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McDew ’82 Rises to the Top In 1978, a young Darren McDew ’82 from Hampton, Virginia, stepped onto the grounds of Virginia Military Institute to begin matriculation day. He didn’t realize that day would begin a journey that would end 40 years later as a U.S. Air Force 4-star general and senior leader in the Department of Defense. According to The Cadet newspaper, “McDew was not always on the top.” “No matter what they did to me, I was too stubborn to leave,” he said. “And then as I’ve grown farther, I decided I was going to be somebody’s good-leadership example.” In 1981 McDew, a civil engineering major, became a regimental commander, setting a pattern of rising to the top that he would continue throughout his career. After his 1982 graduation he was commissioned into the Air Force and began pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. During his nearly four decades as a military leader, his career culminated in command of U.S. Transportation Command, one of ten combatant commands. “If you would have told me as a young second lieutenant in Strategic Air Command, flying KC-135s, that I would one day be sitting in the U.S. Transportation
Command headquarters, I would have told you that you were absolutely out-of-your-mind crazy,” said McDew during an Airman Magazine interview. At his recent retirement ceremony, the VMI alumnus was humble in his remarks about his career, and the people he worked with. “I’ve been blessed to work with many amazing people,” said McDew. “You inspire me every day and I thank you deeply for your outstanding contributions to the defense of this nation.” He credited his wife, Evelyn, for encouraging him to become a better mentor and helping him progress in his military career. “I’m an introvert, but she told me I had a story to tell and I should tell it,” McDew said. “She got me out of my comfort zone and inspired me to help others achieve their full potential, especially during my times as a commander.” McDew concluded his remarks with a nod to both the past and future. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in the United States military, and I will watch eagerly as future generations continue to dream and innovate to keep our nation a global superpower.”
U.S. Air Force Gen. Darren McDew ’82, right, commander, U.S. Transportation Command, shares a moment with U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during McDew’s retirement ceremony at the Scott Events Center Aug. 24, 2018. (Photo caption by Rob Wieland, USTRANSCOM Public Affairs.)
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From VMI Cadet to the FBI: Campi ’87 By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer, Alumni Agencies
On July 6, 2018, the FBI anthe 1987 edition. He was a canounced that its director, Chrisdet assistant for two years and topher Wray, had named Ana member of the Officer of the drew C. Campi ’87 special agent Guard Association in his 1st in charge of the Intelligence DiClass year. A dean’s list student vision for the New York Field during the second half of his caOffice of the FBI. Immediately detship, Campi also was a Disprevious to this job, Campi was tinguished Military Graduate. a deputy assistant director in the In the Army, he was an attack Counterintelligence Division at helicopter pilot, flying the AH-1 Campi ’87 FBI headquarters. Campi has Cobra. In Operation Desert served in the FBI since 1997, joining afShield/Desert Storm, he flew with the ter 10 years of service as an officer in the 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, which was U.S. Army. the division cavalry squadron for the 3rd He was attracted to VMI because of an Armored Division. Later in Somalia he encounter he had with a cadet from his commanded Bravo Company, 2nd Bathometown in late 1982. The then-cadet, talion, 25th Attack Helicopter Battalion Dan McGuire ’83, was home for Christwhich was part of the 10th Mountain mas furlough. When Campi asked McDivision. Guire how he thought he had performed He decided to transition to the FBI in on his final exams, he was surprised by 1997 after receiving orders for an unacthe response: McGuire told him that, companied tour in Korea. “I had just under the rules of the Honor Code, he recently returned from just shy of a year could not discuss his final exams until in Somalia and did not want to be away the exam period ended at VMI. “That from my family again for so long.” For intrigued me, so I looked into VMI and Campi, the shift between the Army and went down on a visitation weekend,” rethe FBI was made easier for two reasons. called Campi. “When cadets challenged “It allowed me to continue to serve my me not to come to VMI, I took that as country, and the FBI’s mission was comthey were protecting their school. Little pelling to me. The oath we take in the did I know.” FBI is the same as the commissioning Campi “really liked” what he saw oath; so, I saw it as a natural continuation that weekend – an impression perhaps of what I was already doing, I just would heightened by the fact that, by the time not be in uniform.” he visited, the Rat Line had ended. FurCampi’s first assignment with the FBI thermore, Campi remembers, “I knew I was to its New York Field Office, where wanted to serve in the military.” With his he investigated counterintelligence and parents’ support, he decided to enroll at counterterrorism matters. Although he VMI. has served in various field offices and As a cadet, Campi studied economics been involved in a number of criminal and participated in many activities. He cases, his specialty has been in counterwas a member of the VMI firefighters intelligence and counterterrorism. When and was the cadet-in-charge his 1st Class asked what drew him to that field, he year. As a three-year member of the staff responded, “My last assignment in the of The Bomb, he served as the editor of Army was at Fort Leavenworth, where
I was trained to replicate Soviet military doctrine to better prepare division and corps staffs for future land-air battles. When I was assigned to the New York Field Office, I was placed on the Russian Military Counterintelligence Squad. I believe they saw a correlation between my military training and the threat posed by the intelligence apparatus of the Russian military assigned in the United Nations.” In response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Campi was placed on a terrorism squad and then another squad focused on investigating attacks using anthrax sent via mail. “My experience in CI and CT led to leadership opportunities within those two fields. I found the work to be challenging and rewarding, so I never sought to change.” In 2007, Campi was promoted to supervisory senior resident agent of the Newark Field Office, Trenton Resident Agency. In 2013, Campi was selected to serve as an assistant special agent in charge of the Newark Field Office. In that position, he served in several capacities: in 2013, he oversaw the Intelligence Branch; from 2013-15, he oversaw the Administrative Branch; and, from 2015-16, he oversaw the National Security Branch. During that time, he commanded the Tactical Operations Center during Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and led a counterterrorism program aimed at ISIS and al-Qaida. In 2016, Campi was promoted to the Senior Executive Service and became the senior FBI representative to the CIA’s Counterespionage Group. In this position, he was responsible for overseeing all joint FBI-CIA counterespionage investigations. In 2017, he was promoted to section chief in the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.
