12 minute read
On Post
Class of 2025 Breakout
Members of the Rat Mass of 2022+3 were awakened Saturday, Feb. 5, at 5 a.m. to begin breaking out of the Rat Line. This year, Breakout was held entirely on post, as rats did physical challenges in the Corps Physical Training Facility and Cocke Hall. They also participated in two rucksack marches around post. The rats then crawled across the Parade Ground to barracks where they removed sandbags blocking Marshall Arch. After one last sweat party in barracks, they received their name plates from their dykes. That evening, the Class of 2025 had dinner in Crozet Hall with Reggie Webb ’75, guest speaker. The class then joined together in barracks for its first Old Yell.—VMI Photos by H. Lockwood McLaughlin and Kelly Nye.
VMI Celebrates December Graduates
Just shy of 40 cadets crossed the stage in Memorial Hall during the commencement ceremony Dec. 21, 2021.
The fall semester graduates and their guests heard from Lara Tyler Chambers ’03, VMI Board of Visitors vice president. Chambers is the founder and co-owner of Tyler Development Group, LLC, an engineering and real estate development group in Richmond, Virginia. She graduated with a degree in civil engineering. During her cadetship, she achieved the rank of regimental cadet captain, serving as the Institute’s first S7 staff, responsible for cadet life and Corps morale. She is a third-generation graduate of VMI.
Chambers offered the graduates tips and recommendations she has learned along the way, including telling them to drink water, have respect for others, and to have a life outside of work: “Keep your day job your day job.” She also encouraged them to never to stop learning. “Learning gets a little easier once you’re away from school because it’s easier to see the relevance.”
Chambers wrapped up her advice with something they’d heard a lot through their cadetships: Never give up. But she also told them to make life fun. “I hope you make lots and lots of goals; just make having fun one of them.”
The evening before was a time to recognize the seven commissionees who were graduating. Three commissioned into the Army, three into the Marine Corps, and one into the Air Force. Offering remarks and administering the oath of office was Maj. Gen. Johnny K. Davis, the 15th commanding general of the U.S Army Cadet Command in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Davis emphasized the intelligence and strength of those commissioning this year across the nation, including more than 800 in December 2021 alone. “We’re in really good hands,” he said. He reminded the seven commissionees to always be positive regardless of circumstances, always love their service and those who serve beside them, invest in the soldiers assigned to them, and stay humble.
Graduates were excited to have loved ones in attendance, as those the year before weren’t as lucky. The December ceremony in 2020 was a virtual event, also recognizing May graduates since they were not able to have a graduation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Cadets toss their gloves in the air after receiving their degrees during the commencement ceremony Dec. 21 in Memorial Hall. Lara Tyler Chambers ’03 was the graduation speaker. During her commencement address, she encouraged the cadets to be lifelong learners.—VMI Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.
VMI’s Support Resources Offer Path to Success
By Eric Moore, VMI Communications & Marketing
“When I was a junior in high school, my eldest brother decided on attending VMI, [and] I distinctly remember I had told myself I wouldn’t make the same mistake of losing my college experience as he had. I’m currently a 2nd Class cadet at VMI—strange how that one worked out.”
Cadet Gabriel Fanjul ’23 is a biology major from Franklin, Virginia. After graduation, he will commission into the Army. Fanjul grew up in a family that valued faith, discipline, and character, and he attended a very small high school.
Though Fanjul initially had no desire to attend VMI, his perspective changed after attending an open house and staying with his older brother.
“Watching him interact with his brother rats, who he had only known for several months, in a fashion that was closer than he did with any of his friends back home was something I wanted,” Fanjul said.
“I decided I wanted to leave college with something more than just a degree—I wanted to see growth in my leadership and resilience,” Fanjul continued. “Growth is not something that takes place in comfort, but instead under tension. It Cadet Gabriel Fanjul ’23 in Memorial Garden.—VMI Photo by Eric Moore. because I was following that mentality.”
