Again, the cadet must recite every day. Owing to the small section of ten or twelve cadets the instructor is ordinarily able to hear every man, so that the studies must be prepared. There is no such thing at West Point as a “cut.” Sometimes, due to the lack of time, the instructor may not hear a few of the cadets, but this is rare. In such a case the cadet does not get a mark but is given what is colloquially known as “stay-back,” that is, a blank. The certainty that he must recite every day and that no failure can be hidden obliges each cadet to prepare his lesson with great thoroughness. The effect of this system on moral character is immediate. It inculcates attention to duty, habits of study and thought, and pride in achievement. At West Point good intellectual performance is a duty just as much as guard, parade, or inspection, so that an unsatisfactory recitation due to the cadet’s negligence not only begets a bad mark, but not infrequently a punishment. Moreover, since the cadets realize that their final standing at graduation permits them to choose their branch of the service, they are keen to do their very best to beat the other fellows. This spirit of competition is fostered by transfers of cadets from one section to another either up or down, according to their weekly marks. Cadets receive individual instruction in every subject. No man can therefore hide his lack of preparation because he is always called upon to develop some phase of the lesson. At the beginning of the term, the Fourth Classmen or plebes are arranged alphabetically into sections in which they remain for about six weeks. Then there is a general transfer or rearrangement of sections according to the marks made during this period. The top man in each section is the section marcher. Thereafter cadets rise and fall in the sections, either weekly or monthly as the Professor wishes. The transfers from one section to another are a great stimulant to the cadet. He gets the reward for his labor. Sometimes, however, in spite of determined efforts, some cadets lose sections, due perhaps to a lack of preparation prior to entrance; others go down through laziness or negligence. The cadets that land in the last section are known as “The Goats” (in olden days, “The Immortals”), usually a carefree lot who never worry until the examinations roll around. They are a great contrast to the first section men who “bone tenths” with Prussian thrift. But whether “Goats” or first section men each one receives individual instruction.