Well, they did it…the (VMI) rats broke out! They are now officially 4th Class Cadets! And this is no small feat. Nothing at VMI is given—everything must be earned. The incoming freshmen in the fall are not automatically cadets. They must first prove themselves worthy of that honor. To do that, the class as a whole must demonstrate their unity—their ability to forget themselves as individuals and come together at one concrete, unfailing unit. The Rat Mass of 2026+3 (now officially the Class of 2029) was one of the earliest classes to breakout (which says a lot about their commitment to one another), but it wasn’t without it’s challenges.
Traditionally, the week before Breakout—called Resurrection Week, or “Rez Week” for short—is filled with highly demanding physical and mental trials. Some of these challenges are group oriented (everyone does them) and others are individually assigned by the rat’s senior mentor. It’s basically Hell Week all over again. It’s that last, hurtle before they reach the finish line. That final jolt that says, “We ARE worthy! We WILL do this!”
But a couple days into it, something happened…Rez Week was cancelled. It’s no one at the school’s fault, but still…the (then) rats were the ones who suffered. “Suffered?” you ask. “Don’t you mean ‘didn’t suffer?’ Wouldn’t the rats be relieved to not endure another Hell Week?”
No, I meant what I said. The rats were upset and disappointed. Rez Week is a part of VMI. It’s a chance for the rats to prove themselves—show how much they’ve grown and how far they’ve come. As torturous as the week would have been, not having it was even more excruciating.
In my last post I talked about expectations and the need to keep going even when faced with disappointments. I had no idea about Rez Week when I wrote it, but that doesn’t change the message. Adjust. Adapt. Acclimate.
That is exactly what the rats did. They kept going. They didn’t let the cancellation stop them from breaking out and becoming full-fledged Cadets. In a way, they had their own Resurrection Week. They went through their own trials. And still, they emerged victorious.
To the VMI Class of 2029, stand tall. Stand proud. For you did it despite the elements beyond your control. That WAS your Rez Week. You conquered it! No one can take that away from you. Don’t ever forget that.
‘Til next time!