As We See It  (editorial)

The beginning of an academic year should be an enthusiastic look at fresh starts, new thinking, and change. This year is about change.

Students at Norwich have chosen to spend four years here for a reason, and many cite the rich history and traditions embodied by this small university nestled in this central Vermont valley.

Norwich has become a monument to courage, honesty, temperance and wisdom, in the words of K.R.B. Flint. Norwich can change, grow, add new traditions, and still be the same place we know and love.

For those who are members of the Corps of Cadets, they may have decided that Norwich was the place for them based on a love for discipline. There is a pride in the challenges they face daily. Rooks work diligently in these first few months to earn the right to be called a cadet, a member of the corps.

Upperclassmen watched the civilian freshmen participate in orientation. The challenges upperclassmen have faced with their rook buddies and friends have, along with their other experiences in life, molded them into the people they are today. Seniors have the ring and have made friends for life. They have taken part in a proud tradition 182 years strong.

Those civilian students who decided to enroll at Norwich may have done so for different reasons. Maybe they have a sincere appreciation for a disciplined environment, but thought a military lifestyle simply wasn't for them. Civilian students could be international students, drawn by the diversity that Norwich has come to offer over the last decade, or maybe they were drawn by the strong athletic programs at Norwich.

As freshman orientation progressed, civilian students watched the rooks march to meals and maybe wondered why anyone would want to accept a lifestyle like that. Maybe the civilian students admired the rooks' tenacity and commitment.

Civilian upperclassmen realize that the two student bodies are very different, but all are playing for the same team.

In a way, a civilian presence may be the embodiment of Alden Partridge's mission of an educated citizenry.

Though civilian students may not have known much about a military lifestyle prior to enrolling here, after their time at Norwich, they leave with an appreciation for the efforts a soldier makes for his or her country.

We all want to be successful, to be educated, and to enjoy our college career. We all examine our reasons for being here from time to time, but our presence indicates that we all love something about Norwich. Though at times we don't want to see things change, or traditions "die", sometimes we have to mold these traditions into new ones to become stronger.

Norwich will change. It has to in order to survive.

Back to Guidon index