just as cadets did nearly 200 years ago, today's cadets give up such comforts as beds, instead lying upon cots colloquially referred to as "hays". these hays are little more than foam mats that must be rolled every morning and aired every monday. further, cadet uniforms have changed little; the coatee worn in parades dates to the war of 1812. new cadets, known as "rats", experience even further deprivations from many "creature comforts" common to college life at other schools: they are not permitted to watch tv or listen to music outside of an academic setting. to this end, living conditions are considered more austere here than other service academies.