The Corps Leads the Corps

&emsp;&emsp;The truth is that the problems concerning the Rat Line are as old as the Line itself. When the first upperclassman corrected the first Rat the second upperclassman probably complained about the harshness of the whole thing. And so it has gone. All this has been good, for there is nothing like criticism from extremes for establishing a mean.&emsp;&emsp;The mean has changed through the years; hazing, "sheenies," and the Old Corps "company rooms" (in rooms), have gone; there have been innovations too.&emsp;&emsp;The Rat Line will no doubt continue to change, but it is important to ask how it should change. - The Cadet, April 1, 1957 &emsp;&emsp;"The Corps runs the Corps" has become a popular mantra at VMI over the years as the Institute is known for its regimental and class systems, both of which require heavy involvement from the Corps of Cadets. This simple phrase carries with it two significant aspects, the first being the unparalleled responsibility of a college's student body as it runs itself. The second is the privilege that comes with such aforementioned responsibility, creating an autonomous Corps that operates solely for its own benefit. This has been the traditional state of VMI and its Corps of Cadets, a responsibility and privilege of self-determination unmatched by any other university of similar caliber. This duty is, of course, assigned to the First Class, the paragons of discipline and the VMI system. Their responsibility is the Corps and even more importantly, the Ratline itself. This fact has been understood by both the First Class and the Institute's administration; however, it has not always been executed properly nor in good faith. In recent years, as well as those in years past, a struggle between the First Class and the administration has occurred. The Corps seeks to keep its autonomy while those outside attempt to constrict their abilities. &emsp;&emsp;This unfortunate yet everlasting conflict has arisen in several notable instances, namely March of 1957, in an incident covered in an April issue of The Cadet, that reads: &emsp;&emsp;Last Monday night the upper three classes met and decided to drop the Rat Line and the Class system for the rest of the year. At another meeting the same night the Second and Third classes backed the First with an overwhelming vote in favor of the action. &emsp;&emsp;At the meeting of the Class of 1957 a report of the First Class Advisory Committee was presented. This committee had been meeting with the Superintendent for a period of two months to discuss an outcoming order from the Superintendent which was to do away with the "Resurrection." &emsp;&emsp;The result of the mediations between the committee and the Superintendent was a modification which would allow Rats to be "run" but not down the stairs as before. This information was presented to the class. The matter was discussed for about two hours, and the class, feeling that it could not accept the modification, voted heavily in favor of dropping the Rat Line and class system. &emsp;&emsp;The point was made that such a move would be ineffective at this time of the year if it were not continued after the present First Class had graduated, so the class voted to hold a Corps meeting, to determine whether the two under classes would give their support. Both classes expressed a vote of confidence… &emsp;&emsp;…[First Class president Russell Davis] has emphasized that there will be no disorder connected with the action, and there has been none in the first week of the new operation. The First Class Advisory Committee has drawn up a formal statement of the Corps' view of the situation… &emsp;&emsp;The "resurrection" in question was a periodic tightening of the new cadet discipline beyond the normal procedures, the purpose of which was to correct a lazy and disrespectful Rat Mass that had become complacent and entitled. The Superintendent, at the time, found issue with this operation as it was a period in which purported abuses crept into the enforcement of the Ratline system. While this may seem to be a legitimate issue from the Superintendent's perspective, as the overall discipline and conduct of the Institute is vested in himself and his staff, the Corps did not take so kindly to his restriction of their duty; conducting a Ratline. It may be true that the Superintendent and his staff are invested in the Institute, yet the Cadets are invested in the same way, especially those in the First Class. It is their privilege and responsibility to run the Corps for the collective benefit, and their privilege and responsibility to ensure that the Rat Mass measures up to the historical standard of the VMI Corps of Cadets. This restriction of privilege and responsibility was sharply felt by the Corps as The Cadet reported: "The Corps voted to drop the class system, including the Rat Line because it felt it could not conform to the restrictions placed upon it and still perform effectively." The Corps as a whole responded to the interested parties, including the Board of Visitors, with a letter, portions of which are quoted below: &emsp;&emsp;We, the Corps of Cadets of the Virginia Military Institute, have not taken a radical action, but rather, took action only after careful consideration and thought; no disorders have occurred or will occur as a result of abolishing the Rat System and Class System. The upper three classes are in full accord with this action and will never