Institute Report Article

Reflective Tag:

One of the biggest tasks I was assigned with at the beginning of my internship with VMI’s Communications and Marketing department was writing a full-length and by-lined article for the Institute Report magazine. The topic of my article, which was chosen by the Director of Communications and Marketing, is Jonathan Daniels and the Jonathan Daniels ceremony which occurred on March 7th, 2018. The director asked me to angle it toward how Daniels’ story affects Rats during the Ratline. He also gave me just a 300 word word count to work with. After working on the Institute Report but not writing a full-length article, I had a better grasp on the journalistic process. This article shows my ability to use rhetorical strategies in a professional setting (1), discuss historical and cultural influences (2), and conduct and document research (5). I used sources to create effective arguments, as I facilitated a source from an underclassmen. I used the rhetorical appeal of Pathos to explain how rats hold dear Daniels’ sacrifice as they participate in the ratline. This assignment is important to me because it was going to be published and viewed by people outside of an academic setting. It was great to see my hard work in the classroom paying off as I got the chance to write “for real.” Here is the article:

Institute Report Article:

Daniels Ceremony Offers Cadets a Chance to Reflect

By Ben Outland ’19

On March 7, 4th Class cadets met in the Daniels Courtyard for the annual Jonathan Daniels Ceremony.

 

The ceremony featured laying a wreath in front of the 3-by-4-foot bronze plaque dedicated to Daniels. With the commandant of cadets and the superintendent in attendance, the VMI pipe band played “Amazing Grace” as cadets and faculty stood somberly.

 

Liam Kelly ’21, a member of the newest class in barracks, was in attendance at the ceremony. Afterwards, he got the feeling that “they wanted us to know this courtyard meant something.” And that “anyone can make a difference in the world whether you commission or not.”

 

It was an important lesson for new 4th Class cadets, who are used to military training, but are now beginning to more deeply understand the importance of the citizen-soldier concept at VMI.

Daniels’ story is of the utmost importance to the VMI spirit, and at the beginning of the Rat Line, all rats must attend a lecture and view a film hosted by Col. Keith Gibson ’77, executive director of the VMI museum, about Daniels’ sacrifice.

 

Rats held that lesson with them as they endured the Rat Line. Now the newly minted 4th Class cadets paid their respects to Daniels once more.

 

Daniels was born and raised in Keene, New Hampshire, and matriculated to VMI with the class of 1961. After graduating as the valedictorian of his class, he attended Harvard to pursue a graduate degree in English, but soon found his calling in ministry and began to pursue his divinity degree at Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 

In 1965, while working on behalf of voter registration for the Civil Rights movement in Alabama, Daniels was killed by a shotgun blast as he protected 17-year-old African American Ruby Sales. Dr. Martin Luther King called Daniels’ selfless act “one of the most heroic Christian deeds of which I have heard in my entire ministry.”

 

Daniels, who died wearing his class ring and represents the VMI citizen-soldier service concept, is honored by the Institute with the courtyard and the archway that joins the courtyard to Old Barracks. Daniels Arch bears the quote “I wish you the decency and nobility of which you are capable,” which originates from Daniels’ valedictory address.

 

The ceremony offers 4th Class cadets, who only recently broke out of the Rat Line, a chance to reflect on the sacrifices inherent to the concept of the citizen-soldier.

 

“His commitment to a greater cause is an important lesson that we take from his story,” said Kelly. “You can leave from this place and make a major impact on society.”

Jonathan Daniels Ceremony Offers New Cadets a Chance to Reflect

On March 7th, 4th class Cadets met in the Daniels Courtyard for the annual Jonathan Daniels Ceremony. Daniels is a name held dear by cadets as well as alumni of the institute alike. His story is of the utmost importance to the VMI spirit, and at the beginning of the ratline, all Rats must attend a lecture and view a film hosted by Col. Keith Gibson, executive director of the VMI museum about Daniels’ sacrifice. From this point on, Rats hold his with them while they endure the ratline. Now newly minted 4th classmen, the latest Class of VMI Cadets paid their respects once more to Daniels on March 7th.

Daniels was born and raised in Keene, New Hampshire, and matriculated to VMI with the class of 1961. After graduating as the valedictorian of his class, he attended Harvard to pursue a graduate degree in English, but soon found his calling in ministry and began to pursue his divinity degree at Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1965 while working on behalf of voter registration for the Civil Rights movement in Alabama, Daniels jumped in front of a shotgun blast from a store owner, who fired a shotgun at 17-year-old African American Ruby Sales. Dr. Martin Luther King called Daniels’ selfless act “One of the most heroic Christian deeds of which I have heard in my entire ministry.”

Now immortalized by the Institute via dedication of a courtyard and archway, Daniels, who died wearing his class ring, represents everything the VMI “citizen soldier” service concept stands for. The archway, bearing the quote “I wish you the decency and nobility of which you are capable” originates from Daniels’ valedictory address and cannot be used by cadets until they are 2nd classmen. The ceremony offers 4th classmen who only recently broke out of the ratline a chance to reflect on the sacrifices they themselves were willing to make for their brother rats during this challenging time in their Cadetships.