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CAMPUS

The Norwich Guidon
Jan. 29, 2004

MCW has more than half century of community service

By Mario V. Carpanzano
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

MCW has been instructing Norwich cadets for over 50 years on how to survive and rescue on the mountains and in the cold. Officially started in 1947, the MCW team teaches officers the basics of military mountaineering.

"It's a great program to get involved with even if you can't make it all the way though," said Joe Reagan, a senior political science major from Swampscott, Mass., and member of the Mountain Cold Weather Club (MCW) at Norwich University. "There's a lot of good training that we do."

"We teach them everything from basic knot tying to how to move over fixed ropes and how to dress in the cold weather," Reagan said. "Pretty much anything that deals with cold weather and survival."

MCW has different levels a cadet can achieve. As a freshmen or "green stick," cadets learn the basics of mountaineering, such as rappelling, rock climbing, treating cold weather injuries and rescuing a victim.

The "black hats" are made up of mostly sophomores in their second year in the company. According to Reagan, the black hats have completed induction training, have Mountaineering status and are assistant trainers to the rescue team.

At the end of the second year, black hats test to become part of the rescue team. Rescue is made up of juniors and seniors who are the most proficient and act as primary instructors to the freshmen.

A cadet must have a minimum of two years in the company to achieve rescue status, but there is no set number on how many can make the team.

"In the four years I have been around, it's almost always been twelve people," said Reagan. "It's quite a time commitment to make to the company; there's a lot of knowledge you need to know and practical things, also."

The rescue team must be ready at a moment's notice, since they are on the short list to be called to assist in rescue missions.

"The last time they were called up was my sophomore year," said Reagan. "There were two guys who were lost, and they found them. Other than that, we've only been put on standby."

At one time, the rescue team was the only one in the state, but as Vermont has become a popular skiing destination, professional teams have been created. The Norwich rescue team stays on the list because their training rivals that of the professionals.

The company works out together four times each week and practices mountain and cold weather skills every day. Advised by Army cadre who have a career of mountain experience and cold weather training, the company goes on Field Training Exercises (FTX) geared to the area they are working on.

"We do a survival weekend where we go to an unknown location where we will be dropped off and must survive for the weekend on our own," Reagan said.

Students use semester break to help disabled children in N.H.

By Stephanie Tavss
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Skiing, riding snowmobiles, sledding, skating, and a variety of other fun activities are all common winter break pastimes. But not all Norwich students find themselves out doing these things during semester breaks.

Alternative winter break, a campus-based organization, offers an opportunity to do some good with free time.

During this past break, six students and one staff member spent a week working with disabled children at the Crotched Mountain School in Greenfield, NH

"It's smaller than Northfield," said Jack Chandler, 20, a junior history major from Charlestown, NH, and co-site leader for this year's Alternative Winter Break trip.

According to the Norwich University website, alternative breaks are part of the NU Visions program, which is part of the Office of Volunteer Programs. According to the website, "by immersing students in a variety of community service settings, the program succeeds in heightening social awareness and advocates lifelong action to serve.

"Crotched Mountain provides programs and services to assist children and adults with disabilities to achieve optimal growth and independence," the website says (www.cmf.org).

"Crotched Mountain offers a full range of clinical and rehabilitation services for children and adults with disabilities. Each year, we serve more than 2,000 people from throughout New Hampshire, New England, and New York."

The Norwich students were given the opportunity to work with people of all different types of disabilities. Some of the Crotched Mountain students had autism, while others had cerebral palsy or Downs Syndrome.

Also, the students had varying degrees of competency. "Some people really needed someone watching them all the time," Chandler said, while others were able to care for their own basic well-being.

"I was assigned to a classroom which was filled with all-autistic children, and they had different levels of autism," said Bethany Truell, 20, a junior nursing major from Newport, NH"We did activities with the kids and worked one-on-one with them. In the afternoons, we did things like karaoke and bingo."

All of the people who were involved in the trip found it to be a rewarding experience. "I went last year, so I didn't really think I was going to learn anything, but I did," Chandler said. "[The Crotched Mountain staff members] told me how [the students] were when they got there and just how far they've gone; it's so amazing."

Truell is already planning for next year's trip. "We are trying to figure out if there is a way that we can do two weeks next December."

She is also fulfilling the NU Visions goal of advocating a lifelong action to serve.

"I'm actually considering maybe working there or applying there for a summer job to see what the options are," she said.

"Everyone seemed to have a great time and not only our students, but those who we served," said Nicole DiDomenico, Director of Volunteer Programs and CO-site leader for the Crotched Mountain trip. "Everyone was very motivated and went above and beyond the expectations of Crotched Mountain."

All of the participants recommended the program to other Norwich students. "I had hoped it was going to be fun and I had heard good things about it, but you don't know until you're there," Truell said. "I definitely recommend it."

"Just because someone is a little different than you doesn't mean that they are any less of a person," Chandler said, "that's something that we all learned."

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.