cadets – Page 10 – Dorie L. Griggs, M.Div.

April 25, 2012

The Citadel: Most Common Search Terms

I reviewed the statistics of this blog site today. In my early career I worked in sports information at the college level. The sports information director’s office, or commonly known as the SID office, keeps track of all the statistics for all the varsity sports at a college or university. Looking at stats and trying to interpret them holds a deep rooted fascination for me.

2011SG 2012BVA — The 2011 Summerall Guards run with the 2012 BVA's the Friday of Corps Day Weekend. photo by Stanley Leary.

When I looked at the search terms used to find the blog I found out of 389 known terms 104 of them related to the Summerall Guards or Bond Volunteer Aspirants. 94 terms had to do with knob year, matriculation day and/or recognition day. The other roughly 50% had to do with ROTC, general cadet life, and active duty military terms.

The fact that so many people searched for Summerall Guard information and knob year information isn’t too surprising. Both knob year and the Summerall Guards are activities at The Citadel surrounded with mystic and intrigue, mostly by design.

The 4th Class System is designed to make first year cadets learn to follow orders. The knobs are kept dependent on the upperclass cadets for information. Their first year is tough, but they learn to support their classmates and pull together as a team. The system has been in place for years with minor changes. While the knobs are going through their most challenging year their parents are often in the dark as well and end up turning to search engines and the collective knowledge of other parents to help them through.

By junior year some cadets decide to try out to be part of the elite silent drill squad, the Summerall Guards. The cadets who decide to do this are called Bond Volunteer Aspirants (BVA). They aspire to be Summerall Guards and voluntarily go through a very demanding training regiment. By junior year many of the BVA’s hold a high rank in the cadet chain of command which is like having a full-time job on top of a full-time course load. The BVA training is demanding both physically and mentally. It is not unusual for normally communicative cadets to have little communication with their families during this demanding year. All types of rules surround what knobs can and can’t know about the BVA’s and Summerall Guards which builds the mystic and fascination with the entire process.

Class of 2015 knobs and Cadre — Class of 2015 knobs head to lunch on Matriculation Day.

While quite different in their dynamics, knob year and BVA year are very similar. They are both bound by years of tradition and time-honored secrecy about the process. So it is not surprising that parents and friends turn to search engines to gain knowledge about both processes.

I’ve written about both knob year and the BVA/Summerall Guard process. Links to the most viewed blog entries and pages follow.

The Citadel: Preparing for Knob Year, Class of 2016

BVA’s and Summerall Guards: Cuts Day, Mardi Gras and Corps Day

Recognition Day the Best Day of the Year for Knobs

Information for Parents about the BVA’s and Summerall Guards

For Parents of BVA’s as you wait for Cuts Day

Special Weekends: Parents Weekend, Homecoming, Corps Day, Recognition Day

Matriculation Day: Getting Ready

March 28, 2012

The Citadel: An odd place to find my calling

When my oldest son decided he wanted to attend The Citadel, little did I know I’d find my calling too.

During Corps Day weekend, March 16 – 18, I had the opportunity to meet parents that I’ve only corresponded with on Facebook or through this blog. A few wondered how I came to write the blog. The simple answer is, I learned a lot the past 4 years and if I can help someone else through the process I’m happy to do so.

I don’t pretend for a minute to have all the answers. Any number of parents of a current cadets and graduates can answer most of the questions that I’m asked.

Sometimes in life you find yourself in a unique position to help others. I believe God is using my background in public relations, chaplaincy and interfaith dialogue, to be a caring presence for the parents of cadets.

March 21, 2012

2012 Corps Day Weekend, Part 2: Paying it forward

Corps Day Weekend 2012 for me was about visiting friends and paying forward the kindness that was extended to my son during his four years at The Citadel. So many families hosted him for meals and visits. They helped in ways I’m sure I am not even aware of. Since my friends couldn’t join me for the weekend for a reunion I decided I go anyway and try to pass along a few kindnesses.

After a full morning of visiting the barracks, the band concert, watching the 2013 Summerall Guards then the parade, I was ready to go to lunch. I had made plans to meet a Georgia cadet at 5th Battalion. After four years of waiting outside 1st Battalion for our cadet this was a whole new experience. 5th Battalion, or Stevens Barracks, is home to Palmetto Battery, Papa Company and Sierra Company. Several Georgia cadets are in each company so I could visit with their parents and meet new friends. At one point the knobs of Palmetto Battery were marched into the barracks. Several minutes later they ran out in the PT (physical training uniform) to return later pulling the canons used for the parades. It is a ritual that happens every day after a parade, but one I had never seen before. I recognized a few of the knobs as the ones I met earlier at the band concert dressed in the various uniforms from previous conflicts. I hope their parents will see the photos I took of their cadets in those uniforms.