reinstate a watered-down system. &emsp;&emsp;Traditionally, the Corps, through its First Class, has been allowed to control its own Class System and the Rat System. We realize that the Superintendent has the power to correct anything in the system that he feels is not proper. However, if the Corps does not feel it can continue to run its system with the restrictions the Corps can only drop its system. The Corps is not trying to run the Institute, but we are trying to maintain our traditional control over certain parts of the VMI way of life… &emsp;&emsp;Any abuses that crept into the Rat System in past years have been removed by the Corps itself. The Corps does not believe that the Administration should arbitrarily change the Rat System without the consent of the Corps. The Corps feels that the Administration, by weakening the Rat Line and eliminating any phase that taxes a man physically or mentally, is sacrificing the quality of the future Corps. &emsp;&emsp;We feel that the Institute must not make the mistake of lowering its standards to appease the public's whims so as to attract enrollment. Rather, the Institute should maintain with pride its high military, academic, and disciplinary standards and point to its distinctiveness, knowing that there will always be those drawn to it through appreciation of its high ideals. It is the opinion of the Corps that VMI is to continue to exist and to continue to produce the Marshalls, Shepherds, Pates, and Carter Burgesses it has in the past, we must build and keep a strong Rat System… &emsp;&emsp;Each year the Administration has made the Corps give up things in the System which were important. This, we feel, is demonstrated well by the history of the so called "resurrection." In 1950, in order to maintain a difficult physical and psychological element in the Rat System while eliminating the brutality of physical hazing, the resurrection as we know it developed. In the resurrection, which is in effect a method of periodically tightening up the Rat System and putting the Rats as a class through a physically rigorous exertion, the Rats are required to walk rapidly around the stoops and to run up and down the stairs under the direction of the upperclassmen… &emsp;&emsp;The Corps believes that the authorities ultimately wish to eliminate the system as we know today with the intention of having a Corps which is disciplined only by strict enforcement of the Blue Book Regulations. This type of discipline will not instill the traditional VMI discipline or spirit de corps. Furthermore, this method of training is comparable to that received at any preparatory school and is not an element of the disciplinary theory that had mad VMI outstanding. It is necessary for a Rat System to exist which incorporates physical rigor. The resurrection, through providing this physical aspect, is essential in binding the members of the Rat Class together through mutual experiences and in building the individual pride in the ability to "take it" which has molded VMI men and our incomparable VMI Spirit for so many years. &emsp;&emsp;It is strikingly clear that this struggle between Corps and administration is as old as the Ratline itself and has been faced by many generations of gray-clad Cadets. The method of preservation may vary from year to year, not always culminating in a step-off as seen in 2002, yet the concept of self-autonomy and self-determination has been protected by the Corps. When the administration's hand creeps into the lives of Cadets, the question is not "will we deal with the issue?" but "how will we deal with the issue?" It is not out of contempt for the administration and their role in VMI that Cadets maintain this struggle but out of duty to themselves and the traditions of VMI which they hold dear. The Superintendent and his staff have their place at VMI, yet when they overextend it becomes the responsibility of the Corps to ensure the legitimacy of their own role in VMI and its history. &emsp;&emsp;It is no secret that VMI has recently entered into a period of change, change that has manifested itself in many aspects. Many of these changes concern academic or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, areas that clearly fall within the duties of the administration, yet other issues have arisen. Conflict over the application of the "all hallowed" Blue Book Regulations and the seeming weakening of the Ratline spark concern among current Cadets as well as Alumni. The administration will always champion the phrase "The Corps runs the Corps" though it is the Corps responsibility to ensure that is indeed the truth. They are those with the duty to make it so, to differentiate between "The Corps runs the Corps" and "The Corps leads the Corps." In their eyes, these changes indicate an overextension of power by the Superintendent and his staff, an assault (whether intentional or not) on the autonomy of the Corps and their unique responsibilities. As previously expressed, it is the duty of the Corps to organize and conduct the Class system, Honor Court, and Ratline, duties that rest predominantly with the First Class and supported by the Corps as a whole. Our predecessors addressed these advances in many different fashions, and now the responsibility falls to the current Corps. The examples of how to deal with the issue lie behind us in the conduct and choices of previous classes. &emsp;&emsp;The only question which remains is "when will we deal with the issue?"