A Message from President Geraci Regarding Cadet Education on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has dominated the world’s attention over the past week. At Missouri Military Academy, our hearts are with all who have been harmed or are in harm’s way through Russia’s unacceptable military action and disregard for international law. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and we pray for an end to the conflict.

As thousands of Ukrainians have been displaced and their lives upended, we are especially conscious of the trauma inflicted upon their families and schoolchildren. With cadets and alumni from all over the world, the Academy is a global community, and we are acutely aware of how interconnected our countries are as a global society.

In our MMA classrooms, cadets are exploring the many sides and implications of the conflict and response in Ukraine and globally. We continue to uphold freedom of inquiry as a core tenet of MMA education, and we encourage cadets to dive into all political sides, to determine key facts and information, and to formulate viewpoints that reflect their personal experiences, opinions, and perspectives. We equip them with knowledge and encourage them to be independent thinkers while respecting the viewpoints of others.

Cadets have been learning about the current situation and crisis in Ukraine this week through a cross-curricular approach. Our faculty have modified and expanded lessons to educate cadets through relevant exploration of topics related to the conflict.

• Watching the first days of the conflict unfold, cadets in Mr. Morgan’s and Mr. McClarey’s classes analyzed the impact, through their stock market competition between the classes, upon the price of oil and defense stocks. On day 1, they noted a spike in oil stock prices. On day 2, defense stocks spiked — tell-tale signs of what was occurring and further unrest ahead.
• Cadets in Dr. Nowlin’s middle school social studies class learned about NATO and European Union sanctions and what bringing U.S. troops into the conflict would entail.
• In Mrs. Kemp’s math classes, cadets explored the economic drivers and implications of war, including how much power elected officials may have in times of war.
• In Dr. Camargo’s Spanish II class, cadets discussed immigration caused by war.
• In Mrs. Reynard’s global business class, cadets discussed President Biden’s State of the Union address and analyzed the key points. 
• In Mrs. Morris’s art class, cadets looked at geographical maps to understand the location of the conflict. Our international cadets from Mongolia are among those whose families are closest to the conflict, and Cadet Battur shared his perspective from his central Asia home country, located between China and Russia.
• From Taiwan, our ELL and Chinese instructor Wei-Yun Chien discussed how a possible invasion by China into Taiwan would affect her family living there.
• Mr. Schafer’s business class looked at the conflict’s effects upon imports and exports for countries on both sides of sanctions and economic disruption.

I have been impressed with how our faculty have addressed these issues with our cadets. It’s clear they are teaching cadets how to think, not what to think. They are encouraging freedom of inquiry and robust discussion about global issues and the impact on each one of our cadets, their families and their communities.

Outside of the classroom, our faculty and CLAs are always here for our cadets to discuss any questions or fears. With many of our staff and faculty possessing a military background, we provide unique vantage points for inquiry and examination of the crisis and its effects, and we take very seriously this opportunity to educate cadets on what is happening in our world today and how it affects us all.

As always, if you are concerned about your cadet for any reason, please let his CLA know and encourage your son to reach out to a faculty or staff member for support. Our chaplain and counselor are available to meet with cadets when needed.

For those of you who may have family or friends in Ukraine or Russia and are directly affected by the conflict, you are in our thoughts and prayers. We pray for a peaceful resolution and healing.