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Volume 72, Issue 70,
Thursday, November 30, 2006
News ROTC offers military options Students coached on methods of leadership and problem solving by BLAKE WHITAKER
This is the fourth in a five-part series of articles in which Daily Cougar staff writers provide a look into an interesting, non-core class being offered in Spring 2007. Most students know leadership is an important trait employers look for in job candidates, but many UH students may not be aware that a program devoted to developing those skills is available to them at the University. Lt. Col. Anthony Landry, a professor of military science and head of the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps at UH, said one of his department's most important jobs is preparing students for life after college, regardless of whether they pursue careers in the military. "Corporate America is looking for students who understand leadership and leadership principles," he said. UH freshmen and sophomores can learn those principles in Military Leadership I and II, which focus on general problem solving and teamwork skills. "(The classes teach) things like time management, leadership, how to be successful in life -- some of the basics which, a lot of the time, students never get," Landry said. Specific lessons deal with subjects like military command structure and customs, basic map reading and military terms, team building, and leadership theory. Students must qualify for later leadership classes, which focus more on military decision-making and require a commitment to ROTC. Landry said, however, that even students who aren't interested in committing to ROTC can benefit from taking the two introductory courses. "We know not everyone (who takes the leadership classes), the incoming freshmen and sophomores, will do ROTC. That's OK," he said. "It's better to expose them to this and what corporate America is looking for than to have them graduate and never see or get an idea of what they need to do to be successful in life." Landry said one of the primary benefits of the classes -- which mix traditional classroom instruction with weekly lab exercises -- is the support students receive. "The unique thing we have here is the family atmosphere," he said. "(Students) have an instructor here who gets to know them by name. We counsel our students … we're like a parent away from home." The program may be a bit of a non-traditional parent, though -- few moms and dads encourage their offspring to develop confidence by participating in activities like rappelling off the side of a stadium. But exercises like that -- ROTC instructors will guide students as they rappel off the side of Robertson Stadium in the spring -- are a key part of developing healthy individuals, Landry said. "We actually put you in situations where you get to overcome some of your fears," he said. Landry, who took over the program in June, said he plans to expand ROTC to 150 students from the 90 students currently participating. He also said he would like to see the program, which attracts mostly males, represent the University's population more accurately. "We're pushing to make the ROTC program be reflective of the University, as far as the mixture of male and female, and also the diversity of it," he said. In addition to the less tangible benefits, all students in the program are eligible to compete for scholarships of up to $2,000. Students who commit to ROTC are eligible for additional scholarships and military stipends. Landry said students who sign up for the class should expect to work to achieve their full potential, not brace themselves for Full Metal Jacket. "ROTC is not the movies, what you see in basic training and things like that," he said. "You are a student first." For information on class times for MSCI 1220, access the course listing at Enrollment Services Online via www.uh.edu. For more information on UH ROTC, visit www.uh.edu/rotc. Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu |
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