A Liberal's Trip to a Military University...

[zls44]

So I went to move in my friend to Norwich University in Northfield, VT. An enjoyable trip, from seeing Howard Dean, M.D. Governor on the maps (my 2nd choice), to the lovely scenery.

But oooooooh those wacky cadets.

Let me preface this. I like the military. My dad was a marine on Omaha Beach.

However, and I'm not afraid to say this, I think a lot of the pomp and circumstance they perform at places like this is utter bs.

Military is about the defense of your country, not marching around in little lines with a lot of bars designed for the macho d*ck envy.

For example...making all the new kids wear maroon hats made of wool with the word ROOK in big gold letters. That's nice. Nothing like ostracizing to welcome a kid.

And then the dorms...very very nice...however, all along the hallways were computer printouts of these bs macho quotes about fighting making you a man, a real American, pictures of armed forces in full battle regalia.

And of course they cannot play computer games.

Or listen to music.

Or get any...ANY...days off...for 3 months.

And they must memorize the entire 150+ page little red rule book by November.

And then there was the following admission from one of the men in charge there:

Guy: "Well, we used to own the Vermont College in Montpelier until a year and a half ago. But over the years, you had us, a very conservative university, and then in the middle of Montpelier what became a very liberal college, much like Goddard (nice potshot, ahole), and we had to sell it. It just didn't work."
My mom: "Yeah, see he (me) wouldn't last at a place like this. This kid (my friend, who wasn't with us @ the time), you say jump he jumps. You tell this one to jump, he wants to know why."
Guy: "Exactly."

So...he says that these kids are simple minded. Great. That says a lot.

I don't wanna agree with him...but when I can overhear these kids, who I assume have seen a TV in thier last few hours of freedom, say "What? There was a blackout?", I can't say much.

When I see on thier schedule that "refreshments are restrooms", I can't say much.

And don't even get me started on the fact that at the opening ceremony there were 49 state flags and D.C. ...but not my state, CT. And nobody there knew why.

NOT TO MENTION the fact that they won the D-III national championship in hockey...but there isnt ONE thing in the school bookstore to celebrate it. In fact, a hat that said Norwich Hockey was the ONLY piece of hockey-related merchandise. Where's the school pride? Too much room taken up by the large war novel section that just COULD NOT go?

But it's still a very pretty school, and I wouldn't be able to handle the military aspect of it.

[zls44]

1. Footnote:

When I asked the marine corps table inside the auditorium why they didn't have t shirts, he said, and I quote:

"We don't have enough money for t-shirts. The budget's too small."


Can...I mean...wha?

[jiacinto]

2. It's not for everyone

Military schools are not for everyone; but, for some people, it can help them get structure.