A holiday message to the Corps and The Cadet from Jethro Tull

Hello! Ian Anderson here, founder of legendary progressive rock band Jethro Tull. I'm joining the cadets on The Cadet newspaper and their fellow supporters of The Cadet Foundation in wishing everyone in the Virginia Military Institute Family happy holidays! I enjoyed meeting Cadets Adam Cioffi and Alex Dieffenbach when they joined the band and crew for our Seven Decades concert at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on October 29th. In upcoming issues of The Cadet you'll read about the concert and their adventures, including an exclusive interview with "the man himself"! We'll talk about music, the media, The Cadet, and the importance of freedom of speech and viewpoint diversity, especially at VMI! A shout out to Col. John Brodie who opened with the VMI jazz band for Jethro Tull at the Helping the Heroes concert previously in Richmond and who, with his colleagues, helped overcome obstacles put in place by the administration so the cadets could spend time with us! It has been a great year for The Cadet in winning the Virginia Press Association highest award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service and continuing to be the independent voice of the Corps as one of the oldest independent college newspapers in Virginia. Unfortunately, you also learned first-hand that, while the administration touts cadets have an obligation to speak out and "Speak truth to power", that "Power" often can't handle the truth; uses that power against you; and sometimes controls the situation so they can't be held accountable. In a world dominated by "anything goes" social media and mainstream media that often care more for their and "Power's" agenda than reporting the facts, you learned, and demonstrated what it means to be real journalists. Your professionalism and fact-based response are a tribute to the true VMI ethos and spirit. The world needs more VMI graduates like you! Going into the New Year I encourage The Cadet to stay strong with the courage to continue your work and example to the Corps and the public. Let's hope the wise men in the administration, the politicians, and the Board of Visitors finally learn how it feels to be "Thick as a Brick" and appreciate the importance of free speech on campuses, and, more importantly, defend you rather than themselves. For all others out there, especially in the VMI Family, SUPPORT THE CADET and other programs by donating to The Cadet Foundation! Cheers! Ian Anderson"Jethro Tull" Editor's note: Those desiring to support The Cadet and The Cadet Foundation's work can do so by donating at: https://givebutter.com/Gw0jQW or contact us at info@thecadetfoundation.org