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September 2018
When many people think of espionage, they associate it with national capitals or some exotic locales rather than New York. But, according to Campi, there are good reasons for a major counterintelligence presence in that city. The first is the United Nations and the missions to it. “The U.N.,” he explains, “provides all member countries the opportunity to place intelligence officers in the United States, and that poses a constant threat to our country.” The second reason is Wall Street. “Economic security is national security, and New York is home to the world’s leading financial district.” According to Campi, the FBI communicates constantly with all of the major financial firms to keep them aware of the threats. Campi continued, “I don’t think people realize how much damage is caused by industrial espionage and economic
espionage. We always say, ‘Bank robberies impact communities. Espionage impacts generations.’ We are under constant attack by our adversaries who are trying to erase our technological advantage. If they can steal the technology, they can eliminate years of research and development – and the costs associated with it. We have to remain vigilant in protecting our secrets in terms of proprietary information and sensitive technologies.” Although he has been out of barracks for more than 30 years, Campi asserts that he still applied a lot of what he learned as a cadet to his work with the FBI. “Two things on a personal level: Don’t sweat the small stuff and time management.” In terms of leadership lessons he took from VMI, he says, “None of us are successful by ourselves. Breakout required us to work together to achieve
a common goal. The same is true both in the military and the FBI. You have to trust in those with whom you work, delegate based on skills and abilities, check on progress, provide feedback and continuously strive for improvement, both in ourselves and our teammates. The most important aspect of being a leader is personal integrity. If you aren’t honest with your team, they will see right through you and never place trust in you again. VMI exemplifies integrity. As I learned from Dan McGuire before I even visited VMI, the honor system is at the core of why the VMI system works.” Finally, he pointed to the ethos of service that the Institute instills. “There are almost 70 alumni working in the FBI. That speaks volumes about the citizen-soldiers VMI continues to produce: Men and women who want to serve their country.”
2018-19 Basketball Schedule Announced A matchup with the University of Kentucky and four first-time opponents highlight the 2018-19 VMI basketball schedule. The Keydets will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, Sunday, Nov. 18, to face the Wildcats in Rupp Arena. It will be the first meeting between the teams since the 200809 opener when VMI knocked off Kentucky at Rupp Arena, 111-103. The 2018-19 slate also features four new opponents as the Keydets face Goucher, USC Upstate, Kentucky Christian and North Alabama at Cameron Hall in Lexington. VMI will open the season Nov. 6
against Goucher and begins Southern Conference action at Chattanooga Dec. 9. VMI will renew its most played rivalry in hoops history Dec. 5 when it faces Virginia Tech in Blacksburg for the 135th time in the series. The Keydets will face another ACC school at Pittsburgh Nov. 9 in the first meeting with the Panthers since the 2011-12 campaign. The Keydets will also travel to DeLand, Florida, Nov. 23 to square off against Stetson in the first meeting between the schools since 1979. Tickets will go on sale later in the fall. Information and orders can be accessed at www.vmitickets.com.
