<p>I have heard through the grapevine that some new Plebes and their parents have been somewhat surprised to discover that Plebe harassment and other related shinanigans don't stop after Plebe Summer.</p>
<p>Uh, HELLO? Have ANY of you paid ANY attention? :confused:</p>
<p>It's called "Plebe YEAR" for a REASON. Plebe Summer is just the beginning, and while having several come-arounds per day and other "Platoon Commander's Time"-type evolutions do diminish, you now not only have to contend with several times as many upperclassmen, but with the ACADEMICS as well!</p>
<p>I cannot for the life of me understand how ANYONE who has been through the entire selection process, AND received an appointment, AND has gotten through Plebe Summer, can be shocked that the harassment and the rest of the fun continue unabated, if not actually increasing. </p>
<p>What, did you expect to be able to rack in after just six weeks as a Mid/Cadet? :confused:</p>
<p>So, for all you NEW kids and parents out there who are looking at the Class of 2011 and beyond: Let me clue you in on the apparently-not-so-obvious: PLEBE YEAR LASTS AN ENTIRE ACADEMIC YEAR, as in TEN MONTHS. You are reciting rates all the way into June Week of your Plebe Year. You chop, eat square meals, sit on the two last inches of your chair, greet upperclassmen by name, etc., until your class gets its collective a$$ up Herndon (or whatever the ceremony is at the other places) and earns the right to be treated like a human being again. If you are not ready to put up with it, then please apply elsewhere, because there are tons of kids who ARE ready to do it.</p>
<p>Sorry, folks. Pet peave of mine. Almost as bad as the kid who drops out on I-Day because "I didn't realize it was a military school". :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Ha ha have to agree with Z again...I read with bemusement on this and other boards how pleased the cadets/mids are to finish their summer training as if the rest of the way is going to be a breeze. NO WAY HOZAY! :D It's only the beginning!</p>
<p>That's what makes Herndon so sweet, right Z? "Plebes no more" happens in May at USNA, but it sounds like it may be different elsewhere. Any intel on that?</p>
<p>The "Plebes No More" thing happens sometime in March for USMMA. Its called Recognition. I guess it happens a bit early due to the whole 11 months of classes they do? March never comes soon enough though. ;) I watched some of the Herndon goodies on youtube from this year. What a hoot. And I'll admit it. I got a little mushy when the kids made it & that roar from the crowd went up. Pretty sweet indeed.</p>
<p>Well, at KP it depends on the class. The Plebes have a list of steps that must be completed for recognition to happen. It just took 09' tell March to do it. 2010 is moving really fast, its all about coming together as a class, if your class is really working well together it could happen in Dec. But some classes it hasn't happened until the day before graduation....it all depends on the plebes.</p>
<p>true, ac year has started and is in full swing-
but leave it up to those plebes to maintain their sense of humor and find some fun DESPITE their lowly plebian experience!</p>
<p>Z:
In total agreement. Sometimes you wonder with the early drop out kids if they were really doing it for themselves or because it was such an arduous process that they just had to finish for some competitive reason (but didn't really think about the actual business of GOING there). Regardless, I have always thought, "buck up". They can't kill you and they can't stop time. Youngster year will be there in a flash and what a difference life is then. My DD is sooooo much happier this year. ;)
Naps05mom</p>
<p>My company graduated 17 of the approximately 45 so motivated and dedicated inviduals that started. They all started out Plebe Summer and the academy for various reasons and came from a diverse collection of backgrounds. Our Plebe Year "sucked" to put in bluntly and there were many days I thought about life on the "outside". Fortunately, I kept a journal (a requirement of my English class (incidently taught by a Midn 1/c-it was the BEST class I had in four years)). I read the journal years later and was amazed at how unhappy I was at times...perseverance definitely comes in handy. As a Napster I was under the impression I couldn't leave for two years and saw guys quit but never had any contact with them so I never really knew what happened to them...I knew of one guy who did go to the fleet so that was enough to keep me motivated to stay. I also realized that I really didn't have anywhere else to go. My roommate Plebe year had gone to another college for two years and said where else could you go to school, have your laundry done for you, eat three square meals a day, and not pay for room and board every month. Of course the answer was prison or the academy and at times you feel at though you are in prison. However, you got a paycheck every month and had a guaranteed job serving your country upon graduation. It doesn't get too much better as long as you stay focused on why you decided to take the risk and attend in the first place. </p>
<p>I saw highly motivated guys depart and unmotivated guys stay. There comes a point while you're there that you decide that you are better off there than anywhere else and the academy becomes easier. You also realize that the ultimate goal is to serve your country and start to understand how all the BS you go through is a means to that end. There are those that decide that they don't want to put up with the BS and leave. And there are those that would be more than willing to put up with everything you could throw at them but can't get throught the academics and have to leave. Those are the guys you really feel sorry for because most would make excellent officers in the fleet. </p>
<p>And if you think your child's Plebe year is tough, talk to some guy who went through in 1960 (the link in the chain), or if you could LCDR (Ret) Wesley Brown who was the first African American to graduate from Annapolis. </p>
<p>My Plebe year was tough and I never thought I would even attend Annapolis growing up, but once there, it was tougher to quit than to stay. If a young adult made it through Plebe summer and then leaves, my hat is off to them because they accepted the challenge and gave it an honest shot. It is not for everyone and Plebe "academic" year makes that entirely clear. Someone who quits Plebe Summer just isn't doing themselves justice. And by the way, when Youngster Year started...my famed 2/c who was now a 1/c, had me COME AROUND the first week of school...I thought I had died and gone to hell. Fortunately, it was my first of only two come arounds as a youngster. He didn't like my haircut (and facing facts he was probably justified). Back then every 1/16th of inch of hair length made you think you blended in with the regular college crowd.</p>