In the presence of the Army Chief of Staff, Army Corps General Pietro Serino, the traditional "Mak π 100" ceremony of the officer cadets of the 203rd "Loyalty" course of the Military Academy, an event, the latter, which marks the one hundred days missing to the promotion to the rank of second lieutenant in the Army and the Carabinieri.
The ceremony was attended by the commander for Training, Specialization and Doctrine of the Army, general of the army corps Carlo Lamanna, the commander of the Military Academy, general of division Davide Scalabrin, the mayor of the city, Dr. Giancarlo Muzzarelli, the magnificent rector of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, prof. Carlo Adolfo Porro, as well as numerous local, military, civil and religious authorities.
In his speech, General Serino first of all recalled the victims and the damage caused by the bad weather emergency which seriously affected Emilia Romagna, the contribution of the Army, which has always been at the side of the citizens, and the "private" form of this Mak π 100. Subsequently, he underlined how from this year the future second lieutenants will not leave the Academy but will obtain the Three-year Degree in Strategic Sciences in Modena, thus favoring teaching continuity, and he highlighted: “You will immediately be protagonists of the life of the Army. You will have to exercise strong and rigorous self-discipline on yourselves because you will be the first example for the young people who enter the Academy. This is an important responsibility that the Army entrusts to you - in conclusion - but you already are an example, having today put something greater than us before good and personal interest: Italy!".
Due to the emergency situation in Emilia Romagna and Marche, the traditional debutante ball scheduled for the evening will be replaced by a meeting between the Academy and the family members who have flocked for the occasion.
The celebration of the "Mak π 100" is a tradition that dates back to 1840. The older students give the younger ones the "Stecca Accademica", a large-scale reproduction of a small wooden tool, with a central groove, which was used , once, to polish the metal buttons of the uniform jacket without dirtying the fabric.
The ceremony continued with the awarding of prizes to particularly deserving officers of the 202nd "Honour" course, who distinguished themselves in university, military disciplines and in gymnastic-sporting activities, in the academic two-year period 2020-2022.