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Gillan ’19 Completes SERE School By Molly Rolon, Assistant Editor, VMI Alumni Agencies
Gillan ’19 Cadet Hannah Gillan ’19 completed the U.S. Army’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, June 24, 2018. In a SERE class of more than 70, she was one of six females and the only female cadet. Last spring, Gillan, who will commission as a second lieutenant in spring 2019, found out through the military science department that there were a few SERE school slots open to ROTC cadets nationwide. SERE school is a requirement for all Army aviators, and Gillan, who said she “wanted to fly more than anything,” and noted, “It would be nice to get SERE out of the way if I could,” decided to apply even though chances of her getting the slot were small. SERE students learn – as the school’s name states – endurance techniques in
case they find themselves behind enemy lines, or captured by enemy forces. The focal point of the school is the military code of conduct, an ethical guide for military personnel to use when evading capture, resisting while a prisoner of war or escaping from enemy forces. For obvious reasons, students are not allowed to disclose the exact nature of their training, but military urban legend calls SERE school a compilation of some of the most difficult training the military can cram into three weeks. The school is physically challenging, but the mental aspect may be the most difficult part: Students cannot talk about most of the training they endure, so preparation consists of good physical conditioning, and following the packing list. “There’s only so much you can prepare when you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Gillan said. “We are all about working out [at VMI] and being in shape. Other than that, it was more about making sure I had all the supplies I needed before I traveled down there.” Gillan’s packing list included “personal survival kits … tinder, fishing hooks and lines,” and – of course – uniforms. She credits both VMI and Army ROTC with giving her the foundation to succeed at SERE school. “I honestly felt that VMI ... and our Army ROTC department prepared me to the utmost. I don’t think there was anything further I could have done before I got in,” Gillan said. Gillan has been a member of Army ROTC’s varsity sport – the ranger challenge team – for the past few years, said Col. Mike Wawrzyniak, head of the military science department. Participating in ranger challenge – a physically and mentally demanding team that combines multiple military events, including a physical
fitness test and land navigation – helped prepare Gillan for SERE school, Wawrzyniak said, calling Gillan “physically and mentally tough.” Army ROTC cadets do not receive their accessions results – when the Army tells cadets what branch they will serve in as lieutenants – until late fall. In August Gillan learned she will not be able to serve as an aviator because her eyesight does not meet specific military eyesight requirements. Gillan is upbeat and said the SERE training was “still a great experience” and “easily the best training I’ve ever gotten. It was set up in a way that every bit of your time, even when you’re resting, is useful.” After completing her SERE training, Gillan’s summer was packed with more military training, as she spent a month in Fort Knox, Kentucky, at Cadet Summer Training – the mandatory, evaluated leadership course all commissioning Army ROTC cadets in the country attend between their junior and senior college years. At CST, Gillan finished No. 2 in her platoon and earned the maximum score on the Army Physical Fitness Test. Gillan is “a cadet who is always looking for an additional challenge,” Wawrzyniak said, pointing out that she successfully completed SERE school, spent a mere three weeks recovering at home, and then “maxed out” CST, speaks to her abilities. Gillan followed CST with two weeks of Cadet Troop Leader Training, where she served directly with a second lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Gillan is anticipating her future service in the Army, saying “I can’t wait to commission. I’m so excited.”
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Women’s Soccer Takes Down Campbell
Eager to get back into the win column after Friday night’s tie at UNC Asheville, the VMI women’s soccer team came out firing on all cylinders Sunday, Sept. 9, against host Campbell as the Keydets earned a 3-0 win at Eakes Complex in Buies Creek, North Carolina. With the victory, the Keydets improve to 5-0-1 on the season to continue the best start in program history. The Camels fall to 1-6-0 for the season. “It was a great team performance and our best to date,” said Chris Bergmann, VMI head coach. “It was a great road trip for us. Our depth led to some great goals for us today. Our defense contained Campbell, which is difficult to do because they have some great players. We stuck to our plan and the girls did a nice job of keeping to their assignments.” The Keydets only outshot the Camels by a 13-9 margin but were more effective in shot selection to convert on scoring opportunities. Cadet Sierra Brewer ’20 earned the game-winning goal, her second of the year, as she took a pass from Cadet Blake Cashin ’19 and toe poked the ball into the net in the 24th minute for an early 1-0 VMI lead. Only one minute later, Cashin took her turn and scored her first goal of the season at the 24:36 mark when she received passes from Cadets Amber Risheg ’21 and Ceci Keppeler ’19, goalie, to put the Keydet up, 2-0. 4th Class Cadet Maria Vargas, a Lexington native, scored her first goal as a Keydet in the 45th minute just before the break as she headed the ball into the net following a free kick from teammate Cadet Taylor Callahan ’19 for an insurance score. Cadets Whitney Edwards-Roberson ’22, Sam Franklin ’20 and Julianne Knoblett ’20 led the Keydets in shot attempts with two apiece while seven other were given individual shot attempts. In her third shutout of the year, Keppeler earned a 4-0-1 record with four saves to keep the Camels out of the net. The Keydets return to action Thursday, Sept. 13, with an in-state matchup at Richmond slated for a 7:30 p.m. start in Richmond, Virginia. For more sports recaps, visit vmikeydets.com. Cadet Sam Franklin ‘20 during a game against American Sept. 1. Photo by Chuck Steenburgh ‘86.
