Discipline Through Jargon at VMI

Discipline through jargon at VMI

EN 102-13

Date Due: September 24

Date Sub.: September 24

Paper No. 2

Help Received: none

John Evans The Virginia Military Institute has its own special jargon and its use of jargon for discipline.

Upon entering this Institution, newcomers must learn the language. They must conform to this new language. The words, phrases, and jargon become a way of disciplining and more importantly, conforming the newcomers in the Institution.

I have known about VMI jargon since I was a young child. My father, a graduate, told me many stories about his time at VMI. The first time I had to use this special jargon on my first day was a memorable experience. The most important form on disciplining the rats is taking away their individuality, which was done the first few hours of my time here at VMI. As individuals in prior life we called ourselves, “I,” “Me,” and our first names. However, we no longer could use these names that showed we were individuals. Now we had to call ourselves “This Rat” and call other people in our class “Brother Rats.” In the first hour of my time as a rat, I felt cold, hard reality set in when I had to call myself a rat, the lowest form of life. If we ever referred to ourselves in the first person then we would be disciplined. Pushups, lunges, or some other form of physical exertion was in order if we decided we were individuals while at VMI. A brother rat was called an “Individual,” by a cadre member for speaking in the first person. The cadre member said the word “individual,” like one would say “pedophile,” or something else disgusting.

Another example of discipline through jargon here at VMI is the ratline. The ratline is a line taped on the Barracks floors. As rats, we can only move around barracks while on this line. If we move out of the ratline, then we are in very much trouble. Another way of telling a rat to get in the ratline is “get on line, rat.” This I heard many times my first week. If, as rats, we break an important rule we must “bone,” ourselves. “Boning,” is a way of either turning yourself in to the Commandant for a transgression or someone else getting you into trouble. As rats we learn this bit of discipline jargon from our dykes. A “dyke,” is our 1st Class mentor. Our dykes are a combination of our best friend, closest advisor, and big brother.

For parade’s and Monday morning uniform inspections we must “rape new ducks.” First, your ducks are the pure white trousers we wear for both of these events. And second, by “raping,” them, we are simply preparing them to be worn. Unused ducks come from the laundry department stiff, loaded with starch, and the legs stuck together. By raping them we are pulling the legs of the pants apart and pulling the insides of the legs from each other. On inspection day or parade day, if we are not wearing fresh ducks, we may here from our cadre, “Rat, why didn’t you rape new ducks this morning?”

The ultimate form of discipline through jargon at VMI for rats is “straining.” While in barracks we must strain. Straining is standing at attention to the extreme. Your arms must be pinned, chin tucked in, and forehead forced back. If a rat is not straining sufficiently hard enough, an upperclassman will yell, “Strain rat!” As rats we are being told to strain. The word, that piece of jargon, in and of itself, denotes that we must force and discipline ourselves into submission and pain, to conform ourselves to the VMI way.

The fact that rats do not know the language of VMI helps in our discipline. Part of this process is to break us down into rats and then build us back up as cadets. Part of the breaking down process involves us not knowing the language and jargon of VMI