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Honor and Duty
Author: TriSec
Date: 12/22/2020 10:21:10
Good Morning.
Consider for a moment, the United States Military Academy, more popularly known as "West Point". It is located at an important Revolutionary War site in the Hudson Valley - founded in 1802, it has served the Army well over the centuries.
I have personally visited the Academy many times. This is Raine's native territory - and it's certainly among the most spectacular sections of the Hudson River valley. It's not called "Trophy Point" for nothing.
While the school may or may not be the origin of the term "the best and the brightest", some of the finest military minds of all time learned their craft here. Men that won the Civil War. Beat Hitler. Led us into the quagmire in Afghanistan. But I digress.
It's also the alma mater of two Presidents of the United States.
It's reasonable to think that the entry requirements are difficult. It's one of the hardest schools to get into, with a mere 11% acceptance rate. Competition is often fierce for the few coveted slots available.
So in turn - the cadets are held to a very high standard. In addition to academics, there are military history and tactical classes, and something far more nebulous. "Honor and Duty" and a complete code of behavior for being an officer of the United States Army.
Of course, a good part of that training and learning usually takes place in a specific environment. Freshmen, or "Plebes" as they are called, live under a strict regimen in a team-based society, with careful and strict oversight from the upperclassmen.
None of that happening over the course of the past year, due to everyone's friend Covid. Perhaps then, it is not surprising that this was able to happen.
The Army is usually very harsh about such things - As the story notes, hundreds of cadets were expelled the last time this happened, so I would expect a similar outcome for the current class.
But isn't this all likely just more of the erosion of American standards that has occurred over the last four years or so? Cheating scandals have happened before, so it may be hard to put a finger on a specific underlying cause...but let's just say I'm not surprised this happened under a Trump presidency. I'm sure tweets will be forthcoming blaming the democrats for this.
In the end, it's just another item on the long laundry list of "Things for Uncle Joe to fix".
Consider for a moment, the United States Military Academy, more popularly known as "West Point". It is located at an important Revolutionary War site in the Hudson Valley - founded in 1802, it has served the Army well over the centuries.
I have personally visited the Academy many times. This is Raine's native territory - and it's certainly among the most spectacular sections of the Hudson River valley. It's not called "Trophy Point" for nothing.
While the school may or may not be the origin of the term "the best and the brightest", some of the finest military minds of all time learned their craft here. Men that won the Civil War. Beat Hitler. Led us into the quagmire in Afghanistan. But I digress.
It's also the alma mater of two Presidents of the United States.
It's reasonable to think that the entry requirements are difficult. It's one of the hardest schools to get into, with a mere 11% acceptance rate. Competition is often fierce for the few coveted slots available.
So in turn - the cadets are held to a very high standard. In addition to academics, there are military history and tactical classes, and something far more nebulous. "Honor and Duty" and a complete code of behavior for being an officer of the United States Army.
At West Point, character development is not an isolated program under the auspices of one agency; rather, it is integrated across the spectrum of the West Point experience: the academic, military and physical programs.
It is essential to the development of leaders of our Army that all activities at West Point are conducted within an environment of high moral and ethical standards.
At West Point, cadets learn about and prepare for the ethical demands of officership by living under the dictates of an Honor Code, which states: "A Cadet will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those who do." Its purpose is to foster a commitment to moral-ethical excellence and an insight into the broader, more comprehensive professional military ethic.
Of course, a good part of that training and learning usually takes place in a specific environment. Freshmen, or "Plebes" as they are called, live under a strict regimen in a team-based society, with careful and strict oversight from the upperclassmen.
None of that happening over the course of the past year, due to everyone's friend Covid. Perhaps then, it is not surprising that this was able to happen.
Dozens of West Point cadets have cheated in one of the biggest exam scandals to hit the elite US military academy in decades, officials say.
More than 70 students were accused of breaking West Point's Cadet Honor Code in a maths test while studying remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Most of the cadets have admitted cheating on May's exam.
Instructors became suspicious when they noticed irregularities while marking the calculus tests.
Seventy-two of the cadets involved are in their first year, while another is a second-year student.
