By 0700 on August 16, Matriculation Day was well underway. A seemingly unending line of cars snaked through the parking lot next to the Altman Center and wound around into the lot in front of the Holliday Alumni Center, where the incoming class received their company assignments.
At the battalions, they were greeted by members of The Citadel Family Association who were ready to help them move in.
The CFA is a network of family volunteers who provide support to cadet families and host discussion forums to guide them through their student’s Citadel journey. On Matriculation Day, members of the CFA are front and center—a force of good Samaritans ready to lend a hand.
More than 800 cadet recruits reported. By the end of the day, they had officially become “knobs,” a moniker given to them because their freshly shorn heads resemble doorknobs. During the next week, they learned to shine shoes and brass, make beds, march, salute and properly address the upperclass cadets—known as the “cadre”—who are in charge of their training. It was an intense week: uniforms were issued, military customs were learned and the cadet oath was taken. But after Challenge Week was over, a shared feeling of accomplishment set in—now they felt they could do anything.