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2018 Daniels ‘61 Pilgrimage By Molly Rolon, Assistant Editor, VMI Alumni Agencies More than 30 VMI alumni, family and friends gathered in central Alabama Aug. 10-11 to remember and carry on the legacy of Jonathan Daniels ’61, a civil rights worker who was killed in Hayneville Aug. 20, 1965. Fifty-three years ago, the country was in the midst of a struggle for African-American civil rights. Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had passed the before Daniels’ death, implementation of the new law was painfully slow. Martin Luther King Jr. sent out national appeals for “clergy of all faiths” to aid in the civil rights movement. King asked clergy specifically to come to complete a march from Selma to Montgomery. Daniels, then an Episcopal seminary student at Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was one of many who flowed into Selma. He was one of the few who remained in the city after the march to continue working after many others returned to their homes, families and jobs. In 1965, rural Lowndes County, Alabama, had a majority black population but none were registered to vote. After several months in Selma, Daniels moved east to Lowndes County, feeling he could be more useful to the civil rights movement there. Daniels helped voting rights workers there, traveling throughout the county to speak with people at their homes about registering to vote and speaking at mass meetings that encouraged voter registration. About a week before his death, Daniels was part of a nonviolent group picketing whites-only stores in the town of Fort Deposit. The group was arrested and sent to a larger jail in Hayneville, because Fort Deposit’s jail lacked space for the group of about 20 protestors. Daniels was offered bail after a few days in jail but refused to leave the jail without the rest of the group. Six days after their incarceration, the local government, fearing it would be found in violation of federal civil rights laws, decided to release the group but did not offer them an explanation. Under the oppressive Alabama heat, four in the group – Daniels; Father Richard Morrisroe, a white Roman Catholic priest from Chicago; Ruby Sales, a 17-year-old African-American Tuskegee Institute student; and Joyce Bailey, a 19-year-old African-American from Fort Deposit – decided to walk to a near-by store to purchase cold drinks. When they reached the door of Varner’s Cash Store, unpaid volunteer deputy sheriff Tom Coleman met them at the door – holding a shotgun in his hands and wearing a pistol strapped to his waist. Coleman threatened to shoot if Daniels and his group attempted to enter the store. Daniels pushed Sales out of the way and was killed instantly from the shotgun blast at point-blank range. Although Coleman also shot and seriously wounded Morrisroe, he was charged with manslaughter and acquitted after one hour and 31 minutes of deliberations by an all-white jury. VMI Alumni began the annual remembrance of Daniels’ action
by gathering at Montgomery’s Renaissance Marriott. T.J. Lighton ’15, Alumni Association program outreach coordinator, opened the event with brief remarks, followed by Gene Williams ’74, who spoke about the origins of the VMI Promaji Club, which was formed in 1972 to provide an open forum for discussing diversity within the Corps. Williams was followed by Mike Rogers ’98, representing the Promaji Alumni Impact, formed in 2016. Rogers spoke briefly about PAI, and later said, “The mission of PAI is to positively influence, assist and support the families and churches within our communities. PAI is also focused on giving back to VMI, in an effort to inspire the next generation of strong minority leaders. … The PAI organization was designed to extend the reach of VMI’s Promaji Club by utilizing the skills and network of alumni to positively impact our communities.” Following Rogers, those gathered were captivated by Col. Keith Gibson ’77, VMI museum systems director, who started by describing a walk that he and his wife, Pat, had taken earlier. The Gibsons crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the outskirts of Selma, Alabama. They were able to cross the bridge freely, he said, emphasizing the contrast between conditions in 2018 and in 1965. Gibson vividly retold – using a near-first person narrative – the events leading up Daniels’ death, leaving the assembled VMI friends and family with a clear picture of the tragedy they would commemorate the next day in Hayneville. Maj. John Casper, associate VMI chaplain, built on Gibson’s narrative by reading from “Outside Agitator” by C.W. Eagles, a book detailing Daniels’ life and death, and noted Daniels’ deep personal commitment to Christianity. Kurt Berggren ’59, who was a friend of Daniels at VMI, also spoke briefly. Berggren later said he had gotten to know Daniels through VMI’s English department. Both men were English majors. “We were sort of the same type of people, in the sense that we weren’t there for the military. We were there to get an education,” Berggren said. “He was a very interesting guy. I noticed right away he was remarkable person, and ... good in so many ways. He was just one of the most likable people – and brilliant. We could just sit and talk. And we talked literature, we talked novels, we talked philosophy, everything about values. It was an unusual thing. The way that VMI’s structured, it’s structured around classes and ... it’s rare that you have good friends that are not in your class.” Berggren – a lawyer who spent his career advocating for civil rights – said he had been meaning to come to Alabama to honor his friend for years, but finally decided to make the trip this year. “I’ve been meaning to come to this. I feel close to him [Daniels] and I haven’t been able to come. And this year ... I just turned 80. I had my birthday less than a week ago. I said ‘I’ve got to come,’ so I came. I’m glad I did.”
