JROTC has been quieter than usual lately, not exclaiming any new project ideas or their latest endeavors with their usual “ooh-rah!”

According to junior cadet Ryan Shrum, “January is typically the slowest month for us.”

Shrum said Pitt inspected their drill team for preciseness and accuracy January 16, and the team did extremely well.

JROTC also had a college representative visit from Pittsburgh Technical College and speak about scholarships for their majors January 17. They only visited the JROTC.

Despite the temporary calm-before-the-storm in the JROTC program, the always-active Raiders team are also practicing and getting ready for upcoming competition in March as is the drill team which will also be starting practices this month and getting ready for competitions February and March.

“Currently the Raider team is preparing for our League competition at Slippery Rock University, March 16. We practice every Monday and Wednesday at 6 a.m. and every Friday after school. This year’s team has a lot of new members and they have shown that they are dedicated to improving together. This team has a lot of potential, and if we continue improving at practices as we have been, a win is in sight for us!“ junior cadet Sarah Gido said.

To prepare for these intense physical competitions, Raiders have to come to school hours early and practice by running miles and practicing their push-ups and sit-ups as well as practicing other physical challenges like “the gauntlet.”

JROTC cadets also have been discussing current events lately, such as the government shutdown and other popularly discussed issues in the country like the controversial border wall.

Sergeant Major Weaver who is in his first year advising the Beaver Area JROTC said, “First half of the year has had a lot of new experiences and everyday is full of new things. The kids constantly keep me on my toes and create a nice change of pace for me.”

“For the next half of the year, I’m still going to attempt to get back into the swing of things. Events are a lot less detailed than I imagine they’ll be, and even though they aren’t as much stress since I’m dealing with kids and not hundreds of soldiers . . . I’m excited for the next half of the year,” SGM Weaver said.