Cadet Took Steps Forward And Back

Shannon Faulkner found out last week just how hard it is to be a Citadel cadet. She’ll spend the rest of her life discovering how hard it is to be a national symbol.

But just what does Faulkner symbolize? Heroism? Failure? Will she be an inspiration to women - or proof to men that women don’t belong in their exclusive clubs?

Faulkner will be chided by women and men who believe she had no business attending the all-male military college. She’ll be panned by people who expected more from her. She’ll be hailed by those who think she did the best she could.

It’s all more than Faulkner bargained for when she deleted all references to her gender in applying to The Citadel two-and-a-half years ago, kicking off a legal battle that changed the face of military schooling, Southern-style.

In the end, two U.S. Supreme Court justices paved the way for her to join the publicly funded 152-year-old college. But they couldn’t make it easy for her.

Faulkner collapsed the first day of “hell week,” five days of formidable drills and marching. She spent the rest of the week in the infirmary before deciding to quit.

So, did Faulkner make it easier, or more difficult, for women who want to follow in her footsteps?

Both.

She did, after all, get in. As one law professor said, “The barrier is broken, the egg cracked, and there is no way to unscramble it.”

Now, The Citadel will have to deal with other women, more women, who want to tap the school’s unique leadership training. There’s no going back, and the cheering, boorish young men who celebrated Faulkner’s departure will have to swallow those smirks in years to come.

But Faulkner set women back a few steps, too. She was out of shape and overweight, clearly unprepared for the rigors of The Citadel. She also invited criticism by suing to avoid getting her head shaved, a ritual all incoming cadets suffer.

Faulkner contributed to her failure, but given the culture of The Citadel and the South, her chances of success were slim. Women who follow will do well to learn from her mistakes. They’ll know not to expect special treatment; they’ll know it may be harder for them.

And they have role models in the thousands of women who have dedicated themselves to the military. Midshipman Juliane Gallina was chosen as student leader of the Naval Academy in 1991, a first for women. Rebecca Marier was West Point’s top graduate this year, besting 880 other graduates.

And they have Shannon Faulkner - the first female Citadel cadet, but certainly not the last.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Anne Windishar/For the editorial board