The Cadet (newspaper)

The Cadet was a weekly student newspaper of the Virginia Military Institute. It stopped publishing in 2016. In 2021, alumni created a separate 501(c)3, independent of the Virginia Military Institute, with the intent to support the cadets at VMI in publishing The Cadet again and enabling them to continue publishing while maintaining independent cadet editorial control. The first publication of the re-launched The Cadet newspaper was May 2021 and the cadets continue publishing it. In October 2021 The Cadet was accepted into the Virginia Press Association (VPA) and the cadets who operate the paper became registered members of the press in Virginia.

The Cadet

The front page of The Cadet for Friday, 17 February 1967.
Type	Weekly newspaper
Format	Broadsheet
Owner(s)	The Cadet Foundation, Inc.
Founded	1871 (Magazine); 1907 Transition to Newspaper
Headquarters	Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia
Circulation	> 1,500
Website

According to Henry A. Wise’s definitive history of VMI, Drawing Out the Man: The VMI Story, The Cadet began and thrived as a monthly magazine from 1871 to 1873 after which is paused and was revived briefly in 1890 – 1891. From its start in the first known edition of March 1871, the focus of The Cadet has been on the life of the cadets as students. In comparing the publication and its student readership to other colleges, the original editors wrote: “So cadet-life is student-life, but our experience and our traditions are racy with their own particular flavor.” The Cadet also serves a critical purpose in chronicling the VMI experience of cadets and alumni. The Cadet transformed to a newspaper format with the first known initial newspaper format publication in 1907. When it ceased publication in 2016, it was one of the oldest independent college newspapers in Virginia and the United States. In the newspaper format The Cadet was known by several variations, but all remain The Cadet and also remain true to the fact the publication, in any of its forms, was founded and operated on the foundational principle under the 1st Amendment as a publication independent of the Virginia Military Institute. The original newspaper was run entirely by cadets who have complete editorial control over its contents. Alumni assist as mentors, with financial and other support to enhance and enable the journalistic experience. From the start, it was thought-provoking and inspired open dialogue on issues of controversy. This began with the name for the newspaper itself know, for a very few of its first issues in October 1907 as The Keydet. VMI officially recognizes and accepts the term “Keydet” as synonymous with “cadet.” The Cadet and The Keydet are, therefore the same entity. The Cadet ([1]) has always been independently run by the VMI Corps of Cadets since its first issue.[2] The new paper commenced publication in May 2021 and continues publication through the start of the 2021 - 222 school year. The Cadet had an original subscription price for the magazine of $1.50 per annum, postpaid.[3] It was not produced for three years during World War II and between 2016 - 2021. There was a project underway to digitize every issue of The Cadet from the earliest known issue from 1907 scheduled to be completed in 2011. The VMI Archives, operating out of VMI's Preston Library, now have a digitized copy of each issue published since 1907.[4] The VMI Archives Catalog now contains detailed descriptive information about manuscripts (letters, diaries, and other personal papers), historical institutional records, and other primary source research collections.[1]

The Cadet a designated public forum for student editors with contributions from alumni mentors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience true to the vision of its creators as stated in the March 1871 edition: "“Let The Cadet be the printed reflex of the men who support it. Let it subserve the living interests of the corps of cadets.” re-enforced in an 1892 edition stating: "“We believe the cadets and alumni should support alone a magazine published ostensibly in their interests.” Regular staples of the paper include a News, Opinion, Features &Special Reports, Sports, Remembrances from "the Old Corps" history of VMI, and Alumni news. Editorials focuses on U.S. or Virginia politics and issues relating to the corps, a sports section that exclusively covers VMI Club, Intermural, and NCAA sports, an event page with annual and special events, and a humor page. The humor and satire page is featured on the back of the final page every week and is made up of content exclusively submitted by members of the VMI corps and their alumni supporters.