My young cadet friend, Cadet Lee, emerged from the barracks in his dress white uniform. It is a favorite uniform among parents. The cadets tell me they prefer it over the wool ones as well. After touching base with my friend, Jerri, we headed to The Marina Variety Store for lunch. I’ve mentioned this restaurant before. It sits right on the Ashley River off of Lockwood Blvd. I like it there because you can park for free, the food is great the staff is nice and the view is great. Our time over lunch flew by as we heard stories from Cadet Lee and Jerri’s son, Cadet Rodgers, two very sharp young men.

One of the highlights of my weekend came after dropping off Cadet Lee. On the way off of campus I saw two knobs looking like they might need a ride. I introduced myself as the mom of a graduate and asked if I could help. They were very polite but said they had to go a distance to their home and a cab was on the way. The real fun began when i asked what company they are in. They replied. “Bravo Ma’am.” I then told them my son, Nelson Lalli was in Bravo Company. They looked at each other than looked at me in disbelief. They said they knew of “Mr. Lalli” and that he is a legend in Bravo Company. With that I told them to cancel the cab, I would take them to their home. The 20 minute ride was filled with knob stories and them telling me what they had heard about my son. They also spoke about the current cadet command of Bravo Company most of whom I have known since their knob year. I smiled as they referred to each one as Mr. The two knobs seemed to be making the best of their first year. We laughed as we exchanged stories. I made a note to myself to try and keep up with these two young cadets as they progress in their time at The Citadel.

I spent a little time walking along the beach on Isle of Palms that afternoon. My next stop was the Boating Center on the campus. It is one of my favorite spots on campus to visit. The contrast of the tranquility of the dock and marsh compared to the intense environment of the rest of the campus is striking.

My next fun pay it forward moment came as I was leaving campus. I saw a group of cadets outside 2nd Battalion. It looked like they were arranging for a ride off campus. When I stopped and go tout of the car I realized I knew one of them. I ended up driving 5 cadets to downtown Charleston in my little Toyota Corolla. The ride was fun as I met the 4 cadets who were with my friend Wei-Ming. All five of them are from Taiwan and will go back into service with a branch of the Taiwanese military after graduation.

My last morning was spent sharing brunch with another Georgia cadet. The same cadet I brought a care package to Saturday morning. We had corresponded via Facebook last summer as he prepared to report, but had not really spent any time talking. It was fun to hear of his plans for the future and to learn about how his first year was progressing. Spring break is coming up and shortly after that will be Recognition Day. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he talked about Recognition Day.

The weekend ended with my traditional last stop at Mark Clark Hall and a spin through the Gift shop. I was stopped by two families in town to look at the school for their high school student. They had a few questions for a parent. As I spoke to each family I was reminded of our first visit to campus the summer of 2006.

Each cadet has their own path at The Citadel. Each family will develop their own rituals when they visit. I am grateful for the many families who hosted our son during his time there. I hope on future visits I’ll be able to continue to pay the kindness our son received during his time at the school forward to current cadets.

March 21, 2012

2012 Corps Day Weekend, Part 2: Paying it forward

March 19, 2012

2012 Corps Day Weekend, Part 1

I traveled to Charleston for what was originally going to be a little reunion with a couple of the Citadel Ya Ya friends. Due to work responsibilities both mom’s had to cancel, but I went anyway. I am so glad I did! I had a fun weekend of catching up with current parents and cadets. Plus it was a gorgeous weekend.

My tradition the past four years when we had a cadet in school at The Citadel continued this weekend. The first stop is Mark Clark Hall for a rest break and a trip through the Gift Shop. Unlike the past four years I didn’t call my cadet to let him know we arrived safely. I began my visits with staff on campus with a trip to the Army ROTC office then the commandants office just to say hello and catch them up on how our new second lieutenant is doing.

Visiting with Susie Maghakian in Deas Hall. — Visiting with Susie Maghakian in Deas Hall

The next stop was to Deas Hall to see Susie Maghakian the staff person who handles donations to The Citadel Heroes Project. Along the way I ran into two Citadel Family Association volunteers and friends. The next mailing to deployed cadets and graduates is coming up and I wanted to make a financial donation to help with the cost of the mailing. If you’d like to send in a donation see this link.

