Silver Weekend

This weekend was a Silver Weekend. For a freshman, that means one thing. Beatings. "Beating" is the Academy slang for making freshman do physical training, like pushups, flutter kicks, squats, lunges, bridges, running, diamond pushups, mountain climbers, Ranger claps, and pretty much any variation of these until you can physically do no more. So yeah, it was fun.

On Friday, First Group (Squadrons 1-9) did a "Round Robin." For this, each squad of 4*s rotated to other squadrons, where that squads upperclassmen beat us until we couldn't do much more than walk. We did this five times, staying at each squad for 20 minutes. While we're getting beat, we have to recite knowledge, like Schofield's Quote, "High Flight", the Air Force Song, John Stuart Mill's Qoute, and Father Dennis Edward O'Brian's quote. If your interested, you an probably find these all online. I know all of those word for word. Now imagining being dead tired, and having to lunges or Ranger claps while saying,

"Sir, Major general John M. Schofield's graduation address to the graduating class of 1879 at West Point is a follows: The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instructions and give commands in such a manner, in such a tone of voice as to instill in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner, and tone of voice, cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or other of dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire respect toward himself, while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his subordinates, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself."

And that's if you don't mess up. Oh, I forgot to mention that we have to do the Code of Conduct too. That's longer than Schofield's Quote. So yeah, my Friday was really fun. The training was so rough that 7 people went to the hospital and another kid knocked out 6 teeth. He passed out doing pushups and smacked his face on the floor. Because of all this, the beatings ended early. I just hoped that Saturday wouldn't be that bad.

I was wrong. Saturday was extremely easy. Because of the events of Friday, all physical training was cancelled. We ended up spending the whole training period in our rooms cleaning and studying knowledge. So, of course, it was sweet.

All of this training is in preparation for an event called "Recognition." This even was banned by Congress a few years ago because it was getting out of hand. Now, the new leadership here is trying to get it back. I could really care less. Sure, I'd love to have things easier here, but I also want the pride of knowing I went through something that physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing. The real Recognition should be around March 16th and until that Saturday at midnight. After that, we're pretty much upperclassmen. Only 33 more days until then. Wish me luck.