Alumni and Friends of VMI:
Cyber Corps Numbers: 421
Keydets Stumble a Bit: During this past week the basketball team stumbled a bit and lost two conference basketball games. For those interested in following the basketball team's record and conference standings, you can refer to the class of '86 web site which is administered by Chuck Steenburgh. In addition to current basketball standings, you can also finds lots of other interesting tidbits. The address for this site is: http://users.aol.com/keydet1986.
VMI Wrestling: In reviewing the Electronic
Turnouts in the Alumni Association web site, I ran across this
bit of information about one of VMI's wrestlers...
Tue Jan 13 13:58:37 1998
To all interested in Keydet athletics: Leslie Apedoe, Heavy
weight
wrestler for the Keydets, Just beat the man who was ranked #3 in
the
country from the University of Illinois. Leslie has been ranked
as high
as #5, we hope this resent upset will increase his ranking. Just
a
reminder, in wrestling Division I is not split into big schools/
small
schools. Leslie has been beating "the big schools" all
year long! Aaron
Bruce VMI Assistant Wrestling Coach
VMI Marching in Governor Inaugural Parade: As in the past, the Corps marches in the Governor's (Virginia, of course) inaugural parade. The following excerpts from the Electronic Turnouts offers some observation from the VMI family:
Sat Jan 17 15:08:09 1998
Gene, they were marching under VMI's colors. Apparently it was
the three
classes only that marched, according to the announcer I heard,
the rats
did not march. What's the deal I thought it was going to be just
the
rats? (By the way, the Gov granted amnesty)
I tell you it was difficult to watch, it was moving. everyone
there
knows what VMI's been through, and there seemed to be a hush in
the
crowd (as I watched from the TV) as VWIL and VMI approached the
reviewing stand. Boy they make me proud. The VWIL cadets preceded
them,
QUITE impressive, and VMI brought up the rear of the parade. It
was an
awesome show. I don't think I've seen better marching even in
1984! Damn fine
schools and young men and women, you could just tell. TH'84
•Sat Jan 17 18:58:50 1998
TH '84: Thanks for the report on the Inaugural Parade. I'm glad
they did
well ... I wasn't able to be there. But to set the record
straight ...
the marchers were the Rats, all of them, the Thirds, and the
First and
Second Class Chain of Command. First and Second Class Privates
were
excused, except those who few who took the Commandant up on his
offer of
a restriction-free weekend if they marched. All made moot, one
supposes,
by the Governor's amnesty. And they marched proudly under the VMI
colors
as they ALWAYS WILL ! LDH '57
•Sat Jan 17 20:00:12 1998
JPK'97, for some reason the parade announcer "lied"
about it being only
the upper three classes. (I have it on videotape!) (they also
left out
the "Women" in "Virginia Women's Institute for
Leadership" captioned on
the screen. The media I think gets about half their stuff right
(Frightening!) Thank you Col H '57.
•Sat Jan 17 20:42:56 1998
I remember when Gov Allen was inaugurated way back in 94. At the
time,
we had the Rats, 3rds, and 1st & 2nd class staffs marching.
It was one
of the coldest days the corps' marched in recent memory. Of
course, we
all were freezing, and most of our arms locked in the shoulder
arms
position due to the callous reg staff (who incidentally went
inside
frequently to warm up while the corps was left to the elements.
Of course, as a non-Virginian and a 1st, I came back to march in
that
parade, even though it wasn't my duty to. I was glad to have done
it
just for the experience.
PHW '94
Football Decision: The following is a copy of an article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch that describes the results of the recent "football meeting".
VMI group opts against Division III
Board of visitors will discuss football program
BY JEFF WHITE
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As expected, Virginia Military Institute's football team will
remain in
the NCAA's Division I-AA. At a "summit" in Williamsburg
this past
weekend, school officials decided against recommending a move to
Division III, said Mike Strickler, VMI's public relations
director.
"Beyond that, it would premature to say what [changes
will be made to
the program]," Strickler said yesterday.
