You’ve probably seen them around campus. They look like college students, they talk like college students, they eat like college students, but something makes them different from most students at the University. So who are these people and what makes them different? They’re Army ROTC cadets — and I happen to be one of them.
Being associated with the military and attending a historically liberal campus can certainly be exciting at times. Sure, we get our share of harassment from the anti-war demonstrators and liberal “extremists,” but for the most part, everyone on campus supports, or at the very least will tolerate us. But something happened today that compelled me to write this commentary in hopes of breaking apart the stereotypes so often associated with military personnel.
As I was preparing to sit down before the start of my geology class, I noticed a young woman who was seated in the row behind my seat. She was looking at me with an expression of something far from friendly, so I inquired, “Why the stare?”
“Your uniform makes me uncomfortable,” she replied. I insisted I wasn’t going to bite, but was unable to convince her I wasn’t the angry, stone-faced war-monger she perceived me to be. Realizing she was steadfast in her stereotype-driven opinion of me, I found a seat far from hers so I wouldn’t make her uncomfortable.
During class I couldn’t help but think how much different the entire scenario would have been had I been wearing “regular” clothes. I’m sure she wouldn’t have had a problem with me then. But perhaps because I’m proud to wear a U.S. Army uniform, she assumed I support war, worship President Bush and can’t wait to get a piece of an Iraqi insurgent. After all, everyone in the military is like this, right? Wrong.
Somebody once said to never judge a book by its cover. However, each time my fellow ROTC cadets and I wear the uniform, we become the book that everyone likes to judge. While I certainly cannot speak for all cadets at the University, I can safely say there are those among our ranks who oppose the war in Iraq, vote for Democrats and want nothing more than to serve our great country in a time of peace.
In fact, many cadets will leave the University to become engineers and help rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure, pilots who fly supplies to countries in need during times of disaster, civil affairs specialists who work to build bridges between Americans and Iraqis, or doctors working in field hospitals treating civilians and soldiers alike.
So before rushing to judgment on a person in uniform, consider that while cadets are united in our uniform and our devotion to the Army and the desire to defend and serve the people of the United States, we are students too, with our own independent beliefs, political views and thoughts.
Get to know us — we won’t bite.

Paul Sherwin is a journalism major