Rats enjoy "Hell Week"

Rat's completed Matriculation Week, formerly known as "Hell Week," before joining the returning Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Corps of Cadets to start the first semester. The weeklong process consisted of the cadre leading what the VMI Official Communications page now calls "new arrivals" in military drills and physical training. Events included a walk up House Mountain and culminated with the Rat Crucible on Aug. 27. This year the Crucible consisted of training with obstacles on North Post and swimming in the Maury River. It concluded with the Rat's first Old yell on their return. Emphasizing VMI's new approach and focus on retention, Cadre addressed Rats in using a "command voice" and activities focused heavily on team building and inclusion. VMI has yet to publish any official statistics on the number of Rats, if any, who chose to leave VMI during Matriculation Week. The administration expressed its gratitude to the Cadet cadre in an Instagram post stating, "A huge thank you to VMI's cadre for their dedication and hard work in leading the new Rat Mass and pushing themselves to be better leaders. Your efforts are the backbone of the Institute's legacy.