ROTC cadets take the plunge

Outfitted in army fatigues and climbing gear, Rambo flew down the side of the Dentistry Building yesterday.

That's Matthew Rambo, a cadet in the University's Reserve Officer Training Corps, who joined more than 35 Army ROTC cadets in an annual training exercise of rappelling off the 125-foot-high building

"It's primarily a confidence builder," said Army Major Marsha Lunt, who helped train the cadets. She also took the leap from the building's seventh floor.

The cadets trained for yesterday's exercise since the beginning of the year, and many new ROTC cadets seemed excited but nervous before their plunge.

"I'm really excited," said LSA first-year student Melissa Kinney, "I've had three weeks to stare at this building."

PAUL TALANIAN/Daily Rob Doane, a senior cadet and lieutenant colonel with the ROTC, rappels down the face of the Dentistry School building yesterday afternoon as part of ROTC training exercises.

In addition to rappelling, ROTC cadets must complete two field training sessions each year. Cadets also go through extensive training in rifle marksmanship, first aid, military drill and fitness training.

Training in basic life skills, such as first aid survival, allows cadets to apply classroom lectures to real-life scenarios.

Before the group rappelled, chisel-faced cadets first perfected their techniques on the lawn of North Hall, where ROTC is headquartered. Then, they learned to make tight and secure rope harnesses, called a swiss seat. One ROTC instructor said to the group, "I don't want to see any tears, but if it doesn't hurt it's not tight enough."

From there, the cadets watched as older, more experienced ROTC members gave a dry run, bounding - touching the wall only a few times - from top to bottom.

"You can tell the experienced ones by the fewer times they bound. The new ones will bound more and take a longer time to reach the bottom," Lunt said.

When it was their time to rappel, a few of the new cadets had twitching hands and shaky feet.

ROTC cadet David Paton said the height can be intimidating.

"It's kinda scary when you're on the ledge. You're just looking down," said Paton, an LSA sophomore. "But I'm ready for this."

Besides occasional bouts with wind and balance, all trainees completed the rappelling session with success.

Passersby looked on with wonderment as the green-clad men and women scaled the wall with spiderman-like skills.

"It looks like fun," said Paul Oehler, an LSA first-year student. Others added that they would like to do the rappelling activity without being an ROTC member.

Rappelling usually marks the rite of passage for most newcomers, because it bolsters trust both in equipment and fellow battalion members, Lunt said.

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