Corps Brass Dubs Wine Tasting Class ‘Essential Leadership Development’

 

High-ranking Corps of Cadets officers are under scrutiny for enrolling in HORT 416, Texas A&M’s wine-tasting class. While they’ve insisted the course is “critical for developing future leaders,” rank-and-file cadets have pointed out the hypocrisy in taking a class at the same time as evening formation, noting the harsh consequences faced by others who miss formation for evening classes.

“They told us missing formation was unacceptable because ‘leadership means being present,’”  frustrated general engineering freshman Jason Valentes said. “But apparently that rule doesn’t apply if you’re holding a glass of Merlot and calling it ‘professional development.’”

The class, known for being an easy A, even offers an online option that wouldn’t interfere with evening formation. However, cadet officers insist the in-person version is essential for mastering the “subtleties of wine culture.”

“When I had a lab that overlapped with formation, I got chewed out for not putting the unit first,” English freshman and cadet James Cavanaugh said. “Now they’re skipping to sip Pinot Grigio and pretending it’s about diplomacy. If they really cared about leading, they’d lead by example.”

Economics senior and cadet Jose Kennedy seeks to defend his decision. 

“Leadership isn’t just about showing up today,” Kennedy said. “It’s about preparing for the future. These skills — like identifying tannins and pairing wines — are critical for the white-collar environments we’ll navigate after graduation.”

Discourse will likely continue as university officials discuss a possible solution. Until then, the rank-and-file will continue to stand in the cold while their leaders refine their palates. 

— Lock-T