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COMMENTARY: Students Deserve Shot at Minor in Military Science
By Jessica Young
Twice a week, a small group of MHC students drives 98 miles to and from East Tennessee State University to take part in a new program. Given the 3,520 miles a semester these students trek for their purpose, an Army ROTC program, we’d like to be given our due – a minor in Military Science.
Three students from Mars Hill College are enrolled currently in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Program for the United States Army at ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn.
Last spring, the MHC administration approved a collaborative agreement to allow students to take classes at ETSU in the ROTC program and have our credits transferred. This agreement has allowed several students to have the scholarship opportunities and the career opportunities that MHC couldn’t offer.
In the midst of the spring semester, the MHC students have found that their hard work will be tallied as elective credits, while students in the program from elsewhere are receiving a Minor in Military Science for the same coursework.
The students complete a significant amount of credit hours to receive the minor, and the students at Mars Hill College get no breaks for earning elective credit. All students must complete courses in tactical development as well as leadership processes. They must know the difference between an ambush site and a squad attack while keeping their team members safe and know how to have people prepared and show up on time. The course covers both the civilian and military side of leadership.
The designation on a diploma of Minor in Military Science would not only be an honor but a well-deserved decree from both the military and civilians.
Ryan Jackson, a current member of the program, said he thinks the minor shows that the students in the program had to prove their leadership abilities and “make it through a rigorous program, which looks good from any aspect.”
Jackson joined the program in January of 2009 and plans to continue his career as an Army Reservist Officer.
“It’s not just a program like most people think," Jackson said. "It’s not like you’re down doing push-ups in the mud and getting chewed out everyday. The program is a lot of fun. It builds community and leadership. It’s such a diverse group, and there are so many reasons for being there. It becomes a family. I feel closer to the students in my MSI class (his class in the ROTC program) than I do in this school (MHC).”
The class must work together, train together and solve problems together making the bond closer.
If students put so much work into the class and into the program, how could Mars Hill College help in their efforts? By adding a Minor of Military Science into the curriculum. MHC could help students now in the program as well as future students hoping to further their education through Mars Hill College. As many as four new students may join the ROTC program in the next school year.
Being in the program now has changed my life. I would never want to give up the life experiences, the friends, and the small hometown environment of Mar Hill College to go to a larger university like ETSU, but my career is important to me, and it is my hope to raise awareness to obtain a better outcome for everyone.
Jessica Young, a former Hilltop staff writer and MHC student, is training in the ROTC Army collaboration with ETSU. Ryan Jackson, also in the program, is a former Hilltop staff writer.
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