VMI club highlights

&emsp;&emsp;Here at VMI, you have the opportunity to do much more than attend formation. From academic, to athletic, and leadership led clubs, there exist a plethora of extracurricular activities at the 'Mother I.' Below are just four of the vast quantity of opportunities. We encourage you to look into these, and everything else the Institute has to offer. You never know what you might find. BALLROOM DANCING - By Cadet Victoria Gurgos '25 &emsp;&emsp;VMI's Ballroom Dance Club welcomes members of all skill levels! If you want to pick up a new hobby or are just looking to impress your Ring Figure, Midwinter, or Homecoming date, we encourage you to drop in for a lesson. Taught primarily by Katie Grochalski '24, the class covers everything from the Waltz, to the Foxtrot, various forms of Swing Dancing, and more! &emsp;&emsp;We even meet with members of other college's Ballroom Dancing Clubs to give Cadet's the opportunity to showcase and practice their skills. The club meets on Wednesdays and Fridays from 20:00 – 21:00 in the studio on the bottom floor of Cocke Hall. Rats are welcome to join and have their own, separate practice on Monday evenings at the same time and place. HOCKEY - By Cadet Julian Major '24 &emsp;&emsp;The VMI Ice Hockey club was founded under the brilliance of Colonel John A. Brodie, the director of music here at VMI. It was then passed down to Jim Hudson, coordinator of the Military Store and the VMI Quarter Master's Den. With that information alone, many wouldn't know, and still do not know, that there is an Ice Hockey Club, let alone an actual team that represents VMI. The purpose of this article is to formally shine light upon the VMI Ice Hockey Club. &emsp;&emsp;The team itself is mixed gendered and comprises all four classes of the Institute: Rats, 3rds, 2nds, and 1st Classmen. We wear the lean, mean Kangaroo Moe on our white home jerseys and the iconic red, white, and gold VMI Spider on our away uniforms. Unfortunately, we practice only once a week, that being every Thursday night at 2045 (8:00pm) at LeHaye Ice Center in Lynchburg. However, our practices consist of nothing but hard work and dedication towards our shared goal; to win. &emsp;&emsp;We have all kinds of experience on the team, new players just now tying their first pair of skates, to players advanced enough to go on to the professional side of Hockey. We open the door to all cadets who wish to play for the first time and those who have played in the past. We don't get as much publicity as other club sports, but the VMI Ice Hockey is here to change just that. OΔK - By Cadet Cody Bartmann '25 &emsp;&emsp;Omicron Delta Kappa (ΟΔΚ) is an honor society that was founded on December 13, 1914 at Washington & Lee University. It was grounded in the founders' shared belief that "leadership at the collegiate level should be recognized and encouraged across all phases of campus life". A mere three years after its founding, ΟΔΚ became a national leadership honor society and has since grown to include over 300 active circles (chapters) nationwide, including VMI's circle which was founded on March 24, 2003. The VMI circle's current leadership consists of Cadets Kevin Wahl '23 (President) and VP's Naomi Hahn '24 and Jack Milenski '24, as well as Col. Patrick G. Looney, USMC (Ret) and Col. Matthew K. Swenty, Ph.D., P.E. &emsp;&emsp;ΟΔΚ aims to recognize and promote the broadest possible spectrum of leadership, which is such an integral facet of VMI, whether it be within the Corps of Cadets, academics, athletic and ROTC departments, or elsewhere. Approximately 50-55 cadets are initiated each year, chosen both for academic rankings within VMI, as well as respective leadership activities. Col. Swenty recognizes that ΟΔΚ provides extensive networking opportunities and is a "leadership organization for anyone associated with VMI", not just Cadets. This includes alumni, faculty, staff, administration, and more; in short "any leaders which are a part of VMI or contribute to VMI," are included in this leadership organization. As a society focused on leadership and service, ΟΔΚ lost a good deal of momentum during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, but began last year to regain that lost traction. Which was in no small part, a result of the efforts of Col. Looney, who is said to be the backbone of the circle, especially in recent years. As for future trajectory and goals of the organization, ΟΔΚ has its sights set on increasing collaboration with the Center for Leadership and Ethics, re-establishing its service to the Institute, increasing networking with the national headquarters, which is located right here in Lexington, and continuing to realize its vision of "recognizing and connecting collaborative and inclusive leaders". RUGBY- By Cadets Sean Daffron '24 and Patrick Sexton '24 &emsp;&emsp;Ruck, scrum, line-out. All terms not known to most of us Americans, but basic vernacular in the mind of a Rugby player. Passing backward, tackling low, and hitting hard, the VMI Men's Rugby Football Club is in full swing with a record of 3 -1 to start the season. Outscoring opponents 233 - 60, VMI has maintained their tradition of Rugby dominance that began decades prior. Consistently ranked one of the highest in the nation, the team seeks to re-establish the Keydets as the erstwhile powerhouse of American Rugby, after experiencing a downswing in the past decade. The team sought out a regional title this summer, coming up just short in the final round. &emsp;&emsp;However, VMI Rugby is no stranger to championships, having attended and claimed several titles in its near century long history. In its first few seasons, VMI RFC soared to establish itself as the premier example in all things American Rugby. It is unclear as to when the Club actually started but its first mention occured in a 1939 edition of The Cadet newspaper. The article describes the excitement the Corps felt when the goal posts were put up on the parade field. They knew the time had come for the Keydet Ruggers to face another opponent under the shadow of Old Barracks. With American Rugby proving to be insufficient a challenge for the Keydets, VMI has also attended tournaments on the international stage on several occasions; a privilege the Club continues to enjoy. They are even playing in France this coming Spring. &emsp;&emsp;VMI Rugby Football may no longer play on the parade field with the Corps' cheers thundering from the sidelines and from barracks windows. But they can be found, nearly everyday, in whatever conditions, practicing on the pitch, or competing against the other members of the Cardinals Rugby Conference, winning for VMI.