Some students mourn loss of original companies

The rapidly approaching graduation of the class of 2012 has been considered the end of many Norwich traditions, especially original companies in the corps of cadets, according cadets in the senior class.

In 2009, the corps of cadets was restructured, segregating freshmen in their own training battalion rather than being integrated within the upperclassmen original companies. "(The change) affects everything like holiday dinners, company T-shirts, and regimental ball," said Alisha Nowicki, a 21-year-old senior criminal justice major from Albrightsville, Penn.

The current seniors at Norwich belong to the last class who went through rookdom as part of an original company.

"This school is based mostly on traditions, and that's why people come here," said John Edwards, a 20-year-old junior communications major from Simsbury, Conn. "It's sad to see so many traditions fade because of the change."

One tradition centered on original companies is the annual holiday dinners. Members of the same company from all different class levels would eat together, according to cadets.

According to Barbara McCarragher, a 23-year-old junior criminal justice and civil engineering major from Lebanon, N.H., "there are a lot of platoons who don't seem to care about eating together for holiday dinner anymore."

Mike Harris, a 21-year-old senior mechanical engineering major, recalls his freshmen year holiday dinners. "Our company took up a good quarter of the downstairs with just our company. It wasn't just one small platoon, it was people from the senior, junior, and sophomore class with us also," he said.

The loss of original companies in the corps has caused cadets to lose interest in eating with their rook buddies, causing the tradition to slowly fade.

"Holiday dinner to me doesn't mean as much any more, people want to eat with the people that mean the most to them," Harris said.

According to Nowicki, the deterioration of this tradition is partially attributed to school rules. "Sophomore year they told us we couldn't eat with our original companies. We had to eat with our current companies."

The cadets were threatened with disciplinary action if they were caught eating with their original companies, according to Nowicki.

Similar actions have contributed to the dissolving tradition of company T-shirts when "they (Norwich officials) almost banned original company T-shirts," Nowicki said.

Company T-shirts are traditionally ordered at the conclusion of freshmen year and worn under dress uniforms during specific occasions.

"You used to be able to get one every year from all the classes in your company," Nowicki said. "I think traditions like that are slowly dying."

"When we made our company T-shirts we always had to make sure we ordered enough (for the upperclassmen)," Harris said. "It wasn't just for your one small platoon."

Cadets continue to order unit shirts at the end of freshmen year, however there is no connection between the classes.

"I was upset because I came to this school thinking there was going to be long-lived traditions," said Ricky Williams, a 21-year-old senior studies in war and peace major from Quincy, Mass., "and that it was going to stay basically the same."

Another tradition that has lost its luster for the senior class is the gathering of cadets during the playing of "Goodnight Saigon" at the Corps' traditional formal balls.

"None of my friends wanted to even go to regimental ball and none of us are even going to junior ring, it's not even worth it," Harris said.

Traditionally cadets from every class year that were members of the same company would join together, with their company T-shirts on, to sing "Goodnight Saigon" as a celebration of their bond.

"Now there are so many people yelling random numbers during Goodnight Saigon that it doesn't really mean as much anymore," Harris said.

Audrey Collier, a 22-year-old senior biochemistry major from Wareham, Mass., recalls the enormity of this Billy Joel inspired tradition her freshman year.

"When they played "Goodnight Saigon" you would have sophomores, juniors and seniors in a huge crowd and it really got you in the spirit of things, having all of your upperclassmen there to support each other," Collier said.

The change from original companies to freshmen training battalions has evoked mixed emotions around campus.

"I like the idea of the training battalions and it serves its purpose, but you kind of lose some of that esprit de corps and that tradition when you lose original companies," Collier said.

Initially, members of the senior class had the similar reactions when they were informed of the change.

"I was a little pissed," said Richard Jock, a 21-year-old senior physical education major from Port Huron, Mich. Harris' main reaction was "disappointment," while Collier felt "it was kind of disheartening." The idea initially made Williams "pretty upset," and made Nowicki "kind of angry."

After exposure to the new concept some opinions were swayed, though.

"As time went on I got to resent the idea less and less because everything is always changing, especially in the business world, the corporate world, and even the military," Williams said.

Ultimately, members of the senior class want what is best for the freshmen and the Corps as a whole.

"I think what they did works. Obviously we've seen improvement since original companies," Nowicki said. "Nothing really bad came from it but the loss of tradition."

Although the subsequent classes of cadets won't have the same experience and some traditions may not be passed down, Williams has stressed the importance of passing on guidance in the absence of those traditions.

"We tried to stress the fact of being helpful to your rook buddies and being loyal to your rook buddies and always being honorable," Williams said.

The 13th of May will bring the end of an era that made its mark on Norwich history and will continue to dissolve some traditions from the Corps.

"I hope that underclassmen after us will still be intrigued by original companies and would gear them to look into Norwich history some more," Williams said.