Fifty-five who have admitted cheating have been sent on a six-month rehabilitation programme and will be on probation for the rest of their time at West Point, report US media.
Some cases were dropped for lack of evidence or because the cadets dropped out, while several others face hearings before a board composed of fellow students to determine if they will be penalised or expelled.
The Cadet Honor Code, engraved in stone on a memorial at West Point, reads: "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."
"The honour system at West Point is strong and working as designed," Lt Gen Darryl Williams, the academy's superintendent, said in a statement to USA Today.
"We made a deliberate decision to uphold our academic standards during the pandemic. We are holding cadets to those standards."
The Associated Press news agency reports that it is the biggest cheating scandal to hit West Point since 1976 when 153 cadets were expelled or resigned for cheating on an electrical engineering exam.
The Army is usually very harsh about such things - As the story notes, hundreds of cadets were expelled the last time this happened, so I would expect a similar outcome for the current class.
But isn't this all likely just more of the erosion of American standards that has occurred over the last four years or so? Cheating scandals have happened before, so it may be hard to put a finger on a specific underlying cause...but let's just say I'm not surprised this happened under a Trump presidency. I'm sure tweets will be forthcoming blaming the democrats for this.
In the end, it's just another item on the long laundry list of "Things for Uncle Joe to fix".
Comments:
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Comment by 
wickedpam on 12/22/2020 14:45:18
wickedpam on 12/22/2020 14:45:18
Morning 
Think I've forgotten what having standards are like...
Think I've forgotten what having standards are like...
Comment by 
BobR on 12/22/2020 15:02:46
BobR on 12/22/2020 15:02:46
I've been to West Point too. It is a special place. I think tRump left some taint there when he addressed the graduating class.
Comment by BobR on 12/22/2020 15:04:48
BobR on 12/22/2020 15:04:48
FYI, Blogger Joe: I am nervously watching the USPS package status page for the gifts we mailed out, and the page is not updating with any new status since we dropped them off Monday last week. I certainly hope they arrive in time.
Comment by 
livingonli on 12/22/2020 15:34:10
livingonli on 12/22/2020 15:34:10
Good morning. Fat Donnie was also there for the recent Army-Navy game when he again didn't wear a mask.
Mala, I got your card yesterday. Thank you.
Mala, I got your card yesterday. Thank you.
Comment by wickedpam on 12/22/2020 16:14:19
Just checked tracking on the one sent Saturday - says its on track to be delivered 12/23 but its been in transit since 12/21. So fingers and toes all crossed for all packages to arrive safely.
wickedpam on 12/22/2020 16:14:19
Quote by BobR:
FYI, Blogger Joe: I am nervously watching the USPS package status page for the gifts we mailed out, and the page is not updating with any new status since we dropped them off Monday last week. I certainly hope they arrive in time.
Just checked tracking on the one sent Saturday - says its on track to be delivered 12/23 but its been in transit since 12/21. So fingers and toes all crossed for all packages to arrive safely.
Comment by wickedpam on 12/22/2020 16:14:45
You're welcome.
wickedpam on 12/22/2020 16:14:45
Quote by livingonli:
Good morning. Fat Donnie was also there for the recent Army-Navy game when he again didn't wear a mask.
Mala, I got your card yesterday. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Comment by 
Will in Chicago on 12/22/2020 16:52:46
Will in Chicago on 12/22/2020 16:52:46
I sent my package out a week ago this past Monday. It should have arrived by now.
As for the blog, I fear that we are seeing the problems of trying to conduct education in a pandemic. I presume that many of my students are cheating --- even when the few who turn in the work do so.
I plan to spend a few hours weekly this January onwards applying to other jobs. My district is not handling the pandemic well, not informing teachers of important issues (I have heard more from my union, students, or security than official channels), and I feel that most of the parents and students do not care about education.
As for the blog, I fear that we are seeing the problems of trying to conduct education in a pandemic. I presume that many of my students are cheating --- even when the few who turn in the work do so.
I plan to spend a few hours weekly this January onwards applying to other jobs. My district is not handling the pandemic well, not informing teachers of important issues (I have heard more from my union, students, or security than official channels), and I feel that most of the parents and students do not care about education.