I wasn’t sure what it would be like to visit the campus on my own with no particular schedule. It turned out to be a really fun weekend with a few pleasant surprises along the way. Before the Friday parade I stopped by 1st Battalion to see who I might run into from Bravo Company. It was so fun to catch up with the parents of current seniors and other families I’ve some to know.

I shared dinner with two senior cadets from Delta Company. It was such a treat to go into two with these two bright young women. The dinner conversation was very different, in a good way, with women cadets rather than a group of guys. After parking along Church Street we walked to the Charleston Crab House for a delicious dinner and a few fun photos.

Saturday of Corps Day the barracks are open to families and friends. Before the trip I arranged to meet a first year knob from Georgia to deliver a care package to the barracks. During Open Barracks family and friends can bring in food and supplies without any problem of raising the awareness of the cadre.

The next stop was the parade field to secure a good spot to watch the Summerall Guards exchange rifles. My son, a member of the 2011 Summerall Guards, passed his rifle to a fellow cadet in Bravo Company. This year that senior cadet passed the same rifle to another Bravo cadet. It is a very moving ceremony. I wanted to be sure to take photos so my son could see his friends with the rifle they each can now claim. I also took a lot of photos of another Bravo cadet from Texas. His parents couldn’t be there so I stood in and took photos for them.

I checked YouTube this morning to see if the videos have started to appear. As of this writing I found two videos of the 2013 Summerall Guards. One is very short of the 2012 and 2013 Summerall Guards starting out on their battalion run. The second is a little shaky of the first performance of the 2013 Summerall Guards. As I met parents of the 2013 Summerall Guards I encouraged them to exchange email addresses with each other to make sharing information, photos and videos easier throughout the next year. Throughout the performance I took lots of photos.

Between the ceremony and the Saturday parade I caught up with a dear friend , fellow Georgia Citadel parent and Army wife, Jerri Rodgers. Her son is in the Regimental Band and Pipes. The Corps Day performance is a tribute to soldiers from throughout our history. As a selection is played a cadet dressed in a period uniform steps forward. All was going just fine until they reached the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The music was beautiful, but when the cadet stepped forward wearing uniforms my son is wearing now. A lump formed in my throat. Jerri must have sensed my emotions because she reached over and took my hand. The tears started rolling down my cheeks before I could pull myself together. In a few short month my second lieutenant will be in Afghanistan. While I can talk about his deployment and not become emotional, the sound of the band playing a solemn song coupled with two cadets in Army uniforms brought on emotions I must be keeping deep inside.

I pulled myself together and prepared to watch the second parade of the weekend. I took even more photos and caught up with more friends, including graduates who were in town to visit too.

The afternoon and evening were also a lot of fun, but I’ll save those stories for the next entry.

March 7, 2012

Where we dine when visiting The Citadel

A year or so ago I posted this question on Facebook,”What is your favorite Charleston restaurant.” A wide variety of friends chimed in with their favorites.

Like everything else, if you ask 5 different people this question you will get 5 different answers. To get the conversation started here I’ll list some of our favorite places to visit when we are in town.

Marina Variety Store Restaurant This restaurant is near the campus, right on Lockwood Blvd. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have a terrific menu, and is right on the river at the Charleston Marina. Great food at a good price and it is a casual restaurant. We eat here for Sunday brunch before driving home.

The Wreck Right on the river off of Shem creek. Extremely casual, with paper table clothes and plastic utensils. The food is off the boat fresh. Check their operating hours and get there right when they open.

Virginia’s On King – Not far from Marion Square, Very good Southern cooking.

Jestine”s Kitchen – a traditional spot for tourists to visit. The food is good, but expect a wait.

Charleston Crab House on James Island – Great location with none of the parking hassles of downtown Charleston. The food is consistently good. We went here with 30 people on Ring Weekend.

Vendue Rooftop – a great view, live entertainment.

Tommy Condon’s– A Irish pub with good food and atmosphere.

Sticky Fingers – A great place for barbecue and wings. Several locations.

Melvin’s – Not too far from campus terrific barbecue.

West Ashley Crab Shack – across the river from The Citadel campus. We’ve never had to wait for a table and have enjoyed all the meals we’ve eaten here. A good place to go for seafood without the parking hassle and crowds of in town.

Hominy Grill – An award-winning restaurant. We ate brunch here the Friday of Ring Weekend. The restaurant is close to campus.

Ye Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe – We stop at the location just over the bridge from The Citadel once each visit. The ice cream is great, but the sandwiches and salads are too.