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The next morning found VMI alumni and friends trickling into the Lowndes county seat, population 853. Hayneville is few miles south of U.S. Highway 80, between Selma and Montgomery, at the crossroads of Alabama Routes 21 and 97. VMI alumni joined with a larger group, organized annually by the Episcopal Church, for a pilgrimage beginning at the Lowndes County Courthouse – the same courthouse where Coleman was acquitted in 1965. Alvin “Al” Benn, longtime reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser and who covered the story of Coleman’s trial in 1965, was on hand with a camera, recorder and notebook. Benn interviewed several VMI alumni before the pilgrimage began. From the courthouse, marchers made their way to the now-defunct jail where Daniels and his companions were held. After the jail, the group made their way to the site of Daniels’ death, what used to be Varner’s Cash Store. At each stop, those assembled heard a reading of the events that led to Daniels’ death. Alumni, including the Rev. David Pittman ’70 and Berggren, carried a placard with a large black-and-white photo of a smiling Daniels holding an also-smiling Rachel West in his lap. West was the daughter of an African-American family who housed Daniels during part of his time in Selma. Other participants carried placards of other civil rights advocates killed while working in Alabama. Marchers then walked to a memorial for Daniels in Hayneville’s courthouse square. Gene Scott ’80, a member of VMI’s Board of Visitors, spoke to the gathering. He said that Daniels had not planned to be killed in 1965. Daniels acted “without a moment’s thought. If you look at what the life of Jonathan Daniels could have been – He could have gone ahead and finished his [training]
to become a priest. He took the route less traveled. I always wonder about that. If it had been [me], what would I do? Would I have done that?” The group then walked up the curved staircases into the Lowndes County Courthouse’s courtroom, where the Episcopal Church holds a service annually. Dick Valentine ’72 spoke during the service, noting that Daniels’ actions were “way above anything that I have ever done or anything I can imagine doing. He was a very special person to be able to have done that.” Valentine went on to say that he did share some similarities with Daniels: “We both were involved in the civil rights movement in the mid-60s. I graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1972. But 50 years ago, on August 22, 1968, was the first time the Virginia Military Institute had anyone attend the school that looked like me. There were five young students who became cadets that day that looked like me. ... We were not setting out to be breakers of a color barrier; we weren’t setting out to be heroes. What we were setting out to do was to be students. That, we share with Jonathan Myrick Daniels.” The other thing that we share is that we are connected by actions. Sometimes those actions are things that we choose to do, and sometimes those actions are chosen by the circumstances that we’re placed in. In this particular case, Jonathan was placed in a situation where he had to act, and he did. It cost him his life, but we’re all better for it. I don’t think that it’s a stretch to say that there’s a connection between the activities of [that day] and what took place three years later … when VMI ... let people of color attend the university. So, I just wanted to make a connection that the struggle is real. ... There’s no wrong time to do the right thing.”
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519 Matriculate in Cameron Hall By Chris Floyd, VMI Communications & Marketing For the Institute, Matriculation Day, Saturday, Aug. 18, was another step in the long evolution of similar days that preceded it in the years since the first class of cadets arrived in 1839. For the newest rat mass, however, the day was a memorable first. From the time the 519 new cadets entered Cameron Hall, they accumulated stacks of papers, balanced portfolios, and added their signatures to a seemingly endless mound of documents. The most important signature, however, came near the end of the trek around the venue. That is when the rat adds his or her name to the revered Matriculation Book and officially becomes a part of VMI history. “You look at how thick it is, how massive it is,” said Cadet Rives Worsham ’19, one of four cadets on Matriculation Book duty Saturday as he recalled his first official day on post. “That in itself is a testimony to what you are doing and the tradition that you are about to become part of.” Signing that book is the last thing prospective cadets do before heading up the steps to get the uniforms that will become part of their daily lives for the next four years. It can be a long morning, full of nervous excitement and trepidation. “It’s an emotional day,” said Cadet Tyler Topping ’19. “There are a lot of different emotions: nervousness, excitement, not knowing what to expect, hoping you can make it.” Most of those enduring the process Saturday probably were enduring the same feelings, as well as the grind of winding their way around the floor of Cameron Hall. The whole process, to those not familiar with the layout, may seem chaotic, but there is a method to the madness. “This is an important day,” said Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, who emphasized the introduction to discipline and organization for the rats. “We’ve tried hard to make this day work. This is the start of a four-year journey, [and] hopefully, this sets the standard for the journey.” Of course, a big part of that journey begins with the signing of
The new Rat Mass in barracks on Matriculation Day.
