Academy Traditionalism

For reasons unknown, Academy students seem to have a tendency to fear change in the institution. This trend, known as Academy Traditionalism, takes many forms, and is very evident in most second-year classes.

Early Academy Life

Attempting to describe the life of Academy students in the early classes is about as difficult as describing the lives of cavemen: stories and rumors abound, but in the end there is no concrete knowledge. It is generally agreed upon, however, that the first few classes of the Academy consisted of students that were very out of the ordinary, and sought refuge from traditional high school. Many college students saw this, leading to the lasting impression that all Academy students were (and still are) strange, anti-social creatures (See University/Academy Relations). It also created the mentality that this was the purpose of the Academy: to give students who did not fit in at home a place to go, where all were accepted. As far as can be discerned, the Academy did not experience many changes under its first Dean Russell Pinizzotto. After Dr. P was dismissed (and following a period in which Dr. Farquhar served as interim dean), Dr. Cleo took over the Academy, starting in February of 2004. It is from the class of 2005 that the first recorded cases of Academy Traditionalism can be found: the Great May Classes Petition of 2004 serves as a good example, as student lashed out against the change of policy that oriented May Session classes more towards required classes, no longer subject to a vote of the students. In addition, there are many instances of students from the class of 2005 making very negative comments about Dr. Cleo on masmcwiki.com. For a good example, see the page about Dr. Cleo. This anger stems from the fear of change by students. Many felt that the very nature of the Academy was changing, and did not like it. No longer was it a refuge for the strange: instead, Dr. Cleo worked to make it an academically-based program aimed at providing advanced educational opportunities to any students willing to work harder than at a traditional high school.

Class of 2005

An example of Academy Traditionalism from the class of 2005, is the May Classes Petition.

Class of 2007

The announcement in Fall of 2006 that for the first time ever the Academy would accept a small number of students one semester into the 1st year prompted some outrage from both the class of 2007 and class of 2008. Ultimately, 3 students were accepted to begin their time at the Academy for the Spring 2007 semester. The introduction of such students, now known as "half-years" has become accepted and has occurred every year since.

Class of 2010

As SGA became a more all-encompassing organization (a trend which began in 2009), this Academy Traditionalism once again appeared in a new forum. The class of 2010 had a reputation of working against any legislation that provided privileges to first-year students. One proposal would have extended first-year's curfews if they had performed a set number of Res. Life hours, and another would have abolished 4-6 check-in for the second semester of students first year at the Academy. In SGA, the arguments ranged from fears for student safety to a need for students to earn privileges. In more relaxed settings, however, the message was clearly one more fearful of "what the Academy was turning into". This tension resulted in the community service proposal being shot down due to pressure on individuals to vote no or abstain by second-years, and the proposal regarding 4-6 check-in passed only after being introduced twice, and after the General Assembly voted by a two-thirds majority to override an executive board veto of the legislation.

Class of 2011

The executive officers of SGA for the 2010-2011 school year almost all mentioned the goal of working to end this "class warfare", and bridge the gap between their class and the incoming one during their campaign speeches. This seems promising: Because the Academy Traditionalism was used to negatively impact the class of 2011 and prevent them from reaching certain goals in SGA, perhaps the victims will end this conservative mentality.

"In the end, it must be recognized that the Missouri Academy is still extremely young, and much of what it is doing involves marching through uncharted territory. The flexibility of the Administration has ensured the Academy's survival thus far, but it will take open-mindedness on the part of the students in order for the Academy to truly thrive" - Clayton Buback