Poe’s Tavern On Sullivan’s Island. A great pub with terrific burgers and sandwiches.

My friends favorites:

SNOB (Slightly North of Broad)

82 Queen

Rita’s

Poogan’s Porch

For a good listing of Charleston area restaurants visit the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau “Where to Dine” web site. A number of websites give reviews on area restaurant’s. Fodor’s is just one I check.

Please leave your tips in the comment section of this entry.

February 15, 2012

Congratulations to the 2013 Summerall Guards!

My Facebook feed is lighting up with congratulatory notes for the new members of the 2013 Summerall Guards. Cuts Day was yesterday when the 2013 BVA’s were put through their paces. The school usually posts the full list right before Corps Day.

Be sure to make your hotel reservations now for the weekend of March 16-18. The rifle exchange usually happens Saturday morning. Last year the outgoing 2011 Summerall Guards did not do the whole Citadel series before passing their rifles to the 2012 BVA’s, now the 2012 Summerall Guards.

2011SGpassingtherifle — 2011 Summerall Guards prepare to pass their rifles. photo by Stanley Leary

Prior to March 17 be sure to ask your son whether he will be closer to the stands or the chapel side of the field as they march out. That way you will know what side of the field to stand on to take photos. Be sure to meet as many other Summerall Parents as you can so you can share photos and video. Fortunately many of the families post their videos to YouTube.

2012BVA2011SG — 2012 Bond Volunteer Aspirants march onto the parade field. photo by Stanley Leary.

They host a BBQ lunch that afternoon. You can purchase your Summerall Guards Parent t-shirt at the luncheon. It is a fundraiser for the Summerall Guards to help pay their expenses.

Their first big performance is the Azalea Festival in Wilmington, NC.

Congratulations to the 2013 Summerall Guards!

corpsday2012 — The 2012 BVA's prepare to receive their rifles and become the 2012 Summerall Guards. photo by Stanley Leary

January 20, 2012

For Parents of BVA's as you wait for Cuts Day

This is the time of year parents of 2nd class cadets, or juniors, who are trying out for the Summerall Guard begin to get really nervous. There isn’t a lot of information of the topic. I found the Wikipedia information to be very helpful in explaining the process.

If you are interested in how I handled this my son’s BVA year, you can read by previous blog post for Off the Base and this blog too. The best advice is to let your son contact you. They are too busy and exhausted right now to be in touch a lot. Check the Training schedule for the key dates like Cuts day that takes place in the Second Phase. From the Wikipedia site regarding Cuts Day:

Perfection of the drill is also stressed and much time is spent by the aspirants outside of the designated times perfecting the drill. At the end of the second phase there is a final “Cuts Day” where the aspirants are graded on their drill proficiency and for each mistake a cut is assigned. Each BVA squad is moved from one station to another where they are instructed to complete different version of The Series. A total of eight Guard graders are assigned to each station, one for each member of the squad, to assign cuts for any mistakes made. When a squad has completed their last station on Cuts Day their time in the second phase ends. Each aspirant’s total number of cuts, from both Cuts Runs and Cuts Day, are tallied by the Guard leadership at the conclusion of Cuts Day.

I found most of the photos and video through the Facebook pages of my son’s friends who sent me friend requests over the years. The photos include cadets who are now graduates of the school. I’ll admit when I first viewed the video it was a bit disturbing. How could anyone function with all that yelling going on. I watched the clip about 8 times before I realized what was going on. In the following clip you will see a squad of 2011 BVA’s in formation being yelled at by the 2010 Summerall Guards on Cuts Day. Each BVA is wearing a number. They are going through part of a series of the silent drill.

If you listen carefully you will hear a BVA in the second row yelling commands. It is hard to discern this at first because of the yelling going on. What surprised me after viewing this was that I actually began to understand what was happening. I could explain to my friends that this clip demonstrates the focus needed to ignore the yelling and listen for that one voice you were to pay attention to. This same focus and ability to listen for instructions would be needed in a combat situation.

I also was reminded by my Citadel alumni friends throughout the process that these 2nd Class (or junior) cadets volunteered to go through this training. No one is required to go out for, or stay in, the BVA process. Even with this explanation I don’t doubt some viewers will still be confused by what they are seeing in the following video. I came to terms with the fact that it didn’t matter whether I fully understood this process or not. It was my sons decision to be a BVA. He is an adult, and my role then, as it is now that he is in the Army, is to respect his decision and support him as I can. Some cadets begin the process but need to drop out because they have to keep grades up or other important obligations, like scholarship duties. More than one BVA has told me their grades dipped during the year.

