Charleston, South Carolina -- Saturday, March 30, 2019
Spectators watch as Cadet Col. Sarah Zorn leads the freshmen class on a march through downtown Charleston during the Recognition Day festivities. The freshmen renew their cadet oath, and their achievements and efforts are recognized.
Since arriving campus, freshmen cadets' lives are strictly regulated. Known as knobs, they speed walk around campus, undergo intensive physical training and must maintain high standards in their dress and room.
As Zorn recalled of her knob year, she waited to be told "when to do, what to do, how to do it." On Recognition Day, after a series of strenuous mental and physical exercises, the freshmen's efforts are acknowledged and their regimented lives are eased. It is the moment they have worked toward over the past seven months.
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In May of 2018, Cadet Col. Sarah Zorn became the Regimental Commander at the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. Zorn is the first woman to hold the position of top cadet at the 175-year-old institution, which, up until 1995, didn't allow women to enroll.
CREDIT: Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times
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