Fanjul decided to reach out to one of the VMI chaplains, and they started meeting once a week.
“After that, I realized just how helpful using a resource here at VMI was, and I started plugging myself into every opportunity I could to help with my mental health, religion, and academics,” Fanjul said. “It wasn’t long until I started watching my grades lift as I started attending group study sessions. I learned how to restore my relationship with God. Finally, my mental health returned to normal as I realized I didn’t have to try and figure things out by myself with places like the Cadet Counseling Center on [post] present if I ever wanted to just talk or if I needed help.
“There were resources here at VMI to ensure that I would succeed, but it wasn’t till I started utilizing them that I saw changes in my circumstances,” Fanjul added.
Now, Fanjul is a leader in the Cadet Equity Association and an active member in Ranger Challenge and the club powerlifting team.
Fanjul hopes future cadets will accept the challenge of VMI and be aware of resources of support on post.
slowly became more and more clear to me that no normal college experience would be able to place me under the tension that VMI would.”
Fanjul faced the rigors of the Rat Line, the high academic workload, and the physical challenges of the VMI experience. The pressures wore on him, and during his 3rd Class year, he realized he needed support to succeed at VMI.
“A challenge I overcame here at VMI was being strong enough to ask for help,” Fanjul said. “I created this image and felt like it would get damaged if I asked for help or wasn’t succeeding in all aspects of my cadetship. In my 3rd Class year, I fell into a place of depression, saw my grades plummet, and strayed farther from God than ever, all
“VMI should not be mistaken for a place that magically changes you or a college that promises success,” Fanjul said. “VMI is a place that presents an opportunity for change and a secure future, but it is also the type of place to question you with each of the challenges it presents [and pushes you] to work your butt off for that opportunity.”
Bissell Brings Powerful Message for Women’s History Month
Sharing lessons learned from her experiences from what she called “the family business,” Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Marti Bissell, deputy commanding general assigned to the U.S Army Training and Doctrine Command, spoke to cadets, faculty, staff, and other guests in Marshall Hall March 7. She came to VMI during Women’s History Month as part of the VMI Gender Diversity and Inclusion Program.
Bissell began by describing the influence her family has had on her career. Not only have her grandfather, father, brother, husband, and son served in the U.S. Army, but also her father-in-law and several brothers-in-law. She credits her supportive family and “battle buddy,” husband Col. Gary Bissell ’89, VMI deputy chief of staff and operations, for helping her achieve her professional success. She went on to describe her nearly 34-year journey in the Army as more like a maze than a straight path while emphasizing a maze offers many more learning opportunities than she might have otherwise had. In addition to her multiple assignments in the military, she’s also held roles at VMI, including protocol officer and Title IX officer, as well as assistant chief of staff. Much of Bissell’s talk focused on the idea of the various powers that leaders may have and how misused or mismanaged power can turn someone from a leader to a dictator. Using stories from throughout her career, Bissell discussed how a leader can help, inspire, mentor, and react to their own mistakes and the mistakes of those under them, and how a leader chooses to use power makes the difference between a good leader or a poor one. “Lead, don’t dictate,” she said, emphasizing the power of building relationships. “People will want to follow you.” “What stood out to me was that she found power in not only your own mistakes but also in how you respond to others’ mistakes,” said Cadet Jillian Maher ’24. “Mistakes are inevitable, but how you react to them and recover from them is what’s important.” Bissell emphasized that people in a leadership role often have the power to “move mountains” and make significant change, but change should only be made when it’s actually needed. “People will bend over backward to do what they think you need or you want,” she said. Leaders should not change things just because they have the power to do so, and those helping make change should always understand the why behind it. She also emphasized that leaders should work to leave things better than they were when they arrived and be a coach rather than a cheerleader. Bissell recalled moments in her career when she faced challenges, including difficult language barriers as a NATO officer, soldiers affected by domestic abuse, and lost opportunities, highlighting how empathy, strong listening skills, and avoiding shortcuts have helped her along the way. Bissell credited many people who acted as mentors and champions for her but emphasized that while mentors are nice, champions are better. She encouraged her audience to gravitate toward people with similar visions and values and find champions who are genuinely willing to help and want to see them succeed. As she wrapped up, she opened the floor to questions and reminded the cadets who are about to pave their own paths that “you define your success” and that challenges are only “data points; they do not define you.” When asked to define failure, she stated, “failure only happens when you stop trying.” She often went back to the quality all leaders or aspiring leaders should have: Integrity. Her strict way of defining integrity is, “Would you still do the right thing if you knew you wouldn’t get caught?” Cadet Madison Cappellano ’24 took Bissell’s advice to mean that “life challenges you, and it is the way you redefine your goals that will make you successful,” she said. “Being confident and believing in yourself will earn the respect of your followers in any career path you may choose.” The VMI Gender Diversity and Inclusion Program seeks to promote gender diversity, inclusion, and respect; foster dialogue about diversity and shared values; and facilitate the development of strong, inclusive, and forward-thinking leadership.