So with the previous caveat that the process IS very tough, here is a video from Cuts Day.

Here is another short video of 2011 Cuts Day for the Duckbutts.

If you have a BVA you’ve probably heard the various names of the squads. Each one has their own tradition of how they proceed during their training. The Duckbutts are the last squad and since they line up from tallest to shortest, they are the shortest squad. Be sure to ask your cadet which group they are in. They identify themselves by numbers like 3A2 which designates their position within the Summerall Guard.

As hard as his BVA year was I’ve heard my son tell people that it was his best year. He was the first sergeant of his company that year, and a BVA, and carried a heavy academic load, so it was a year filled with serious responsibility. Even with all the exhausting physical training he and his fellow BVA’s endured, they still look back on the experience with a smile on their face. Once they are Summerall Guards they have quite a few performances, some fun like the Azalea Festival, halftime at football games and Mardi Gras. They also perform in other venues for other groups that aren’t quite as much fun. In addition to the performances they are training the new crop of BVA’s so the time commitment is considerable senior year as well. It all ends for the Summerall Guard on Corps Day when they pass their rifle on to the next class.

A few photos from February 2010 follow.

The 2011 BVA's line up for the 2010 Summerall Guards. Photos from Facebook, Feb. 2010

2011 BVA outside 1st Battalion. photo from Facebook, Feb. 2010

2011 BVA Cuts Day Inspection of brass and belt. photo from Facebook, Feb. 2010

2011 BVA Cuts Day — The members of the 2011 BVA's are put through their paces by the 2010 Summerall Guard. photo from Facebook, Feb. 2010

2011 Summerall Guards, photo and video by Stanley Leary

Corps Day Weekend, 2011

January 20, 2012

For Parents of BVA's as you wait for Cuts Day

So with the previous caveat that the process IS very tough, here is a video from Cuts Day.

Here is another short video of 2011 Cuts Day for the Duckbutts.

A few photos from February 2010 follow.

2011 Summerall Guards, photo and video by Stanley Leary

Corps Day Weekend, 2011

January 17, 2012

Finding gifts for your Citadel Cadet

I know the holidays are behind us, but there are more gift giving opportunities ahead. Before I forget – again – to post links to the various sites I’ve found to purchase gifts, I thought I’d update the blog with a few fun links.

Carolina Cadet Nutcracker and an Army Nutcracker purchased at Target. carolinacadet.com

If you’ve visited the display tables in Mark Clark Hall on Parents Weekend you know about Carolina Cadets. She makes the cadet ornaments and nutcrackers. Her web site is easy to navigate and features a number of other gift items for you or your cadet. I purchased a Summerall Guard Nutcracker last Christmas via the web site. The order went through easily and the nutcracker arrived in great shape.

For fans of the old gift shop, you can still find some of the nicer items online at the M.LaHart web site. The current gift shop does have a link on their website as well.They carry jewelry, barware and other items for the home and office. In 2010 I bought a nice pewter flask with The Citadel seal on it for my son’s 21 birthday. I can’t find the flask online any longer. I really miss the old gift shop and its unique items.

A Citadel alum/dad I know received some shirts from the Campus Team Shop and was very pleased. They give you the option to personalize some of their shirts. Another site for t-shirts and sweatshirts I found is Football Fanatics.

Cadets and alumni seem to like the Old Corps Clothing Store. I purchased a t-shirt for my 2011 grad. It was easy to place an order and the shirt arrived in a matter of days. They have a sale going on right now (today is January 18, 2012). Go to their Facebook page for the code and get t-shirts for $15 or 2 for $25. Update 042312: They also feature shirts for Recognition Day.

The Citadel Alumni Association has several items for sale on their merchandise page. Just click on the left side of the page for photos of each items and instructions on how to order.

For items a cadet may appreciate but are not Citadel specific I found L.L. Bean has a Dress Thomson shirt that resembles the official plaid of the school.

My son was in the Army ROTC program. Items to help with his career in the Army were also gift items throughout his time at the school. One sleeping bag folded down to the size of a football, but would keep the soldier warm in very low temps. The prices varied widely online. I ended up getting a great price from Hodge Army Navy in Marietta, GA. Hodge also gave us a 10% discount on the boots and shoes for knob year once we mentioned my son was a cadet.

I’m sure there are other great gift ideas out there. Please comment here and share your finds!