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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1997)
ROTC students thrive on campus Although the training is rigorous, students say the ROTCprogram is a great opportunity By Kristina Rudinskas Student Activities Reporter It’s dark outside at 6:30 in the morning, and a quiet cold perme ates the campus. Not many people are around except for a jogger run ning by or an occasional OPS van. One by one, the ROTC cadets file into Esslinger gym in their Army uniform shorts and sweatshirts to endure another physical training class. Indira Rice, 20, looks like your average, happy-go-lucky college student, but she is in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at the University. She wakes up at 6:45 a.m. to run a few miles to Autzen stadium and back or to Valley River Center. Sometimes she gets to run the scenic route around Hendricks Park after she finishes sit-ups and push-ups. She can do 88 sit-ups and more than 40 push-ups in two minutes, and she works hard three to five mornings a week to stay in shape through the ROTC physical train ing classes. “Just because we’re in ROTC doesn’t mean we are brainwashed to do everything the government is going to ask us to do,” she ex plained. “We’re in the same class es as everyone else, we have our own majors. We’re just regular col lege students, but we’re involved, pull good grades, have multiple extracurricular activities and school leadership positions.” She didn’t plan on joining the ROTC program, but her parents talked her into trying it. She had doubts about joining the program. “It was the physical commit ment of the whole thing, like P.T. [physical training] and everything else,” she said. “1 didn’t think I was going to hang with all of them.” The cadets have a sense of hu mor about getting up that early in the morning to exercise together. Their instructors do the work-out with them; there is no need for slacking. They all push them selves. The rounds of push-ups and sit-ups seem to go on forever as the cadets sweat, rest and catch theirbreath on thefloorofthemat room in Esslingergym. Rio Miner, 20, didn’t think of joining the program either until he received a scholarship through it. He said ROTC provides him with structure and keeps him on track while he studies to become a doc tor. “1 can go through college on the scholarship, get medical training and get experience as a doctor for the army,” Miner said. Scholarships can be a big incen tive for students in the ROTC. Erin McLaughlin, 19, says the program will pay for her college education and housing and finance her edu cation in physical therapy school after graduation while she makes an officer’s salary. By the time she completes physical therapy school, she will be ahead of the game as a captain in the Army. “Everybody in the program has different motives for joining,” she said. “For me, it’s a smart thing to do. I have an awesome scholar ship and meet awesome people.” Cadets can form great friend ships in the ROTC program. "If you can sec past tlie military demeanor, these are just real peo ple,” Miner said. “We all go through the different esoteric rites together. We even have our own language of acronyms for every thing.” The program is designed to be challenging, Rice explained. "No body fails because they don’t let you.” Rice said she was worried she wouldn’t get along with the cadets when she first joined. “I thought the guys would be jerks, gung-ho, army-army this, guns-guns that, like the stereotypi cal stuff you hear about in the me dia,” Rice explained. “They’re not. They are educated young men go ing to the University.” Male and female cadets do the same workout with the instruc tors. There is no separate or spe cial treatment. They all work to gether as a team and are expected to treat each other equally. “I had no idea what I was getting into,” Miner said. “At first I was intimidated, but then I got into it more and found people in the same place as me.” Many cadets stick out on cam pus when they wear their BDUs, or basic drill uniform. McLaugh lin, as part of the color guard that performs at football games, has had people think she can arrest them because she's in uniform. Rice has had people call her a baby killer. “We don’t have a blood lust or hate foreigners,” Miner said. “We stick out because we have to wear uniforms. But we all have our own form of uniforms. Ours just has U.S. written on it.” KG TAGHeuer SWISS MADE SINCE 1860 Water-resistant to 200 meters. O 1997 TAG Heuer USA Since 1B22 • Mentar Anericai Gem Saclety 1027 Willamette St. • 345-0354 Valley River Center • 342-4496 For the latest EMU/ASUO event and renovation information, check out the EMU WEB PAGE http://darkwing.ueregen.edu/ * emwmain / /Ue> oJvl'M wi&U&i you, a &afe and narifui noiidau teaAan. Building Hours for December 13, 1997-January 4, 1998 December 13-14.Closed December 15-19.Open 9:00 A.M. Close 4:00 p.m. December 20, 21.Closed December 22-24,.Open 9:00 A.M. Close 4:00 P.M. December 25-January 3.BUILDING CLOSED lanuary 4.Building open for Academic Advising January 5.Building open regular hours 7:00 A.M.-U:30P.M. M-F 10:00 A.M.-11:30 P.M. Sat. & Sun. The EMU Computer Lab will be open until 1:00 A.M. Monday, Dec. 8 through Wednesday, Dec. 10th! , To the Women's Center, Eugene YWCA, Alpha Chi Omega, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Kappa, Theta Chi, Tri Delts (and Katie Wiliams from Delta Gamma) for your help volunteering at the November 23rd CCDC Children's Bamdance Carnival. I Your time was greatly appreciated by the families and staff at CCDC! Qioe. the. c^t ^icJzeti tltii <Jlolidtcuf, Se&bonM How about tickets to GREASE ... or a Eugene Symphony. Treat a dance fan to a rare appearance by the Bolshoi Ballet. The Eugene Ballet performances of the Nutcracker or Die Fiedermaus by the Eugene Opera are great ways to get into the Holiday spirit. Bring in the new year with Trillian Green at the WOW Hall. How about seeing the Rolling Stones on A GIANT movie screen at the Omnimax theater in Portland. Come see us at the ticket office for more holiday gift ideas!! Or charge by phone 346-4363. »»»»» ■SVj'l aSagwil®® ^ The EMU Eatery Naming Contest entries are due on Friday, December 12th. Look < for our ads in The Emerald for more information.
