Myths About Military Schools

I just read the most appalling blog post about military schools and I just have to offer an opposing view point. Although, really, this whole blog is an opposing viewpoint.

This article was about “public” military schools in Chicago but makes many false generalizations that I know from conversation are what many believe to be true about military schools. So, consider this a myth-busting post about military school fallacies.

Fallacy # 1: “The military requires submissiveness and lock-step acquiescence to authority, while a broad education for democratic living emphasizes curiosity, skepticism, diversity of opinion, investigation, initiative, courage to take an unpopular stand, and more.”

Anyone who knows me now or knew me when I attended Howe Military School can attest to the fact that I am neither submissive nor in “lock-step acquiescence” to authority or anything else. If you’ve seen John Keating’s teaching style in Dead Poet’s Society, you have a vague idea of what the teachers at Howe encourage – curiosity and critical thinking. In my experience and in the experience of millions of children forced to attend public schools – it is public schools that rubber-stamp and cookie-cut children into terrified little conformists, desperate to find a clique and dreaming of being popular, forcing them over a precipice into pits of sex, alcohol and drugs hoping to either fit in or distract themselves from the pain. Howe Military School succeeds in nurturing self-respect (and respect of others), confidence, and social skills.

Fallacy # 2: “… military academies, along with other schools offering limited educational choices, are located overwhelmingly in low income communities of color, while schools with rich curriculums including magnet schools, regional gifted centers, classical schools, IB programs and college prep schools are placed in whiter, wealthier communities, and in gentrifying areas … This is a Defense Department strategy—target schools where students are squeezed out of the most robust opportunities, given fewer options, and perceived, then, as more likely to enlist”

Howe Military School is far from “limited educational choices.” It is a fine college prep school with a “rich curriculum” and a diverse student body – diverse in both income and color. It is certainly not in a “wealthier” community – it’s in the middle of cornfields many of which are owned by Amish people. The goal of Howe is to provide, not prevent, robust opportunities. Any success I’ve had – which I like to think is quite a bit – is due to my experience there.

I didn’t enlist because I had no other options. I enlisted in the Air Force for college money and because I, mistakenly, thought it would be a bastion of honor and excellence like Howe. But Howe Military and the “real” military are two different things. Much like growing up and expecting “professionals” in corporate America to act with the same maturity and intelligence that cadets are expected to practice their daily lives with.

Fallacy # 3: “Military schools and programs promote obedience and conformity … [because students] must be controlled, regulated, and made docile for their own good and for ours.” The author then goes on to say “An authentic commitment to the futures of these kids would involve, for a start, offering exactly what the most privileged youngsters have: art education, including dance, music instruction, theater and performance, and the visual arts, sports and physical education, clubs and games, after-school opportunities, science and math labs, lower teacher-student ratios, smaller schools, and more. Instead, to take one important example, a recent study by the Illinois Arts Council reports that in the city of Chicago, arts programs are distributed in the same way as the other rich educational offerings —white, wealthy communities have them, while low income communities of color have few or none. A 16 year old student … understood and accurately described the qualities her school aims to develop—unquestioning rule-following.”

That’s really two points in one but I’ll answer both. For the “obedience and conformity” nonsense you can just see Fallacy # 1. For the arts, music, science, math, LOWER TEACHER-STUDENT RATIOS, etc. … Howe prides itself on all of those. I think my largest class had less than 20 kids in it. I’ve also written about how teachers were available after hours.

Regarding all these comments about wealthy families … no, we weren’t wealthy but I was able to attend Howe not because I was wealthy but despite the fact that I wasn’t. I sat next to rich kids and we all got the same great education and experience.

Let me comment on “unquestioning rule-following.” When the shootings in public schools stop and the shootings in military schools start (I’ve NEVER heard of a single incident) then fans of public schools can start talking about “rules” and why they’re so bad. When public school kids stop committing suicide and killing each other, then come and talk to me about who strives for “conformity” and how individuality gets punished.

Fallacy # 4: “Military schools and programs promote and practice discrimination … Military schools and programs depend on logics of racism, conquest, misogyny and homophobia. Military schools need unruly youth of color to turn into soldiers, and they need [homosexuals] and girls as the shaming contrasts against which those soldiers will be created … It sickens us to think of students marching and growing comfortable with guns.”

While I attended Howe, at least half of the student leadership were African Americans. That’s not discrimination. At least, I don’t think so. I could be wrong. Wait, let me look it up … is promoting mostly African Americans racist … hmm… can’t find anything to support that … and shaming and discriminating against girls … I know that at least two of the Batallion Commanders in the last ten years have been female cadets.