the Matriculation Book. This year 519 matriculants added their names, and, as usual, this class comes to VMI with some distinguishing characteristics. Chief among those is the sheer numbers they bring. This is the biggest class ever to matriculate to VMI, and included are 87 women, the largest number to matriculate to date. The group includes 13 foreign students from five different countries, and 104 members of the matriculation class were recruited to participate in athletics. Forty percent of the new rats hail from other states. The academic prowess of this group lives up to the VMI standard, as well. “The academic profile continues to be very strong,” said Col. Vernon Beitzel ’72, VMI’s director of admissions. “We saw an increase in the SATs, where, for the first time in a long time, we’ll be over a 1,200 average on the SAT.” This year’s group boasts an average high-school grade point average of 3.70. Sixty-five percent of them plan on pursuing a degree in math, science or engineering. At the same time, Beitzel noted that “a large percentage” of the group will be pursuing a commission to the military, in line with the goals outlined in Vision 2039. Many of those are coming to VMI with an ROTC scholarship. “We’re fortunate there that the Department of Defense is still coming through,” said Beitzel. “That’s very positive.” Every one of those 519 endure the same trials of their predecessors: Meeting their cadre for the first time, running to barracks and the upcoming Hell Week. And every one of them signed the big book sitting reverently on its podium in Cameron Hall. It is a tradition that is lost on some, but its significance lives on with many cadets long after that first day on post. “This school is based on tradition, and this is one of the most important traditions coming in,” said Cadet Ariana Ruffin ’21, who matriculated last year and was on hand to greet the newcomers Saturday. “It’s just an honor to be able to sign it.” “Everybody who has ever been here has signed this book,” added Worsham. “My family has been coming here for a while, so all of their names are in it. I took a picture of my name today. A couple of guys have come up and taken pictures of their names, all of the alumni who are here with their kids. The book is just the start of it.” “For me, it was like it was my first small contribution to the school,” Topping said. “I wondered if this signature was actually going to mean something or if it was going to be just another name in a book.” “Seeing all of these rats signing the Matriculation Book, they are the legacy that we are going to leave behind,” Topping continued. “All of the contributions that we have made, we are going to pass on to them. Hopefully, it will carry on and they can uphold the tradition.”
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Promotions, Installation Mark Beginning of Academic Year by Mary Price, VMI Communications & Marketing
At the general faculty meeting kicking off the new academic year, Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, announced the promotions of two longtime faculty and staff members and the installation of a new sergeant major. Promoted to brigadier general, effective Aug. 21, were Robert “Bob” Moreschi, former head of the Department of Economics and Business and now deputy superintendent for academics and dean of the faculty, and Dallas Clark ’99, director of finance, administration and support. Introducing Moreschi, who joined the economics and business faculty in 2002 and became department head in 2013, Peay commented, “We are thrilled with [his] selection as the 11th deputy superintendent for academics and dean of the faculty. … I think we’re very fortunate to have just the right gentleman to lead our academic team in the years ahead.” During his 16 years in Lexington, Moreschi has undertaken in many leadership roles both on and off post. Not only has he served as the John and Jane Roberts Institute professor in free enterprise business, but he has also been faculty representative to the VMI Foundation board of trustees and adviser to the Cadet Investment Group. His community activities include serving as a member of the audit and oversight committee of Kendal at Lexington and as treasurer of Lexington Presbyterian Church. He is a ruling elder of Lexington Presbyterian Church, was a board member of the United Way of Lexington/Rockbridge and is a longtime member of the Lexington Kiwanis Club. In his remarks following the ceremonial pinning on of insignia, Moreschi stressed the necessity of teamwork to keep the Institute moving forward. “I have the enviable task of leading an academic enterprise that has been transformed in the past 15 plus years into one of national and international renown,” he commented. “Of course, our work is never done and we must strive to continuously improve. To do that, our energetic and creative faculty must work together, always keeping our focus on the Institute and our cadets.” Clark is one of five brothers, all of whom matriculated to the Institute from their Salt Lake City, Utah, home, and all of whom went on to graduate from VMI. After earning a degree in economics and business, Clark received a master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and shortly thereafter came to work for the VMI Alumni Association, where he oversaw new cadet recruiting, chapter promotions and alumni placement.
Bob Moreschi, dean of the faculty, was promoted to brigadier general at the general faculty meeting Aug. 21. VMI photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.
In 2006, Clark became the Institute planning officer. In that role, he was responsible for strategic planning, the post facilities master plan and emergency preparedness. After a brief stint at Southern Virginia University as vice president and chief advancement officer, he returned to VMI in February 2017 in his current role, which includes oversight of a wide variety of post operations ranging from the treasurer’s office to the VMI Museum System to the post hospital to government relations. “All of us who have known [Clark] over these many years have such respect for his style, his maturity, his intelligence and – always – [his] approach to teamwork,” Peay commented. “We’re in good hands with this officer leading a very large, important and sophisticated operation.” For his part, Clark gave credit to the Institute. “I feel, in so many respects, like I am a son of the Institute, having spent the vast majority of my career here,” he noted. “I am the [beneficiary] of the education that you as the faculty gave to me. … I’m very grateful for the education that I received here at the Institute.”
