Virginia Military Institute’s student newspaper is back following a hiatus since its clash with school administrators over the prevalence of critical race theory on campus.
The Cadet, which abruptly stopped publishing on March 25, reappeared Friday, disrupting its normal biweekly schedule. While the paper, a megaphone for dissident voices on campus, remained active on its social media accounts, it was taken offline as alumni hit back at administrators’ “diversity, equity, and inclusion” plans.
“The Commonwealth is proud that cadets, since establishment, maintain total editorial control of The Cadet‘s contents, as they publish ‘the voice of the Corps,'” Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote in a letter to the newspaper that was published on the day it went back online. “The Commonwealth is equally proud of The Cadet Foundation, alumni and mentors who continue to advise, assist and support cadets as they publish the independent student newspaper.”
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The newspaper said it was “re-launched” as “an initiative by cadets and alumni” after administrators reportedly criticized the publication as a mouthpiece for disgruntled alumni. Some articles are written by “VMI Cadet Staff,” leaving the actual authorship ambiguous.
VMI alumni recently spearheaded a petition demanding that Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares halt attempts to infuse “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programming into their campus.
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The paper requires support from administrators because of the strict academic and military duties to which VMI students must adhere. Student journalists need permits to break from their other duties and pursue interviews or off-campus research.
The paper, established first as a magazine in 1871 and converted into a newspaper in 1907, underwent another hiatus from 2016 to 2021.
