1,000 recruits every year and said 90 percent of cadets receive Corps scholarships. For him, this is the best part of the job — getting to help students during and before they become Aggies.

“I have the best job in the world,” Hawes said. “My only job is to sell Texas A&M and the Corps. Look out my window; I can see Kyle Field … I get to interact with students every day.”

Hawes said once a student joins, the Corps becomes just as much a family as it is a training program.

“You get to know these kids,” Hawes said.

“We don’t just recruit them and forget about them. We make an investment in these kids.”

Through the recruitment process, Hawes said he enjoys working with “legacies” — families that have had multiple cadets in the Corps — but he believes that students from any background can thrive in the Corps.

“I’m just looking for people who want to be Aggies, who want to develop themselves as leaders and want to develop character and are not afraid to work hard,” Hawes said.

CORPS

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The Battalion | 4.8.19

Henry Mureithi was in I-1 during his time in the Corps.

Meredith Seaver was in Squadron 21 when she was in the Corps.

PROVIDED PROVIDED

On cadet life and lessons learned A personal reflection on a frustratingly enjoyable Corps experience Henry Mureithi

T

@HenryMureithi5

he essence of character is nuance.

Moreover, the path to that nuance often paves its way through the phoenix-like cycle of failure and advancement. No experience that I’ve had (or perhaps may ever have) better encapsulates this than my three and a half years in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.

Whenever my friends, both at A&M and back home, inquire as to my reasons for joining the Corps, they usually accompany their questions with some befuddled facial expression, as if trying to cognitively compute: ‘Why? Why would anyone give up their first full experience of freedom to subject themselves to a Spartan-like regimented lifestyle?’ In all honesty, the answer that usually follows seems exceedingly shallow in the shadow of the solemnity of my experience in the Corps.

When I initially volunteered for the Corps while applying to A&M, I did it in an attempt to avoid my college experience descending into the worst sort of predictability. As a person who always aspires for meaning, simply going to college to get a degree just like a flood of other students seemed like a pointless waste of my time.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I would liken my attitude toward my years in the Corps to Nietzsche’s Übermensch — the character who, in response to hardship and struggle, embraces their reality with relish and gratitude.

I am convinced that the only way to truly appreciate the Corps experience is to not only “embrace the suck,” but also to revel in it.

I am drawn to some of the words that one of my upperclassmen used to repeat when I was a fish. They used to say, “We will never push further than your potential.” Obviously, when you’re dripping in sweat on a hot, sunny Friday afternoon, after you’ve already lost your sense of time and the number of pushups you’ve been subjected to — all this after a week of seemingly unending demands from your upperclassmen on top of your academic obligations — the aforementioned words may ring more than a little bit hollow. But then I made it past the first Friday, and then the next, and the next, and then 10 or so weeks later, the semester was over and I was about to embark on my journey into sophomorehood.

I am never one for clichés, but one can never be sure about the limits of one’s fortitude until one is subjected to a situation completely outside one’s comfort zone. Fish infamously complain about everything (upperclassmen, food, physical training, the weather, [insert other absurd complaint here]). However, as I pushed (both figuratively and literally), I grew. But like the Übermensch, I relished the whole god-damn time of it!

The flavor of demands may have changed year-to-year, but the challenge of the Corps was always constant.

Before you come away with the impression that the Corps is the equivalent of killing the puppies of one’s soul (it is, but that’s beside the point), you have

to remember the Corps also places a premium on, to offer up another cliché, “making leaders.” There is something to be said about living, eating and working with the same group of people day after day — each with their own dispersed responsibilities. It does become a sort of family. A rigid, hierarchical and militaristic family, but a family nonetheless.

That is why, though we often talk about leadership and being leaders, the Corps is uniquely positioned at the task of being a laboratory for leadership.

As I progressed as a cadet from pisshead onwards, I recall being struck by the extent to which I began to care for those assigned under me. It’s more than just acceding to the responsibility that’s been given to you. You actually become invested in the progress of your subordinates. I recall stretches of thought which I would spend just thinking about the best ways not only to assist them in their struggles — may they be physical, academic, emotional or otherwise — but also to help them improve, whatever their level of proficiency and become the best versions of themselves that they could be. It would be remiss if I said I wasn’t more than a tad proud when some of the same individuals that I mentored and guided transformed into exceptional cadets and young adults. We could argue about selection bias and the extent to which my role was determinative, but that hasn’t stopped me from taking a mental bow in self-approval.

To give another aphorism passed on to me that I have used perhaps one too many times, “You can give up on yourself, but I will never give up on you.”

There is also the value of control.

There is no question that the Corps, given its military structure, is given far more latitude by the university in the conduct of its activities and the interactions of its members, to the dismay of Greek Life and other campus organizations. It is in light of this latitude that the oftentimes judicious application of this discretion — by barely legal adults I might add — seems even more impressive. There is something to be said of the of great personal understanding of having power that is rife for abuse, but choosing not to abuse it. You can never really know yourself until you have the power to indulge in one’s worst instincts but elect a different path. I know people who were confronted by this option and chose a less honorable course of action.

