Periodicals Postage Paid ☆ ☆ Lexington, Va. Caliet 24450 iU/n inhtpenbentlp bp tahetsS fiime 1907 http://www.vmi.edu/cadet/ $ 1 . 0 0 VOLUME XCII Friday, Jiiiiuary 29, 2()(»0 Number 12 In This Issue VMI Expects to 2000 Loses Two BR's on Wednesday, Jan 19 with 30 cadets by Todd Kennedy and VMI Superintendent Maj. Gen. Friday Continue to ^ b e t Editor-in-Chief Josiah Bunting III, ’.63, in attendance. The Virginia Military Institute’s Flags were flown at half-mast on VMI’s Class of 2000 lost two of its members to post, and a service was held at Jackson Change in the untimely deaths in the last two weeks Memorial Hall on Monday, Jan 24. when Michael E. Amann was killed in a Stormont, who had been battling Sports on page.4 car accident on Friday, Jan 14 and David cancer for over a year, was a Business ■New Northwood Stormont V passed away af­ and Economics-major-from Duck, ter having waged what was, according North Carolina. Stormont passed away by Kendra Russell “ G e n iu s to VMI’s Executive Officer Colonel Sunday morning, Jan 23, surrounded by Cabet Managing Editor k„ows no fixed Leroy Hammond, ’57, “a long and cou­ his family. locality, and is as often bom under a cottage roof rageous fight with cancer.” Keane Jones, ’00, said, “Dave as the dome of a palace; and there are hundreds of Amann, a History major from accepted everything that was going on young men whose minds thirst for an education Stafford, Virginia, died of head injuries and he never complained. He accepted which they have not the means of obtaining.” sustained in an automobile accident on that this was what God had planned and So wrote J.T.L. Preston in an open letter to U.S. 17 near Chesapeake, Virginia, on was willing to go on to a better life if it the local newspaper in 1835. Preston was promot­ his way home from Marine Corps reserv­ was God’s plan. He was happy with ing his idea to convert the old state arsenal into a ists’ drill in Norfolk, where he had re­ life, content, and not scared.” state-supported military school. One hundred and cently been promoted to corporal in the Sam McClure, ’00, added, “He Runnin' Roos on a twelve sixty-five years later, the Virginia Military Insti­ Amphibious Assault Battalion. never complained about anything.” game skid. tute faces a new millennium on the very site of the Amann was a member of Foxtrot Stormont’s family intends to old arsenal. Yet in many ways, VMI has come quite Company and of the lacrosse team. have his remains cremated and to hold a distance from its humble beginnings in the Spar­ B.J. Arvin, ’00, remembered a memorial service Saturday, Jan 29, in tan existence of twenty-five cadets from Virginia. Amann as “one of the most dedicated Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Another As Director of the VMI Museum, Lt. Col. members of F-Troop’s Rat Challenge service will be held at VMI Feb 3. Keith Gibson, ’77, is in a unique position to com­ cadre_he was so deeply dedicated to ev­ On Tuesday, Jan 25, the entire ment on the challenges and changes which VMI erything he did.” Rat Mass placed their hat brass around has faced in its 160-year history. To many, VMI Liam Connor, ’00, said, “I think Stormont's room in tribute to the first represents timeless tradition and an unwillingness what people will miss most about Mike classman, and flags are currently being to accept change, but as Gibson pointed out, one was his Kendliness and his ever-posi- flown at half-mast at VMI through Sat­ urday, Jan 29. Wrestlers prepare for Pitt of VMI’s strongest traditions is progress. tive outlook on life. Mike always seemed Gibson said, “The actual founding of VMI to find a way to overcome any obstacles The Class of2000 had previously and The Citadel in 1839 was an experiment in education.” Besides life threw at him.” lost a Brother Rat in May of 1997 when offering a military lifestyle, VMI provided a col­ Amman's roomate, Chris Matthew J. Ko wrach died of heart com­ lege education for a segment of the population that Lowrance, '00. commented, "Mike was plications at his home in Northern Vir­ Opinion on p a g e . was too often discouraged from pursuing higher a very loyal friend that was always there ginia. education. The curriculum, too, was innovative— when his friends needed hi. He looked Amann is survived by his par­ geared primarily towards engineering and the hard after his friends and would never leave ents, Isabell and Duane Amann of Tony Conway/The Cadet Stafford, and Stormont is survived