Spring Break
Commanding a campus presence
Abstract:
Student leaders are bringing different priorities to the Corps of Cadets, starting with the freshmen. ...
- Displaying 1 - 10 of 10
Al
posted 9/08/08 @ 11:58 AM CST
Yes, I agree. If you guys give them more time to study, Texas A&M could make a step closer to the goal we set in Vision2020: becoming one of the best public schools in the US.
Cadet
posted 9/08/08 @ 3:10 PM CST
In defense of the corps.
Matt Cheesman was in my outfit. "Put down and kept from succeeding?" He cut up a cardboard box to hide his xbox behind his desk freshmen year so he would not be caught playing it when he was supposed to be studying. He slept through most of his classes sophomore year and lied about it to his buddies who where constantly trying to get him to go to class. I personally sat next to him while he worked a sudoku in MATH 152 while the prof covered material in a quiz Matt had just failed. He almost never went to corps training because he was at singing cadets. Need I go on?
Matt Cheesman did not choose to leave the corps, he was not permitted to return this fall because his grades where so low and he did not participate. Matt singlehandedly brought down the average GPR of our entire outfit.
The corps is an outstanding organization and some people are just not cut out for it. Freshmen are guaranteed 7 hours (8 on most nights) of sleep at night and they get in a lot of trouble if they are caught out of bed. This is more sleep than most non-regs get. Being successful in the corps requires discipline, something apparently hard to come by.
Corps priorities go like this:
1)grades
2)corps training
3)campus involvement
I really wish this newspaper would do it's research.
Matt Cheesman was in my outfit. "Put down and kept from succeeding?" He cut up a cardboard box to hide his xbox behind his desk freshmen year so he would not be caught playing it when he was supposed to be studying. He slept through most of his classes sophomore year and lied about it to his buddies who where constantly trying to get him to go to class. I personally sat next to him while he worked a sudoku in MATH 152 while the prof covered material in a quiz Matt had just failed. He almost never went to corps training because he was at singing cadets. Need I go on?
Matt Cheesman did not choose to leave the corps, he was not permitted to return this fall because his grades where so low and he did not participate. Matt singlehandedly brought down the average GPR of our entire outfit.
The corps is an outstanding organization and some people are just not cut out for it. Freshmen are guaranteed 7 hours (8 on most nights) of sleep at night and they get in a lot of trouble if they are caught out of bed. This is more sleep than most non-regs get. Being successful in the corps requires discipline, something apparently hard to come by.
Corps priorities go like this:
1)grades
2)corps training
3)campus involvement
I really wish this newspaper would do it's research.
Cadet
posted 9/08/08 @ 3:14 PM CST
In defense of the corps.
Why was my comment deleted?
Why was my comment deleted?
SH BQ Zip '01
posted 9/08/08 @ 9:56 PM CST
Cadet,
As an officer (class of '01), I think it would be best not to publish such information about one of your "problem cadets". While the guy obviously had problems with his priorities, he is by far an isolated incident.
As for the Corps with respect to grades and sleeping in class, the Corps consistently produces higher grades than the rest of the student body. Cadets may indeed sleep in class. While I contend that the reputation is indeed true since my time, perhaps those who complain about it should take a few things into account:
1. Is the reason the cadets are noticed because they are sleeping? Or is it because they are in uniform and on the front row? In my 5+ years at A&M I noticed that every cadet I ever saw sleeping was in the front row and I was behind them. The reason they sit up front is to learn ("The magic T" anyone?). I sat up front for many classes in an effort to "get it". While I was not always successful (I took MATH 251 three times), I think it afforded me a better opportunity to learn.
2. Realize these cadets are actually making an effort to make it to class and attempt to learn (even if the sandman keeps them from their academic duties). When you count the number of cadets who are asleep, do yourself a favor and look around. Count how many other people are asleep, taking special note of the people in the back row...
...then count how many students are present versus how many are registered for the class. I'm willing to bet the number of cadets asleep is far lower than the number who are still asleep in bed and didn't bother to show up!
As for the Corps, I too faced problems with many of my fellow cadets. Some were my buddies who didn't want to give up the TV they earned as a junior (don't have the grades, the TV's got to go...and no, I don't care how much it cost!). Others were freshmen who didn't make their minimum studying requirements for the week (I guess we're going to have to stay here on Friday night and finish your studying for the week...but before we do that, let's go pick up all the rocks outside our dorm for the next hour plus...)
