Click on the thumbnail above to see the full-sized image!
When I was a cadet, it used to be that only a couple of seniors had to show up to formation at any given time – usually whoever was selected to run the company during formation that and anyone else awake and hungry enough to bother marching over the Shultz dining hall. But that changed my senior year.
My senior year, EVERY cadet had to show up to formation unless they had a good excuse (a signed good excuse) not to (see last week’s Rats! for more on that topic). Seniors, however, now had the privilege of leaving their ties untucked from their shirts. Why the heck that even mattered to anyone is beyond me.
I should point out when this particular comic strip was drawn, a second student newspaper started up at Virginia Tech, and yours truly was invited to submit Rats! for publication there. I got a phone from the editor and everything, and let me tell you, I was thrilled at the chance to publish in TWO newspapers. The strip above was the one and only strip I sent them, however, because they never printed it and when I stopped by their offices to ask them what had happened, I got told that Rats! was not wanted for their paper after all.
I don’t recall the name of that newspaper, and I don’t know if they’re even still around. If they aren’t, then all I can say is, “GOOD! You didn’t deserve to survive after turning down my masterpiece!”
Not that I’m bitter.
This is very interesting. I’m currently a sophomore and love your comics. Particularly, I like finding out about how the Corps used to be. Currently seniors must show up to formation but we all look forward to untucking our ties. As far as I know there is a smaller paper published in the Blacksburg area, I think the name is black sheep or something like that, I’m not sure if this is the one you’re referring too. Keep posting. 🙂
Cadet Matt,
I’m glad you’re enjoying the comic. I’m sure things have changed quite a bit, but some things are probably very much the same. The year after I graduated, the Corps began integrating the women’s dorm rooms into their actual unit areas, which I thought was surprising at the time. All the female cadets used to be restricted to one are of the dorm in both Rasche and Brodie. I’m sure even more has changed since then, all with the goal of improving and modernizing the Corps of Cadets 😉