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The World Comes to You

(The Cadet Experience, Class of 2012) Permanent link All Posts

If you walk around campus for five minutes in the spring, you are bound to hear a cadet complain about how we are “locked up” during the week and how just about everyone cannot wait for the summer. There is no doubt that spring fever is in full swing at the Academy. People decide to come here for a variety of reasons and for many of us, a little bit of adventure and the chance to see the world was on that list. The problem is, it’s hard to be adventurous when you can’t leave during the week. The thing I realized this semester is that the saving grace in being stuck here all week is that the Academy brings the world to you. The past two weeks we have had countless lectures. We had an all day ethics forum, a religious forum, and right now we are hosting “Eclipse Week,” a celebration of diversity at the Academy. Believe me, it’s easy to sleep through most of this stuff, but if you step back and take it in, you realize that there is an incredible amount to be gained.

The Academy does a great job of bringing in some of the most talented people from all over the world and if choose to pay attention, you don’t have to venture far to learn new and exciting things. I never thought I would find myself interested in Buddhism, but after the religion forum and a lecture by a woman who practiced Buddhism for 40 years, I found myself running off to Borders to find books on the subject. Contrary to popular belief, although it would be nice, you don’t have to leave the gates of the Academy to learn about the world, because the Academy makes sure to bring the world to you.

More about Steven.

Last Edited by Leann Strickland at 2/8/2012 3:09 PM