I was made the academic officer my senior year and we posted the highest grades in the Corps. By making sure people met the minimum requirements and helping them with their classes, our grades improved dramatically (avg of a 2.7 to a 3.2!). The following year we won the GM award which included the grades we earned. My point is not to brag, but to point out there are many ways to earn your grades and help others too.
As an officer (class of '01), I think it would be best not to publish such information about one of your "problem cadets". While the guy obviously had problems with his priorities, he is by far an isolated incident.
As for the Corps with respect to grades and sleeping in class, the Corps consistently produces higher grades than the rest of the student body. Cadets may indeed sleep in class. While I contend that the reputation is indeed true since my time, perhaps those who complain about it should take a few things into account:
1. Is the reason the cadets are noticed because they are sleeping? Or is it because they are in uniform and on the front row? In my 5+ years at A&M I noticed that every cadet I ever saw sleeping was in the front row and I was behind them. The reason they sit up front is to learn ("The magic T" anyone?). I sat up front for many classes in an effort to "get it". While I was not always successful (I took MATH 251 three times), I think it afforded me a better opportunity to learn.
2. Realize these cadets are actually making an effort to make it to class and attempt to learn (even if the sandman keeps them from their academic duties). When you count the number of cadets who are asleep, do yourself a favor and look around. Count how many other people are asleep, taking special note of the people in the back row...
...then count how many students are present versus how many are registered for the class. I'm willing to bet the number of cadets asleep is far lower than the number who are still asleep in bed and didn't bother to show up!
As for the Corps, I too faced problems with many of my fellow cadets. Some were my buddies who didn't want to give up the TV they earned as a junior (don't have the grades, the TV's got to go...and no, I don't care how much it cost!). Others were freshmen who didn't make their minimum studying requirements for the week (I guess we're going to have to stay here on Friday night and finish your studying for the week...but before we do that, let's go pick up all the rocks outside our dorm for the next hour plus...)
I was made the academic officer my senior year and we posted the highest grades in the Corps. By making sure people met the minimum requirements and helping them with their classes, our grades improved dramatically (avg of a 2.7 to a 3.2!). The following year we won the GM award which included the grades we earned. My point is not to brag, but to point out there are many ways to earn your grades and help others too.
Aggie Pine Sol
posted 9/09/08 @ 12:11 AM CST
Cadet wrote: "The corps is an outstanding organization and some people are just not cut out for it. Freshmen are guaranteed 7 hours (8 on most nights) of sleep at night and they get in a lot of trouble if they are caught out of bed."
This is rather hilarious contrasted with my personal experience. In the time when I was a fish my buddies and I would rarely get 5 hours of sleep (max) due to the amount of time it took to do homework which we could have done during the day, but thanks to 'boot pulls' and other random BS we had to put off the homework till evening. We would try to get it done during the day by going to the library to study, but would then be 'punished' in 'Corps Training' for not being in the dorm during the day. Then, in CQ, the ridiculous 'breaks' required us to stop studying and get the dumb phones out of the hallway, or put them back out when the 15 minute break was up. Usually, we still had homework left after CQ, but we also had to worry about getting our uniforms ready for the morning and campusologies (random facts about A&M) had to be memorized for morning formation. All these things combined for a very minimal amount of sleep. As for Cadet complaining about Matt missing 'Corps Training', that is a load of BS. For those out there who aren't in the Corps, 'Corps Training' (sounds nice, doesn't it?) is where the upper class men make the fish do push-ups or other forms of physical activity for messing up on a campusology or some other small thing undeserving of such punishment. In essence, 'Corps Training' is legalized hazing. The only way they can get away with it is because of the 'military training' clause (which is interpreted EXTREMELY loosely) in the hazing rules. Read the hazing codes for yourself. Cadet also wrote: "Matt single-handedly brought down the average GPR of our entire outfit." -REALLY? it seems you know so much about what Matt was doing, perhaps you neglected your own grades in the time you were putting Matt under your amazingly detailed surveillance of his every damning activity. Looking back over the whole Batt article, the part in it where it says that he left because of the "conflict with some other Corps members" may be a damning piece of info about you, Cadet. It sounds like perhaps you weren't being 'unified' with your fish bud, now, doesn't it? As for me, I was fortunate (though rather sad at the time) to be medically discharged from the Corps. As a result, I have been able to look at it with experience and with an eye trained to look at details. With this vision, instead of seeing something worthy to be a part of, I see a decadent, martinet mob of an organization which, in my opinion, promotes an insane amount of brainwashing (ie all non-reg guys are fat, dumb idiots who do not deserve to be at A&M, or, 'all WAGS are lesbians' just to name a few I personally was 'brainwashed' to believe until I woke up to reality). It sounds like the Corps needs to re-examine its doctrines on brainwashing and 'Corps Training' AKA legalized hazing before it continues to pump the A&M campus full of bigoted/brainwashed Cadets.