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
September 2018
COW Teaches Persistence, Personal Growth Through Adversity By Mary Price, VMI Communications & Marketing
There’s usually not a lot to be gained by intentionally making teenagers mad, tired and scared. But with the College Orientation Workshop, that’s precisely the goal, and one that’s been changing lives for 31 years. COW, as the program is known, is a nonVMI program that is held each summer at VMI with the aim of taking high schoolage minority males – many from low-income families – and exposing them to a four-week structured program that will stretch their limits mentally and physically. Since its inception in 1987, the program has been run by Eugene Williams ’74, the first African-American to serve on VMI’s Board of Visitors. “There’s much emphasis on character,” said Williams, who returns to Lexington each summer from his Maryland home to lead COW. That’s where the mad, tired and scared part comes in. “All of us will be mad at some point, tired at some point, scared at some point,” Williams commented. “But we’ll still have to operate effectively. How do you teach somebody how to operate when they’re mad, tired and scared? You can’t do it by just telling them.” Not surprisingly, COW teaches overcoming adversity the same way VMI does – by giving plentiful doses of it. COW participants are required to get up early and do physical training before being allowed to shower and have breakfast. Then, it’s off to class. There’s a class in mathematics and another in English, with a strong emphasis on communications and public speaking. There’s also a class on note taking and study skills, and another on financial literacy. The boys are also required to complete CPR/AED training, along with a community service project. This year’s project is collecting shoes for Soles 4 Souls, a group that collects shoes for those in need. “We give them more work than they
can do,” said Williams. The boys are also required to write in a journal each day, and if they don’t, they get disciplined for it just the way a cadet would be. “Do-rights” take the form of physical exercise. “It’s punishment, but it’s punishment where you are getting stronger from it,” Williams noted. “It’s not frivolous. There’s no corporal punishment.” The physical training and classwork work together to make COW participants mad and tired – but scared requires more. That’s why they go rappelling, do high ropes courses and climb House Mountain. “We do this to show them that when you are in those states – mad, tired, scared – you cannot give up,” Williams emphasized. “You can’t get a bad attitude. You still have to produce, and do so in a quality way … That’s the secret sauce of COW.” It works. Approximately 75 percent of
COW participants go on to enroll in college, although Williams has no way of tracking how many graduate from college. He does know that although only 3 percent of COW participants attend VMI, of that 3 percent, 85 percent will graduate. Success stories abound, including one of a boy who came to COW in 1988 and then went on to Morehouse College in Atlanta. Down the road, he went to work in the admissions office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To this day, his parents are so grateful for COW that they send Williams a sizable donation to support the program each year. It’s money that’s desperately needed, as the program receives no state support whatsoever. It’s funded exclusively by private donations. Families of participants are not required to pay anything up front, although they are invited afterward to make a donation if they are in a position to do so. The program’s only fundraiser is a yearly golf tournament, held each May
Students participate in COW 2018. VMI photo by Kelly Nye.
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
September 2018
at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond. Despite COW’s success, enrollment has stayed small, usually around 30 boys a year. This year, there were only 21, a drop that Williams attributes to lax parenting and teenagers’ unwillingness to give up their cell phones. During the COW program, participants are allowed to have phones only on their weekends. COW participants come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, mainly African-American, but with a mix of Hispanic and Asian ethnicities as well. And despite the program’s stated intention of promoting minority achievement, three Caucasians have attended COW over the years, mostly because their parents asked that they be included. According to Williams, the three Caucasians had no problems with being the minorities themselves at COW. “Kids don’t have issues with race,” he stated. “It’s adults who have those issues.” Not surprisingly, making COW run smoothly involves help from all over the VMI community. Capt. Chad Joyce and Col. Jimmy Coale are instrumental to conducting physical training, and Col. Sam Ratcliffe ’74, director of career services, has taught the career exploration and study skills class ever since COW started. Cadets are hired as counselors and Williams takes care to hire a mix of races and genders. “These boys need healthy relationships with women,” he said of the boys’ interactions with female cadets. In many ways, teenagers’ worlds have changed vastly since COW began over three decades ago. Walkmen have given way to streaming music services, and social media binds teens together in a way that teen magazines and notes passed in class never could. But one thing hasn’t changed: The need for a challenge that will inspire and motivate teens to do more and be more than they ever thought possible. “[COW is] a combination of physical challenges and demanding requirements to help people grow into their better selves,” said Williams.