“Growing comfortable with guns” … I have waited years to say this … We were surrounded by guns. Most cadets at most military schools (if not all) are surrounded by guns. I have never heard of a single shooting at a military school but frequently hear of them at public schools. I’ve never seen a metal detector anywhere on Howe’s campus. You know why? Students there learn dignity and respect. For each other … and, well, for guns. You learn how to use them properly. If the general public learned how to handle and store guns properly … fewer Moms and Dads would come home to find their childrens heads blown off. And since cadets wear uniforms, there’s no reason to shoot each other for sneakers and jewelry because hey, what do you know … I’ve already got the same clothes you do. There are no drugs on campus. Well, if there are the drugs and drug users are quickly dispatched with back to public schools where they’ll feel more at home.

Meet the New Boss

I can remember the first time I walked up to Echo Company as the new lieutenant. I was nervous and happy. My second in command guy really wanted me to give a hardcore speech to show them I was going to be tough and expect a lot of them, blah blah … he apparently thought they were slackers. I think I even gave them a stupid speech like that. I don’t know why that suddenly fills me with regret 22 years later. It certainly would be interesting to go back and try some experiments based on what I’ve studied of Management, Leadership, Organizational Development, etc.

Hmm…

In Delta, I felt very much a loner. I remember staying in my room a lot listening to music, reading, studying, cleaning … I became a much more social animal in Echo. Neither in my junior nor senior years did I feel like I was liked or accepted in Delta. Everytime I think of a reason for these feelings, I come up with reasons those feelings are stupid.

I definitely want to think a lot more about this.

Upper School Gymnasium

During Howe’s very cold and snow-covered winters, I couldn’t exactly run my ten miles a day out into the countryside and back.  I’d run up and down the bleacher stairs in the gym much like you see people do in stadiums (at least on motivational posters), up and down the stairs, through the cavernous and creepy-cool basement which included the locker rooms. While running outside, I have vivid memories of listening to Billy Idol. While running through the gym, I remember listening to the cassette copies Fr. Morgan made me of Bruce Springsteen’s Live 75-85 album (that’s a few hours of music) and a store-bought (or was Columbia House bought?) copy of The Kinks “greatest hits.”

When I visited last, I was very disappointed that the entire third floor (second if you don’t count the basement) was locked up. Entering in these front doors, you see huge portraits of athletes from the past 100+ years, trophies, etc.

To your left would be the office where you get your varsity letter to put on your jacket. Walk straight through and you’re in the main gymnasium where basketball games and balls (you know, fancy dances) are held.

I think this lamp is cool looking. There’s this scene in Dead Poets Society when Knox “Nuwanda” Overstreet is walking out of a building into the snow … with, I believe, his love interest Chris Noel … I always think of this spot (above) right here … coming out of this gym in the snow and looking at that lamp.

I love how it’s so old but inside it has a brand new energy saver light bulb.

The above picture shows all three floors. The top was the wrestling (and, for some cadets for a brief time, Tae Kwon Do) loft. The Second floor at this end of the building held the Varsity H Club Lounge. These bottom windows were the workout area with nautilus machines, free weights, and – in my time – a hot tub to the left that looked very dangerous. It was this big metal thing that looked like it was made to boil humans in. I don’t recall if it vibrated. It looked evil.

See also: The Pool

The Student Who Carved St. James Chapel

 

There is a legend about St. James Chapel that tells of a student too poor to attend but talented at wood carving who earned his tuition by carving the most beautiful of chapels. I couldn’t find anything to support this in Here’s Howe: The First 100 Years so I asked Jean Miller, who answers all my questions tirelessly. Here is her answer:

From what I understand it cannot be proven. It is a myth. The carvings were done under the direction of German architects. The tri-fold painting however was done on campus and Cadet Hugler helped paint it.

St. James as History Book

I don’t have any photographs of cadet graffiti in the hymnals, but I do have some poorly lit pix of other historical markers in the St. James Chapel.

Along the walls of the chapel, behind the pews, where officers and administrators sit, are these regal chairs.

Some of them contain plaques memorializing those who left their mark on the school. I assure you, their legacy is far more than a brass plaque.

Fr. McKenzie I’ve written about as well as Fr. Minnix who was chaplain while I attended. I remember the ceremony when he was leaving Howe (transferring to some other parish) and Bishop Sheridan declared him Chaplain Emeritus of Howe – something that had never been done before. It rewarded him as an alumnus and longstanding chaplain. He certainly didn’t expect it and gave the Bishop a quadruple take.

Major Merritt (above), Commandant for 26 years and his son, Colonel Merritt (below), Superintendent (and Class of ‘53) for 11 too-short years and Colonel Bouton, Superintendent while Major Merritt was Commandant. Hmm… I wonder if they’ll ever give Colonel Trout a plaque or name a building after him…

Bishop Sheridan, the shepherd while I attended …

and his successor, Bishop Gray …

What I find interesting – and I just noticed this while doing my crude color correction – is how they went from being cartoony using few colors to using photo-likenesses.

There are many more, of course. These were just the people I knew. Except for Fr. McKenzie, Mr. Blake and Major Merritt … I didn’t know those guys.