This is rather hilarious contrasted with my personal experience. In the time when I was a fish my buddies and I would rarely get 5 hours of sleep (max) due to the amount of time it took to do homework which we could have done during the day, but thanks to 'boot pulls' and other random BS we had to put off the homework till evening. We would try to get it done during the day by going to the library to study, but would then be 'punished' in 'Corps Training' for not being in the dorm during the day. Then, in CQ, the ridiculous 'breaks' required us to stop studying and get the dumb phones out of the hallway, or put them back out when the 15 minute break was up. Usually, we still had homework left after CQ, but we also had to worry about getting our uniforms ready for the morning and campusologies (random facts about A&M) had to be memorized for morning formation. All these things combined for a very minimal amount of sleep. As for Cadet complaining about Matt missing 'Corps Training', that is a load of BS. For those out there who aren't in the Corps, 'Corps Training' (sounds nice, doesn't it?) is where the upper class men make the fish do push-ups or other forms of physical activity for messing up on a campusology or some other small thing undeserving of such punishment. In essence, 'Corps Training' is legalized hazing. The only way they can get away with it is because of the 'military training' clause (which is interpreted EXTREMELY loosely) in the hazing rules. Read the hazing codes for yourself. Cadet also wrote: "Matt single-handedly brought down the average GPR of our entire outfit." -REALLY? it seems you know so much about what Matt was doing, perhaps you neglected your own grades in the time you were putting Matt under your amazingly detailed surveillance of his every damning activity. Looking back over the whole Batt article, the part in it where it says that he left because of the "conflict with some other Corps members" may be a damning piece of info about you, Cadet. It sounds like perhaps you weren't being 'unified' with your fish bud, now, doesn't it? As for me, I was fortunate (though rather sad at the time) to be medically discharged from the Corps. As a result, I have been able to look at it with experience and with an eye trained to look at details. With this vision, instead of seeing something worthy to be a part of, I see a decadent, martinet mob of an organization which, in my opinion, promotes an insane amount of brainwashing (ie all non-reg guys are fat, dumb idiots who do not deserve to be at A&M, or, 'all WAGS are lesbians' just to name a few I personally was 'brainwashed' to believe until I woke up to reality). It sounds like the Corps needs to re-examine its doctrines on brainwashing and 'Corps Training' AKA legalized hazing before it continues to pump the A&M campus full of bigoted/brainwashed Cadets.
cadet
posted 9/12/08 @ 2:04 AM CST
Originally posted byAggie Pine Sol
This is rather hilarious contrasted with my personal experience. In the time when I was a fish my buddies and I would rarely get 5 hours of sleep (max) due to the amount of time it took to do homework which we could have done during the day, but thanks to 'boot pulls' and other random BS we had to put off the homework till evening. We would try to get it done during the day by going to the library to study, but would then be 'punished' in 'Corps Training' for not being in the dorm during the day. Then, in CQ, the ridiculous 'breaks' required us to stop studying and get the dumb phones out of the hallway, or put them back out when the 15 minute break was up. Usually, we still had homework left after CQ, but we also had to worry about getting our uniforms ready for the morning and campusologies (random facts about A&M) had to be memorized for morning formation. All these things combined for a very minimal amount of sleep. As for Cadet complaining about Matt missing 'Corps Training', that is a load of BS. For those out there who aren't in the Corps, 'Corps Training' (sounds nice, doesn't it?) is where the upper class men make the fish do push-ups or other forms of physical activity for messing up on a campusology or some other small thing undeserving of such punishment. In essence, 'Corps Training' is legalized hazing. The only way they can get away with it is because of the 'military training' clause (which is interpreted EXTREMELY loosely) in the hazing rules. Read the hazing codes for yourself. Cadet also wrote: "Matt single-handedly brought down the average GPR of our entire outfit." -REALLY? it seems you know so much about what Matt was doing, perhaps you neglected your own grades in the time you were putting Matt under your amazingly detailed surveillance of his every damning activity. Looking back over the whole Batt article, the part in it where it says that he left because of the "conflict with some other Corps members" may be a damning piece of info about you, Cadet. It sounds like perhaps you weren't being 'unified' with your fish bud, now, doesn't it? As for me, I was fortunate (though rather sad at the time) to be medically discharged from the Corps. As a result, I have been able to look at it with experience and with an eye trained to look at details. With this vision, instead of seeing something worthy to be a part of, I see a decadent, martinet mob of an organization which, in my opinion, promotes an insane amount of brainwashing (ie all non-reg guys are fat, dumb idiots who do not deserve to be at A&M, or, 'all WAGS are lesbians' just to name a few I personally was 'brainwashed' to believe until I woke up to reality). It sounds like the Corps needs to re-examine its doctrines on brainwashing and 'Corps Training' AKA legalized hazing before it continues to pump the A&M campus full of bigoted/brainwashed Cadets.
