Concerned Parent about accepted behavior

Punish the bad kids, don't mess with the good ones.

To tell you the truth, I can't imagine them not holding them accountable.

We had USAFA cadets write on our wardroom plates with mustard and ketchup "AFA".... but the plates were stained and the cadets were almost sent home (and rumor had it get a GOOD screaming at from an admiral).
 
As the OP I guess I got some of what I hoped, some of what I expected.

What I hoped: From Hurricane12 et al. regarding the fact that some is rumor, some is fact, and some we just don't know. The fact the "really bad" doesn't happen very often and is disciplined is good.

What I expected: But not good either is the recurring "we've always done that" inputs. Lets face it, for a lot of years officers went to the O-Club every Friday night and got hammered and drove home. With the ubiqutious nature of cell phones and cameras I would think NOT having events with naked/near naked mids would be preferred.

I guess I really am less concerned about the "pranks" and even the damage. Those are lessons you can learn from. As Aglahad said, the Mids and Cadets are held to a higher standard and should be. The risk to the reputation and prestige of USNA in today's society should be cared for by all. Remember the video by the Navy Captain a couple years ago? Cost him his career. The impropriety of two senior Army officers in CENTCOM calls into question the ethics of all Army officers. You can have great tradition and camraderie without borderline actions. Herdon, Army-Navy march on, Plebe Summer as a whole, Service Selection by itself, Sea Trials. This list goes on.

Not a helicopter parent (Mid barely talks to us and I am NOT going to remind to do HW!) just a concerned parent with a senior officer perspective who didn't attend an SA.
 
In my day, people went out and either celebrated or commiserated service selection. Yes, there was some inebriation, but I don't recall any conduct so severe that it would require plebes to stay in their rooms.

IMHO, it's fine for firsties to go into town and have a few drinks (provided they don't drive, commit property damage or disturb). If they are so drunk that they impede the normal activities of other mids . . . that's an issue and should be addressed. That sort of conduct won't fly when they're Ensigns.

The above said, unless we are in the Hall, we really don't know what goes on. I would like to believe that it is "controlled excitement."
 
usna1985 said:
In my day, people went out and either celebrated or commiserated service selection. Yes, there was some inebriation, but I don't recall any conduct so severe that it would require plebes to stay in their rooms.

IMHO, it's fine for firsties to go into town and have a few drinks (provided they don't drive, commit property damage or disturb). If they are so drunk that they impede the normal activities of other mids . . . that's an issue and should be addressed. That sort of conduct won't fly when they're Ensigns.

The above said, unless we are in the Hall, we really don't know what goes on. I would like to believe that it is "controlled excitement."
Click to expand...

No, it was never that bad. I went to the head several times that night, and was, in fact, unscathed. It was just some drunk yelling and pounding on doors for a bit, and then things were quiet again.

Our training staff did tell us to lock our doors, not because we should fear for our safety or anything, but because it was just in our best interests not to mess with drunk firsties.

Or maybe it was that bad elsewhere, I wouldn't know. It was fine in my company though.
 
Aglahad said:
Ah but is the ruckus and damage caused by those frat boys paid for at the tax payers expense? Lets be honest, the American people hold the cadets and mids at the academies to a higher standard than the "brothers" of Sigma Pi Whatever. If the OP's rumours are confirmed, 100k worth of damage is no where near acceptable in terms of college kids being kids.
Click to expand...

Vandalism damage seems to be excused as long as someone else is paying for the damage.

In this case, it's the taxpayers, not the vandals. Aren't we lucky. :rolleyes:

Hooray beer.
 
I remember service selection night well, it was awhile ago, but not that long ago. I had the opportunity to participate in one a few years after I graduated and it was pretty much the same. Firsties celebrated or drank away sorrows. No one had to hide. The most destructive thing on that night is firsties trying to escape their heads being shaved (or more parts of their body). That only lasted a second because let's face it everyone loved the fact it happened, because it was tradition and a symbol of your future. The bottom line is we had an amazing GySgt in our company for our senior enlisted. He would ask the Firsties, "Well you guys are all going out tonight, who is charge? Who has your backs? Don't do anything stupid." That ensured we had 2/C keeping an eye on things and ensuring nothing got out of hand and no one did anything we regretted.

Damage beyond having to clean stuff up, ripped boards, etc is unacceptable. You are right, Mids and Cadets should be held to a higher standard. There are consequences to actions. They need to be held accountable if things went over the line.

I do not remember any Mid runs that involved nudity in the halls. To be honest, it wouldn't of been a big deal from perspective. For most of my Marine career I was the lone female on most deployments with over 100-150 Marines. I saw more nudity than I ever needed to see!

The bottom line is this is how Mids have fun. Does it occassionally cross the line... probably. And when it does they should be held accountable. That is what they are there to learn. They are all adults and within months or years of leading men and women. They do not need adult supervision, because they are adults. No one is forced to participate in these events. I never did during Army Navy week. I was a basketball player and we generally had 2-3 games that week. I needed sleep and to be ready for my games. Everyone knew I was off limits, it was made clear. If someone does not want to participate they can do the same, everyone will respect that.
 
Thanks again. I am also hearing the "other side" of these stories coming out. There were some issues and they are being dealt with. Just as important to me is that after the initial "wow that's hilarious. Lmao" responses there have been a number of former Mids and parents express how thy isn't the norm and as NavyHoops said you only participate if you want to. Good to know. Thanks again to the folks on this forum for being reasonable. On other sites if you question the "awesomeness" of USNA in any way you must not be a real American. Here I was able to ask and get real answers and thoughtful discussion.
 
Luigi59 said:
Vandalism damage seems to be excused as long as someone else is paying for the damage.
Click to expand...

What's done is done; there's no undoing it. But make no mistake, stuff like this is not excused. Folks responsible are held responsible. It was made clear before Army Week began that anything involving water would be strictly forbidden.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top