By Jessica Dillon
News Assignment Editor
St. Bonaventure’s newest lieutenant colonel has made cadet recruitment a priority.
With a program about 40 cadets strong, Lt. Col. Sean Coulter, U.S. Army professor of military science and officer in charge, has pushed the ROTC recruitment team to vitalize student involvement in ROTC.
Jacob McCollum, a senior journalism and mass communication major, and a member of the recruitment team, joined ROTC on a whim.
“I chose St. Bonaventure for its writing program,” said McCollum. “I wanted to learn to write professionally. When I got to St. Bonaventure and saw that they had an ROTC program, I joined the first day.”
Alyssa Magnuson, a sophomore elementary education major that is also a member of the recruitment team, chose ROTC because she was looking for something more.
“I wanted to be more than just a college student,” said Magnuson. “So, I signed up for the lecture and lab last spring. You know, some students will go back to work in a retail shop or an ice cream store when they get their college degree. I’ll be a second lieutenant in the United States Army.”
Because of the mental and physical requirements, not all students qualify for the program. Anyone interested in joining should arrange a meeting with ROTC faculty to discuss the process.
When ROTC was first established at St. Bonaventure in 1936, the first two years of the program were mandatory for all students. Since 1970, however, the program has been voluntary.
“Right now we have about seven to 10 cadets in each class,” said McCollum. “We’re trying to increase each class year by five or more.”
McCollum emphasized that ROTC is an opportunity for students to push themselves out of their comfort zones.
“It’s drawn me out of my shell and taught me how to work with people and lead people,” McCollum said.
With physical training from 6:15 to 7:15 weekday mornings and weekend treks ranging from 13 to 26 miles in length, members of ROTC learn to strengthen themselves both mentally and physically.
“You learn a lot about leading others,” said Magnuson. “It’s one thing to lead people when they’re mentally exhausted, but when they’re physically exhausted things are taken to a whole new level.”
Students have the opportunity to take introductory courses with no obligation.
“I think if anyone has an interest in ROTC they should do it,” McCollum said. “Joining doesn’t mean you have any commitment to the army. Take the classes and lab to see if ROTC is right for you. It’s a good indicator of whether you’ll want to join up or not.”
McCollum encourages students to enroll in the courses.
“Just try it out,” McCollum said. “There’s no commitment to try. If nothing else, it looks great on a resume. You can’t really go wrong.”
Magnuson “absolutely” recommends the program.
“If you feel like you’re missing that one thing, join ROTC,” Magnuson said.
dillonj15@bonaventure.edu
