Redleg Cannon Club: tradition of CMU community

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Warren junior Kristin Wood and the nine other cadets in the Redleg Cannon
Club love it when the football team scores during home games – they get quite
a bang out of it.

The Redleg Cannon Club is an ROTC-sponsored organization that has become
part of CMU football tradition. Since the mid-1990s, members of the club
have specialized in safely firing a 75 mm Howitzer cannon shot every time
the team scores.

The club also participates in many events throughout the area, including
the Mardi Gras parade and the homecoming parade. This year the club also
helped kick off the “Playing with the Pros” golf tournament at Buck’s Run
Golf Club, 1559 S. Chippewa Road.

Wood said the Cannon Club represents the university and the ROTC program well.

“I think that we really stand out from all the other registered student
organizations on campus because we not only represent the U.S. Army and the
ROTC program, but CMU as well,” she said.

The club has had many guest cannon shooters throughout the years, including
members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, safety patrol students and
the mayor of Mount Pleasant. This year’s guests have not been finalized,
but Wood would like to see more of the student body.

“We would like to get some of the student body involved and this is still
in progress, but come attend the games and join in,” she said.

Wood said the growth across the ROTC program means more involvement throughout the ROTC-sponsored clubs.

“With there being more students enrolled in Military Science, it gives
us the opportunity to recruit more cadets into the club,” she said. “We just
acquired (Training NCO) SFC Juan Olivarez as our new adviser. With his leadership
and knowledge of Field Artillery weapons and protocol, we will continue to
expand our membership in the near future”.

Chelsea LeRoy, Augusta sophomore, said she enjoys not only the experience, but the view as well.

“Cannon Club is a team building experience for anyone in the Military
Science class to participate in. We have a good time up there on the rooftop,
plus the best seats in the house,” LeRoy said.