Keppeler ’19 Given SoCon Weekly Honor With the women’s soccer team off to its best start in program history, the team earned another first-time honor Sept. 4, 2018, as Cadet Ceci Keppeler ’19, goalie, was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week. The award marks the first time a member of the VMI women’s soccer program has achieved the honor since rejoining the Southern Conference in 2014. The Stafford, Virginia, native achieved the recognition after she registered her third shutout of the season when the Keydets defeated American, 1-0, in double-overtime on a stormy Saturday afternoon at Patchin Field. The win was her second consecutive shutout and she has allowed only one goal in 3.5 games played this season. She tallied a season-high six saves in the victory. “It’s a fantastic honor for Ceci to be named Player of the Week,” said fourthyear VMI head coach Chris Bergmann. “It’s also a testament to the hard work of the players in front of her. Ceci has been disciplined and focused and doing her job well. Her preparation is solid day in and day out. I’m very proud of how the team is performing.” Several Keydets were named weekly award honorees from 2005-11 as a member of the Big South Conference, but this is the first in program history as a member of the Southern Conference. For more sports recaps, visit vmikeydets.com.
Keppeler ’19
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
September 2018
Study Abroad Enriches Cadet Experience By Mary Price, VMI Communications & Marketing
When most people think of VMI, the iconic image of the barracks comes to mind, or perhaps the Corps of Cadets marching in a parade. But what about cadets in civilian dress in Budapest, Bangkok or Botswana? Study abroad, whether for a semester or several weeks in the summer, is a vital – and sometimes overlooked – part of the VMI experience. For Col. David Hall ’83, director of international programs, and Patricia Hardin, assistant director, getting cadets overseas is their mission, and it’s a mission they believe is vitally connected to the purpose of the Institute overall. “What we’re trying to do is develop in our graduates a global perspective,” said Hall. “There’s a great big world out there, and it’s very interconnected these days.” Being ready to step into a world that’s much bigger and broader than the United States is key to cadets’ future success. “Most employers these days ... are looking for graduates and employees who understand that [global] perspective and step into that multicultural environment and be effective right off the bat,” Hall stated. “Our role is to augment and enrich the overall academic program to give them these cultural competencies that will enable them to be effective upon graduation.” With that end in mind, Hall and Hardin expend much effort getting the word out about study abroad to both cadets and faculty. For cadets, there’s a study abroad fair held each fall that advertises study abroad opportunities, both VMI-sponsored and third party-sponsored, for the upcoming summer. This year’s event will be held Thursday, Sept. 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the upstairs level of Crozet Hall. For faculty, the international programs staff do all that they can to encourage them to develop their own study abroad programs, mostly by regular contact with department heads and individual faculty members. Then, just before Thanksgiving furlough each year, faculty who are planning on leading study abroad programs the next summer stand up in Jackson Memorial Hall and give presentations to cadets on their offerings. This event is timed, Hall and Hardin, noted, so cadets can go home afterward and talk to their parents about the possibilities. Starting the conversation early is critical to planning for study abroad, especially in the summer, because of the expense of the programs. A typical program runs about $5,500, Hall said, and when airfare and meals are included, that figures rises to approximately $7,000. The VMI Foundation provides a small amount of money for scholarships, but the amount is nowhere sufficient to meet the need. What’s more, the scholarship money must be split among all cadets planning to study abroad, whether for a semester or a summer. There is a bit of time to pay the bill. Hardin and Hall explained
that the bursar’s office allows interest-free installment payments up until May 1, at which time the cost of the trip must be paid in full. Destinations, of course, vary quite a bit. This year, cadets on VMI-sponsored trips traveled all over Europe, including France, Germany, Spain, and Hungary, and also to China and Morocco. Those on third party-sponsored trips journeyed even more widely, with one visiting Australia and New Zealand, one Japan, and one Costa Rica, among other destinations. Altogether, just under 60 cadets took advantage of VMI-led summer study abroad programs this year – a decrease from 2017, when 85 did so. “It was a low year for us,” Hall said. He explained that financial concerns kept many cadets from traveling abroad this summer. Both Hall and Hardin expressed the hope that more cadets will travel overseas next summer, when two new programs will be added and two more will be revived. Lt. Col. Valentina Dimitrova-Grajz, associate professor of economics and business, will lead a European study tour entitled, “Economics and Politics of the European Union,” while Dr. Dekuwmini Mornah, assistant professor of economics and business, will lead an entrepreneurship program in his native country of Ghana. The programs that will be revived are a service learning opportunity in Guatemala, led by Maj. Paul Ackerman ’93, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, and a marine biology excursion to Belize, led by Lt. Col. Paul Moosman Jr. ’98, associate professor of biology. But no matter where cadets go, the end goal is the same: To come back with more knowledge of a world that is increasingly interdependent and interconnected. “The world doesn’t stop at VMI or Virginia,” said Hardin. “That’s what you get out of VMI – those value-added programs. You come out of here a more well-rounded person.”