Spring Break
Clean up the corps
By: Kenny Ryan
Issue date: 3/31/09 Section: Opinion
The Corps of Cadets are among the most visual representatives of Texas A&M. Being such a recognized symbol of the University comes with a responsibility to uphold the values of Texas A&M and live out those values 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Corps calls itself "defenders of the tradition," and rightly so. Yet not all that emerges from the Quad is always as chivalrous and honorable as it should be.
When a member of the Corps has a lapse of judgment that gets bad press, it's an unfortunate accident; when the entire body of the Corps chooses to be represented by Cody Howdeshell, a cadet who has been charged with possession of marijuana and a DWI, it's a startling warning sign. As such a visible representative of the University, the Corps should hold itself to a higher standard.
According to Randy Davis, a former cadet and Class of 2008, the Corps selects its representatives for yell leader in a two-week process known as "Corps Block." The prospective candidates meet with as many different outfits as possible and are then voted upon by their peers. After this initial vote, the candidates are supposed to be vetted by the Trigon.
"I know they kind-of do that for commanders and stuff like that," Davis said. "I know there was some trouble this year, and I'm surprised that got past the Trigon."
Either nobody had the common sense to ask the obvious questions during the Trigon's vetting process, or Howdeshell, or the Corps itself, made a conscious decision that a candidate with a criminal record was a good representative of cadets and of A&M.
In a recent statement to The Battalion, Howdeshell said, "The figurehead of Texas A&M should be a person of character, integrity and morals. Some of my past actions have not displayed these traits. I am therefore stepping down as a candidate for junior yell."
When his past caught up with him, Howdeshell wised up and had the sense to step down from his campaign. But the fact that Howdeshell and the Corps didn't have any problem with the criminal charges until it was about to be front page news suggests a psyche of being all-too-willing to forget the importance of "character, integrity and morals," which representatives of A&M should hold close to heart.
During my years at college, it seems that not a semester has gone by without an embarrassing story about the Corps hitting the press. It's not only a disgrace to the Corps, but it's a disgrace to the entire University when these stories emerge. It needs to stop.
The Corps of Cadets needs to instigate an internal program to clean up its act. They aren't the defenders of hazing, alcoholism and lawlessness; they are the defenders of the tradition. It's time they act like it and crack down on members who aren't in it for the right reason. I'm tired of the actions of a few tarnishing the reputations of many, and the Corps should be, too.
When a member of the Corps has a lapse of judgment that gets bad press, it's an unfortunate accident; when the entire body of the Corps chooses to be represented by Cody Howdeshell, a cadet who has been charged with possession of marijuana and a DWI, it's a startling warning sign. As such a visible representative of the University, the Corps should hold itself to a higher standard.
According to Randy Davis, a former cadet and Class of 2008, the Corps selects its representatives for yell leader in a two-week process known as "Corps Block." The prospective candidates meet with as many different outfits as possible and are then voted upon by their peers. After this initial vote, the candidates are supposed to be vetted by the Trigon.
"I know they kind-of do that for commanders and stuff like that," Davis said. "I know there was some trouble this year, and I'm surprised that got past the Trigon."
Either nobody had the common sense to ask the obvious questions during the Trigon's vetting process, or Howdeshell, or the Corps itself, made a conscious decision that a candidate with a criminal record was a good representative of cadets and of A&M.
In a recent statement to The Battalion, Howdeshell said, "The figurehead of Texas A&M should be a person of character, integrity and morals. Some of my past actions have not displayed these traits. I am therefore stepping down as a candidate for junior yell."
When his past caught up with him, Howdeshell wised up and had the sense to step down from his campaign. But the fact that Howdeshell and the Corps didn't have any problem with the criminal charges until it was about to be front page news suggests a psyche of being all-too-willing to forget the importance of "character, integrity and morals," which representatives of A&M should hold close to heart.
During my years at college, it seems that not a semester has gone by without an embarrassing story about the Corps hitting the press. It's not only a disgrace to the Corps, but it's a disgrace to the entire University when these stories emerge. It needs to stop.
The Corps of Cadets needs to instigate an internal program to clean up its act. They aren't the defenders of hazing, alcoholism and lawlessness; they are the defenders of the tradition. It's time they act like it and crack down on members who aren't in it for the right reason. I'm tired of the actions of a few tarnishing the reputations of many, and the Corps should be, too.
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