Sad News of the Corps

This is worth reading:
For all Ags and Ags at heart:

Today, the commandant of the Corps handed down a direct order that no upperclassmen shall wear a Band Lyre or Corps Brass insignia on their uniform. Appearently, this is because of a fish parent who has complained directly to President Gates, and Governor Rick Perry about a video on her cadet's outfit website. The video covered a whipout party. For those not following this, her son was videotaped shaking hands with upperclassmen, in order to meet them. I will admit that this is done in a rather intense fashion, but it is nothing compared to other things that go on out in the
open for all the world to see, such as smoking, or crap outs as the old ags call them.

For those of you who are familiar with the Facebook, several groups have been created to protest the decision, but we have been told by members of Corps staff that we should not join, or leave these groups, because the Commandant's staff likes to use facebook to police cadet behavior and the consequences maybe unknown.

Right now, anyone found to be wearing the prohibited brass with receive two automatic restricted weekends, and threats have been made that all chains of command will be held responsible for the noncompliance of subordinates. This is something a Q pisshead put together. I have encouraged him to send it to the Battalion, which will probably get me into as much trouble as he. "In the corps of cadets there are certain things you earn in your corps career. The CT's it's corps brass and to BQ's it's the band lyre... When you receive this piece of your uniform, you are told that it can never be taken away from you. Also stated in the standard (rules and regulation of the corps) and the cadence, it states that the band lyre is the most important
piece a Q can attain while a member of the corps. Through certain circumstances, the commandant of the corps has decided or at least been the messenger of ALL outfits whether guilty or not to remove these pieces of brass from their uniforms and they are not to be worn until further notice. Also, outfit guidons will be rolled where the field is not visible. This is a direct attack on everything we have worked hard for and everything we have come to have extreme pride in. They didn't take away a piece of shiny metal, but a symbol, that shows family, belonging, and unity. They didn't take away a flag, but our right to represent our respective outfits. This decision whoever it may have come down from is a stab to the chest of the corps and
strikes deep in its heart. So to whoever the parent or person in upper management is that decided this, thank you for taking away from the corps experience and bringing the corps one step closer to extinction."

What makes this so sad, is that freshmen cadets in the corps are about 18 years of age. Legal adults. If you can not handle the situation that you have volunteered to be a part of, you have no place in the Corps. Hazing is unacceptable behavior, and as such should be punished, but cadets coming into the corps must understand that respect can be gained by standing up for themselves and making an effort to fit into the environment. They must also learn to respect the traditions that the Corps holds dear. These include meeting upperlcassmen, and earning your place in the Corps.

Recently the Corps has been making great steps in recruiting freshmen, but at what cost? When the Roman republic began to crumble, they were forced to swell their army's ranks with mercenaries and the unqualified, just to protect their home city. They also offered lighter duty, and faster promotion. We all know what happened to the Romans. What can we expect to happen to the Corps? Perhaps sacrifices in number can be made up for by the quality of person the Corps turns out.
Please pass this around to all the old ags that you know, and help the current cadets take back something that they spent blood, sweat and tears earning. The Corps is a student organization, no one should be able to take it from us.The brass we earned is ours and no one should deny us the right to wear it. It is what sets us apart from those who were not up to the challenge.

Per Unitatem Vis, through unity strength,
Cody Leigh Powell
A-Battery Class of 2008