Matriculation Day

bruno

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A Busy week for Matriculation at Maritime and Military colleges. On 8/14 the new "youngies" reported to Mass Maritime and the Knobs showed up at The Citadel. Sunday the new Mugs showed up at New York Maritime. At all three schools the class of 2014 were record breakers. Good luck and hang in there- (we'll understand if we don't hear from you for awhile on the forum):thumb:

http://www.maritime.edu/orientation/
http://externalaffairs.citadel.edu/matriculation10
http://www.sunymaritime.edu/hotnews.aspx?id=412
This week- VMI and Norwich on deck!
 
Good Luck to the incoming Rats - looking forward to meeting some of your parents this Friday night!
 
VMI

My best to all the incoming RATS - I know your families are enjoying these last days - see you friday at the social!
larry's mom
 
Good luck, little rat-ties of 11+3!

If you're in Bloodthirsty Band Co., my rat will be a member of your welcoming committee. She'll be one of the very first people to introduce herself to you, sometime around 3:00pm today. Your first day at a new school can be tough, and sometimes even scary. She'll take very good care of you and help you feel welcome. :smile:
 
VMI

I took my young man down and dropped him off. It was amazing how brave all the parents were until the bagpipes and drums started playing as they marched the rats out. About 30 minutes later we walked past the barracks and we could hear the upper classman introducing themsleves...

Hang in there parents, one day down, 9 to go.
 
I took my young man down and dropped him off. It was amazing how brave all the parents were until the bagpipes and drums started playing as they marched the rats out. About 30 minutes later we walked past the barracks and we could hear the upper classman introducing themsleves...

Hang in there parents, one day down, 9 to go.

I could not believe how strong my Mama was when we hugged each other as a stood up to fall in with my company for the first time. Apparently she then proceeded to cry for pretty much the entire 8.5 hour drive home.

Hang in there, CAVCDR! You'll hear from your son soon. :smile:

Jackie M. Briski '09
 
YES! Those bagpipes and drums JUST about got me too! :smile: Our son matriculated at VMI on Saturday as well.

Murf
 
YES! Those bagpipes and drums JUST about got me too! :smile: Our son matriculated at VMI on Saturday as well.

Murf

Those bagpipes will do it everytime! This week will fly by for the new rats!

Hey, Murf, I just sent you a PM :smile:
 
First pictures of Matriculation are posted on the VMI Web site at this link:
http://www.vmi.edu/photojournals/0910/0910gallery.html

Bout 120 shots on there- happy scanning for your personal Rat!:rolleyes:

Don't worry- they are in good hands- not enjoying life right now but appreciating it none the less. You will be amazed at the change when you see them. :thumb:
 
As always Bruno is on top of information-- slide show photos are already up on the VMI site - I really enjoyed having the inside look last year the site provided- imagine you all will to! Its nice that they put them up soo quickly - as I recall, they will be adding more before too many days have past!
Murf, PA - welcome! MY son did survive last year and is there this week with your RATS! It was terrific weather saturday - I really enjoyed helping out
Send those letters and care packages - they really appreciate mail (for probably the first time in their lives)!
Take care - larry's mom
 
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As always Bruno is on top of information-- slide show photos are already up on the VMI site - I really enjoyed having the inside look last year the site provided- imagine you all will to! Its nice that they put them up soo quickly - as I recall, they will be adding more before too many days have past!
My Mom used to stalk the Corps using the webcam from the VMI website. She'd watch SRC and try to pick me out of the sea of 1300 white uniforms from across the parade field. :thumb:

Send those letters and care packages - they really appreciate mail (for probably the first time in their lives)!
I called home once to thank my Mama for the package that had arrived that day. I told her about how my 3rd CPL had stopped me on the stoop as I carried it up. He said something to the extent of: "Don't get used to it. The packages will stop after this year. Nobody will love you once the Ratline is over." She took it as a personal challenge, and now that I'm out in the RealWorld(tm), 9.5 hours away from her, I still get the occasional care package. :shake:

Hang in there, Rat Parents! I hope all y'all will be able to make it to the New Cadet Oath Ceremony on Sept. 5th. Depending on my work schedule, my plan is to be there. If you won't be able to make the trip, please shoot me a PM on here. I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best to check in with your little rat-ties.

Stay strong,

Jackie M. Briski '09
First Class PVT (Ret.)
 
I called home once to thank my Mama for the package that had arrived that day. I told her about how my 3rd CPL had stopped me on the stoop as I carried it up. He said something to the extent of: "Don't get used to it. The packages will stop after this year. Nobody will love you once the Ratline is over." She took it as a personal challenge, and now that I'm out in the RealWorld(tm), 9.5 hours away from her, I still get the occasional care package. :shake:
Stay strong,

Jackie M. Briski '09
First Class PVT (Ret.)

Ah- care packages. My wife has discovered the Dancing Deer Bakery
http://www.dancingdeer.com/ which delivers awesome Cakes, cookies and brownies to among other places VMI Barracks. Like RahVAMil's mom- my wife keeps getting lonely for her baby boy:rolleyes: and then sends him a box of goodies- which typically last about an hour as word spreads across the stoop pretty fast. I can attest to the popularity of care packages throughout your cadetship not just Rat year- Personally - I think it's the 3rd Classmen who feel the most unloved - so keep those packages flowing !!
 
