The idea of a football star receiving lenient treatment after testing positive for drug use would raise no eyebrows at most colleges. But the United States Naval Academy “holds itself to a higher standard,” as its administrators are fond of saying. According to policy set by the chief of naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, himself a former commandant of midshipmen at the academy, we have a “zero tolerance” policy for drug use.
Yet, according to Navy Times, a running back was allowed to remain at Annapolis this term because the administration accepted his claim that he smoked a cigar that he didn’t know contained marijuana. (He was later kicked off the team for a different infraction, and has now left the academy.)
The incident brings to light an unpleasant truth: the Naval Academy, where I have been a professor for 23 years, has lost its way. The same is true of the other service academies. They are a net loss to the taxpayers who finance them, as well as a huge disappointment to their students, who come expecting reality to match reputation. They need to be fixed or abolished.
I was an USAFA cadet for a semester in the late 60’s. It was tough and things were not so politically correct as this article indicates is now the case – but we still had our share of “Mickey Mouse” stuff. Note that those in charge of the Academies are Baby Boomers, and even if they are more conservative than many Baby Boomers, it is likely that they have been infected to some extent by the madness that has seized the culture (or upper middle-class, at any rate) in the last three or four decades. The Academies need to go back to their original mission and forget the accretions that have come upon them.
I have a friend who is essentially the world’s expert on Civil War submarine warefare. He’s involved in a project to rebuild the “intelligent whale,” a Union sub that was built and never actually used. The plan is to make her seaworthy and test her in a tank. One of the cable channel documentary outfits is making a show about it. They approached the Naval Academy about having the middies help rebuild her, especially those who seek to serve on subs. No Thanks. Not interested.
WTF?