White tornado?

billyb

10-Year Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
494
Do they do white tornados anymore during Beast?

I know I am pretty old, but just wondering if this tradition still continues.
 
Do they do white tornados anymore during Beast?

I know I am pretty old, but just wondering if this tradition still continues.

Since I have no idea what that is I will have to say no unless the term changed. Please explain.
 
Hmm... validating the Tabasco... reminds me of a little challenge I was dared to do...
 
No, billy, they don't. All that stuff was banned was I was an upperclassman. We had to feed the New Cadets. No more white tornadoes, no more cupcake roulette, no more peanut butter popsicles.
 
Do the plebes still have to make templates for the cakes/pies?

It is funny how things have become "kinder and gentler." Back in my day we were basically starved during beast- maybe got to eat for 3 minutes at each meal since it took so long to do the table duties correctly. We were so hungry that quite a few people were eating toothpaste (not an exaggeration) in their rooms. One funny memory was the first weekend that parents can come visit after beast. A couple of us went to meet one of our friends parents. They brought a ton of food and we tore into it like we hadn't ever eaten before. His parents were shocked that it was all gone in 5 minutes.

Ah, the good ole days....
 
I don't want to push anyone's buttons here, but IMHO stuff like this needed to be banned. Its vile and disgusting. What does forcing a bunch of kids to stuff themselves and drink hot sauce do for them? How does that make them a better officer?

It doesn't.
 
Well, I've never participated in that tradition, so the following viewpoint may not be the most informed. I suppose it could be argued that it enforced the lessons of teamwork (it took all the NCs to clear the table... if one quit on their classmates, it probably wasn't received the best). Plus, it was a tradition. Traditions don't always teach some greater lesson (for example, the whole Corps smoking cigars after Christmas dinner, the SOSH run)... they are more rites of passage.

Granted, none of those traditions have mandatory participation or involve physical discomfort.
 
Do the plebes still have to make templates for the cakes/pies?

It is funny how things have become "kinder and gentler." Back in my day we were basically starved during beast- maybe got to eat for 3 minutes at each meal since it took so long to do the table duties correctly. We were so hungry that quite a few people were eating toothpaste (not an exaggeration) in their rooms. One funny memory was the first weekend that parents can come visit after beast. A couple of us went to meet one of our friends parents. They brought a ton of food and we tore into it like we hadn't ever eaten before. His parents were shocked that it was all gone in 5 minutes.

Ah, the good ole days....

Seriously. I looked like a POW after beast. I weighed in on R-Day at 196. On A-Day I was a gaunt and sallow 169. I ate an entire 2-pound bag of reeses cups on A-Day.

Those "tasks" added another element of fear and dread to mealtime. But they also showed me that I can gut through my fears when I have no other option.

Beast showed me that you can go a long way on a little food. There are times in your career you'll have to go without.
 
Seriously. I looked like a POW after beast. I weighed in on R-Day at 196. On A-Day I was a gaunt and sallow 169. I ate an entire 2-pound bag of reeses cups on A-Day.

Those "tasks" added another element of fear and dread to mealtime. But they also showed me that I can gut through my fears when I have no other option.

Beast showed me that you can go a long way on a little food. There are times in your career you'll have to go without.

VMI was very similar when I was a Rat. Tons of exercise, and it was hard to get much to eat at the Mess Hall. Meal times were feared, as there was plenty of yelling and screaming by Cadre at their captive audience. You couldn't even look down at the food except for quick glances. I was 188lbs when I showed up to Matriculation in August 1995. By the end of the Ratline, I was down to 152. I've managed to put it all back and then some, mind you. :shake: I still have some pictures from Rat year, and honestly, I look like I had just been busted out of Dachau or something.
 
Haha! It's funny how Meal time could be dreaded. During SLS, I always liked going to the Mess Hall (delicious meals all around!). Evidently, we weren't yelled at or anything.

By the way, does anyone know what "Killing the Carton" mean? (Not as in drinking the whole mile carton... I believe there might be another meaning?)
 
Haha! It's funny how Meal time could be dreaded. During SLS, I always liked going to the Mess Hall (delicious meals all around!). Evidently, we weren't yelled at or anything.

By the way, does anyone know what "Killing the Carton" mean? (Not as in drinking the whole mile carton... I believe there might be another meaning?)

"Killing the carton" refers to placing a milk carton on one's glass sidewise and then stabbing it with a butter knife to pop a hole in the carton's side and get the milk to empty into the glass. Another favorite is killing the peanut butter... removing the seal from an unopened jar of peanut butter by smashing the side of the jar against you forehead.
 
Do the plebes still have to make templates for the cakes/pies?

It is funny how things have become "kinder and gentler." Back in my day we were basically starved during beast- maybe got to eat for 3 minutes at each meal since it took so long to do the table duties correctly. We were so hungry that quite a few people were eating toothpaste (not an exaggeration) in their rooms. One funny memory was the first weekend that parents can come visit after beast. A couple of us went to meet one of our friends parents. They brought a ton of food and we tore into it like we hadn't ever eaten before. His parents were shocked that it was all gone in 5 minutes.

Ah, the good ole days....

I dont agree. West Point has gone from a tough first year to a tough four years. The firsties go for a four week field training exercise in the summer before firstie year and then have to do a CBT/CFT/CTLT detail. Upper class cadets do all the training of the underclass in CBT/CFT instead of watching 10th Mountain/82nd/101st do the training. The academic program is even more stringent then when i was there in the late 90s early 00s. The IOCT is now a hard and fast graduation requirement your Cow year. Upperclass are supposed to know knowledge now, knowledge that they will actually use when they graduate, instead of the number of gallons in lusk or lights in collum.

Was Beast really tough before the 90s. Yes. Cadets were starved, ridiculed etc. Now the tough conditions have a more direct purpose to bring out leadership traits and develop them instead of just who can suck it up the most.

That is what Ranger school is for :)
 
"Killing the carton" refers to placing a milk carton on one's glass sidewise and then stabbing it with a butter knife to pop a hole in the carton's side and get the milk to empty into the glass. Another favorite is killing the peanut butter... removing the seal from an unopened jar of peanut butter by smashing the side of the jar against you forehead.

Awesome!

My SL during SLS didn't know what it was... neither did the people he asked... They thought I was crazy or something haha!
 
"White Tornados" Alive

A "white tornado" - consuming all the condiments on the table - may be forbidden, but it still happens from time to time. Cadet son has described dessert of layer cake topped with peanut butter, mustard, maple syrup, Tabasco, etc. during just-completed plebe year.

I understand that the kitchen staff is to be on the alert for signs of a problem, but sometimes it slips through.

Still an improvement over years past; somebody finally realized that it was not a good idea to endanger the health of these young men and women. Technically, they may not be deprived of food as punishment [ except dessert, which is a privilege]. Son says it can still be tough to get a full meal from time to time if Knowledge grilling is ramped up -- but not on a consistent basis.

Short-term food deprivation may be a lesson; year-long, as described by alumni friends from a generation ago (donating blood to get the donut), led to health problems, near-clinical depression, company transfers, and sub-par performance on military and athletic requirements. The new rules are definitely an improvement in this old soldier's mind.
 
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