I think it's the 3rd Classmen who feel the most unloved - so keep those packages flowing !!

I can attest to that. :biggrin: It's been incredibly weird/interesting/fun to see everything come full circle. I don't think it will really settle in until the rats learn how to strain (which will be soon :shake:). I still caught myself walking up to the fourth stoop yesterday, thinking I was going to my old room. The weather has been decent for the most part and the rats are getting there. It's incredible to see home many there are. I know the Cadre definitely have their hands full this year. I couldn't believe how much i'd missed this place until I got back and saw a lot of my classmates and the upperclassmen. Looking forward to starting the school year since after all; there is nothing else to look forward to 3rd class year :thumbdown:

Wish the best to you parents who are anxiously awaiting a call from your ds or dd. You will be amazed at how much they have changed in such a short period once Parent's Weekend rolls around. My only advice was to keep up with the care packages, but more importantly letters. I can't even begin to explain what a few sentences on a piece of paper can do for their morale. I always enjoyed getting letters that I could physically hold because as most of us know by now barracks internet it not the best :yllol:
 
The weather has been decent for the most part and the rats are getting there. It's incredible to see home many there are. I know the Cadre definitely have their hands full this year.

Wish the best to you parents who are anxiously awaiting a call from your ds or dd. You will be amazed at how much they have changed in such a short period once Parent's Weekend rolls around. My only advice was to keep up with the care packages, but more importantly letters. I can't even begin to explain what a few sentences on a piece of paper can do for their morale. I always enjoyed getting letters that I could physically hold because as most of us know by now barracks internet it not the best :yllol:

Thanks for the little update on our Rats - can't wait to talk to DS and hear the stories!

Thanks for the tip on the letter-writing :thumb:; we just assume nowadays that the Internet is much easier than mailing letters. We'll be sure to keep 'em coming!

And Good Luck to you as you begin your 3rd class year!
 
More Pictures posted here- this time of the Rats going thru the Rat Crucible- (Go to Tab: 2010 Crucible). Just a bunch of Happy Rats (or maybe not?) "frolicking" in the warm Virginia sun:biggrin:
http://www.vmi.edu/photojournals/0910/0910gallery.html
Seriously- if you want to see them at their most miserable IMHO go to shot 117 or 118. The food isn't great to begin with but when you are just sitting there in the Mess Hall as a stationary target - it's just not fun!
Have fun parents trying to identify your kids! BTW they are starting a new and different Crucible this week- classes start!
 
Our Rat called us on Sunday and said the words we never thought we'd hear: "I can't wait for classes to start!"

I'm really looking forward to seeing him and his Brother Rats this weekend at New Market :smile:

A Proud Rat-Mom
 
Our Rat called us on Sunday and said the words we never thought we'd hear: "I can't wait for classes to start!"

I'm really looking forward to seeing him and his Brother Rats this weekend at New Market :smile:
A Proud Rat-Mom

http://www2.vmi.edu/museum/nm/rats.htm
The New Market Oath Ceremony, and parade thru the Town is a very cool event.If you can go you really should. You will be very impressed by the changes in your Rat in just a few weeks and will get a charge out of seeing them march thru the middle of New Market whcih is a quaint old valley town and the site of the only action in US History where a Corps of Cadets participated enmasse in a battle (and contributed greatly to the victory capturing a couple of cannons from -it pains me to say- a Massachusetts Artillery Battery) and sustaining 55 casualties including 10 kia in the process (about 25% of the corps) today on the VMI colors you can see that Battle Streamer. The only other school that i am aware of that flys a battle streamer is USMMA for the many Midshipmen who died on the Atlantic run during WW2)
After their Oath- the Rats will receive plain shoulder boards which were roadmarched up to New Market (about 86 miles I think) by members of the First Class which signifies that they are now miserable :eek:but still members of the VMI Corps of Cadets.:thumb:
 
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http://www2.vmi.edu/museum/nm/rats.htm
The New Market Oath Ceremony, and parade thru the Town is a very cool event.If you can go you really should. You will be very impressed by the changes in your Rat in just a few weeks and will get a charge out of seeing them march thru the middle of New Market whcih is a quaint old valley town and the site of the only action in US History where a Corps of Cadets participated enmasse in a battle (and contributed greatly to the victory capturing a couple of cannons from -it pains me to say- a Massachusetts Artillery Battery) and sustaining 57 casualties including 10 kia in the process (about 25% of the corps) today on the VMI colors you can see that Battle Streamer. The only other school that i am aware of that flys a battle streamer is USMMA for the many Midshipmen who died on the Atlantic run during WW2)
After their Oath- the Rats will receive plain shoulder boards which were roadmarched up to New Market (about 86 miles I think) by members of the First Class which signifies that they are now miserable :eek:but still members of the VMI Corps of Cadets.:thumb:

BTW- if you go to the link above- The Rat class that is the subject of this 2004 NPR story is the class of 2009- the class of our very own RahVAMil2009:thumb:
RahVa: does this seem like it took place about a century ago?
 
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