As a junior here at Norwich University I would like to share my observations of some unfortunate incidents that have taken place on this campus over the last few weeks. These incidents stem around the very subject, which has this country and this world embroiled in war. That subject is hate and the actions of a few against a group of innocent people. I don't speak of hate against Americans by a foreign people or even of hate against a foreign people by Americans. I speak about hate from a group of Americans towards another group of Americans.

It was just a week after the terrible attacks on this country that the first incident occurred. While the country rallied together and spoke of words like unity, pride, patriotism, love and remembrance, a very different environment was spread through the halls of this great institution. Tolerance and unity were replaced with hatred and bigotry.

Matthew Sheppard was a person, an American, someone who was brutally killed because of the fear and cowardice of those who felt gay people didn't deserve life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness. Posters representing a play focusing on this terrible event were posted in Web Hall. Some Norwich student decided to share his or her own cowardice by writing over the poster "No Queers at Norwich".

The second incident of cowardice happened a few weeks later when in humor a cadet was portrayed as being "gay" as part of a birthday prank. Why not, after all, being gay here is seen as something to mock, something to laugh at.

Everyday as I walk around this campus I hear remarks like "gay, faggot, and homo". Ever since I started attending this school I have heard the corps and civilians talk about honor and integrity. I see a military influence on young people whose only desire is to fight for his or her country to protect their fellow citizens. Every time I hear the words "faggot" or "homo" I question that integrity, and that honor. What is truly a shame is that only a few lack the honor and integrity that this institution demands and I try to remember that the vast majority stand up for what this country is supposed to be.

To those of you in the corps and in the military I ask you to rise above any prejudice and intolerance that may surround you, and stand up for all Americans, including Gay Americans. To the cowards that would continue promoting their agenda of hate and intolerance I say to you that there are "queers" at Norwich; there always have been, and there always will be.

Paul O'Kane

The events of last week prove that Jackman Hall has lost the trust and respect of many members of the corps. Whether the opening of a student's private mail occurred or not is almost immaterial. The fact that the majority of the Corps of Cadets was prepared to believe that Jackman was capable of raiding a cadet's personal privacy in such a manner is ample proof of the rift between the Corps and the school's administration.

Did the package fall open? Or did someone purposefully breach the Right to Privacy? Though interesting, these questions are not pertinent to the real problem. Through such vehicles as the room-search policy, Jackman has infringed on the rights of students to the point where many no longer believe that the commandants are worthy of trust or respect. After all, why would the commandants need to search a room while no one is there?

The constant suffocation of freshman training and the treatment of upper-class cadets have made the Corps exceedingly wary of Jackman Hall. The corps is the attraction that brings in money from alumni and some federal sources. The corps is trotted out for parades and for whenever someone needs an audience to speak to. The corps provides basic security functions for the school, as well as enforcing its own standards.

And yet, Jackman is determined to limit the basic liberties of cadets on absolutely no grounds whatever.

This cannot go on forever. The corps has proven trustworthy - but Jackman needs to win the trust of the corps. This school cannot continue to function if the necessary trust between the administration and Corps continues to disintegrate - and the price may be more than Jackman can pay.

Nathan Hanawalt
Robert Wolcott

I am writing to voice my opinion on the Norwich University attendance policy. I am a senior now at Norwich, and have quite had enough of this unfair policy. The fact that a student is dropped from a class if he or she misses more than three classes over a semester and given a grade of F is unsatisfactory.

There are two main reasons why this is both unfair and discriminatory. First, the fact that a student misses so much information over three days that he or she is so far behind that they cannot continue is absurd. Lets ask all the athletes that miss classes every week if they have missed out.

The fact that athletes are allowed to miss classes as many times over a semester as their game schedule mandates, but a non-athlete cannot is discriminatory and ridiculous.

The other main point to this argument is the fact that we the students are the customers, not the school. But very seldom do I feel this here at Norwich. We pay for school; if we decide not to go to class, it is our loss, no one else's.

If Norwich decides to drop us from a class, are we not paying the professors, but the school. Are the professors and staff here for the students or are we here for them?

The fact is that we pay for school, so if we are only allowed three unexcused absences, then athletes should only be allowed so many missed classes or the attendance policy should be dropped.

Robert Berkey

Back to Guidon index