The Citadel

 As a Pat Conroy fan, I had an image of the Citadel in my mind when I went to visit it last week. The reality was not quite as dramatic as depicted in "Lords of Discipline" but still, the Citadel requires a certain kind of student. One who is willing to be busy fourteen hours a day, wear a uniform 95% of the time, sleep on a rock-hard mattress, get up at 5:30 AM, and hold dear the concepts of Honor and Duty. On it's website it says that when you choose the Citadel, you are choosing to be challenged. There is an emphasis on on leadership throughout the four-year experience. Students are called cadets and ROTC is offered in all branches of the armed services. One soon-to-be graduated cadet told me she was off to Colorado Springs next week to take her place as an officer in the US Space Force. One in three graduates go into a branch of the military upon graduation. The Citadel is relatively easy to get into, staying in may prove more difficult. There are five different schools: the Baker School of Business, the School of Engineering, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Zucker School of Education. The Citadel is not for most students, but for a few, it offers an extraordinary experience.

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