The Sphinx commits to record the people and events that define a year and my first complete year as president has been memorable in many ways. No doubt you will see many unforgettable moments reflected in the photographs of cadets, campus life and events that made this year unique. But since future readers will use The Sphinx as a reference for this year, I will take the liberty of mentioning some milestones that may or may not appear in the pages that follow.
We opened the year with the launch of our Values and Respect Program, an initiative that emphasizes respect for self and others as a characteristic of leadership. That program is part of our strategic initiatives and has become a key component of our leadership training.
Academically you did well, earning fall semester grades that approached records for all classes. That statistic not only reflects the caliber of the student body and engagement of our faculty but also the concerted efforts by Corps leadership to preserve evening study period for academics.
The War on Terror is never far from our minds as we have watched cadets, faculty and staff deploy or return from Iraq and Afghanistan. In a ceremony that inspired an emotional ovation from the Veterans’ Day homecoming crowd, five football players took their oath to join the Army. We collected supplies for wounded troops and sadly, held a memorial service for Marine 1st Lt. Joshua Booth, ’05, the 12th Citadel grad to be killed in the war.
The school year brought other memorable events as well.
We unveiled the video scoreboard during the first home football game and for one season, enjoyed the distinction of sporting the largest video screen of any football stadium in the state. Fans returned to the new west side stands and shortly after football season ended, construction began on the South Carolina National Guard Readiness Center.
A fourth of you moved from Stevens into the new Law Barracks when spring semester began, a change that allowed you to enjoy the air-conditioned comfort that classmates in other battalions have taken for granted for years.
Citadel athletic teams took on powerhouse opponents. Football, which always schedules some David-and-Goliath games, traveled to Texas A&M and Pittsburgh. New basketball coach Ed Conroy pitted the team against Michigan State, Iowa, Southern California, Notre Dame and the University of South Carolina during a 10-day stretch that allowed our players to prove their tenacity and spirit.
Wheel of Fortune, the grandfather of TV game shows, came to campus, filming scenes and holding tryouts for contestants. Six of you made the final cut to appear on national television. No doubt the popular show’s ratings spiked because of the number of Citadel alumni who watched.
Other events, both ordinary and remarkable, have brought challenges and opportunities that have defined the leadership of the Class of 2007.
As I watch cadets, I sometimes marvel at how much has changed since I graduated with the Class of 1973. Contact with the outside world from your still-spartan rooms is just a click away and your cell phones and iPods make our rotary telephones and radios a joke. If you happen to read this column as you are preparing for your 25th class reunion, I am certain you will find my some of my analogies quaint. In 25 years, some of you will complain that the Corps has it too easy compared to your cadet days – a comment that is much a part of The Citadel psyche as Friday parades and accountability formations. Like your predecessors, you will become vested in your Citadel experience and this year will be a marker for judging the college from now on.
Still, it is important to remember that while 2006-2007 is unique, the important qualities of The Citadel remain unchanged: the focus on leadership, support for the honor system, the sense of duty, the aspiration to excellence and the kinship among alumni. Those qualities that create the essence of The Citadel experience have had a major impact on me. I predict that they will have a lasting influence on you.