CQ: That's what out of dorm passes are for. You can get a permanent one.
Training: Don't screw up and you won't push. You are weak.
Uniform: I can buff my shoes, shine my brass, and wire my top in 6 minutes thanks to the training I had fish year. Maybe you where limp.
Boot Pulls: Fish can put a red card on their door and no one will bother them while they are studying.
As for knowing the details about Matt. I know because I was his fish buddy and buddies in the corps look out for each other. You learn everything about them, good and bad. Grades are reported to the corps and you write your GPR on your door. I wanted him to be successful but he didn't give a damn.
I (unlike Matt) made it into upper level engineering as a cadet. My grades are good. I did it as a cadet.
I'm tired of the black eye the corps gets by ex members who couldn't cut it, students who are used to the easy life, and this damn newspaper that can't simply report on the corps' performance. The Batt always has to throw in an opposing view whether or not it is related to the subject.
Finally, the corps is a military training institution and it is endorsed by the DOD to teach people how to win wars. If an organization like that where easy, it would not be doing it's job.
Non-reg
posted 9/09/08 @ 12:38 AM CST
Would it ever occur to you that if a cadet slept in class it could have been if they had guard room duty? The Corps of Cadets wake up earlier than a lot of us non-reg Aggies do, so I mean if they happen to go to sleep who cares!! It's their education. What if you slept in class? Everyone has days they were up all night. At least the Cadets come to class and make an effort to learn. Or show presence. (and they by far dress better than most students do. I rather be a Cadet than a student who doesn't have the time to brush their hair, change their clothes, come in their PJs, or trashy short shorts.)
I know this article is about involvement, but please don't bash the Corps of Cadets.
I know this article is about involvement, but please don't bash the Corps of Cadets.
Aggie Pine Sol
posted 9/09/08 @ 1:41 AM CST
Non-Reg said: "I know this article is about involvement, but please don't bash the Corps of Cadets."
It's not 'bashing' when you tell the truth about what happens behind the glory and glamor.
Non-Reg also said: "they by far dress better than most students do"
They do this because they are mandated to do so, otherwise they risk getting a type of demerit if caught out of uniform.
It's not 'bashing' when you tell the truth about what happens behind the glory and glamor.
Non-Reg also said: "they by far dress better than most students do"
They do this because they are mandated to do so, otherwise they risk getting a type of demerit if caught out of uniform.
Captain Jack
posted 9/09/08 @ 8:54 AM CST
Originally posted byAggie Pine Sol
Non-Reg said: "I know this article is about involvement, but please don't bash the Corps of Cadets."
It's not 'bashing' when you tell the truth about what happens behind the glory and glamor.
Non-Reg also said: "they by far dress better than most students do"
They do this because they are mandated to do so, otherwise they risk getting a type of demerit if caught out of uniform.
Pine Sol, I don't think I've heard a more bitter former cadet. As a current cadet I would be completely lying if I said the Corps isn't with it's fair share of "brainwashing." What exclusive organization isn't? Secondly, hazing is perhaps the most broadly defined term in the Corps of Cadets Canon of "Cry Wolf" Terms. If you really think correctional physical training is hazing, you're just weak. Heaven forbid that the Corps should cause you to sweat a little or inject you with a bit of muscular discomfort. If you were so "fortunate" to be medically discharged, you could have probably saved your buddies a lot of BS if you'd just gone ahead and punched. The Corps is not perfect, nor is any other human organization. But the taste of your bitter grapes is too pugnacious. Go spread your Gospel about the truth "behind the glory and glamor" (oh, and it's 'glamour' by the way, I guess CQ wasn't for you either) elsewhere. You missed out, and you know it.
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posted 9/08/08 @ 10:50 AM CST