When I came to A&M in my freshman year, I had no idea what this school was. I learned that the Corps could be a place that would test my mettle. It challenged me as a freshman, with 9 mile runs and working out harder than I ever had before. I remember actually having to eat square meals with unrelenting criticism. No slack was given, no excuses were taken, and I was not allowed to give anything less than what my upperclassmen deemed was my best.
It has fallen to be only a shadow of it's former self. As an upperclassman, I hear stories of MUCs abusing their power, backdoor deals with upper leadership and Commandant's Staff. I hear about injustices occurring on what seems like an almost daily basis. The Corps is becoming an organization that I have rapidly lost interest in being a part of.
"Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men." The Corps is quickly becoming a joke. It's a laughingstock. And yet it's not, it's not even funny how pathetic it is becoming. I can't tell you how many overweight cadets I see every day, how many uniforms are treated with a lack of respect and pride, and how the attitude of the Corps as a whole is not a positive one. The Corps forces it's version of "leadership" down your throat. They have Military Science classes that talk about how negative reinforcement is not effective, and then immediately turn around and do that themselves. The Corps now actively encourages Cadets to turn one another in, to claim they were hazed when they weren't, and is quickly pussifying the boys joining it. The Corps used to make men. Now it just pretends to. Retention is the only goal of the Corps nowadays, and limiting attrition at any cost. That cost is the quality of the members of the Corps, the caliber of the Cadets. Standards are quickly falling. Our grades may be getting better, but what does it matter if we allow members to become overweight, lazy, unmotivated, and a blight on the image of the Corps? I have witnessed a transformation in the short few years that I've been here that is unlike any other. I have discovered injustices that occur on an almost daily basis. I have found flaws with both the Corps of Cadets and Texas A&M that no one seems to want to address, for fear of reprisal, and for fear of being ostracized by their own fellow Aggies and Cadets. It is a shame when you look at what our organization is becoming, and I hope this will change soon. It is time to bring the focus back around to creating a Cadet that is strong, both physically and mentally. The coddling needs to stop, and the men need to step forward to lead. That includes women who are able to meet that standard as well. If not - then this is not the place for you. We should not drop our standards to accommodate you, you should rise to the occasion.
Not to get off topic, but these latest policy changes are just another nail in the coffin for the Corps of Cadets. The only reason I received such a stellar experience my freshman year is due to the outfit I joined. If that outfit did not value it's history, take pride in it's predecessors, and uphold our traditions, it would have been an unremarkable experience like the ones I'm hearing about now.