Maj. Gen. Marti Bissell laughs with Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent, during her visit to post during Women’s History Month.—VMI Photo by Kelly Nye.
Scott Shipp Hall Renovations Celebrated
The Scott Shipp Hall ribbon cutting was Jan. 29, 2022, in collaboration with the VMI Board of Visitors meetings. The event celebrated a five-year planning, design, and construction effort totaling $43 million. The project included a 28,000-square foot expansion and a complete renovation of the previously existing 68,000-square foot space. Progress could be seen from just about every area of post over the years, including from the home team seats in Foster Stadium. A beloved giant crane in place from fall 2019 until summer 2020 across from Crozet Hall practically became a part of the Corps through frequent social media posts from cadets.
The wrap-up of the most recent expansion and renovations of Scott Shipp Hall came at a time when materials were hard to come by or delayed due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Ironically, when the facility’s groundbreaking took place in summer 1918, material shortages were a problem for the workers then as well due to the impacts of World War I.
In addition to being the home to multiple departments’ classrooms and offices, including history; economics; international studies; and English, rhetoric, and humanistic studies, the building has a photography lab, an art studio, a 70-seat auditorium, and courtyards for outdoor study. In addition, it now holds a 3,600-square foot space for the John Adams ’71 Center for Military History and Strategic Analysis.
Cadet needs were top of mind in the design, and the benefits are already apparent. “In the [international studies] space, our offices surround a central study area where cadets congregate,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Rhamey, Ph.D., associate professor of international studies. “This significantly improves the frequency and quality of cadet interactions. When cadets have a question or concern, they can quickly ask their professors, and the new arrangement has been conducive to a lot of great, constructive discussions outside the classroom.”
Originally named Smith-Shipp Hall, the building, costing about $138,000, was renamed Scott Shipp Hall in June 1921. It was the home to all academic departments except engineering, chemistry, biology, and physics for many years. The building was gutted in 1955 with a two-story wing addition, and a three-story annex was added in 1958. Major updates took a halt until 1996 when the interior space was renovated.
Scott Shipp, VMI Class of 1859, was born in 1839, the same year as VMI. He became a professor, the longest-serving commandant, and then the Institute’s second superintendent. During his time as superintendent, the first electric light was switched on at VMI, the Blue Book was adopted, and he initiated the construction of the first purpose-built library at VMI. He died in 1917. Attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Shipp’s great-granddaughter, Julia Littlefield; her husband, Mo; and their son, named after his great-great-grandfather, Scott Shipp Littlefield.
Scott Shipp Hall was recently renovated and expanded to better serve the needs of the 21st century. The $43 million project spanned five years, including planning, design, and construction efforts. The project included a 28,000-square foot expansion and a complete renovation of the previously existing 68,000-square foot space.—VMI Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.