I’ve always remarked that the Corps has an uncommon power to bring out the best and worst in people.

This is not to say that the Corps is some paragon of organizational perfection. Like almost all large and aged institutions, Corps life sometimes has a more frustrating side that is typically quite slow to embrace change. And yes, some of this is reflected in the views of some cadets. But in totality, it’s hard to argue that the experience is not a net return several times over for those who choose to embrace it.

I’ve been told that cadets don’t do regret, and I certainly have no second thoughts at the choice I made in committing myself to the Corps lifestyle.

Henry Mureithi is a computer science senior and assistant news editor for The Battalion.

The good, the bad and the ugly Seaver reflects on negatives, positives of time in the Corps Meredith Seaver

M

@MeredithSeaver

y college career has been anything but standard. I proudly wear my Aggie ring with a 17 engraved in it, and I am still planning and praying that I will make it to my intended graduation date of May 2020. The same thing could be said about my nearly four years in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. Yes, I did leave the Corps just before the end of my senior year. No, it was not my choice.

When I introduce myself to people, the fact that I was a cadet isn’t one of the first things I mention. I don’t hide it, but it’s just not relevant. When people find out that I was in the Corps, I am usually met with wide eyes and disbelief. I was taking photos for a story and some jargon slipped when I told them to stand at parade rest. The cadets were stunned. When people ask me about my time as a cadet, I reflect on it happily, although it was bittersweet.

My time in the Corps was cut short, bringing about the large gray area I see when reflecting on whether my experience was positive or negative.

On my first day as “fish Seaver,” I was put into a room labeled “fallout hole” and was surrounded by 20 strangers. A cadet who we would later find out was our first sergeant entered the room and told that the upcoming day would be difficult. He also brought up one of the popular Corps sayings: “Your buddies will marry you and bury you,” ultimately meaning that these strangers were going to become my lifelong best friends. Come senior year, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The unfortunate thing about being a female in the Corps is that — shocker — there aren’t that many. I was only halfway through my freshman year when I had to move to a different floor with another outfit because we were the odd females and they wanted to make room for a set of upperclassmen to move back into the dorms.

As a freshman, you are still trying to prove yourself and become a member of your outfit, and the last thing you should add to that situation is separating someone from their buddy class.

Unfortunately, I was constantly in this situation of not living with my buddies up until my senior year.

The light at the end of the dorm-shuffle tunnel was that even though I didn’t find lifelong friendship in my own outfit, I miraculously managed to find it elsewhere. During sophomore year my best friend, a member of Squadron 17, introduced me to his buddies, and from that point on they welcomed me with open arms. They would let me hang out with them when I was left behind by my buddies or just sitting alone in the dorm. On my 21st birthday, they surprised me and celebrated my birthday with me even though I had no plans to do so.

These are the memories that I hold on to the most.

Not only did they let me into their hallway, but at one point during junior year I met with their entire fish class to make sure they were doing alright.

They couldn’t believe they had met an upperclassman that was kind and openly showed an emotion other than anger. Whenever I saw one of my friends, I thought, “These are the people that my first sergeant was describing my freshman year.” I don’t look too poorly on my dorm experience because without it, I wouldn’t have met the men of Challenger 17.

Most of my negative views of the Corps come from the circumstances that I was thrust into just months shy of my senior year’s Final Review. Second semester of senior year life came to a grinding halt when my buddies served me with papers asking me to leave the Corps.

The Cadet Performance Review Board was one of the most intimidating situations I have ever been in. Just typing about it and recalling it is making my eyes well with tears. Hearing that the members of my outfit testified against me broke my heart. There were only a couple months left of the Corps, and I would not be able to walk at Final Review with my best friends in the boots that I had worked so hard to earn.

One of the main things that was discussed was my health problems and how I was not able to perform the duties and maintain standards of the Corps of Cadets. I did my best to explain my health circumstances, which are also why it has taken me much longer to graduate, but I had passed the point of no return.

The worst part was having the Corps commander, someone that I considered a close friend, deliver the news that I would not be returning. I do not hold anything against her as she was doing her job, but I just felt awful. But one thing she did tell me was that I had great friends that wrote letters of recommendation for me and had incredible words to say about me.

There was a stack of letters the men of Squadron 17 had written on my behalf. To this day, I have no idea what was written in their letters. All I know is that they made an impact on the Corps commander enough for her to mention them to me. Even in my darkest times when I felt alone, they were there in writing and in-person.

Just recently, I found myself trying to explain how I feel about the Corps to a friend of mine. After apologizing for my lack of words, I believe I figured it out. If I had not gone through the previous years of leadership training and growing as a person, I would not have it in me to look positively on the Corps of Cadets. Even though I was removed, I did benefit from the organization for over three years.

To this day, I still set my silverware down on the plate and put my napkins in my lap. I will always make a hospital corner when I make my bed. I can still tell you what the inscription on Sully is. And my senior boots still sit in the corner of my bedroom, collecting dust.

No matter what, I will always hold onto the memories — good, bad and ugly.

Meredith Seaver is a meteorology senior and assistant photo chief for The Battalion.