A&E documentary gives NU national exposure

By Michael McIntyre
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 10 p.m., the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) Network debuted the latest edition of its investigative reporting series. Cadets: Life as a Student Recruit was an inside look at the physical and emotional turmoil one must overcome to earn the title of Cadet at Norwich University.

The documentary chronicled four freshmen from the time leading up to their arrival at Norwich until the moment they were recognized as Cadets.

"I think it accurately portrays the life of a rook," said Richard Schneider, president of Norwich University.

When A&E and its production company, 44 Blue, first approached Norwich with the idea of a rook documentary, school officials jumped at the opportunity.

"I feel that our Corps has great things to be proud of. I wanted to let them in and let them see it all," Schneider said.

There were no restrictions on the A&E film crew, who often spent time living in the dorms with the recruits.

Kevin Hancock, 21, a senior electrical engineering major from Cincinnati, Ohio, played a vital role in assisting A&E.

"I was the liaison between the Corps of Cadets and the production crew," Hancock said.

Throughout the duration of the filming, Hancock, who works for the Corps Public Affairs Office (PAO), served as a campus guide for A&E, making sure they got all the necessary footage.

A&E regularly has about 2.6 million viewers. According to Tom Greene, Director of Public relations at Norwich, the special which aired three times in February alone, may air about 15 times in the next year-and-a-half. With that type of exposure, Norwich hopes the documentary will serve as a way of educating people across the country.

"It is my hope that the A&E special is going to give Norwich greater name recognition and public recognition. I think we should be proud of what our rooks have achieved and of ourselves as a school," said Karen McGrath, Dean of Enrollment Management.

Norwich felt the special would bring a mass amount of interest and reaction the night of the first airing. According to McGrath, special phone lines were set up, along with additional pages on the website dedicated exclusively to the special.

Norwich also wanted to produce commercials, which would air during the special. However, A&E denied that privilege.

"We wanted to buy a 30-second add that talked about our academic programs. A&E said no, it would tarnish the objectivity of the reporting. There was legitimate concern on their part that an ad would discredit their reporting and make the special look more like an infomercial," Schneider said.

Some feel the documentary was incomplete because it left out certain aspects of a rook's life. Nowhere in the special did it show a rook in a classroom, or interacting with any of the civilian students on campus.

"The special only showed part of rook week, some of parents' weekend, and then a look at the recognition ceremony. There is a lot more that goes into being a rook than what was shown," said George Dujack, 22, a senior electrical engineering major from Troy, NY.

According to Hancock, the complete Norwich experience was never what A&E intended to focus on.

"The show is not about Norwich University. It is about a military environment. They could have gone to Virginia Tech and did the same thing. They chose Norwich," Hancock said.

Greene agrees that the documentary gives a limited view of the current Norwich. But it was A&E's decision to do a story about a military environment.

A&E had its choice of several military schools throughout the country. But when it came time to start filming, their focus was, at a time when interest in a military lifestyle is declining, what is it about these students that would make them choose Norwich?

The selection process of the four students that eventually participated in the documentary was collaborated between 44 Blue and Norwich. The university provided a pool of students they felt would be good candidates.

Seventy students who had already sent in deposits to admissions were selected, and 25 of them were interviewed by 44 Blue. By May, the four students were chosen, and the final decision was entirely that of A&E, who started visiting the homes of these students in early August.

"I think it is really good publicity for the school and that it will make a great recruiting tool," said Jason Raposa, 20, a sophomore communications major from Westford, Mass.

Recruiting is what McGrath feels the documentary will do best for Norwich in the future.

"I think it will attract rising seniors and help to gain more freshmen in the fall of 2002," McGrath said.

Schneider believes that the documentary will also clear up some confusion for prospective students and their families. "I hate to see students leave because they did not know what they were getting into."

Not everyone agrees that the special will give full insight to the Corps.

"There are certain things the special doesn't show. A lot of aspects of the Corps cannot be explained to people who do not live them," DuJack said.

But according to Greene, the documentary looks like a powerful and transforming experience.

All four students who were the focus of the documentary are still currently attending Norwich.

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