About 35 people with ties to VMI — including football
coach Ted Cain,
Superintendent Josiah Bunting, alumni and a team of consultants
—
gathered at Kingsmill to discuss the future of the Keydets'
struggling
program. VMI hasn't had a winning season in football since 1981
and
hasn't won more than four games in a season since 1982.
"It was a positive meeting," Strickler said.
"Everybody's on board to
return to winning football."
In Williamsburg, the consultants — former Big East
Commissioner Chuck
Neinas, former Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Gene
Corrigan and
current Naval Academy Athletic Director Jack Lengyel —
discussed their
report on VMI's football and overall athletic programs. Summit
guests
then were split into three groups to study the consultants'
report and
make recommendations, Strickler said.
A synopsis of the summit will be given to VMI's board of
visitors before
its next meeting, Strickler said. The board will discuss the
future of
the football program at its meeting Feb. 13 and 14 in Richmond.
"There will certainly some kind of statement coming out
of the board of
visitors meeting," Strickler said. "What that will be,
I don't know."
Attrition has contributed heavily to the Keydets' decline.
Cain, who was
hired last winter, is having the same problems that plagued than
his
predecessors. Only 16 players remain from Cain's first recruiting
class
of 22. The latest casualties were freshmen Lamar Calloway
(Meadowbrook
High), Zack Denton (Lee-Davis High) and Brad Catron, who did not
return
to VMI after the holiday break. Calloway was expected to compete
for the
starting tailback job next season.
VMI continues to search for an athletic director to replace
David Babb,
who resigned under pressure Jan. 8. Possible candidates include
Patrick
Henry High Athletic Director Donny White, a VMI graduate who has
coached
football and baseball there. White interviewed for the position
during
the job search that ended with Babb's hiring seven years ago.
Strickler
said officials are in no hurry to name Babb's successor:
"They want to
make sure we get the right person for VMI."
Copies of Alumni Review Needed: I think the following (again, from the Electronic Turnouts) is pretty self explanatory. If you wish to return yours to Kathryn Wise for reasons indicated, please do so.
Tue Jan 20 14:57:53 1998
THE ALUMNI REVIEW NEEDS YOUR HELP: Due to a miscalculation in the
press
run, we have no extra copies of the Fall 1997 issue of the Alumni
Review, which was mailed on January 14, 1998. This means that we
don't
have copies to send from the office to the widows whose husbands'
obituaries appear in that issue, nor do we have copies to bind
for
archival purposes. So if anyone out there doesn't want his copy
after
reading it, please send it to me. In all, we need to collect
about 60
copies, so if those of you who are reading this would pass the
word
among your Brother Rats and fellow alumni, I'd appreciate it.
Kathryn
Wise, Editor, VMI Alumni Review, P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA
24450.
Thanks very much!
Citadel Update: The following is a coy of an AP article that provides article about some lawsuits involving The Citadel, et al.
No Charges in Citadel Hazing Case
.c The Associated Press</I>
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - The U.S. Justice Department said today there is insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against anyone in the alleged hazing of two female cadets at The Citadel state military college.
Cadets Jeannie Mentavlos and Kim Messer left the school in December 1996, saying they were hazed and harassed, which included having their clothes set afire.
Mentavlos has since sued the school and others in federal court. Messer and her parents sued six male cadets in state court, but did not name the school as a defendant.
``There are no general federal crimes of assault or hazing. In addition, the federal civil litigation against The Citadel for denying women admission ... is not a basis for federal criminal jurisdiction,'' the Justice Department said.
The government would have to prove that someone used force or threatened force to prevent the women from attending The Citadel, the department said.
Although the investigation supported the women's allegations, ``many of the male cadets were subject to the same type of abuse and harassment. In fact, two male freshmen cadets also had their clothes set on fire,'' the Justice Department said.
Because of that, there is not enough evidence to show that what was done to Mentavlos and Messer was ``with the motive to interfere with their exercise of their right to attend The Citadel,'' the department said.
That's it for this week. Gotta go and get ready to watch the annual AFC butt kicking.
Yours in the Spirit,
RB Lane '75
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