New cadets pick up Faulkner's battle

It didn't get much press. There isn't much glory in being the second to break a barrier.

But this Monday, 17-year-old Nancy Mellette followed Shannon Faulkner's lead and formally submitted her application to the all-male Citadel, becoming the third female to do so since the Faulkner affair. (A fourth has since submitted an application.)

The new applicants can learn a lot from Faulkner's experiences. Hopefully, they will be more physically prepared than Faulkner was Ÿ that, and have a good idea of the extent of the pressures and discrimination they will face.

It's a nice thought to hope that these potential cadets won't experience the same hatred that Faulkner did, whether it be because the "men" of the Citadel have learned compassion or because of all the negative publicity they received. It isn't realistic, but it's nice.

Nonetheless, it's good to see that Faulkner's experiences haven't served as a deterrent for other potential trailblazers, but rather, as an encouragement.

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