A University of Northern Iowa professor is getting hundreds of e-mails andletters following comments she made critical of the R-O-T-C programs oncollege campuses. Social Work professor Katherine Van Wormer was quoted inthe October 4th edition of “U-S News and World Report.” Van Wormer says theofficer training program is making “a mockery of education on collegecampuses.” She says R-O-T-c members get obedience training that is not highlevel academic training.Van Wormer says her opposition isn’t just to military programs in colleges,she is against the military in general. Van Wormer describes herself as apacifist and a Quaker. She says war should never be necessary and says theU-S should never have gotten involved in World War Two. Van Wormer says most of the e-mails have been in support of the R-O-T-Cprogram. Colonel Mike Depuglio (dee-poo-lee-oh) is the head of the R-O-T-Cprogram at U-N-I. He says he was innitially shocked at the comments, butrespects and will defend her opinion even though he doesn’t agree with it.Depuglio says the Reserve Officer Training Program or R-O-T-C developsleaders.Depuglio says the program also provides money for students to pay forschool.
