A page on Facebook titled, “A Cadet Run Corps” was recently released, expressing the opinions of unhappy cadets who are frustrated with policy changes within the Corps.
A little over a week ago, I was contacted by an anonymous cadet (who signed his email to me: “A Friend”) to discuss the upcoming changes to be made in the corps of cadets. In their email, they explained to me that, alongside their buddies (cadets within one's owns
After learning about both the cadet and their mission, I agreed to work alongside them. While this is a touchy subject, I have seen first hand what the Corps means to A&M, and I think changes will be difficult to pursue in such a tradition-led university. (Imagine the uproar if someone told the student body that midnight yell is no longer taking place...yikes).
The Corps of Cadets could be considered the very foundation of Texas A&M. A&M began its life as a military college and slowly transformed into a university. But since the beginning, the Corps of Cadets has been part of the institution. With about 2,400 cadets, they are known to be the “keepers of the spirit.” They pride themselves on being a cadet-led organization, creating spectacular leaders for both the military and civilian world.
The cadet wanted to remain anonymous, so we interviewed through emails. Since I am not a member of the corps myself, I was curious to find out why this was such a problematic situation for the rest of campus. The cadet answered, “They are the spirit of the campus. There is the popular joke that there is always the token cadet in any given student organization or in one of your classes.” He argued that overall, it could potentially alter one of the most important parts of Texas A&M.
The policy itself “is centered on changes that allow the Office of the Commandant to have a tighter control on how the Corps is run in order to retain the number of freshmen who are in the Corps.” Maybe the Commandant is trying to relieve some pressure from the cadet student who already has too much on their plate or maybe they are trying to just retain the freshman. Either way, the policy has created a huge controversy.
The Facebook page reached over 7,500 people while the website generated over 10,000 views in under 24 hours. With the Facebook group created, it is obvious that there are some frustrated cadets willing to fight to keep the Corps of Cadets they way they are. The Corps of Cadets is one of the few, if not only, senior military colleges that is specifically lead by cadets. This anonymous cadet mentioned, “This was one of the things I saw most threatened by the suggested changes in policy.” These cadets are worried that these policies will affect the program as a whole. They believe in the importance of keeping tradition and A&M, rather than the necessity of retention rates. The cadet explained that he decided to start this movement because “the most recent policy change was just so much at once that something in me kind of snapped. I just said, 'That's it. I have had enough.’ I was ready to do whatever I could to halt these changes."
The passion that this cadet has to combat these changes demonstrates how the Corps of Cadets is such an important part of Texas A&M. The policy changes have detailed lots of changes in daily routine, FOW (Freshman Orientation Week) and many other “traditional” parts of the corps system. This group of cadets show true dedication to their beloved university as well as their organization, that have led them to be better individuals. Their overall goal, for both their social media and website, according to their Facebook page, is to “serve as a means to unite students, present and current, against proposed changes that are detrimental to the existence of the Corps of Cadets. We understand that your voice will not be heard alone, together we cannot be ignored.”
These unhappy cadets are using the powers of social media and an online presence to their advantage. Cadets who are unhappy with the new policy changes and do not want to feel alone in this fight can join their Facebook group. While they cannot speak out individually for fear of repercussions, they can use this movement anonymously, knowing that their voice can still be heard. While they remain anonymous, they hope that this page will be noticed by alumni, explaining that they are using this site, “to let donors know what was going on since their donations will always speak louder than our words ever could.”
These rebellious cadets could be any corps member on campus. I asked if they would ever reveal the names of those who started the movement and the cadet answered simply: “I, nor any other member of the team, plan on revealing our involvement in this group.” These rebellious cadets understand that their opposing attitudes could cause trouble for themselves, yet they still want to make an effort to stop this change. “If an outside party took on the role of the face of the movement, we would simply use our organization as a platform to support what they are trying to achieve.”
The “friend” who contacted me from a “Cadet Run Corps” reached out to Odyssey in hopes of spreading the word and their concern about these new policies. While we may not be members of the corps, Texas A&M is our university as well. We are in charge of upholding its corps values and traditions. Wondering how you can help? The most important thing you can do is spread the word. Share the Facebook group and website on your social media to let these upset corps members have a voice. This is a monumental change for them, and as good Aggies, we must help our Aggie family be heard. Read their website, the linked policy, and just be informed that these changes that could affect your Corps friends and family.
For more information:
Check out the Facebook page or website!
