Branch Night is one of the biggest things that happens as a cadet. It is when the Firsties (seniors) find out what their job will be after graduation. You rank your preferences and do some interviews then West Point works with the army to decide what job you get. The process is based mainly on class rank, so people at the bottom of the class often get put into their lowest-choice branch because West Point has to fill a quota.
Like many things here at West Point, there is a lot of tradition that goes with Branch Night. The best part about Branch Night is what happens to the Firsties’ rooms while they are at the actual event or enjoying the free beer afterwards. The Plebes(freshmen) “decorate” the Firsties’ rooms. In reality, you just make a huge mess. People get pretty carried away with it. (Last year there was $22,000 in damages from Branch Night.) Some rooms get themes, like filling a future infantryman’s room with dirt and trees or a future helicopter pilot’s room with fans. It’s also interesting how karma works on Branch Night. The funny and clever stuff happens to the Firsties who are nice or indifferent, but the people who are jerks get their rooms destroyed.