by Mess Hall and sciences in an age when a classical education still A Rat puts brass outside the room of David Stormont, them behind." A military memorial service was his parents, Mr. and Mrs. David N. garnered far more prestige—and VMI was eventu­ who was one of two First Classmen that died last Admin Praised, ally one of the first schools in the country to offer held at Quantico Marine Base for Amann Stormont, IV, ’74, and a brother, Ryan. chemical engineering as a course of study. Rats accused of By 1857, VMI already enjoyed an excellent reputation even outside Vir­ ginia. Gibson related an anecdote about a young man from a prominent Dela­ Search for Commandant Under Way harrassing women ware family who wished to attend VMI. Although Henry DuPont’s father had graduated from West Point with VMI’s first superintendent, Maj. Francis H. Smith, by Angelica Martinez to be announced by March 1. "[Williaiiis] told ine that he and maintained a close friendship. Smith had to refuse the young man’s applica­ <tobet News Editor Among the candidates is would be willing to forgo his Features on page 5 tion because VMI still restricted enrollment to residents of Virginia. Instead, Deputy Commandant Col. Ronald planned retirement and remain on DuPont attended and graduated in 1861 from his second choice: West Point. Virginia Military Institute Williams, ’64, who has a number as long as the cadets wanted him." In 1864, during the Civil War, the order was handed down to a young Union Commandant of Cadets Col. James of supporters among the Corps of said Jones. officer to train his artillery on VMI and shell the cadet barracks. By chance, that N. Joyner, ’67, announced on Nov Cadets. During a CTT meeting of "I wanted someone who officer was the same young man who had tried to enroll at VMI seven years 18, 1999, that he will leave his po­ the entire Corp of Cadets, First understood cadets," Jones contin­ earlier. DuPont protested the order on the grounds that a college was not an sition as commandant at the end of Class President Keane Jones called ued. appropriate target. However, the Corps had already made its presence felt at New this academic year in order to re­ on the Corps to sign a petition in K. P. Scott, '01, said, "[Wil­ liams] is a straight shooter. I page 5 turn to his former postion as the support of Williams for See Millenium* director of Cadet Affairs . Col. Commadant next year. Jones said would rather have him than some­ Robert Green, ’67, will assume the that although his class wil not be one else." A Handicapped Corps? positon of VMI Post Engineer. Su­ affected by the change, cadets According to Col. perintendent Maj. Gen. Josiah should push for Williams to take Hammond, it is a fallacy to as­ Bunting III, ’63, is currently in the over as he knows VMI and how the sume that things will remain the Rats raid the RDC, and process of heading up two commit­ system works. The petitions were same should Col.Williams be cho­ other News Briefs. tees that will select the new com­ posted in Sally Port, they were put in sen as commandant mandant of cadets. individual cadet's rooms, and even e- "He will have to go from The Special Advisory Com­ mail went out in support of Williams. being the good guy to being the mittee was tasked with developing a Six hundred and eighty-four bad guy,” said Hammond. list of characteristics and expecta­ cadets responded to Jones' call, and The actual search committee tions for an ideal commandant, stan­ of those, 6 6 6 were in support of Wil­ will review applications and inter­ dards which have been sent to news­ liams as commandant. This came at view the candidates.. They will then papers and posted on the VMI Web a time when nearly 500 members of make their own reccomendations to page, and will be used as criteria to the Corps had already left for Christ­ Bqnting. The search committee in­ interview the applicants . The mem­ mas furlough. cludes: Brig. Gen. Alan Farrell, I bers of this committee include: Col. "I was concerned about who Brig. Gen. Michael Bozeman and Next week's regimental William Dabney, ’61; Joseph J. they were going to bring in," Jones Hammond. The members will each training schedule DuBose, ’96; Col. Leroy D. said. "I didn't want them to bring look over the applications individu­ H am m ond, ’57; C ol. W. G rigg someone in who didn't know what ally and then choose five or six can­ I Mullen. Jr., ’76; Lt. Col. Holly J. was going on in the Corps." didates to interview.