This video has been collecting dust on my laptop for almost two years, completely forgot that I had it. Course back then, the YouTube phenomena wasn’t what it is today….so I never really thought to upload the damn thing.
One of my VMI buddies, who was still a cadet at the time, compiled some footage of the “Rat Mass” meeting the Rat Disciplinary Committee back in the fall of 2005. The RDC is a collection of the nasty cadets, usually members of the powerlifting club (heh), elected by their peers for sheer intimidation factor. The RDC polices up the bad rats, and enforces the many, many regulations of the ratline.
They also teach you how to strain. Which the Institute name for the awkward looking position of attention you see in the video. The first RDC meeting of the year marks the first time a Rat learns how to strain….the norm is for the RDC to select one bad rat who has distinguished himself during Hell Week and use him as a friendly learning aid (also seen in the video).
The second part of the footage is the rats “pounding pavement” up to the fourth stoop for showertime. Kind of an unpleasant experience as well….I’ll never forget straining through the lines of upperclassman, blind from camera flashes and deaf from all the screaming, only to be rewarded with a 30 second shower and an infinite number of pushups.
Anyway, here’s the vid:
usually i can’t stand stupid rotc puke officers but vmi and the citadel are different. that’s some hardcore bullshit that you all had to go through right there and this grunt’s cover is off to oyu
This (very) old USAFA cadet always had nothing but admiration and respect for you guys.
Because you guys always made our two weeks on Jack’s Mountain look like the waltz in the park that it was.
Thanks for making an old coot’s day.
Hooyah.
.
hey and this is when things got much….much easier.
My hell night involved SAWs firing off blanks and cannons (yes, cannons) going off in the courtyard.
Mannnn… flashbacks to my one time in front of the RDC…
Wow…that was hard. I think I saw 7 pushups during the whole video. All the rats magically had the same sweat stain pattern on their shirts. Good lord what is this world coming to.
Thank God I was at Mother I before this. I’m sure they are learning leadership though. This video is definitely going out to my BRs. At least the Metallica was scary.
As someone who was in the thick of it as Class of 09 *cough* I mean *cough* 06+3, I honestly don’t remember much of it. I do remember I was told not to mouth strain, and it more than sucked trying to eat an apple while sitting and STRAINing… the one night they decide not to give us bananas and nutrigrain bars. Great joke, except for poor lil chocking RATs.
Blood and Guts Golf
PS ya someone had to drop the “it was easier” comment. I’ll stick with the “can’t pay me a million to go through it again, can’t pay me a million to take it away”
it was easier because there were no sweat parties scooter, not because someone just felt like throwing out an old cliche.
Seg, not sweat stains….looks like rain to me.
‘it was easier because there were no sweat parties scooter, not because someone just felt like throwing out an old cliche.’
There are no more sweat parties? omg…I had no idea
naw they still have em Seg, just not during Hell Night.
In fact, I think Hell Night has gone the way of the DoDo….they do this RDC thing instead.
‘In fact, I think Hell Night has gone the way of the DoDo….they do this RDC thing instead.’
Nice. That was the RDC? Pathetic. I always hear people complain about alumni who complain about how weak the ratline has become. They say it is because older alums need to feel like they had it harder. At least for me this is not the case. I’m sure there were some classes that had a harder ratline than my class and vice versa, some things that were pretty stupid in our ratline, but there is a certain threshold of absolute weakness and political correctness where the alumni arguments are legitimate and not just some joshing between the classes.
The experience I had at ‘Mother I’ was the best thing to happen to me. And after my 10 year interacting with cadets, seeing the current system, and hearing the stories, I feel that the experience is not there or severely degraded for the sake of pc or whatever the hell is going on now.
Anyways, I can talk for hours on this, but it is a much larger problem than just VMI and it is sad. Seriously, go to the all girl’s school in Charlottesville than watering down and destroying a great system that has produced phenomenal leaders for this country . You’ll have some great sports teams! This country is going to get it’s ass kicked if we don’t have people like the current body of vmi alumni.
I donate my hard earned money also to VMI. Awesome and VMI tells me I’m supposed to accept this. Or they say nothing has changed since the decision in ’96. Fantastic.
The reason that it’s getting easier is retention. Peay’s trying to expand the Corps to 1500, and in order to do that he needs to retain more people in the Rat Mass. I think there are something like 500 Rats matriculating next year and they’re placing tighter restrictions on what Cadre, the RDC, and upperclassmen can and cannot do.
‘The reason that it’s getting easier is retention. Peay’s trying to expand the Corps to 1500, and in order to do that he needs to retain more people in the Rat Mass. I think there are something like 500 Rats matriculating next year and they’re placing tighter restrictions on what Cadre, the RDC, and upperclassmen can and cannot do.’
Well, I would think that since statistically this nation is busting at the seams with future college students while the creation of new colleges or expansion of existing colleges cannot keep up with this, that it would be a natural progression to 1500. Once again, fantastic strategy. Include crappy ingredients for the end product.
Here is another thing. What’s the deal with this Parent’s council? The perception I get (could be wrong) is that this group has morphed into an organization that has too power and influence at the I. I mean what the hell is this, high school? Again, it’s a much bigger problem than just VMI.
heh, Seg…my parents serve on the PC.
I don’t think they have much influence though? I almost wish that they did, they usually get one-sided input from the cadets…which is traditionally: harder ratline, harder experience.
Could never figure out why the Admin wants *more* cadets…and want to hold on to would-be dropouts that otherwise would have quit.
Bending the standards of the I around those sub-standard performers? Questionable judgment.
RAH VMI 89! 89!
Great video. Awesome memories.
Thanks for posting that and great website too.
Dang it! I tried to post some comments but they got sucked into a black hole…
Anyway…great video, and great use of Metallica with it.
Fight Fire with Fire is one of my all time favorite Metallica songs. It came out my senior year in high school, and I cranked it (and the rest of Ride the Lightning LP up all the time) until I started in the Ratline.
Back then, our RDC intro was done in Jackson Memorial Hall, but it still sucked. If I remember correctly, our doors were kicked in around 2330, we were run to J-M hall and then taught to strain. I guess that marked the beginning of the suck for us.
It looks like it still sucks…
Hey – since you’re a YouTuber, you might want to check this out… There’s a video company that’s recruiting
YouTubers and if they like your stuff, (and they should) they will actually pay you when your video gets a hit.
Here’s their link… http://www.flownetworkproductions.com/videorevenue.htm. It’s about time the people who make
the videos get some of the money instead of it all going to YouTube!
The Rat system became defunct when the Institute became coed. Those of you who remained in the front leaning rest until you collapsed on your spaghetti plate in the mess hall, who worked out in fatigues and boots in your barracks room with the radiator cranked up until you became nauseous, who resembled a concentration camp survivor at the end of Rat year from a lack of nutrition from eating your meager meals at attention, know exactly what I mean….