05/16/01: VMI Girls Graduate

[Freakapotimus]

Wednesday May 16 5:24 AM ET

Class of Female Cadets to Graduate
By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) - In the fall of 1997, 30 young women stepped into Virginia Military Institute's previously all-male barracks. Their hair was shaved off, and they were issued the standard gray and white uniforms.

Twenty-five came as freshmen - what the cadets call ``rats'' - and became VMI's first true female class. On Saturday, 13 of them will graduate.

For many, the past four years haven't been easy.

``This is still very much a boys' locker room,'' said Kendra L. Russell, 21, of Chattanooga, Tenn. ``This institution still incubates a lot of resentment toward women.''

VMI was the last public military school for men in America. Since 1839, it had a been place where boys came to be molded into ``citizen-soldiers.'' Generals George Patton and George Marshall both learned to stand at attention here.

While other military schools began admitting women in the '70s and '80s, VMI resisted. Administrators finally complied under orders from the U.S. Supreme Court.

``We said all along that we'd only make minimal modifications to accommodate them,'' said Maj. Gen. Josiah Bunting, VMI superintendent. ``They would have to succeed in the same system as the men.''

The women - including five upperclassmen who have since graduated - shared space with about 1,300 men. Like their male counterparts, they were forced to walk in a line and cut their corners at right angles. They marched with rifles. They stared through the taunting that comes with being at the bottom of an extensive chain of command.

``I hated it,'' said Rachel Love, 22, from Emmaus, Pa. ``A lot of guys would get in your face, and be like, 'What are you looking at?'''

Everyone expects this type of treatment the first year. But the women said it wasn't simply an initiation.

``One guy came up to me and said, 'Get out of my school,''' said Megan K. Smith, 21, an electrical engineering major from Monument, Colo. ``I couldn't believe it.''

A few female cadets left after the first week. For those who remained, it became clear after rat year that they were never going to enjoy equal status.

``It really hit me once when I was watching TV with a group of guys,'' Russell said. ``It was a quiz show, and whenever a woman came on, she was instantly characterized as a bitch, a slut or a dog.''

Mike Zanetti, 20, said the tough treatment for women doesn't come from sexism.

``This is a place of complete equality. We all have the same uniform, the same hair cut,'' Zanetti said. ``But by their very nature women stick out. I really don't know why a girl would want to come here.''

It's a question the women have asked themselves.

``I had no idea what being singled out was like until I came here,'' Love said. ``I remember returning after a summer and just crying all the way down in the car.''

Eventually, the women found ways to cope.

``I had a problem doing pull-ups,'' said Erin Claunch, 21, of Round Hill, Va. ``So every day, I set the goal of doing 20.''

For Tennille Chisholm, 22, of Richmond, Va., coping meant simply calling her roommates by their first names instead of the surnames that male cadets traditionally use. ``And to maintain my femininity, I paint my toenails,'' Chisholm said.

Life got easier as more women began attending VMI. Claunch was appointed battalion commander, making her the third ranking cadet in the corps.

Many formed close friendships with guys in their company. Tamina Mars, 22, of Prince George, Va., said she couldn't wait to get back after leaving school for a semester to attend Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

``VCU was cool and all, but I missed all of my friends,'' Mars said. ``We go through something that nobody else knows about.''

In turn, the men learned how resilient women can be.

``I never cease to be amazed by the potential of some of them to outshine us guys,'' said sophomore M. Aaron Campbell, 20. ``They're strong academically, of course, and some girls just smoke us on the track team.''

By their senior year, there were about 65 female cadets - still a tiny minority, but enough to field women's track and soccer teams.

Female cadets started e-mailing each other, and eventually they began meeting together. The support was essential in February, after a cadet became pregnant.

``Sometimes, women are put in a position that they will go to battle for each other, and this was one of those times,'' said Kelly Sullivan, 22, of Barnesville, Ga.

The pregnant cadet was allowed to stay in school.

In their final weeks, the 13 seniors have spent most of their time preparing for post-graduate life as teachers, scientists, and for some, as officers. They will leave a newly integrated school as its first female class, and despite the problems, most say they're already excited about the reunion.

``You know, it's been all right,'' Chisholm said. ``Our hair grew back, and I've made some of the best friends here I've ever had.''

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On the Net: http://www.vmi.edu

[shorbe]

Call me a cynic, but why was a pregnant cadet allowed to stay? Political correctness no doubt.

If that were a war zone, she'd be a liability to both herself and her fellow soldiers.

It's a barracks, not a maternity ward, La Maz (sp?) class, or day care centre.

shorbe

[Freakapotimus]

At 5/16/01 11:00 AM, shorbe wrote: Call me a cynic, but why was a pregnant cadet allowed to stay? Political correctness no doubt.

I was wondering that myself, for the same reasons you were. In wartime, a pregnant woman would not be out fighting or volunteering (if I'm wrong, let me know).

[shorbe]

These days, given that the military is ever more beholden to a) the media, and b) politicians who know nothing of the military, men won't speak out against such things. It's an automatic roadblock as a career move. As such, many are leaving in droves, and those who remain have all but given up hope.

I even doubted in that article when they talked about the women competing against men. Yes, maybe at running track. Running track with a sixty pound pack, rifle and ammunition? I don't think so. Running hills or scaling walls with all that? I don't think so. Carrying a 200lb male comrade? I don't think so.

Sure, there would be some women who could compete against the men, but how many are there really? We're talking 200+ lb guys who can easily lift their own weight.

It's all political.

shorbe

[Perdix]

At 5/17/01 03:53 AM, shorbe wrote: These days, given that the military is ever more beholden to a) the media, and b) politicians who know nothing of the military, men won't speak out against such things. It's an automatic roadblock as a career move. As such, many are leaving in droves, and those who remain have all but given up hope.

I even doubted in that article when they talked about the women competing against men. Yes, maybe at running track. Running track with a sixty pound pack, rifle and ammunition? I don't think so. Running hills or scaling walls with all that? I don't think so. Carrying a 200lb male comrade? I don't think so.

Sure, there would be some women who could compete against the men, but how many are there really? We're talking 200+ lb guys who can easily lift their own weight.

It's all political.

shorbe

I have no problem with women being in the military in combat positions, on one condition, that they have the EXACT SAME standards, if they can do that, I have no problem with them.

shorbe: There are plenty of male soldiers who are also unable to carry a fellow soldier if the need arised.

[ladyluck69]

Sure, there would be some women who could compete against the men, but how many are there really? We're talking 200+ lb guys who can easily lift their own weight.

Like they said in the article very few of these women graduated, and I am sure that those few could do the excat same thing that the men could. And just because there are few, doesn't mean that we should block them all out.

As far as the pregnancy, yes that was irresponsible of her (all of that activity would put the childs life in danger) but she would also never fight pregnant. Personally, I think that when they go in they should have to be on birth control, if not to make it more fair, but to lessen the possibility of miscarriage.

Also, since it seemed left out of the article, you don't know how far along she was into her pregnancy, even 3-4 months into her pregnancy is not going to affect her performance. So for all we know, she was pregnant, but she may have stayed and did all the same things that the men did.