Stanford ponders the return of ROTC after nearly four decades

[alp227]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

As dawn awakened a drowsy Stanford campus, eight sweaty students were cooling down from a rigorous Wednesday workout, savoring the camaraderie before disbanding for distant commutes -- to Santa Clara, San Jose and Berkeley.

Since the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) ended at Stanford in 1973, students in the military program have had to travel to other schools to get their military training, squeezing in classes in Navigation or Leadership Training alongside calculus, literature and other courses that comprise a well-rounded liberal arts education.

But a renewal of ROTC at Stanford and other elite universities is now under consideration, suggesting a reconciliation of two cultures that had grown far apart.

ROTC was booted off Stanford's campus because of deep anti-war sentiments, weak military-based courses and the discrimination against gays long practiced by the armed forces. But memories of the Vietnam War are fading. The trauma of Sept. 11 has renewed patriotism among youth. And, most recently, the military's anti-gay "don't ask, don't tell" has been repealed.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_17141960

[Sonoman]

1. Why the fuck not? They let C* Rice in. didn't they?

Stanford is by no means any sort of liberal institution. I do business with some of Stanford's largest benefactors and every one of them is a Republican asshole.

And every one of them tries to fuck me over on every deal.

Every time.

Sonoman

[David__77]

2. I'd prefer they be present nowhere.

Just my view...

[KamaAina]

3. Distant commutes?

Santa Clara is all of ten miles from "The Farm". Due to sky-high housing prices in the area surrounding Stanford, most of its employees face longer commutes that that.

:nopity: