USMA & Cadet News

PHOTOS: GRADUATION 2013

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:56:00 GMT

Rain, wind, and temperatures in the low 50s could not dampen nor chill the spirit of the 1,007 graduates from the Class of 2013, who got their diplomas and were commissioned as second lieutenants on Saturday. However, relatives and friends of the graduates gave Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the 2013 Graduation Speaker, a loud round of applause when he opened his remarks by saying, “I am not unaware, especially on a rainy day, that graduates and their guests prize brevity.” Hagel used his speech to remind graduates of their “awesome responsibility” to lead soldiers and told stories relating to two USMA graduates, Dwight D. Eisenhower ’15 and Robert George Keats ’65, to impart lessons of leadership. “The most important part of leadership is taking responsibility for your actions and decisions,” Hagel said. He then repeated Eisenhower’s handwritten note on the eve of D-Day in which the general assumed sole responsibility in the event that the invasion of Normandy failed. “That is accountability,” Hagel told the graduates. Hagel concluded his speech by informing the graduates about Keats, who was killed ten days after assuming command of Bravo Co. of the 2-47 9th Infantry Division, the unit in which Hagel served during the Vietnam War. A letter from Keats’s days as a cadet was read at his funeral on the ground of the West Point Cemetery. It said, “The world can only be saved by people striving for the ideal.” Hagel tied Keats’s sentiment to the Class of 2013’s motto: “Defending the Dream.” “You chose to be a soldier at a very defining time in our Nation’s history; you too are fighting for an ideal,” Hagel said, “America needs you and it is counting on you to uphold this ideal.” Good Luck Class of 2013!

See photos

Dean’s Weekly, May 24

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:01:00 GMT

Cadet Olind - American Chemical Society Undergraduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry: Cadet Johannes Olind, an environmental engineering major in the class of 2013, was awarded the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry. This award recognizes outstanding students currently enrolled in chemistry, environmental engineering, environmental science, or other programs emphasizing environmental chemistry. Johannes was selected for his interdisciplinary work related to the speciation of lead on the surface of Polonite, a mineral based sorbent.

AbilityOne Design Challenge: The capstone team of Cadets Tom Devane, Greg Fearnley, and Justin Suh, all mechanical engineering majors in the Class of 2013, was named the third place winner ($3,000) of the 2013 AbilityOne Design Challenge sponsored by the Institute for Economic Empowerment to develop a device to assist workers with disabilities. They designed, built, and tested a work station to improve worker productivity in a stapler assembly production process. The cadets' work station reduced average stapler assembly time by disabled workers by 28%. A video demonstration of their device was submitted as part of the competition and can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ayIH5uT9MIk

HI108 Guest Lecturer: The plebe course in international history hosted Professor David Painter, a Georgetown University professor, who lectured on an article he wrote for the Journal of American history titled “A Global History of Oil”. Painter discussed how “oil bolstered U.S. military and economic might, and enabled the U.S. and its allies to win both World Wars and the Cold War” in a lecture that explained the global significance of the emerging oil markets to the history of the twentieth century.

Seniors Make Good on Childhood Pact to Go to West Point

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:59:00 GMT

For Colt Sterk, the dream of West Point began in eighth grade. That year, he wrote an essay that won him the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

"When I grasped the fact that this soldier willingly gave his life for me, a stranger, just so I can live freely, it made me want to serve my country as well," recalled Sterk, now an 18-year-old senior graduating from Eagle High.

That was the spark, and his interest in the nation's oldest military academy was enthusiastically shared by his best friend, Cyrus Cappo. Cappo's older brother, Chase, was a cadet at West Point (Class of 2012) -- and a big influence on the two boys, who met while playing Optimist football.

Chase helped coach the boys' football team before he left for the Academy. He brought home exciting stories about life at West Point and opportunities to travel and study abroad and meet members of Congress and other dignitaries.

"The more I learned about it, the more excited I got. West Point is hallowed ground," said Cyrus, rattling off legendary graduates such as Gens. MacArthur, Grant, Lee and Patton.

While in junior high, Colt and Cyrus began talking about going to West Point. Their parents thought the boys might change their minds along the way, but West Point remained No. 1 on their college lists -- even after they visited Ivy League schools such as Princeton and Cornell last summer.

"They have never wavered from this goal," said Misty Sterk, Colt's mom and a biology teacher at Eagle High.

NJ High School Sends Three to West Point's Class of 2017

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:50:00 GMT

For the first time in its 83-year history, three seniors from the same graduating class of Gloucester Catholic High School, located in Gloucester City, New Jersey, have been admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Brandon Wethman, Nick Marks, and Devin McCall were nominated earlier this school year by their local congressmen and were recently notified of their appointments.

Wethman, whose grandfathers served in World War II, and an uncle in the Korean Conflict, said he plans to major in defense and strategic studies and military history. "Defense and strategic studies is unique to West Point and has a lot to do with international relations," he says.

Cadet Activities Update, May 23

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:40:00 GMT

Orienteering: Cadets Jacob Grant '15 and William Miller '15 have been named to the U.S. National Team to represent the United States at the Junior World Orienteering Championships at Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, Jun 16 - Jul 7.

Team Handball (Men’s): Men’s Team Handball wrapped up their season with impressive finishes at the national tournament in Reno, NV. West Point Black, competing in the Elite Division, was able to win third place. Jonathon Hunter ’13 again wowed the crowds with his lockdown defense and acrobatic finishes, his defensive spark helped propel the team past a strong Chicago team and into the semi-finals. Sean Boyle ’14 and Ian Emory ’13 were also instrumental in stopping Chicago’s potent attack. In the Firsties' last game against Los Angles, West Point was down a few goals at halftime but Craig Champlin ’13 and Andy Theising ’13 would not be denied a victory in their last game in a West Point uniform and sparked a riveting comeback to claim the bronze medal. Throughout the tournament Connor Holt ’15 and Bryan Teaton ’13 provided the offensive firepower to keep West Point in the games while Bobby Allibone’s ’13 strong defense helped keep goalie Kristian Schott ’13 out of trouble. West Point Gold, competing in the Open Division, finished in fourth place. They received strong contributions from many underclassmen; Corinth Cross ’16 and Nate Green ’15 led the offense while Alec Zeck ’16 and Christian McKenrick ’16 both helped lock down the defense in front of Keith Brittan ’16 in goal.

Chemical Engineering: The West Point Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Club was nominated for national recognition as the Outstanding AIChE Student Chapter for AY2013. Cadet Seamus Bann '15 was nominated as the Donald F. Othmer American Institute of Chemical Engineers National recognition award winner for being the academically top USMA sophomore chemical engineering cadet for AY2013. Cadet James Haworth ’16 was nominated as American Institute of Chemical Engineers Freshman National award winner as the most involved AIChE Student Chapter Member from his class year at USMA for AY2013.

Academy Statement on Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:07:00 GMT

On May 22, 2013 an article appeared in The New York Times regarding an incident that took place at USMA and came to the attention of Academy leaders in 2012. On May 23, the Academy Public Affairs Office issued the following statement:

Dear friends, graduates and supporters,

A Tactical Non-Commissioned Officer assigned to West Point from 2009-2012 is involved an on-going investigation for possession of inappropriate images taken without consent. The U.S. Army and the U.S. Military Academy take any violation of the law seriously, and are pursuing all criminal allegations.

Once discovered in 2012, the USMA leadership took action and immediately notified the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command for further investigation, while simultaneously removing the individual from contact with the Corps of Cadets. The individual was removed from West Point earlier this year.

He has since been charged with several violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

CID Special Agents, in conjunction with appropriate counselors and support staff, notified all identified potential victims, and the Army will ensure the military justice system works through to its proper conclusion. The Army will protect the privacy of the individuals involved as well as continue to offer
support services as required.

The Army is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of our cadets at the
Military Academy at West Point.

LTC Webster M. Wright III
USMA PAO

********

Army Swimmers Help Rescue Stranded Kayakers in Hudson

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:46:00 GMT

Last night, May 22, cadets heard screaming coming from the darkness of the Hudson River. Realizing someone was in the water, Class of 2016 Cadets Sam Mo and Daniel Bleyl, both corps squad swimmers, jumped in the river as classmate Pierre Archambeau notified emergency services. They spent 20 minutes in the river helping the two stranded kayakers tread water before a power boat, operated by Pete Hanlon, the Crew Club officer in charge, along with Cpt. David Lai, an assistant coach, arrived to assist them to shore.

'72 Grad and Cadets Join USA Pistol Team

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:04:00 GMT

Duston Saunders ’72, Coach of the USMA Pistol Team, has been asked by the Team USA Delegation to coach the USA Pistol Team at the 2013 World University Games. He will be allowed to have 7 men and 4 women on the team and will be taking Cadets Michael Cheney '13, Shane Greene '14, Heather Deppe '13, Victoria Joye '13, and Melody Yap '15. Additionally, he will take one collegiate pistol shooter from Navy, The Citadel, The Ohio State University, North Dakota State University, and University of Nebraska each. They will be competing in Kazan, Russia from 9-17 July against pistol teams from 80+ other countries.

Mason Award Recipient Sets Sight on Medical Career

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:55:00 GMT

Cadet Drew Long '13 is among 13 future Medical Corps officers who will be attending medical school following graduation from the U.S. Military Academy on May 25. Having achieved the highest grade point average among them, he was presented with the 2013 Richard M. Mason Memorial Award by Col. Felicia F. Pehrson, commander of Keller Army Community Hospital May 21.

The Life Science major was accompanied by his family -- father, Jeff; mother, Nancy; and brother, Air Force Capt. Brit Long. He was also joined by 10 other classmates as they were welcomed into the Army Medical Corps and received their Army Medical Regimental Crest. Pehrson spoke to them about the passion of Army physicians and how they can affect the lives of so many people in their profession.

"May you never lose your drive and passion to be a healer, and I want to congratulate you and wish you the best in your careers," she said.

Pehrson spent a little time with the Long family before the presentation and congratulated the cadet on graduating with a 4.1 GPA.

"This is a challenging school with a very challenging program, and it speaks volumes that you did so well," she said. "That's what medical schools look for. They don't just want brains--they're looking for people with character and West Point clearly graduates students who've developed that and tend to be well-rounded."

The award Long earned is named after the 1968 USMA graduate and highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who left the service to pursue a career in medicine. Mason died of cancer in 1977 at the age of 30 and his parents founded the award in his honor.

Graduation 2013

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:06:00 GMT

All Graduation information can be found on the Parent Information page at westpoint.edu.

Information for Cadets and Parents (booklet) - The purpose of this booklet is to help parents understand and meet the unique challenges of having a son or daughter attend West Point. Please keep in mind cadets do need to navigate much of the 47-month experience on their own, but we hope you will find this information helpful as you support your son or daughter in their education and training to become a leader of character.

Graduation Activities - Class of 2013 - Updated May 16, 2013

Graduation Schedule & Map - Class of 2013 - "New"

Graduation Frequently Asked Questions - Class of 2013 - Updated May 16. 2013
Helpful information for planning your visit!

Map and Shuttle Bus Information - "New"

Commissioning Information

Cadet Activities Roundup, May 18

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:11:00 GMT

Glee Club: The West Point Glee Club presents its Graduation Concert on Tuesday evening, May 21st at 7:30 p.m. in Eisenhower Hall Theatre. The annual concert is a highlight of USMA Graduation Week, offering a rare opportunity for the public to hear the renowned college choir perform in concert “at home”. The concert will feature contemporary choral selections as well as military, patriotic and West Point songs. Tickets are not required for this free concert.

Crew Team: The Crew Team competed on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, PA. The team’s final race of the regular season, the annual Dad Vail Regatta draws crews from across the nation and even some from Canada. This year, teams from more than 130 different schools raced the 2000 meter course. There was tough competition, however, the Army team fought hard, with several of its boats making it as far as the grand final. The Novice Men’s Team had a successful weekend. Both of its boats make it to the grand finals, its four placing 6th behind several top notch schools. The eight team came in 4th behind the rowing powerhouse Drexel, Virginia, and Michigan. The Men’s Varsity Eight also rowed hard and advanced to the semi-finals, rounding out their season with a 5th place finish.

Alcohol Awareness: Cadets Andrew Laib and Luke Kramer, with guidance from the Commandant, BTD, Cadet Hostess, and DCA, organized a pilot program “Know Limits: 21st Birthday Training” for alcohol awareness. Cadets were given alcoholic beverages over a meal, and then underwent field sobriety and breathalyzer testing to better understand the effects of alcohol.

Dean’s Weekly, May 17

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:24:00 GMT

G&EnE Projects Day: G&EnE showcased the work of the Class of 2013 majors during Projects Day. Cadets displayed twenty-four posters in topics such as “Present and Future Spatial Distribution of Collisions in the Newburgh-Middletown Urban Area” (Cadets Benton Beltramo and Michael Williams), “The Aboriginal People of Taiwan: Maintaining the Culture through Radical Indigenism” (Cadet Alicia Dotson), “Solar Powered Chicken Coop in Rural Uganda” (Cadet Susan Kiernan), and “Wind Sock Representativeness and Terrain Effects: Fort Putnam and the North Dock Area” (EV387 Students). Cadets Justen Anka, Andrew Colvin, Matt Fitzgerald, and Lisa Kim presented their design project, “Composting on FOBs with Waste Shipping Containers,” along with a 3-D model, to judges for the Scott R. Clark Innovation for Soldiers Award. Additionally, two project teams from EV490, Advanced Environmental Engineering Design, met with the intellectual capital team from ARDEC (Picatinny Arsenal) and were invited to apply for patents.

MG390 Negotiation Simulation Exercise: Cadets enrolled in the BS&L course, “Negotiation for Leaders” (MG390) executed a negotiation simulation exercise on Constitution Island. Cadets were provided scenario information and prepared in advance. They were then evaluated in the conduct of bi-lateral and multi-lateral negotiations, which they conducted with role-players and with other cadets.

Dirtman Water Challenge: Cadets enrolled in EV401 (Physical and Chemical Treatment) competed in the annual DIRTMAN Water Challenge. Cadets applied their knowledge of processes commonly used in drinking water treatment to construct a small-scale treatment system. Each team of cadets was able to convert effluent from the Target Hill Waste Water Treatment Plant to meet US EPA Drinking Water Standards.

Brooklyn Environmental Remediation Site: Cadets enrolled in EV488 (Solid and Hazardous Waste Management) travelled to Brooklyn, NY to visit an ExxonMobil remediation site near Newtown Creek (a "superfund" site). The cadets were able to view a full scale remediation design that targets a large subsurface petroleum spill.

Bruce B. O’Neill Class of 1982 Memorial Cadet Orienteering Award: The Bruce B. O’Neill Award is presented each year to a cadet on the West Point Orienteering Team who demonstrates excellence in leadership and orienteering skills. This year’s winner is the Team Captain, Cadet Andrew Eck ‘13, Company F1. Cadet Eck placed 3rd at this year’s intercollegiate championships.

Camp Bucker Water Treatment Plant: Cadets enrolled in EV401 (Physical and Chemical Processes) conducted a lab at the Camp Buckner Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to complete a field survey of a water treatment “package plant.”

Orienteering Team Awarded at DCA Clubs Night: The Orienteering team was honored for earning the highest Competitive Club team average for both Academic Performance (team average 3.55) and Military Performance (team average of 3.41).

Scott Clark Award for Innovation: The Diagnostics on Demand engineering team lead by Cadets Christopher Wallace ‘13, Life Science, and Erik Hunstad ‘13, Computer Science, won the 2013 Clark Innovation for Soldiers Award at Projects Day. The award project was required to “demonstrate an innovative approach to solving a problem of direct application to the Army. [The award is designed] to encourage cadets to demonstrate for soldiers innovations which can benefit soldiers.” The cadet team designed and built a prototype device to assess the presence of metabolic disorders and infectious disease biomarkers in the biological samples from soldiers in the field. This device may lead to on-the-spot diagnosis of conditions affecting deployed soldiers in remote areas who don’t have access to physicians or advanced hospital care facilities. The goal of the team is to provide a robust, hand-held tool for small unit leaders to improve the health care support to their soldiers and the combat effectiveness of their unit.

Bone Marrow Match Found in Corps of Cadets

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:03:00 GMT

West Point holds several blood drives annually through the Armed Services Blood Program and the American Red Cross, where most of the Corps of Cadets, along with staff, faculty and civilian employees gladly participate.

One or two blood drives also test for bone marrow for those who wish to be placed into a database for possible donation if a match is found. Bone marrow testing is a simple swab from the mouth inside the cheeks. Results of the test are entered into a database and when a match is found, the donor is notified.

Class of 2013 Cadet John Maxwell found out last year that he was a match for a young female suffering from leukemia.

"I found out during summer break that I was a match for someone," Maxwell said. "I couldn't say no."

Athletic Director’s Update, May 16

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:51:00 GMT

From the Athletic Director’s Update, The softball team captured the Patriot League Championship with two shutout wins over top-seeded Lehigh. After defeating Bucknell in the opening game, the softball team was sent to the loser’s bracket with a loss versus Lehigh. Another win against Bucknell in an elimination game sent the team to the championship round to face the Mountain Hawks. Morgan Lashley threw back-to-back shutouts, allowing only a total of three hits in the two games to earn tournament MVP honors. The team earned its first NCAA berth since 2002 and will head to Austin to face No. 4 Texas. Friday night’s game can be seen live on the Longhorn Network.

The baseball team will play for the Patriot League title for the third straight season after taking out Navy in two straight games in Annapolis last Saturday. Chris Rowley set the tone with a complete game in a 4-2 game one victory. Patrick Mescher provided the big hit in the series-clinching 7-3 win with a two-RBI single that broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning. The Black Knights will head to top-seeded Holy Cross for the best-of-three championship series beginning with a doubleheader on Sunday. Not only did the two victories against Navy keep the baseball team’s season alive, it also wrapped up the year’s series with the Mids. We finished the year even with a 16-16-1 record, including a 7-6 mark in the spring. Adding in the record versus Air Force, we boasted a 20-18-2 record versus our fellow academies this season.

The track & field team earned some academic recognition this week with the announcement that Scott Geary was named to the Academic All-Patriot League team. Scott was one of 10 members of the team which honors both athletic and academic performance.

Future Army Leaders Discuss Future Technologies with Today's Experts

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:49:00 GMT

The Army's future leaders have visited members of the Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command to discuss tomorrow's technology with today's experts.

Eight cadets and four West Point faculty members met with members of SMDC/ARSTRAT's Technical Center to discuss laser projects the cadets have been working on.

"We have a cadet team here today that has been working on some high-energy laser weapon research, and they are going to brief their work to the experts here at SMDC, get some feedback from them, and hope some of the work they have produced can be of value to the command," Lt. Col. John Hartke '88, professor of photonics at West Point, said. "The command has always treated us very well. It is always great working with SMDC and one of the great things is that SMDC actually has an office at West Point. The office there always helps us with the synergy between the work we are doing at the academy and the work that SMDC is doing.

"We are looking forward to a great interaction, and it is going to be good to work with the experts who are here -- the people who are doing this every day," he added. "I have five young men who are about to graduate in 30 days and go out to be lieutenants in the Army. Their exposure to SMDC, its mission, and the development of high-energy laser weapons is of great value because when they go out into the Army and they start seeing SMDC people around, they have an understanding of what the people here are doing to help them in the field."

You can also read more about Hartke and other ways West Point is providing intellectual capital for the Army in the Summer 2013 issue of West Point magazine, out this July.

Dean’s Weekly, May 10

Sun, 12 May 2013 01:10:00 GMT

American Society of Civil Engineers Upstate New York 2013 Student Competition: The West Point Student Chapter of the ASCE attended the annual Upstate New York Student Competition. The competition consisted of several events, including the Mead Paper Presentation, the Steel Bridge Competition, and the Concrete Canoe Competition. Other competing universities included Clarkson University, Cornell University, Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Hudson Valley Community College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo, SUNY Canton and Syracuse University.

The topic of this year’s Mead Paper Presentation was “Body of Knowledge – Is it Ethical to Associate Credentials with Competency.” Cadets Joseph Speight and Mark Owens represented West Point by giving presentations on ethics in engineering. Both cadets provided insightful yet different perspectives but in the end, Cadet Joseph Speight took home 1st Place in the Essay Competition.

The Steel Bridge Team consisted of Team Captain Seth Bell and Team Members Trevor Knowles, Kyle Kilroy, Rich Austring, Chalermpat Pariya-Ekkasut and Joseph Speight. Tasked with designing an all-steel bridge, the West Point Steel Bridge Team designed and manufactured each piece for constructability and performance in mind. The team was able to construct the bridge in less than 30 minutes under numerous constraints, including limitations on freedom of movement in order to represent building the bridge over a river.

The Concrete Canoe team consisted of Team Captain James McLoughlin and Team Members Mark Owens, Aaron Schares, and Alexander Pinigis. Their final product, a lightweight concrete canoe named “River Rat”, was nothing short of phenomenal.

CE400 Seminar: Mr. Peter Coote, PE, Esq, and USMA 83, presented a seminar on engineering and the law. He emphasized the contribution of the engineering profession to society, stressed importance of ethical behavior, and explained the standard of care.

EP394 Shakespeare - As You Like It: Cadets enrolled in EP394 Shakespeare performed the Bard‘s comedy As You Like It as part of DEP’s Projects Day activities. Cadets studied and adapted the text, provided a soundtrack, and made a variety of staging and interpretive decisions throughout rehearsals. Every cadet in the class contributed to the success of the performance, with Cadets Liam Phillips and Alix Efaw playing the demanding lead roles of Rosalind and Orlando.

Network Science Excellence Award: Each year, the NSC presents the Network Science Excellence Award to NSC cadets who work diligently on network science related projects. There were four winners, two of which were tied for second place. 1st Place: “Leveraging Host Protein Network Topology to Identify Cancer-Causing Pathogens”, Cadet Joseph Hannigan; 2nd place (two-way tie): “Identifying and Isolating Influential Subgroups in Social Media Networks”, Cadet Jeffery Nielson; and” Effective Measures for Predicting Spread in SIS Models”, Cadet Robert Delany; Honorable Mention: “Identifying Sets of Epidemic Spreaders in Complex Networks”, Cadet Geoffrey Moores.

Department of Energy Excellence in Energy Award: The USCC Energy and Environmental (E2O) Cadet Chain of Command presented the inaugural Department of Energy (DOE) Excellence in Energy award to the Cadets of Lee Barracks. Cadets Christopher Boldt and Kiley Hunkler represented 1st Regiment in receiving the award in recognition of reducing their barracks energy consumption by over 10% during Term 13-1. Dr. Unruh, the Program Manager of the Federal Energy Management Program, represented DOE during the presentation of the award.

Brigade Swap Meet: The D/G&EnE led Energy & Environmental Chain of Command conducted the second annual swap meet on Project‘s Day. Cadets from across the Corps brought and swapped hundreds of uniform items, civilian clothing, books, and shoes. The Swap Meet was a resounding success and all remaining non-uniform items were recycled or donated to Good Will.

DP&NE Projects Day: The Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering hosted Projects Day and nineteen cadets presented 22 projects resulting from Nuclear Engineering capstone design and individual research. Demonstrations of the operational High Energy Laser system and the Pelletron Accelerator caused a great deal of interest. Cadets Jordan Smith '13 and Daniel Blaine '15 received the best individual research presentation award from the Department.

AIChE Club Success: The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Cadet Club received a $500 check from the New York Metro Section of the AIChE for a winning proposal for an Army Strong contingent of 40 AIChE Club Chemical Engineering majors, members of the CH362 course, and faculty to travel to the Newburgh Brewing Company to observe industrial scale science and engineering in action. This trip is tied directly into the CH362 objectives and supports chemical engineering goals, and believe it or not, no alcohol was consumed on this trip.

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Cadets in EN302 Advanced Composition, EP360 Eastern Art, and EP390 Reading the Frontier, teamed up to spend the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

British Literature Forum: The Department of English and Philosophy hosted a joint USMA-Fordham University British Literature Forum. The forum, organized into four 90-minute panels featuring cadet and student scholarship, addressed a wide range of themes, contexts, and narratives central to the nineteenth- and twentieth-century British and Anglophile literary tradition. Art, Philosophy, and Literature majors included Cadets Ellen Chamberlin, Tim Dore, Alix Efaw, David Faust, Jeff Ferebee, Cait Gamble, Tyler Lamb, Emily McCarthy, Oliver Matheson, and Daniel Zaleski.

Academy Idol Competition: On Projects Day, DEP hosted the third annual Academy Idol competition. Nine plebes currently enrolled in EN102, having been selected as the best performers in the class of 2016, performed monologues from plays by Shakespeare and Sophocles. Cadet Joseph Burr was named this year‘s “Academy Idol” for his stirring performance as King Lear. Cadets Geoffrey Davis and Raoul Valencia received prizes for second and third place for their portrayals of Titus (from Shakespeare‘s Titus Andronicus) and Oedipus (from Sophocles‘Oedipus Rex), respectively. The monologue competition was followed by a choral competition in which groups of EN102 students recited choral speeches from Greek tragedies.

APL Majors Senior Thesis Projects: Six Art, Philosophy, and Literature majors who have completed the senior thesis project presented a summary of their work in front of an audience of fellow cadets, faculty, and friends. The Literature track cadets--Cadets Eileen Deegan, Emily McCarthy, and Marshall Moten—participated in a panel discussion similar to the format used at many academic conferences. The Philosophy track cadets—Cadets Patrick Benevento, Eric Brauninger, and Stephanie Wangeman--made individual presentations. Both sets of presentations were followed by a question and answer period. The senior thesis represents a year‘s work under the tutelage of a senior Department faculty member and typically results in a 35-50 page monograph on a subject of important critical debate within the literary or philosophical fields.

Distinguished Lecture Series: Mr. Tom Deierlein (USMA ‘89), CEO of ThunderCat Technologies visited West Point to speak to cadets as part of ‘83 DLS. During his visit he had office calls with Department leadership, dined in the cadet mess hall, and discussed values-based leadership and leading through adversity with 40 BS&L majors and cadets. The ‘83 DLS is a core component of the West Point Leadership Center, aiming to advance the study and practice of leadership at the Academy through meaningful engagement with influential leaders from all sectors

Cadet Academic Recognition: Cadets Katie Wacker ‘14 and Jozlyn McCaw ‘14, and Cadet Victoria Emerson ’13 were inducted into Alpha Phi of New York, the USMA Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociological Honor Society.

Cadet Activities Roundup, May 10

Sat, 11 May 2013 21:00:00 GMT

Triathlon: Cadets Brian Trainor ‘13 and Dylan Morgan ’16 represented West Point in the Junior Elite Male Cup and the Under 25 Elite Development Race at the East Coast Elite Triathlon Festival. Trainor finished 10th in the Under 25 Developmental race while Morgan finished 12th in the Junior Elite race and qualified for the Junior Elite National Championships. Cadets Kelly Kingma ’14, Catherine Sedy ’16, and Christian Ryan ’14 travelled to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands to compete in the St. Croix 70.3 (Half-Ironman) Triathlon and brought home the 1st Place Team trophy. Summary of Awards earned: 1st Place Team: West Point Triathlon; 1st Place Female (18-24): Kelly Kingma; 2nd Place Female (18-24): Catherine Sedy; 3rd Place Male (18-24): Christian Ryan; 2013 Ironman World Championship Qualifier: Kelly Kingma; 2013 Ironman 70.3 World Championship Qualifiers: Kelly Kingma, Catherine Sedy, Christian Ryan.

Crew Team: The Team journeyed to Whitney Point to compete in the annual New York State Championship Regatta. Racing against 35 other New York colleges, the Army placed fourth for the overall team points trophy. The Novice Men’s Eight finished 1st, beating the 2nd place team by a significant margin of 15 seconds. The Novice Women’s Eight made it through the heats and into the finals and finished 6th. The Men’s Varsity Eight advanced to the Grand Finals and ultimately placed 5th.

Marathon Team: The Marathon Team performed superbly this past weekend at the New Jersey Marathon and Long Branch Half-Marathon. Cadets Marc Samland, Rachel Phillips, and Rex Sheikh set personal records and qualified for the 2014 Boston Marathon. Cadet Johannes Olind finished #8 overall in the half-marathon with a time of 1:18:59 just two weeks after running Boston Marathon.

Foreign Language and Culture Forum (Korean-American Relations): Cadets from the Korean-Relations (KARS) arrived in NYC and met with four Old Grads of the years ranging ’91 to ’04. Cadets dined and engaged about West Point and the past/present state of the Corps of Cadets. They received guidance from the Old Grads about their career opportunities and what life is like outside of the Army.

West Point Parents Clubs Fundraise for Class Reunion Gifts

Thu, 09 May 2013 19:21:00 GMT

Mr. Randy Cate, President of the West Point Parents Club of Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia presented a check for $30,000 to the West Point Association of Graduates for the Class of 2013. This gift was made possible through the sale of West Point afghans, an annual fundraiser in support of each graduating class. This year, the Parents Club sold more than 1,000 afghans, interwoven with the Class of 2013 crest.

“We are pleased to present this gift in support of the Class of 2013,” said Cate on behalf of the Parents Club during a check presentation in Jefferson Hall on May 2. “We congratulate them on their successful completion of the 47-month West Point experience, and we thank them for taking on the challenge of leading soldiers in today’s Army.” This is the 11^th year that the West Point Parents Club of Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia has sold afghans in support of the graduating class. And over the past several years, it has donated more than $170,000 to the West Point Association of Graduates through this fundraising effort. Class of 2014 afghans will go on sale in August. If you are interested in purchasing your own afghan, ordering information will be posted on www.west-point.org/parent/wppc-mddcva in early August.

Last month, the West Point Parents Club of New Jersey (WPPCNJ) presented a check for $13,759 to the Class of 2013 as well. This gift was a result of the WPPCNJ’s fundraising effort to sell Challenge Coins designed for each West Point graduating class. All of the profits from these sales are in turn donated to that class. Going forward, the WPPCNJ aims to increase the contribution to each successive graduating class as word spreads about these coins. If you are interested in purchasing a coin, please visit http://tinyurl.com/a7rvjuv.

“The support of our West Point Parents Clubs is so important to the Association and the Academy,” says Natalie Worthan, the WPAOG’s Assistant Director of Annual Giving. “These clubs help unify parents and past parents with a common thread and mission—to give their time, talents, and gifts in support of West Point and the Corps of Cadets. The clubs have become a strong and active fundraising network that aims to advance the West Point experience for cadets and play an important role in our For Us All Campaign, the WPAOG’s $350-million fundraising initiative. We could not be more grateful for the outstanding work and generosity shown by our Parents Clubs.”

Five Black Knights Join NFF Hampshire Honor Society

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:51:00 GMT

Army firsties Chris Boldt, Nate Combs (pictured), Ben Jebb,Zach Watts and Will Wilson have been honored as members of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) 2013 Hampshire Honor Society. The list is comprised of college football players from all divisions who were starters or significant contributors, and maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2 while completing their eligibility.

A total of 703 players from 259 schools qualified for membership in the program’s seventh year. Army’s five selections tied a program best and were the most among the service academies.

National Gem Consortium Selects Allen '13 for Fellowship

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:33:00 GMT

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Cadet Antonia Allen '13 was recently selected by Chrysler Group LLC to receive a GEM Master's Fellowship as a member of the 2013 GEM Fellowship cohort and will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall.

Allen, from El Paso, Texas, was chosen for her academic merit as an electrical engineering major. She joins an elite class of 3,000 past GEM Fellows. "I think it is easy to sometimes underestimate what you can accomplish or second-guess yourself, so for me, this honor represents … validation of my abilities as a scholar," said Allen, who plans to follow in her grandfather's footsteps by serving in the military. "I think it is
important to search for ways to continually improve … and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to become a better scholar and a more qualified leader for the soldiers I will one day command."

The mission of the U.S. Military Academy is to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the United States Army. Allen will be commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon graduation at West Point May 25.

Donor Tribute Day

Fri, 03 May 2013 20:29:00 GMT

More than 200 guests attended the West Point Association of Graduates’ Donor Tribute Day to see firsthand the impact of their support on the Corps of Cadets and to celebrate each other’s commitment to West Point.

Projects Day: Our “Return on Investment”

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:59:00 GMT

Projects Day at the United States Military Academy began in 2000 when one academic department invited external guests to witness the applied research its cadets had done in support of the Army and the Department of Defense. Now, with projects sponsored by over 80 agencies and organizations, including the West Point Association of Graduates, Projects Day encompasses research in all 13 academic departments, the Department of Military Instruction, and the Department of Physical Education. According to Brigadier General Tim Trainor ’83, Dean of the Academic Board, sponsor feedback from the event demonstrates that the quality of work being done by our cadets is “phenomenal” and “making a difference.” Major Riley Post ’01, Economics Instructor with the Department of Social Sciences, told a group of graduate donors that he sees Projects Day as a microcosm of West Point. “Today, we get to see a return on investment… three-to-four years coming to academic fruition,” he said, but he also linked his own cultural immersion experience as a cadet in 2000 with Crossroads Africa with his work as a company commander in 2007 building trust with tribal leaders in Basra, Iraq, to suggest that these projects will continue to pay dividends for the cadets later in their Army careers. With over 250 research posters, papers, and presentations taking place all over post, Projects Day and West Point will be making a difference for our country well into the future.

See Photos from Projects Day 2013.

Dean’s Weekly, May 3

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

CIT Interdisciplinary Operational Energy CAPSTONE: The Core Interdisciplinary Team (CIT) kicked off its CAPSTONE event in CH102/152 culminating its first year of implementation. This year-long program focused on engaging the plebe class on operational energy issues via an interdisciplinary/collaborative approach in PL100, MA103/104, IT105, EN101, and CH101/151/102/152 in order to help generate an Energy-Informed Culture within the Corps and Staff & Faculty.

Mission Command Leader-2-Leader: In partnership with the Simon Center, CALDOL facilitated a Leader-2-Leader (L2L) session centered on the experiences of four leaders from Black Knight Troop 3/61 CAV who fought the 3 October 2009 Battle of COP Keating. CPT Stoney Portis, CPT Andrew Bundermann, CPT Chris Cordova, and 1SG Jonathan Hill vividly described harrowing moments from the fight, immersing cadets in their experiences as a catalyst for conversation and learning.

The Concrete Canoe Team: The USMA Concrete Canoe team took their vessel, the River Rat, for its maiden and final voyage around Lusk Reservoir. For an independent study project, a five person team consisting of Cadets James Mcloughlin, Mark Owens, Aaron Schares, Alex Pingis and Nate Ryba completed two semesters of independent study, research, and design culminating in the construction of a concrete vessel for competition at the ASCE Northeast student regional conference in April 2013. Upon completion of testing their craft, the team sectionalized the canoe for projects day display, to investigate the causes of cracking and to ascertain the performance of the post tensioning cable they installed after casting

ME496 Capstone Live-fire Range Testing at Picatinny Arsenal: USMA Cadets Steve Hart ’13, Paige Youngerman ’13, and Chris Retsch ’13, and research engineers from the Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) conducted live fire range testing of a 40mm non-lethal grenade obscurant at Picatinny Arsenal’s Range. The 40mm non-lethal grenade was developed as part of ME496, Mechanical Engineering Capstone.

Habitat for Humanity-Westchester: Led by Cadet Nick Pappas, two cadet teams enthusiastically and effectively assisted Habitat for Humanity-Westchester in the reconstruction of a 130 year old house in Yonkers, NY. This house, when completed, will go to support an OEF/OIF veteran and his/her family.

Mechanical Engineering Club and Program Manager, Engineer for JPADS: The Club hosted Mr. Aaron Mebust, Program Manager for US Department of Defense Joint Precision Airdrop Systems (JPADS) Programs of Record, and Mr. Justin Barber, JPADS Research and Development Manager and Engineer. Mr. Mebust and Mr. Barber, working for Airborne Systems, Inc., have been deeply involved in the development of the T-11, MC-6, and ARAPS personnel parachutes.

West Point Negotiation Project Workshop: BS&L's Negotiation Project hosted the West Point Negotiation Workshop, for 86 participants, in Jefferson Hall. Workshop participants included 58 West Point cadets, 18 visiting cadets, 8 officers, and 2 FBI agents. Visiting cadets came from the U.S. Naval Academy, Royal Military College (Canada), and ROTC programs at Yale, Princeton, MIT, Cornell, St. Bonaventure, and Texas A&M. Cadets learned the importance of negotiation as a leader competency, were introduced to a framework for systematic analysis of negotiation situations, and practiced negotiating in a series of role-playing exercises.

Cadets-Created Teaching Aids for STEM Education: ME370 cadets were tasked with designing a teaching aid to demonstrate a college-level principle related to STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to cadets in the 7th – 12th grade. The six winning devices will be manufactured and the cadet designers will be given the opportunity to travel with the Director of the Center for STEM Education on an Urban STEM Outreach trip to demonstrate their device. Manufacture of the teaching aids and cadet travel are being supported by the Center for STEM Education.

Education and Professional Development Colloquium: Eight cadets from the Department of Systems Engineering attended the Military Operations Research Societies (MORS) "Education and Professional Development Colloquium" held at the Naval Academy. Five cadets presented their honors work and all eight participated in the group case study competition. The cadets efforts led to their groups being awarded the first, second and third place finishes amongst tough competition.

Service Academy Design Challenge: Cadet Killian Burns, Steve Davidson, Sungi Cho, and Max Saurwein travelled to Shalimar, FL (near Eglin AFB) to compete in the Service Academy Design Challenge. This year’s challenge required teams to build a horizontal gap crossing system for use by squads in traversing varied obstacles up to 20 feet across.

Goldman Sachs Growth Markets Summit Participation: Six cadets from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering travelled with Dr. Jon Malinowski to the Goldman Sachs Growth Markets Summit in New York. The all-day event, simulcast around the world, featured 43 speakers and panelists sharing their thoughts on globalization, world affairs, and the economy.

3rd Place at National Security Innovation Competition: Cadets Paul (Mitch) Johnson, Brandon Clumpner, and Ethan Naylor won 3rd place along with a $2,500 cash prize at the Seventh Annual National Security Innovation Competition held at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. The competition serves as a venue to link college students conducting cutting-edge research on concepts and technologies intended to meet national security and defense capability needs, with government and industry consumers. The Cadets presented their work titled “Mobile Flame Suppression System (MFSS): An Autonomous Approach to Individualized Flame Injury Protection" which is also their ME496 Mechanical Engineering Design Senior Capstone Project. Winners of 1st and 2nd Place were PhD research projects, making West Point’s team the top undergraduate project at this international competition for the second year in a row.

Student Workshop on Civil-Military Operations (SWCMO). The Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations held the first annual Student Workshop on Civil-Military Operations (SWCMO). The event allowed nearly 100 EV482 cadets and guest students from Middlebury College to intensely examine Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR

Energy Security Research: Cadet Mary Prakel and Dr. John Farr from the Center for Nation Reconstruction and Capacity Development and the Department of Systems Engineer briefed their methodology on conducting cost benefit analysis for energy security projects in Washington. Based upon comments from the presentations, the methodology is being refined and comments addressed and will be briefed to Army leadership this summer for final approval.

American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Mid-Atlantic Section Meeting: Three cadets conducting independent research (NE489) travelled to the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Mid-Atlantic Section Meeting at the NYC College of Technology in Brooklyn, NY to present their work. The cadets delivered poster presentations: Cadet Chris Malachosky on Optical Flash from Nuclear Weapons, Cadet Chris Antweiler on Dry Storage Casks for Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, and Cadet Brandon Passons on Diffraction Enhanced Imaging using Accelerator-generated X-ray. All three cadets were recognized with the Best Student Poster Presentation Awards. The travel was funded by the Class of 67 Endowed Chair MACC Account.

UAS Capstone Project: Cadets Mario Turi and Matt Oechsel briefed the results of their capstone research project to MG William T. Crosby, the Army’s Program Executive Officer for Aviation, and to staff members from the Army Project Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), at Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, AL. The project was prompted by costly mishaps caused by unmanned aircraft operator errors, which the cadets traced to the monotony of some UAS operations and resulting operator inattention. Cadets Turi and Oechsel, and along with their teammates Phil Hilaire and Chris Law, investigated approaches to the problem that involved both the human and machine components of the UAS, and ran an experiment to determine the ability of over-the-counter energy drinks to increase alertness in a UAS operation scenario. They recommended a commercially available alertness monitor currently used by long-distance Australian truck drivers as the best long-term solution.

IEEE Green Technologies Conference: Cadet Brian Severson, accompanied by LTC Dan Bennett, presented the accepted paper “Feasibility Study of Photovoltaic Panels in Military Temporary Housing Structures” at the IEEE 5th Annual Green Technologies Conference. This paper, as part of the Army’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory’s (CERL) efforts, looks at ways to reduce the amount of energy consumed by temporary barracks structures, B Huts, and the resultant cost and inherent danger of providing fuel to Army outposts in deployed environments.

West Point Camporee 2013 STEM Outreach: Cadets and faculty from the Electronic Experimenter’s Group (ELEX) and EECS volunteered to support the 51st annual West Point Camporee. The cadets provided an interactive demonstration of common military robots that are currently fielded within the Army and included a challenge to recover inert, training-aid IEDs. The ELEX members also provided demonstrations of current club projects such as the ELEX Tri-color LED sign and Le Dominoux (LED dominoes).

Earth Week: The Energy & Environmental (E2O) Chain of Command led the Corps of Cadets in a celebration of Earth Week.

Research Presentation: Cadets Frank Arnold ‘14, Dan Blaine '15, Jay Trexler '14, Bobby Allibone '13, Jordan Smith '13, Tyler Federwisch '13, Tim Bowers '13, Cliff Crofford '13, from the departments of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Civil and Mechanical Engineering, and Systems Engineering presented to the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) in Huntsville, Al. The cadets spent over two hours presenting their work to members of SMDC's Directed Energy Directorate on the use of a high energy laser weapon system for the defense against mortar attacks.

IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot Applications: At this conference, Cadet Stuart Baker presented a paper entitled “GPU Assisted Processing of Point cloud Data Sets for Ground Segmentation in Autonomous Vehicles” that described how graphics processors could improve the processing of data from LiDAR systems.

Athletic Director’s Update, May 3

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:29:00 GMT

The lacrosse team learned that John Glesener is one of 25 candidates for the 2013 Tewaaraton Award, which is presented to the nation’s top player. The five finalists will be announced on May 9. Also, Brendan Buckley earned his second straight Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor.

In Golf, Army finished the season third at the Patriot League Championship. Plebe Marcus Plunkett finished second and was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, as well as collecting first team All-Patriot League honors. Yearling Robby Hill tied for sixth and cow Brandon Baerwaldt tied for ninth to earn second team All-Patriot League accolades. In baseball, Army finished third in the Patriot League standings. They will travel to Annapolis, MD to face Navy in a best-of-three Patriot League Semifinal Series May 11-12.

Cadet Activities Roundup, May 2

Fri, 03 May 2013 03:04:00 GMT

Tactics Club: The Small Unit Tactics team conducted their final field training exercise (FTX) in the West Point training areas. The club conducted a forced foot march into sector, tactical movement over terrain, a dynamic air assault raid demonstration (ASSLT), two day and night raids and an ambush. During the joint FTX, 25 members of the club teamed with 6 members of the United States Navy Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC). Platoon Sergeant, CDT Garrett Kennedy was recognized by the Sea Cadets as being extremely professional, knowledgeable and key to their integration into training.

Pipes & Drums: The United States of Corps of Cadets completed their first recording session with SSG Lane of the USMA Band. The Pipes & Drums recorded on the main stage of Eisenhower Hall Theatre where they played their first of three sessions of recording material.

Skeet & Trap:
The team donned their India whites for an unforgettable evening at the Union League Club of New York, which was especially memorable thanks to the opportunity for the cadets to meet Chief of Staff of the Army, GEN Raymond Odierno. The team also enjoyed remarks at their dinner by K.T. McFarland, who served in the Nixon and Reagan administrations and now is a national security analyst for Fox News. On Sunday, the team hosted the Union League shooters at USMA Range 10 for our annual shooting match, winning 458 to 425.

Electronics Experimenters Group: Cadets from the Electronic Experimenter’s Group (ELEX) and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science volunteered to support the 51st annual West Point Camporee. The cadets provided an interactive demonstration of common military robots that are currently fielded within the Army. The ELEX members also provided demonstrations of current club projects such as the ELEX Tri-color LED sign and Le Dominoux (LED dominoes).

Scuba: Team members of the USMA SCUBA club certified 20 basic and 3 advanced divers during the last Open Water class of the academic year at the underwater dive park at Dutch Springs, PA. The final dive of the weekend was a team tradition where the Firsties wear their dress grey uniform in lieu of a wetsuit to say a final farewell to Dutch Springs and their career as a NAUI Diving Instructor at USMA.

Protestant Chapel Choir: The Protestant Chapel Choir journeyed down to the US Naval Academy for a bit of inter-choir bonding. The cadets went on a walking tour of the "Yard" in Annapolis, visited the Naval Academy museum, and toured the giant water tanks and wind tunnels used by the midshipmen for their engineering projects. A local Annapolis graduate hosted both the Army and Navy Protestant choirs for a social, which included a hymn sing and a thrilling 7-5 Army victory over Navy in Ultimate Frisbee. The next day, the two choirs combined for Sunday services in the Naval Academy's beautiful chapel.

Outdoor Sports: Two Bass Fishing teams competed in the FLW College Fishing division at Smith Mountain Lake, Va. The team of David Collins ’13 and Parker Hite ’15 landed two bass and finished in the top half of the 50 boat field. Collins and Hite missed qualifying for the Northern Regionals by only one pound. The team has two more opportunities to qualify. The Bass Fishing forum also launched from Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey and landed 11 stripers putting more than 40 pounds of fish in the cooler for the upcoming end-of-year fish fry.

Secretary of Defense Hagel to Deliver Commencement Address at Graduation

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:33:00 GMT

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will deliver remarks at the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2013 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 25.

About 1,000 cadets are expected to graduate and be commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army after completing their 47-month leadership experience at West Point.

2013 Projects Day

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:16:00 GMT

Each year, hundreds of cadets from all academic departments participate in Projects Day by presenting a design project or thesis. Whether individually or as a team, cadets demonstrate their ability to integrate academic and military knowledge and skills, as well as demonstrate presentation and communications skills. The event also gives cadets a chance to explore majors, learn from examples, and fulfill an integrative experience requirement.

Check back later today for photos and coverage by WPAOG.

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VIDEO: Senator Hoylman Recognizes Judd '15

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:58:00 GMT

Watch Senator Brad Hoylman's session remarks about EJ Judd '15 during New York's West Point Day in Albany.

Steelman '13 Signs With Baltimore Ravens

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:45:00 GMT

As the 2013 NFL Draft reached the 7th round and when Trent Steelman's name had not been called, some level of disappointment in the Steelman camp would be an understatement. But once the dust had settled on the day, the news was very promising for Steelman '13...

"When it came down to it they had called my agent in the late 6th round, talking about taking me in the 7th," Steelman says. "But then they took another wide receiver and as soon as the draft was over they called me and told me that I was a Baltimore Raven."

Dean’s Weekly, April 26

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 02:08:00 GMT

National Conference for Undergraduate Research: Seven cadets travelled to the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse to present their research findings related to their independent or small-group research courses. The cadets presented four talks and one poster to eager audiences. The cadets, all Firsties, represented the Academy and their disciplines well. Each presentation also resulted in a paper that will be included in the official proceedings of the conference.

Guest Lecture – Dr. Eric Fossum, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth: Dr. Eric Fossum from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College presented a lecture to a standing-room only audience of Electrical Engineers and IT students entitled, “ Inside Your Camera: The Science and Technology of Digital Image Sensors.” Dr. Fossum is the inventor of the active-pixel sensor that is basis for nearly all digital cameras in use today. He provided an in-depth analysis of the inner workings of digital imaging systems, including an explanation of why having more pixels does not necessarily result in creating better pictures. The lecture was part of the EE400 Electrical Engineering Seminar Course

Phi Kappa Phi: The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi held its annual induction and awards ceremony in the Haig Room. Top cadets from classes of 2015 and 2016 were recognized along with new faculty and cadet members from the classes of 2013 and 2014. Five scholastic achievement awards were also presented. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the oldest and most prestigious interdisciplinary honor society in the United States. Founded in 1897, admission is by invitation only. Seniors must be in the top 10% of their class while juniors must be in the top 7.5% of their class. Their adopted motto is “Let the love of learning rule humanity.” West Point’s chapter received the Chapter of Merit award this past year, one of only 54 schools out of 300 campuses.

Flying Laboratory: ME387, Introduction to Applied Aerodynamics, recently concluded its run of flight laboratory exercises. 37 cadets completed their first flight lab experience within the Aeronautical Systems sub-discipline.

CE371 Soil Mechanics and Foundation Design Trip Section: 56 civil engineering cadets in the Soil Mechanics and Foundation Design course participated in a trip section as part of Moles Day. The Moles organization (http://www.themoles.info/) is composed of individuals now or formerly engaged in the construction of tunnel, subway, sewer, and foundation, marine, sub-aqueous or other heavy construction projects. The group hosts an annual Moles Day during which students are invited to tour some of the largest construction sites in the metro New York City area. This year, nearly 400 civil engineering students from 20 different academic institutions toured the East Side Access (ESA) tunnel and terminal construction on-going approximately 120-ft below Grand Central Terminal in New York City. This Metro Transit Authority capital construction project has a budget of $8.2B and is slated for completion in 2019. When completed, the ESA will connect the Long Island Rail Road’s Main and Port Washington lines in Queens to a new terminal beneath Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.

Surgical Technique Independent Study Projects (ME489): Surgeons from Keller Hospital working with cadets and faculty from the mechanical engineering program in D/CME turned a portion of B-level Mahan Hall into a surgical prep ward for several days preparing porcine patellas and tendons for a series of bio-mechanical experiments designed to evaluate the strength of different methods of re-attaching tendons during surgery. Evaluation of alternative methods to reconstruct torn tendons and ligaments can potentially benefit many soldiers since lower leg injuries are extremely common. Improved techniques for re-tethering tissue could reduce the time required to heal, getting soldiers back to full physical strength much faster.

Mechanical Engineering Capstone: Liquid Spray Testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD: Cadets Alex Sagues, Dan Eichner, and Matthew Ryan traveled with faculty to the Army Research Laboratory where they conducted extensive experiments under the direction of Dr. Mike “Chol-Bum” Kweon in the Combustion Research Lab of the Vehicle Technology Directorate.

4th Annual Inter-Academy Chemistry Symposium: USMA, USNA, USAFA, and USGCA participated in the 4th Annual Inter-Academy Chemistry Symposium (IACS) at the Coast Guard Academy in order to enable an Inter-Academy level exchange of ideas and a broadening experience between chemistry, life science, and chemical engineering faculty, cadets, and midshipmen. Cadets Aaron Beyea’14, Zach Bowers ‘14, Lauren Ng ‘15, John Bohnhoff ‘15, and Reed Pyers’15, presented their research on electrochemical sensors and microbial fuel cells respectively.

Academic Trip Follow-up: The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Bronx Zoo hosted a reception to mark the opening of an exhibition of photographs taken by students from Kigarama Primary School (Uganda) and the WCS affiliated Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation in the Bronx. Cadets Ken Jackson and Joshua Karper, who experienced summer AIADs to Uganda, attended the event.

EV388B (Geomorphology) Guest Lecturer: EV388B (Geomorphology) hosted guest lecturer Dr. J. Steven Kite, Chair of the Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University. Dr. Kite presented his talk, “Global Warming Threats to Pleistocene Appalachian Ecosystems Preserved in Cold Air Traps".

“Dirtman” and WPES and WPMS: On Earth Day, Dirtman was invited to visit to the West Point Elementary and Middle Schools. Bringing the students the message that humans must interact responsibly with our planet, Dirtman encouraged all of the students to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle at every opportunity.

Wirt Robinson Memorial Cleans up: The cadets of the Engineers and Scientists for a Sustainable World Club (ESSW) conducted their annual clean up of the Wirt Robinson Memorial. The cadets of ESSW clean these grounds every year as a service to West Point because Professor Robinson was a naturalist and a revered faculty member in G&EnE for many years in the late 1800s.

Mr. John Ghoehrke from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Cadets from PL371: Introductory Sociology participated in a VTC with Mr. John Ghoehrke from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, located in Cleveland, Ohio. The lesson was entitled "Ball of Confusion" which examined examples of ways musicians have used the power of popular music to respond to current events and suggest avenues for social change.

Class of ’83 Distinguished Leader Series (’83 DLS): BS&L hosted Mr. Mike Ullman, CEO of JC Penney Corporation. Mr. Ullman visited West Point in order to speak to cadets as part of ‘83 DLS. He discussed leading through adversity with 70 cadets from the Management program and cadets in the Black and Gold Leadership Forum.

Army/Navy Functional Fitness Competition: A team of cadets competed against Navy in a functional fitness competition in Philadelphia, PA hosted by CrossFit 215. The cadets battled the Midshipmen and an all-star team from CrossFit 215 in a series of four different workouts that challenged the cadets mentally and physically. In the end the cadets secured a 2nd place finish after soundly defeating members of CrossFit 215.

Cadet Activities Roundup, April 25

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:40:00 GMT

Climbing Team: The West Point Climbing Team competed in the 2013 Collegiate Climbing National Championship in Melbourne, FL. Cadets Zhaina Myrzakhanova ’16 and Mike Bernier ’13 qualified in sport climbing and speed climbing, respectively. In the end, Myrzakhanova finished 4th place in sport climbing and Bernier finished 4th in speed climbing. The team as a whole took home the Armed Forces Cup as they defeated Navy in the qualifying round.

Team Handball (Men): The club travelled to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to compete in the College National Championships. West Point Black (Varsity) and West Point Gold (JV) advanced through pool play, setting up an all-West Point final for the fourth straight year. Black ended up winning 34-19 with Bryan Teaton and Kristian Schott ’13 taking home Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Goalie awards, respectively. This is West Point’s seventh consecutive National Championship and 26th overall.

Powerlifting: The Army Powerlifting Team competed at the USAPL Collegiate Nationals in Kileen, Texas. The team finished 5th overall out of 30+ teams, earning All-American status.

Triathlon Team: The Triathlon Team participated in the Ridgewood Cycles Triathlon Festival. Cadets Brad Bachand ’15, Angelica Dickson ’16, and Greg Herschberger ’16 were enthusiastic, providing great advertisement for the team.

Paintball: The tournament paintball team competed in the National Collegiate Paintball Associations Event #2 and #3. The team placed 2nd overall in the competition.

Pistol Team: The Pistol Team travelled to West Union, Ohio to train in advanced techniques for room clearing using "slicing the pie" and "drop-outs". As a result of this very intensive and highly realistic live fire training, cadets are much better able to understand and deal with the stresses of moving and communicating while engaging multiple targets with highly accurate live fire.

Crew Team: The Crew team hosted its first home regatta in four years in front of the Caufield Crew and Sailing Center. Throughout the day, the team raced on the 2000 meter course against boats from two other schools, Marist and Iona. In addition to competing, the West Point rowers, coaches, and managers stayed busy manning the finish and start lines, recording times, and welcoming the visiting teams.

Mule Riders: Graduating Mule Rider Cadet Nels Estvold ‘13 was honored by the Commandant at a ceremony where he was awarded the newly-cast Mule Rider perpetual trophy to recognize his 4-years of service, dedication and professionalism to West Point as a Mule Rider.

Glee Club: A small group of volunteers from the Glee Club travelled to the first ever “Mayhem in the Meadowlands”, a large Crossfit team competition. The cadets did a great job performing for an enthusiastic crowd on the “family festival” stage as part of the festivities.

Combat Weapons: The Combat Weapons Team competed in a regional special International Practical Shooting Confederation Qualifier at the Long Island Practical Shooters range complex. Cadet Andrew Zecha placed 8th out of 35 in this division and 1st among all military members shooting the match. Cadet Austin Marietta placed 10th and Cadets Dan Sayles and Jim Fiser each finished in the top 25 of all shooters. This competition goes towards each cadet's individual classification in IPSC matches.

Athletic Director’s Update, April 25

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:47:00 GMT

According to the Athletic Director’s report, two more teams secured spots in the Patriot League Tournament. The lacrosse team clinched its ninth straight trip as third seed and will face second-seeded Bucknell on Friday at Lehigh. Well represented on the Patriot League Awards list, John Glesener was named the Offensive Player of the Year, and Brendan Buckley the Defensive Player of the year. In addition to Glesener and Buckley, Garrett Thul and Alex Daly were all named All-Patriot League First Team. Sam Somers and Jimbo D’Aprie were second-team selections.

The Baseball team will also be attending the Patriot League, with the help of Chris Rowley who threw a four-hit shutout at Bucknell. Depending on the outcome of this week’s play, Army could be the top seed in next month’s tournament.

The softball team will try to secure its postseason position when it travels to Lafayette this weekend. Currently in third place, the team is fighting for one of two available spots. 3-1 against Bucknell this past weekend to finish a 5-1 week, Morgan Lashley threw two shutouts recording a 0.45 ERA for the week and was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week.

Garrek Hojan-Clark and Kip Webber competed in the NCAA Gymnastics Championship. Both advanced to the finals, with Hojan-Clark placing 10^th nationally on the pommel horse.

Golf and women’s tennis compete for Patriot League titles this weekend. The golf team will travel to Bethlehem, PA while the women’s tennis will host the conference tournament beginning Friday. Army, the top seed, will host the winner of the Colgate-Lehigh match at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

NBC Voice Addresses USCC Corps

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:08:00 GMT

Tom Brokaw, legendary NBC newscaster and author of The Greatest Generation, addressed a cadet-packed Robinson Auditorium on Tuesday, April 23, as part of the Department of Social Sciences’ Class of 1952 Distinguished Lecture Series. Professor and Department Head Colonel Cindy Jebb ’82 introduced Brokaw to the Corps by referencing a line from his own 2006 Thayer Award acceptance speech: “Warriors and journalists come from the same gene pool.” Brokaw himself warmed up to the crowd by saying that he was happy to be back at the United States Military Academy, joking, “if I were at the Air Force Academy I’d have to speak more slowly and use shorter words.” Jebb asked Brokaw a series of questions about his experiences in media, paying particular attention to issues surrounding the recent wars, before turning the discussion over to questions from the audience. One cadet asked Brokaw about the impact of social media technology on journalism—“Very transformative,” he said, “but we need to have a national dialogue about the best use of this technology and its impact.” Another asked about media bias and the quality of journalism today. Brokaw surprisingly remarked that objectivity is a “canard,” but that viewers have a responsibility and an obligation to be critical consumers. “You have to put as much effort into where you get your news as you do when buying running shoes or a flat-screen TV,” Brokaw said. Prior to the lecture, Brokaw attended a private luncheon at the Department of Social Sciences with members from the Class of 1952 and 13 cadets who were picked by course heads to be representatives of the SOSH major. He thanked the Department for inviting him to speak and said that he remains personally committed to efforts started with his 1998 book—to make the civilian population aware of the obligation of the military and to create an enduring template for bridging the civilian-military gap.

51st Camporee to Honor Rylander '11

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:03:00 GMT

This weekend (April 26-28) marks the 51st edition of the West Point Scoutmaster's Council Camporee. Invited Boy, Girl, and Venture Troops are set to arrive from as far away as Michigan, Maine, and Florida to make up the 5,000+ scouts that will descend on Lake Frederick.

Additionally, the camporee is honoring 2LT David E. Rylander, a graduate of the Class of 2011 and a prominent member of the Scoutmaster's Council during his time as a cadet. Rylander was killed in action on May 2, 2012, by injuries sustained due to an improvised explosive device in Logar Province, Afghanistan, while leading as an engineer officer.

Grads with smartphones and iPads can keep up with the Camporee's activities throughout the weekend, real time, by tracking the agenda, Twitter, and pictures on the unofficial camporee app. Just enter meeting code SWC976 into the free Zwoor app on your smartphone or iPad.

Sandhurst Wins Sandhurst

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:33:00 GMT

The Blue Team from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst (United Kingdom) took home the Reginald E. Johnson Memorial Plaque (a mounted cadet sabre) as the highest scoring squad at the 2013 Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, which was held at West Point this past weekend. Ten international teams, eight ROTC squads, four non-USMA service academies, and the 36 Companies of USCC competed in 10 “combat patrol” events (12 if one counts course time and patrol brief) over two days to determine an overall winner. Finishing 4th out of the 58 teams competing, H3 earned top-USCC honors, and 3^rd Regiment took home the Sandhurst Sword (a British officer’s sword) as the regiment with the highest aggregate of company scores, breaking 4^th Regiment’s nine-year hold on this award. Brigade Streamers, given to the highest scoring company in each regiment, went to I1, C2, H3, and I4. The Sandhurst Competition began in 1967 to promote military excellence among the Corps of Cadets. Beginning in 1992, the competition was opened to ROTC squads, and two teams from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst began participating in 1993, one of which won the event for ten years straight. In 2004, the Royal Military College of Canada began a three-year reign on the title (they came in 3^rd place this year). In 2011, USCC B3 was the first non-Royal Military Academy/College team to win Sandhurst in 18 years; Austrilia’s Royal Military College at Duntroon won the competition last year. See more photos.

Cadet Activities Roundup, April 20

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 19:57:00 GMT

Rugby (Men): After securing the Rugby East Championship and top seeding in the USA Rugby National Championship play-off with a convincing 55-17 win over the University of Delaware, the West Point Rugby Team took on an undefeated Navy team last Saturday finishing the game out with a penalty kick from fly half Will Holder to seal the 28-26 victory over the midshipmen.

Marathon: The team returned safely after completing the Boston Marathon. While the team performed superbly--with many cadets setting personal records--our thoughts and prayers stay with the victims and their families during this tragic time. We grieve with them.

Women’s Boxing: The team returns from San Francisco, CA with their first National title. They also bring home four individual champions, four silver belts and three bronze.

Team Handball (Men): Cadets David Brown and Connor Holt were selected to represent the US National Team at an international competition in Guatemala City in early May.

Judo: Selected members of the Judo team attended the USA Judo Senior Nationals tournament at Virginia Beach. Cadets Carson Reed, Patrick Cronin and Michael Miranda took bronze in their respective brown belt divisions. Cadets Catherine Clarke-Pounder and Patrick Diehl became National Champions in their brown belt divisions. Cadet Caroline Patton took bronze in the senior advanced division and was added to the USA Judo senior women elite roster and will be eligible to represent the US in international competition in the future.

Cycling: The Army Spring Classic was a success with 600 racers over the course of the three events. The team’s standout performances were from Cadets Jasmine Hansen ‘15 who won the women's A race on both Saturday and Sunday, Kenny Daily '16, and Steve Rusnak '14.

Triathlon Team: The Team had an outstanding performance at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships. The women’s team finished 3rd in the nation and beat Air Force and Navy. In the first ever draft-legal championship race, Cadets Chris Ryan ’14 and Jessica Cly ’14 each had top 10 finishes. In the Olympic distance race, Kelly Kingma ’14 finished 10th overall and Chris Ryan finished 20th. In the Olympic race , Brad Bachand ’15, Norris Overly ’15, Brian Trainor ’13 and Rylan King ’15 each ran under two hours and were in the top 83 overall. The women’s individual performance was remarkable with Angelica Dickson ’16 placing second on the team in her first ever race as a member of the squad. Rounding out the top scorers for the women were Jessica Clay ’14 and Sarah Haight ’13. Each of the women was within the top 44 overall.

Water Polo: In a round robin format, Army defeated Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Grove City College while falling short against the Pittsburgh Men’s Club team.

Debate (Speech & Parliamentary Forum): The team travelled to Williams College for the last regular season American Parliamentary Debate tournament. Topic debated included the right to sell one’s kidney and tort reform.

Skeet & Trap: The Fourth Annual New England Collegiate Clay Championships were held at Minute Man Sportsman’s Club in Burlington, MA. West Point finished second overall with a 2nd Place Skeet Squad, 2nd place highest overall average Skeet and Trap combined, and 2nd place Trap squad. Cadet Andrew Lab was the HOA in skeet after a five way shoot off against three shooters from Yale and one from Vermont. Cadet Dylan Matheny took second in trap after a shoot off against three Yale shooters.

Debate (Student Conference on US Affairs): Four cadets attended the NAFAC conference for the four cadets that attended. They each wrote a paper for a dictate topic prior to the event and discussed their positions at round tables throughout the week.

Pipes and Drums: The United States Corps of Cadets Pipes & Drums hosted the 31st Annual West Point Military Tattoo at Trophy Point. The day featured bands from the Hudson Valley and Tri-state area performing in succession and ending in the performance of the USCC Pipes & Drums and a massed bands retreat ceremony. Following their performance, the USCC Pipes & Drums presented our annual awards: Benjamin Morris Piper's Award - Cadet Andrew Coulter; 1LT John Tiner Jr Drummer's Award - Cadet Ian Boyce; Outstanding Senior Leader - Cadet Dave Maynor.

Outdoor Sports (Fly Fishing): The group enjoyed visiting the storied waters of the Beaverkill and Willowemoc.

Glee Club: The Club performed a concert at Hunter College with the Hunter College Chorus and Jazz Ensemble and the West Point Jazz Knights. The concert was reminiscent of when Hunter College and USMA were single sex institutions and the choirs combine to have a full range of voices.

Sailing: The team travelled to the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point to participate in the MAISA Open Regatta. No races were held on Saturday due to lack of wind, however, Sunday’s high winds and choppy conditions led to some exciting racing. Army’s ‘A’ Division boat, skippered by Andrew Beekmann ’16 and crewed by James Peaco ’14 sailed well, cracking the top ten in their division’s overall standings. Army’s ‘B’ Division boat was skippered by Dylan Russell ’13 sailing in his final collegiate regatta. Army finished 13th overall, separated from the top ten by just 20 points in a competitive field that consisted of four nationally ranked teams. West Point will host a league regatta on 27-28 Apr at South Dock.

Small Unit Tactics Club: The Small Unit Tactics Club (SUTC) provided a tactical demonstration to start the 2013 West Point Paintball Combat Classic then hosted a static display throughout the day.

Dean’s Weekly, April 19

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMT

EV203X – Trophy Point Active Learning & Visualization Exercise: Cadets in EV203x, a pilot curriculum for a revised Physical Geography core course, explored Trophy Point by examining the prominent glacial features present in the Hudson Valley.

SIP Hut and the QinetiQ Prize: The SIP Hut Energy Evaluation Team consisting of Cadets Kurt Musser (CE), Colin Hennessy (CE), Martin Baker (ME), Adam Leemans (ME), Brian Severson (EE), and Ethan Miller (EE) received the QinetiQ Prize of $3,000 at the Soldier Design Competition held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology‘s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology. In support of the SIP Hut Energy Evaluation Project, Cadets Dan Foky and Paul Rogers tested the ERDC Modular Protective System (MPS) as an option for integrated force protection.

Steel Bridge Team Load Test: The USMA Steel Bridge Team conducted a load test of their competition bridge successfully. The bridge held the required load of 1000 pounds on the cantilever as well as 1,500 lbs on its main span, with relatively small deflections. The bridge, assembled from pieces that fit in a 3'x 6'x 4' box, is the product of a two semester independent study. The team departs this week to the ASCE Regional Competition in Rochester, where they will put their bridge to the test yet again, this time as part of a competition versus other universities that evaluates not only load bearing capabilities, but also construction speed and economy.

EP394 and The HVSF: he Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival provided a three-hour acting workshop to cadets in EP394 Shakespeare. The actor-teachers provided valuable instruction on stage combat and acting techniques as they worked with cadets and faculty preparing scenes for the upcoming Projects Day performance of As You Like It.

EP394 Shakespeare: EP394 Shakespeare elective travelled to New York City to attend a Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) performance of Julius Caesar at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Prior to the performance, cadets attended a lecture at the New York Public Library and were able to see rare first-editions of Shakespeare's First Folio and The Merchant of Venice among other treasures. Cadets also attended a backstage seminar on theater production hosted by members of the RSC.

Elsie Sannes-Pinnell Art Appreciation Forum: Cadets from the Elsie Sannes-Pinnell Art Appreciation Forum travelled to Boston’s Museum of Fine the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

EP374 Arts of War: EP374 Arts of War class travelled to New York City to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and the Morgan Library to explore the ways in which the First World War affected the ways in which humanity expressed its ideas.

Establishment of the Department of Energy Excellence in Energy Award: The USCC Energy and Environmental (E2O) Cadet Chain of Command executed the inaugural Energy Competition during Term 13-1 to increase the Corps‘ awareness of how individual actions could contribute to the Academy‘s and Garrison‘s goal of reducing energy consumption. This year's winners are the Cadets of Lee Barracks who will receive the award on May 3 for their efforts to reduce barracks energy consumption by over 10%.

American Association of Geographers Annual Conference: Seven Cadets travelled to Los Angeles, CA for the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), the largest geography conference in the world with over 7000 attendees and 5000 posters and presentations. The Cadets presented their Honors Research, with six Cadets presenting posters and one Cadet, Cody Ikkala, presenting an invited paper session.

EV386 (Geography of Europe) Guest Lecturer: As part of the CLCRS lecture series, EV386 Geography of Europe hosted guest speaker LTC Ansgar Gohlke, from the NATO Transformation Command, in Norfolk, VA. LTC Gohlke presented his talk “The Future of European Security, NATO and Civil Military Operations”. The presentation discussed the European Union and its current and future security and also focused on NATO transformation and missile defense across Europe. The last portion of the presentation discussed the significance of NATO and EU involvement in civil-military operations using an example from Africa.

After FEE Party: The Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering hosted its annual After FEE Party on Saturday, April 13. After eight hours of the grueling Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, nearly 100 Cadets made their way to Mahan Hall for food and refreshments.

West Point/Wharton Leadership Exchange: On 12-13 April, 20 cadets along with undergraduate students from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business along participated in the annual West Point/Wharton Leadership Exchange. The students participated in several leadership exercises and activities culminating in a leadership discussion between West Point Cadets and MAJ Brett Lanier.

General Motor’s Executive Director for Labor Relations Visit: The BS&L Management Program hosted Rex Blackwell, General Motors’ Executive Director for Labor Relations. Mr. Blackwell led a seminar with cadets in which he shared insights on past and present negotiations between GM and the United Auto Workers (UAW), the need to find common interests, and GM’s current negotiations process. Mr. Blackwell led a second seminar with eighty cadets from the MG382 Human Resource Management course where he discussed changing organizational culture, the criticality of relationships, and labor strategy.

BS&L Management Program Hosts Distinguished Professor Visit: The BS&L Management Program hosted Distinguished Professor and Marketing chair, JB Steenkamp, from the University of North Carolina. Professor Steenkamp spoke with more than sixty MG380 Marketing cadets about cross-cultural issues and the ability to understand the other party‘s perspective. As part of the discussion, cadets were asked to take the Chinese perspective in the recent Google-China conflict and determine if their behavior could be understood and predicted based on an analysis and understanding of Chinese interests, history, and culture. By the conclusion of the event cadets were able to understand the drivers of China's behavior and predict how they would behave in the future. These points were then tied to global and cross-cultural marketing effectiveness.

Athletic Director’s Update, April 18

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:00:00 GMT

The lacrosse team had its fifth straight win over Navy this past weekend, 14-7. John Glesener led the team scoring seven points and was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week. Plebe Alex Daly had a career-high nine ground balls, and was named both patriot League Rookie of the Week and Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week.

Both tennis teams completed undefeated Patriot League seasons to claim the No. 1 seeds in the upcoming conference tournaments. The baseball team had a four-game sweep at Lafayette, thus moving the team into a tie for second place in conference standings. Chris Rowley struck out a career-high 11 hitters in a 2-1 win to start the series.

The golf team won the Last Chance Classic at West Point. Marcus Plunkett was the individual medalist, highlighting five Black Knights in the top eight. The team heads to the Patriot League Tournament at Lafayette on April 27-28.

And while the season has been over for awhile, basketball players Firstie Ella Ellis and Plebe Kelsey Minato were named second-team All-Metro New York on the men’s and women’s sided respectively.

How the "For Us All" Campaign Forever Changed One Cadet

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:28:00 GMT

When Cadet Alexis Salmon '14 was asked to speak at the WPAOG's recent For Us All Campaign launch, she thought she was just going to be speaking about her company newsletter. Instead, she came away from the launch with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the services provided by the WPAOG and her role as a member of the Long Gray Line.

One Cadet's Introduction to the WPAOG and to the Long Gray Line

Ding! I heard the mail alert of my inbox go off and quickly looked over to see if I had a meeting to attend that night. To my surprise the heading of the email read: AOG...

"Great," I thought, "They want my money, and I haven't even graduated yet!" After further perusal of the email, I found that in fact, the email was about the C-3 Coyote Column. The West Point AOG was about to host a conference reaching out to returning graduates entitled For Us All: The Campaign for West Point.

The objective of the campaign, as stated in the email and on the AOG website, is to ask graduates and friends to support the Margin of Excellence -- additional programs, facilities, and opportunities the West Point Superintendent and other Academy leaders have determined are most important for preparing ethical and agile leaders of character and that are complementary to the core mission of the Academy. With our help, West Point cadets -- those on whom we will all rely to defend democracy everywhere -- will have everything they need to succeed and serve with honor in an uncertain and volatile world.

In regards to the campaign, AOG was asking me to speak at one of their venues about how the Coyote Column/Gamecock Gazette reaches out to graduates and how information is passed on from current cadets to past cadets through the company newsletter. AOG wanted to highlight how graduates see their donations in use through the opportunities offered to cadets who are featured in the Coyote Column.

What's important about this story is that I ended up attending the event, speaking, and being forever altered by the stories and other speakers I heard.

VIDEO: Cadets Train for Cybersecurity Attacks

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:13:00 GMT

Graduating cadets from West Point are participating in a training exercise in cybersecuity defense against potential threats to national security.

The 28 cadets will spend 24 hours a day for one week monitoring their system against simulated attacks from members of the national security agency posing as hackers. Lt. Col. David Raymond '89 says the exercises have special significance in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing.

"There's more to defending infrastructure than just putting police forces out," said Raymond.

Watch video from News 12

Read about the team's last win

Visitor Information for Sandhurst

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:38:00 GMT

The Department of Military Instruction at the US Military Academy, West Point has planned another physically and mentally challenging (and fun!) military stakes competition which seeks to achieve, in order, the following four outcomes:

1. Leader Development

2. Showcase Military Excellence

3. Build Relationships

4. Win

This year’s competition is significantly different from past years and due to its design and purpose, unfortunately, does not offer as many spectator viewing opportunities as in years past. The competition is based on a scenario in which teams are given a mission and ordered to conduct a "Combat Patrol." This patrol will take the teams over a route of very rugged and varied terrain. Along the route the teams will be asked to perform certain mentally and physically challenging events that will afford them the opportunity to showcase their military skills and exercise leadership. The competition route does not offer any comfort facilities nor is it fully accessible to non-tactical vehicles. For these reasons, for the safety of our competitors, and to maintain the integrity of the competition we will not permit fans, supporters and spectators to accompany their teams on their "Combat Patrols."

Photographed: Cadet Company I4 practices their one-rope bridge before Friday's competition.

Novice Crew at Sacred Heart University

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:43:00 GMT

On Saturday, April 6^th, the Men’s and Women’s Novice teams represented West Point Crew at the Sacred Heart University (SHU) Invitational Regatta in Shelton, CT. Four West Point boats raced down the 2000 meter course, competing against seven other schools (Fordham, Iona, Fairfield, SUNY Maritime, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, and Drake). In the Women’s Novice eight, West Point placed 2^nd out of four boats, leaving a large gap (28 seconds, to be exact) between their stern and the 3^rd place finisher’s (Sacred Heart) bow. The Women’s Novice four placed 4^th in a field of 5 boats. The Novice Men also competed in two races. Their eight won by 27 seconds in a face-off against Fairfield, and their four placed 4^th out of 5 boats.

Athletic Director's Update, April 12

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:52:00 GMT

From the Athletic Director this past week, the men’s tennis team scored a 4-3 win over Navy. Plebe Caison Best Brok hiss opponents’ serve to capture the match-clinching victory. The women’s team also bested Navy with a historic 6-1 victory, giving the program its first ever “Star” match win. Gymnast Kip Webber claimed the program’s first ECAC all-around title since 1995 when he tied for the championship last week. Firstie Garrek Hojan-Clark, the No. 1 rated pommel horse competitor in the nation took gold for the second time in three years. Plebe Jesse Glenn was honored as the ECAC Rookie of the year. Women’s tennis player Carolyn Pittman and Webber were recognized as Army Athletic Association Co-Athletes of the week.

Mary Prakel highlighted the women’s track team’s competition, breaking the Academy record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Her time of 10:51:77 broke the previous mark set in 2004. Other standout performances this week included Megan Gemar’s Patriot League Track and Field Rookie of the Week selection. Megan won the pole vault at Navy with a height of 3.72 meters. Baseball’s Firstie Chris Rowley was the conference Pitcher of the Week after tossing a six-hit shut-out in the team’s 1-0 victory at Lehigh.

Cadet Activities Roundup, April 11

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 02:24:00 GMT

Pipes & Drums: The United States Corps of Cadets Pipes & Drums participated in the 2013 Tartan Day Parade in New York City. The Pipes & Drums marched as the first unit in the parade with the NYPD Mounted Colorguard and also leading the Grand Marshall of the Parade, noted Scottish actor Kevin McKidd (Rome, Grey’s Anatomy) and members of the Scottish Parliament. The band was proud to participate in the 10th Annual New York City Tartan Parade, which is the largest Tartan Day parade in North America.

Rugby (Men’s): Rugby defeated University of Delaware 55-17 to win the Rugby East Championship and host the Sweet 16 match at West Point. Rugby hosts Navy this Saturday at 1800 at Anderson Rugby Complex.

Fencing Team: Led by Cadet Marvin Hargraves who defeated the returning champion from Northwestern University, West Point captured its first national championship crown in the weapon of epee. The remaining men’s epee squad of Cadets Mark Owens and Dave Maynor placed 3rd overall. In Sabre, Cadets Blake Gordon, Dom Casinelli, and Zach Leonard placed 2nd – the highest national finish for sabre as a squad. The women’s team had impressive victories by Cadets Darcy Parks, who tied for 2nd Place in sabre and Alexandria Rodgers, who came in with a solid 3rd place finish in epee – both the highest finish for a West Point woman. All record breaking accomplishments. The Fencing Team won a total of 21 medals at Nationals. In addition, the team BEAT NAVY in 5 out of 6 weapons and racked up more points than Navy at all times during the event. The Fencing Team was awarded the “National Spirit and Sportsmanship Award” by a vote of all Coaches on the Executive Committee. The team was grateful for the support of West Point Family and Friends including Mr. Bill Hargraves ‘82 and Mrs. Melissa Gordon wife of David Gordon ‘85.

Team Handball (Women): Women’s Team Handball travelled to Rockville, MD to compete in Northeast League play. Black defeated Ocean New Jersey but lost to a mixed UNC alumni and college team and DC team in their following games. Gold also played well in their games, tying New York City, the team which took second in West Point’s Laura Walker Tournament last weekend and coming from behind to beat New Jersey’s Handball club. The team would like to thank Brigadier General (Retired) and Mrs. Swan for inviting both teams into their house for dinner on Saturday dinner. Special thanks to the DC/Maryland Parent’s Club for their outstanding support as they provided food and beverages throughout the weekend.

Team Handball (Men): West Point Team Handball (Black) secured a berth in the Elite Division of Open Nationals by finishing second in the Northeast League.

Civil & Military Engineering: The Civil & Military Engineering Club teamed up with the Mechanical Engineering Club to support the White Plains Annual Engineering Expo. Eleven cadets from the Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering presented at the event with models of internal combustion engines, K’Nex sets for bridge building competitions, and ten workstations for the West Point Bridge Designer program. Hundreds of parents with their middle and high school students cycled through West Point’s stations (one of the largest at the expo). Cadets aptly answered questions about the admissions process to West Point, what it was like to be a cadet, how they enjoyed studying engineering, and what they hope to accomplish in their future Army career.

Society of Women Engineers: The USMA Section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) attended the annual Regional Conference that included an outreach event to raise awareness of and encourage women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Mechanical Engineering: The Mechanical Engineering Club visited the facility that designs, builds, and tests the gas turbines that power Army helicopters along with several other aircraft used by sister-services. Cadets received several presentations showing how their knowledge from MC312 Thermal-Systems II, specifically the Brayton Cycle and external fluid flow analysis, applies to real world systems. Cadets had the opportunity to then witness highly restricted gas turbine assembly floors, testing facilities, collaborate with GE scientists and engineers, and finally conclude with an open panel discussion with USMA graduates currently employed by GE Aviation.

Cadet Fine Arts Forum (Opera): Cadets of the West Point Opera Forum visited Lincoln Center to watch a matinee performance of Richard Wagner’s “Das Rheingold”.

Debate Council and Forum (Investment): The Investment Club/Finance Forum travelled to Boston, MA. The visit began at Fidelity Investments where cadets learned about mutual fund and ETF portfolio selection/development and also toured the historic chart room where technical analysis in valuing stocks has been taking place since the founders of Fidelity [Johnson family] started it years ago. The second stop was to Regiment Capital, a hedge fund that specializes in investing in distressed companies, where they learned about high-yield bond investments, leveraged loans, and then reviewed a case on the General Motors bankruptcy deal. Cadets then visited MIT Sloan School of management and the Harvard MBA programs, talking to current military students who will return to West Point to teach economics in the Social Sciences Department and gaining insights into the graduate school application and selection process. Cadets also met with West Point graduates who have transitioned to graduate school in a civilian capacity to understand their decision process.

Astronomy Club: The Astronomy Club travelled to the Hayden Planetarium and American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Climbing Team: West Point Climbing Team attended the CCS Regional climbing competition in Chatham, New Jersey and earned the Northeast Region championship over rivals from RIT. Zhiana Myrzakhanova and Chris Price took second place in individual competition. For top climbers in the region honors, Zhiana Myrzakhanova and Jennifer Lenihan tied for first place. After an exhilarating lead climb off, Zhiana from West Point edged Jenifer for the regional title. Julian Barker took the second place medal for the men’s category.

Sailing: The team participated in Day 1 of the Greater New York Dinghy Regatta in City Island, NY. Ten total races were sailed before the wind died and racing was called for the day. On Day 2, the team was met with a strong southerly breeze from 10-15 knots at the start of the day. B Fleet completed two races, defeating two other boats in each race. A fleet began its race in a steadily building breeze. Army's plebe skipper, Drew Beckmann led all 18 boats at the first mark of the race, but took two large waves over the bow, swamping the boat, and forcing him to retire. At the completion of the race, the wind had built to 20+ knots of wind with several boats capsizing. Due to weather conditions, the race committee cancelled racing for the rest of the day.

Snow Sports (Snowboarding): The Snowboard Club competed in its last competition of the season, the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) Nationals Competition at Copper Mountain, Colorado. The club had a total of six members qualify. Three members competed in the Slopestyle event. Wes Sickman was able to earn an eleventh place finish in his nationals debut. Matt Clidas finished 18th and Adam Pasque finished 29th. The other three cadets competed in the BoarderCross event. Jesse Montgomery, Kyle Kilroy, and Chris Beatty finished 17th, 18th, and 24th respectively.

Gospel Choir: The West Point Cadet Gospel Choir was the guest of the 105th Airlift Wing of the Stewart Air National Guard Base.

Skeet & Trap: The West Point Skeet and Trap team competed in the 2013 ACUI Clay Target Championships in San Antonio, TX. In skeet, USMA A squad put up a highly respectably score, led by Cadets Mo Khan and Andrew Laib, shooting a 97/100 and 96/100 respectively. This earned them 5th place as a team, a strong showing for the team given the stiff competition from larger schools at the competition. Finally on Sunday, the team closed out with American Trap. High gun for Sunday went to Derek Brown, with an impressive 98/100 birds. The team also travelled to Manorville, NY on Long Island and joined the Peconic River Sportsmen's Club for a sporting clays competition. The Peconic River team proved to be great shots in addition to gracious hosts.

Mixed Martial Arts (Kendo): The West Point Kendo Club competed against teams from around the nation in the annual Greater Northeastern US Kendo Federation championships at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Cadets Andrei Pop and Ryne Flores both earned promotion to 3 kyu (two ranks below a black belt) and Kevin Pak earned 2 dan (one rank above a black belt).

Jewish Chapel Choir: On Friday, the Choir performed at Conservative Synagogue B’nai Torah and on Saturday the choir held a concert for members of the Hadassah (a philanthropic organization supporting hospitals and medical research). On Sunday, the choir presented a program of songs to the Sunday School and families of Reform Synagogue Kol Tikvah.

Nasir, Mauldin Earn Truman Scholarships

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:17:00 GMT

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation announced today that Cadets Ahmad Nasir, of Anchorage, Alaska, and Erin Mauldin, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, earned 2013 Truman Scholarships! The Academy was one of only eight schools to earn two scholarships.

The 62 new Truman Scholars were selected from among 629 candidates nominated by 293 colleges and universities. They were chosen by 17 independent selection panels on the basis of their academic and leadership accomplishments and their likelihood of becoming public service leaders. Selection panels met across the United States and included distinguished leaders, university presidents, elected officials, federal judges, prominent public servants, and past Truman Scholarship winners.

Each new Truman Scholar receives up to $30,000 for graduate study. Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government. Recipients must be U.S. citizens, have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills, be in the top quarter of their class, and be committed to careers in government or the non-profit sector.

Rocha '13 Named Senior CLASS Winner

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:57:00 GMT

Army defenseman Cheyne Rocha was named the hockey Senior CLASS Award winner. A three-time Atlantic Hockey Association academic all-star, Rocha was recognized for his work on and off the ice.

Rocha, a native of Rye, N.H., was chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I men's hockey coaches, national ice hockey media, and fans.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence -- classroom, community, character, and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School^®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Rocha is the first hockey player to win the award and just the second Army athlete joining 2010 lacrosse winner Andrew Maisano.

"I am humbled and honored to accept the Senior CLASS Award," said Rocha, who will commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Engineer Branch of the U.S. Army following graduation. "I have been blessed with great teammates, coaches, and instructors during my time at West Point and this award is a result of their mentorship and support. I want to thank my family for their unwavering support and guidance. This was a great group of finalists and I would like to thank all of the fans, media, and head coaches who voted for me during this process. I also want to thank the hard working people behind the Senior CLASS Award for their support of college athletics, especially those who succeed on and off the ice."

Telling the West Point Story

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:26:00 GMT

West Point opened its gates to approximately 200 graduates, parents, families, and friends who came to observe the launch of For Us All: The Campaign for West Point this past weekend. While the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) has been securing lead gifts since 2009 toward the campaign’s $350-million goal, it publicly announced the campaign over the weekend and celebrated its successes to date. Read more.

Army Boxing Dominates National Championships

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:07:00 GMT

Teams from across the country, both military academies as well as private universities, competed in twelve weight classes on Saturday to determine the best in each division. The bouts were all 3 two-minute round contests in which combatants wore headgear and the amateur rules of punch-counting by five ringside judges applied; fights were scored according to punches landed, sheer quantity, rather than in professional prize-fighting where damage done is valued more highly.

So many of the 65 total bouts, over the course of the three-day tourney, were exciting, competitive contests featuring fist-flying action and young, hungry fighters with courageous hearts and exceptional reflexes. Despite its differences with the professional version of the sport, the tourney was chock full of what fans love about boxing, the action, and was very light on what plagues the sport, controversy.

At the end of the evening it was the United States Military Academy at West Point's team that dominated, claiming 6 of the 12 division titles up for grabs. The remaining 6 champions hailed from two private universities that won a title each, at 132lbs and 185lbs, and the US Air Force Academy and the US Coast Guard Academy, who each saw two team members win.

Cadet Forms Non-Profit, Helping One Veteran at a Time

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:44:00 GMT

BUFFALO, New York -- A West Point cadet from Buffalo is making a difference at home and across the country. He's on a mission to change the world, by helping one veteran at a time.

James Long Jr., just 22 years old, has set himself a challenging mission. He said he saw a problem where there was an opportunity to make a difference.

While enrolled in the Academy, the Western New York native formed a non-profit organization last spring called Trek for our Troops.

Through mountain climbs, mentorship, and community events, Trek helps veterans transition from military to civilian life -- something that isn't easy.

Long said, "We're dealing with psychological issues, PTSD, drug addictions as they try to cope, physical ailments, and loss of limbs, so there's this desire to say 'what now?' "

Long said he wants to help veterans find their personal missions. Last year, Long climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and helped a veteran who lost both arms get back on the right track at home.

Gallup '13 Becomes First Cadet to Earn Saint Andrew's Society Scholarship

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:31:00 GMT

U.S. Military Academy Cadet Matthew Gallup has been named the 2013 Saint Andrew's Society scholarship recipient, making him the first cadet to earn the opportunity to attend the University of Glasgow, Scotland.

A Temple, Texas native, Gallup is a mechanical engineering major. He is expected to be commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation in May and will serve in the Aviation branch of the U.S. Army.

The Saint Andrew's scholarship offers one year of graduate study valued at $30,000. Gallup plans to earn a Master of Science in Aerospace Systems while in Scotland.

West Point Publicly Launches $350-Million Campaign

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:11:00 GMT

This weekend marks the public launch of For Us All: The Campaign for West Point. This is only the second comprehensive fundraising campaign in the Academy’s history and the largest one to date. It seeks to raise $350-million to sustain and advance the United States Military Academy and the Long Gray Line.

Athletic Director’s Update, April 5

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:06:00 GMT

From the Athletic Director, the lacrosse team won its second straight conference game, earning a 10-4 road victory at Colgate. It was the team’s first win in Hamilton since 2006, and moved Army into a tie for third place in the Patriot League standings. John Glesener was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week, goalkeeper Sam Somers picked up his second Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week award, and defenseman Brendan Buckely was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week. The softball team opened its Patriot League schedule by splitting four games with Colgate, and thus put the team into a tie for third in the conference standings.

On the track, Nick Snoad was the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Week after winning the hammer throw at the Dick Shea Open. His throw of 62.8 meters was the second-best throw in Academy history and the best by an Army athlete since 1996. It is the top mark in the league and the third best in the NCAA East Region this season. Kyler Martin won his second straight Patriot League Track Athlete of the Week honor by running the Academy’s fifth-fastest 110-meter hurdle time and winning the event in 14.24 seconds. Jacob Drozd also posted a historical performance, winning the javelin with a throw of 63.42 meters, the fifth best in Academy history.

Cadet Activities Roundup, April 4

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:14:00 GMT

Climbing Team: Team members spent six hours climbing a number of routes on a recent trip.

Civil & Mechanical Engineering Club: The Civil & Military Engineering Club has been named the #1 ASCE Student Chapter in ASCE Region 1 (the entire northeastern U.S.).

Debate Council and Forum (Speech & Parliamentary Debate): West Point novice teams picked up first and second place out of 20 teams at the Cornell American Parliamentary Tournament. Cadets Jeremy Hunt and Meyer Ungerman bested Matthew Waldrep and Dalton Combs.

Cadet Fine Arts Forum (Hudson Valley Cultural Forum): The CFAF immersed itself into the Hudson Valley art scene. The Wing's Castle owner gave the cadets a personal tour of this unusually eclectic construction. They also enjoyed a very special engagement at the local Cocoon Theater.

Debate Council and Forum (Domestic Affairs): The Domestic Affairs Forum sent eighteen cadets to Canada to view U.S. government and foreign relations from the other side of the border. Highlights of the trip included meeting the Honorable David Jacobson, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, and Minister of National Defense, Peter MacKay. Cadets also visited the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and meet with Ms. Roxanne Dube, the Director General of the North American Policy Bureau and Derek Kunsken, the acting Director of Social Policy & Programs for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Crew Team: The West Point Crew team competed at the Murphy Cup Regatta on the Cooper River in Camden, NJ. This 2000 meter race was the biggest one to date, with more than 20 colleges competing. The Men’s Novice team won bronze medals and one of the two Novice Men’s Fours qualified for the finals. The Women’s Varsity team finished 14th out of 27 boats.

Dean’s Weekly, April 3

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:46:00 GMT

EV301 Trip Section to the Wheelabrator: 11 Cadets from USMA’s Environmental Science class (EV301) travelled to Peekskill, NY, to view the generation of energy from municipal solid waste. Cadets saw firsthand how 2,250 tons of waste per day is incinerated and then converted to mechanical energy before being distributed onto the electrical grid. Cadets also learned about air pollution control devices that are used to ensure that the exhaust gases meet federal emission standards. Wheelabrator Westchester L.P. generates approximately 60,000 kW of electricity, enough to supply 88,000 New York homes.

General Electric (GE) Collaboration: Dr. David Helmer of GE Global Research Corporation presented a class seminar on the topic of Computational Fluid Dynamics for each of four section-hours of MC 312, Thermal-Fluid Systems 2. Dr. Helmer covered the governing mathematical models, some basic numerical methods, and a few practical considerations for engineering simulations. He concluded with a brief summary of ongoing computational research efforts in gas turbine technology in industry. In addition, a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) between General Electric and West Point is now in process. The CRADA will open new opportunities for cadet and faculty research and leverages GE’s large pool of research scientists and facilities

Flight Test for Capstone Project: Cadets Steven Billington, Jordyne Hayden, and Brian Tumolillo participated in flight testing of the system they are developing as part of their capstone project in Information Technology. The cadets designed and built a system that distributes real-time kinematic (RTK) correction data, which allows global positioning system (GPS) receivers to reduce the error of their locations to less than four centimeters.

MX400 Tactical Decision Exercise: CALDOL conducted a Tactical Decision Exercise (TDE) with the MX400 section the team instructs. The TDE was based on Chapter 15 of The Outpost, by Jake Tapper, and interviews CALDOL conducted with the protagonist in the Chapter, CPT Aaron Perasall ‘04 who was a platoon leader at the time of the story.

Energy Summit Brief: As part of the energy summit on 27 March, Cadets Mary Prakel, Bill Lane, Wayne Pak, and Cheyne Rocha briefed the Honorable Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment, and the Superintendent on their capstone research projects. These projects deal with pricing methodology for micro grids based upon consumer preferences and conducting cost benefit analysis for energy security investments. Cadets Lane and Pak also briefed the Army Science Board on 28 March on the micro grid pricing modeling.

SIP-Hut Energy B-Hut Construction: In spite of the delays imposed by sequestration, the SIP Hut Energy Evaluation Project at West Point is moving forward. Construction has begun on the B-Hut. The Cadet SIP Hut team will compete in the MIT Soldier Design Competition on Thursday 4 Apr. A team of Systems Engineering Cadets is currently evaluating the feasibility of using SIP Huts as disaster recovery housing.

Guest Lecture – EV482 (Military Geography): Dr. Anne Knowles, Chair of the Geography Department at Middlebury College, Vermont, gave a lecture titled “GIS for Visualizing History” to Cadets enrolled in EV482: Military Geography. Dr. Knowles specializes in Historical Geography, Historical GIS, the Holocaust, and cultural and economic landscapes. Her lecture discussed the use of GIS to enable historical research and focused on her work on the Battle of Gettysburg as well as the emerging research on using GIS to further understandings of the spatial and temporal patterns of the Holocaust.

Guest Lecturer CEO of CounterTack, Inc.: Mr. Neal Creighton ’89, CEO of CounterTack, Inc., a security software firm that focuses on preventing cyber-attacks, spoke to the first class CS, EE and IT majors on how to create great products for any organization. Drawing on almost twenty years of successful innovation and entrepreneurship, his talk stressed the importance of seeing opportunities that others don’t, being passionate about success, and building great teams. He also discussed collaboration opportunities with D/EECS and CRC leadership.

Defense Tech Seminar Hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory: Nineteen cadets from the EECS department traveled to the Boston area to participate in a Defense Technology Seminar hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory. They also enjoyed a tour of the MIT campus and lab facilities, and the Artist Asylum hacker space. While at Lincoln Laboratory, the cadets learned about the history of the lab, various mapping, communication, and sensor applications using lasers, new IED detection techniques, and satellite tracking.

ME450 Water Rocket Design Project – Launch Event: 39 cadets took part in the ME450 (Mechanical Design of Army Systems) Rocket Launch Event. Teams were attempting to design and optimize a launch and delivery system that maximized hang-time of a 100 gram payload, accurately delivered that payload to a target site within a 20 foot radius, and allowed a small paratrooper to achieve separation during flight. They will be presenting the results of their design, analysis, and recorded launch efforts in a class presentation and a formal design report.

K’NEXercise: Cadets enrolled in CE450 Construction Management competed in the K’NEXercise. The competition requires teams of cadets to prepare estimates and bids, construction plans, and schedules and then execute the construction of a project built with rapid setting concrete and K’NEX components. The winning teams in the Tower, Hall, and Bridge projects were led by Cadets Alex Pingis, Nate Gooden, and Dan Pinho, respectively.

Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant: ME472 Energy Conversion Systems toured the nearby Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. The tour showcased the two massive 1000 MW steam turbines, the containment buildings, the fish conveyor belt and cooling water intake systems, a $60M control room simulator, and the spent fuel pool storing decades of highly radioactive waste. All participants were treated to several Geiger counter tests, tight security, and a pat down.

Newburgh Brewing Company: A contingent of 40 AIChE Club Chemical Engineering majors and members of the CH362 course travelled to the Newburgh Brewing Company in order to tour the 1st Brewery in Orange County and learn about chemical engineering. The CEO and brewmaster of the Newburgh Brewing Company, Chris Basso, invited the cadets and sponsored the tour. This trip was tied directly into the CH362 objectives and chemical engineering goals, and the cadets came away with a new sense of appreciation for the science and engineering of a large scale process like a brewery.

CE400 Seminar: Mr. John Tawresey of KPFF Consulting Engineers presented a seminar on the role of technical institutes in civil engineering. These organizations produce standards, distribute educational materials, publish journals, and conduct professional development for the benefit of the engineering profession and the public it serves.

Security Seminar to CDX Team: Mr. Ed Skoudis, a world renowned security expert, author, and educator visited the EE&CS Department and gave a security seminar to the 2013 Cyber Defense Exercise team. Mr. Skoudis is a founder and Senior Security Consultant with security consulting company InGuardians and is also the author of the CS482 Cybersecurity course text, "CounterHack, Reloaded.” He has demonstrated hacker techniques against financial institutions for the United States Senate and is a frequent speaker on issues associated with hacker tools and defenses.

WPNP Panel: BS&L's Negotiation Project hosted a panel on dispute resolution for cadets enrolled in Negotiation for Leaders (MG390) and cadets enrolled in Conflict Analysis, Resolution, and Negotiation (SS476). The panel was collaboration between the two courses, but open to all. Panelists Doran Pelly, Executive Director of the Sulfa Research Center, and Ahmed Khan, UN political officer, discussed with cadets dispute resolution practices in Muslim/Arab cultures.

Leemans '13 Recognized as New Face of Engineering

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:24:00 GMT

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) selects Cadet Adam Leemans '13 as a 2013 New Faces of Engineering-College Edition Representative.

Leemans, an ASME student member and fourth-year mechanical engineering student at the United States Military Academy at West Point, has conducted research on renewable energy integration at Army installations and is currently redesigning deployable barracks to improve energy efficiency.

Now in its second year, New Faces of Engineering College Edition recognizes the best and brightest third-, fourth- and fifth-year engineering students, whose academic successes and experiences in the engineering field have positioned them to make an impact.

As the Brigade Energy and Environmental Officer at West Point, Leemans creates, leads, and manages energy, water, and waste conservation policy and programs for all 4,400 members of the U.S. Corps of Cadets. He previously served as assistant to the Energy Manager at the Directorate of Public Works, Rock Island Arsenal, and as an intern to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy, and Environment).

In addition, Leemans is a Engineers Without Borders board representative for the Military Academy's Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department, a College Reading & Learning Association-certified tutor in math, engineering, Russian, and economics, and team captain and member of the West Point Triathlon Team. Leemans was also a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship winner (2012), a Marshall Scholarship alternate (2012), a Rhodes Scholarship finalist (2012), and a USA Triathlon All-American (2011).

With the Choice of All Three Academies, Teen Chooses USMA

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:50:00 GMT

Matthew Shockley, 17, had his choice of military academies to attend after graduation. He completed the arduous process of applying to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy at West Point earlier this school year and was surprised to find out in March that he was accepted into all three.

"I was just hoping for one," Shockley said. "I was pretty excited. My parents brought it to me at school."

After his mother, Tonya, heard that West Point letters were being mailed, she said she would leave work every day at lunch to drive home and check the mail.

"On the third day, the mail was late, so I drove around until I found the mailman, climbed through a ditch and asked him if he had any mail for me," Tonya said in an email. "He handed me the envelope (from West Point) and I just started crying right there on the side of the road. I was so excited."

They learned soon after that Shockley had received appointments to the other academies as well, leaving him with a choice to make -- which branch of the military to join.

He chose the Army, following in the footsteps of his father, who served five years in the Army in the late 1990s.

As an "Army brat" herself, Tonya said she was always rooting for West Point to be her son's final choice.

"I tried to be supportive while Matt was choosing, but the USMA shirts I was wearing every day may have given me away," she said.

Dean’s Weekly, April 1

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:01:00 GMT

The USMA Concrete Canoe Team: As part of their CE489 independent study, Cadets Mark Owens, James Mcloughlin, Nate Ryba, Aaron Schares, and Alex Pingis, all class of 2013 CE Majors, completed casting of their entry for the 2013 ASCE Northeast Regional Concrete Canoe Competition. The craft was christened the River Rat! in honor of the 1099th Medium Boat Company that was the "workhorse" riverine unit for direct support of tactical units throughout the Mekong Delta and other inland waterways during the Vietnam Conflict.

USMA an American Concrete Institute Excellent University: USMA is one of only 16 universities receiving the highest level of the ACI award for 2012. This is the second time the USMA ACI student chapter received the award since starting the first ACI student chapter in New York state last year. The chapter has competed in ACI and other concrete related competitions in Toronto, ON, Canada and Montreal, QB, Canada, attended educational seminars with their sponsor chapter the Concrete Industry Board (CIB), the American Concrete Institute Chapter for New York City, and completed a concrete theme service project at the Walter Hoving home in Garrison, NY.

Mali Expert's Insight: Olivier J. Walther, visiting scholar at Rutgers University, spoke to cadets about the role that Islamists play in the on-going conflict in Mali. His work, which suggests that a few key individuals serve as brokers between competing armed factions, offers an interesting exploration of the applicability of Social Network Analysis to the study of violent non-state actors.

Cloisters: Seven cadets from the Elise Sannes-Pinnell Art Appreciation Forum travelled to the Cloisters medieval art museum in NY and enjoyed a lecture by Prof. Jeanne-Marie Musto of Fordham University. Following the lecture, the cadets toured the permanent collection.

BG(R) Capka at CE400 Seminar: BG(R) Capka ‘71 presented a seminar on public practices and policies in civil engineering. BG Capka commanded two USACE Divisions, managed the Big Dig for the MA Turnpike Authority, and served as the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). He emphasized the importance of infrastructure to the Nation and the investment required to assure its quality. He also discussed the challenges inherent in managing complex public projects.

Morgan-Luster CE400 Seminar: Mr. John Smalley of Morgan Construction Enterprises and Mr. James Titolo of Luster National presented a seminar on the construction management of the Kellar Army hospital addition. They emphasized the importance of resolving change orders in a timely manner on any construction project.

Undergraduate Philosophy Conference: Art, Philosophy, and Literature majors Emily McCarthy and Kathleen Fitzpatrick participated in the Mid-Hudson Valley Undergraduate Philosophy Conference hosted by Marist College. Cadet McCarthy presented a paper titled "Justice and the Defense of Marriage Act", while Cadet Fitzpatrick served as the commentator for a paper titled "Intuitions and Experimental Philosophy".

Soil Drilling Demonstration: Cadets in the CE371 Soil Mechanics and Foundation Design course witnessed a demonstration of soil drilling techniques. Drillers from the subsurface exploration company Aquifer Drilling & Test, Inc. demonstrated various drilling, in-situ testing, and soil sampling techniques.

2013 Aviation Week Laureate Award: Cadet Matt Gallup was West Point’s recipient of the 2013 Tomorrow’s Leader Award presented by Aviation Week. Every year, one cadet/midshipman from USMA, USNA, USAFA, and USCGA travels to the Laureate’s Dinner, held in Washington DC, to receive the award. Matt was selected on the basis of his outstanding performance as a future Army Aviator in the Aeronautical Systems subdiscipline within the Mechanical Engineering major.

ME450 Welding Class: 39 cadets took part in the ME450 (Mechanical Design of Army Systems) Welding Class. Cadets were taught how to weld steel strips using basic welding techniques similar to what they will see in motor pools and maintenance shops while they are serving in the Army.

MX400 Guest Lecture: SGT (R) Rick Yarosh and Ms. Gloria Gilbert Stoga, President of Puppies Behind Bars, provided a guest lecture in MX400 ―The Adaptive Leader. SGT Yarosh is a national-level motivational speaker invited to convey his story of being a wounded veteran and discusses how “these scars gave me the confidence I needed”. The discussion provided an insight into some of the leadership attributes that he valued in his LT, a 2004 graduate of USMA, to save his life and his follow-on experience within the Warrior Transition Unit until his medical retirement. Rick’s inspirational story and message can be viewed at http://rickyarosh.net/.

Gamma Theta Upsilon Induction Luncheon: G&EnE hosted the annual Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) Spring Luncheon and inducted 7 cadets as new members into the USMA Lambda Mu chapter GTU. They are Cadets Steven K. Billington, Michelle L. Bullock, Dak A. Kibler, Christopher B. Mittuch, Christian E. Reeves, Andrew J. Riekenberg, and Max D. Vandervort

Guest Lecturer – European Energy: Dr. Christian Burgsmuller, Counselor, Head of Energy, Transport and Environment section, Delegation of the European Union to the United States gave a guest lecture titled "European, Energy, Policy, Past and Present".

Dirtman Motivates the Corps to Recycle: “Dirt Man” made an appearance at the Mess Hall to motivate all cadets to continue in their efforts for RecycleMania during the last two weeks of the competition. During lunch the 2013 RecycleMania video featuring BG Trainor and CDT Teddy Fong was also played along with RecycleMania slides. Of significant note, West Point’s RecycleMania video was voted "Most Fearsome" of all videos submitted to RecycleMania this year. West Point is currently in 6th place out of 347 schools in the Per Captia Classic category.

Dr. Charles King, Guest Speaker: The Department of History was honored to host Dr. Charles King, Professor of Political Science and International History at the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. He spoke to plebes in the HI108-Regional Studies in World History-Russia course on the nineteenth century history of the Caucasus region. Dr. King also gave a lecture to Dr. Thomas Sherlock's Comparative Politics class during Dean's Hour, where he talked about the tension between "procedural" and "substantive" descriptions of democratization in developing countries.

EV397 Trip Section to Phillips 66 Oil Refinery in Linden, NJ: 17 cadets from USMA’s Air Pollution Engineering class (EV397) travelled to Linden, NJ to view air pollution control devices at the largest oil refinery in the eastern United States.

C&LS Hosts DARPA Young Investigator Award Recipient: Dr. Randall Goldsmith from the University of Wisconsin's Department of Chemistry visited the Department of Chemistry and Life Science. He discussed exciting single molecule science research and defense applications of the work during a noontime seminar.

Athletic Director’s Update, March 29

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:28:00 GMT

From the AD, the wrestling team qualified for the NCAA Championships which took place in Des Moines, Iowa. Connor Hanafee (141 pounds), Daniel Young (149), Paul Hancock (165) and Bryce Barnes (197) represented the program’s largest contingent since the 2008 season. The rifle team made its 10^th straight appearance at the NCAA Championships, finishing sixth overall as a team. The squad had three National Rifle Association All-American picks, including Richard Calvin, Michael Matthews and Joseph Todaro. The women’s basketball ended its season with a loss at Fordham in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. It was the program’s first WNIT appearance and the first postseason tournament for the Black Knights since the 2006 NCCAA Tournament. The men’s basketball team finished the season with a loss at No. 1 seed Bucknell in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament, but its 16-15 record marked the program’s first winning season since 1984-85. Ella Ellis was named an NABC All-District 13 Second Team pick to become the first Army player since Kevin Houston in 1986 and 1987 to earn all-district distinction in back-to-back seasons. The gymnastics team will compete at the ECAC/EIGL Championships next week at Springfield College. The team is led by newly-minted Nissen-Emery Award finalist Garrek Hojan-Clark, given to the nation’s most outstanding senior gymnast. Garrek is ranked No. 1 in the nation on the pommel horse.

Spring sports are hitting their stride as well. The lacrosse team scored its first Patriot League win last Saturday with a decisive 15-6 decision over Lafayette. John Glesener led the team with eight points on four goals and four assists, his third straight hat trick. John was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week for his efforts. The baseball team won two out of three in its first homestand over the weekend. Chris Rowley’s 10 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings highlighted the two days. Elsewhere on the diamond, the softball team swept two non-conference doubleheaders from St. Peter’s and Rider. Morgan Lashley was named the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week after going 4-0 with a 0.67 earned run average in 21 innings during the week. The tennis teams opened play with a combined six wins against Patriot League foes. The men’s team topped Holy Cross, Lafayette and Lehigh to start conference play 3-0, while the women’s team defeated the same three teams in their Patriot League debut.

The track & field squads posted five performances that ranked among the top 10 in Army history at the Tribe Invitational by William & Mary. Mary Prakel won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:58.77, the second-fastest time in the Black Knight record book and quickest time since 2004. Ricardo Galindo posted the sixth-fastest 10,000-meter time at 29:54.90, while Kendall Ward was close behind with the ninth-best time on the Army list (30:19.99). In the 800-meter run, Katrina Donarski captured the individual title with a time of 2:14.53, the sixth-best in school history. Rounding out the all-time performances was Jacob Drozd. Competing in the javelin for the first time since last May, he won the event with the seventh-best throw in Academy history (62.42m). Hurdler Kyler Martin was the first Patriot League Track Athlete of the Week for his efforts in the first two meets. He ran the seventh-fastest 110-meter hurdle time in Academy history (14.31) two weeks ago at Coastal Carolina and followed that with a first-place finish and personal best in the 400-meter hurdles this past week (53.28).

Cadet Activities Roundup, March 28

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 03:46:00 GMT

Climbing Team: The West Point Climbing Team travelled to Wallingford, CT to compete in its fourth Collegiate Climbing Series of the season. West Point finished in second place behind R.I.T., but succeeded in its goal of defeating Navy.

Cadet Fine Arts Forum (Jazz): The Cadet Jazz Forum enjoyed a visit to the legendary Village Vanguard Jazz Club in NYC and was treated to a mesmerizing performance from iconic jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and his jazz quartet. After the show, Mr. Rosenwinkel and the band took time to chat with the forum’s jazz enthusiasts, graciously answering their questions.

Pipes and Drums: The United States Corps of Cadets and the USMA Band worked together in their first of four sessions of the “Pipes & Drums Recording Project”, setting the groundwork to record a future album set on the stage of Ike Hall.

Skeet & Trap: The West Point Skeet & Trap team reinforced its position as the preeminent collegiate shotgun team in the Northeastern U.S. at the annual Yale Invitational shoot held on the grounds of the Hartford Gun Club. The cadets dominated the competition, winning the team overall trophy with 668 targets. Cadet Andrew Laib ‘14 won the award for high overall individual shooter, with Cadet Robert Sterling ‘15 taking third place in the overall competition. Laib also took second place in the American skeet competition, as well as second place in American trap. Top honors in the American trap competition went to Cadet Sterling who edged out Cadet Laib by one target in a shoot-off.

Marathon Team: The West Point Marathon Team travelled to Fairfield, Connecticut to race in the Boston Buildup 30k. For the men, Cadet Ben Shields ‘15 led the team by finishing second among the field of approximately 100 runners. On the women’s side, Cadet Mackenzie Vaughn ‘14 continued to pace the women’s team as West Point’s top female.

Crew Team: The Crew Team participated in the Rollins Invitational. The men’s varsity eight finished 2nd out of 5 boats, missing first by 1 second. The women’s varsity eight also finished 2nd out of 5 boats missing first by 5.3 seconds, while the novice women’s four took 1st of 2 boats. The men’s novice team went to Oak Ridge, TN for training and development. Generous cadet parents and the West Point Society of Knoxville treated the team to six meals during the week.

Fencing Team: The Fencing Team won a record 27 medals at the SAC Conference Championships held at the College of William and Mary. Cadet Marvin Hargraves took home the Gold for the first time in Men’s Epee defeating Navy in the final round of competition. The Men’s Epee Squad, led by Cadet Hargraves with team mates Cadet Mark Owens and Cadet Dave Maynor, finished second place for the day – the highest finish for the squad. Cadet Blake Gordon also brought home the Gold for the first time in Men’s Sabre defeating rival Navy. Cadet Gordon and his teammates Cadet Dom Casinelli and Cadet Zach Leonard finished second as a squad. The Men’s Foil squad finished in second place, sending Cadet Jeff Nielsen and Cadet Andrew Wiggins to the individual finals where they both medaled – finishing 3rd and 6th respectively. Cadet Alexandria Rodgers led her women’s epee squad to their second consecutive conference championship win over University of Pittsburgh, and sent both Cadet Rodgers and Cadet Elizabeth Judd to the individual finals where they finished 3rd and 2nd respectively for the day. Cadet Darcy Parks won her first medal at the championships winning bronze, and then leading her women’s sabre squad to a 3rd place finish over Virginia Tech. Women’s Foil led by Cadet Leah Fynaut improved their standing over last year, beating out University of Miami to finish in 7th place.

Foreign Language and Culture Forum (Korean-American Relations): Members of the Korean-American Relations Seminar attended KASCON, one of the largest Korean-American conferences in the nation with participants from over 40 colleges and universities. The three day conference provided cadets the opportunity to attend seminars designed to promote open forums where issues pertinent to the Korean and Asian American communities could be examined. Cadets gained a better understanding of the numerous political, social, and cultural issues that affect Asian American communities today.

Mixed Martial Arts (Kendo): The West Point Kendo Club fought in Harvard University's 17th annual "shoryuhai" kendo tournament.

Mixed Martial Arts (Karate): Five members of the Army Karate Team travelled to Albuquerque, New Mexico to compete in the 2013 United States Karate Alliance’s National Competition. Cadet John Carson placed third in Men’s Black Belt Kata as well as third in Men’s Black Belt Kumite (middle weight). Cadet Spenser Rapone placed fourth in Men’s Black Belt Kumite (middle weight), and Cadet Blaze Bissar competed in Men’s Advanced Belt Kumite and Kata. Cadet Liana Blatnik placed second in Women’s Advanced Belt Kata and fourth in Women’s Advanced Belt Kumite, while Cadet William Carson placed second in Men’s Black Belt Kumite (light heavy weight).

Racquetball: The Cadet Racquetball Team competed at the National Intercollegiate Championship and nine of the 11 cadets representing West Point recorded tournament points by winning matches. The team finished with an impressive total of 384 points in the tournament. Top performers included Cadets Albert Casas (96.5 points), Tyler Harrison (82.75 points), William Wright (72.75 points), and James Sutter (47.5 points). Among his victories, Cadet Casas earned the overall win for the Men’s Collegiate Singles #3 Blue bracket. Additionally, Cadets Harrison and Wright combined to place third overall in the highly competitive Men’s Collegiate Doubles #1 Gold consolation bracket.

Debate Council and Forum (Model UN): The West Point Model United Nations team travelled to Melbourne, Australia to compete in the World Model United Nations tournament. Diplomacy award winners were Cadets Will Dickson ‘13, Ben Ketchum ‘13, Colleen Harrison ‘13, Warren Geary ‘14, Megan McNulty ‘15, and Ross Boston ‘13.

Combat Weapons: The West Point Combat Weapons Team competed in the 14th Joint Service Academy Combat Weapons Competition hosted by Smith and Wesson Corporation at their indoor range facility. The final combined team scores were 1820 seconds to Navy, 1824 seconds to Army, 1972 seconds to Coast Guard and 2007 seconds to Texas A&M. Cadet Jim Fiser had the overall 2nd best score of the competition with 338 seconds. Cadets Austin Marietta, Danny Freeman and Andrew Zecha all finished in the top ten.

What Makes West Point Unique?

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:52:00 GMT

What makes the United States Military Academy at West Point so different from other schools and service academies? We break it all down in this issue of "West Point" magazine.

Categories include

People
Campus
Academics
Tradition
Culture
Alumni

Check out the digital version (with loads of additional content including photos and video) while you wait for your subscription to arrive! You can also download the free West Point Magazine iPad app to read it on the go.

If you're not a subscriber, stop by the Gift Store to get a copy or purchase it online.

And be sure to head to our Facebook and Twitter pages to tell us what you think makes West Point unique!

The Bataan Memorial Death March

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:17:00 GMT

Some cadets choose to finish their Spring Break completing the 26.2 mile component of the Bataan Memorial March in New Mexico. The Bataan Memorial Death March is a challenging march through the high desert terrain of White Sands Missile Range, conducted in honor of the heroic service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health and, in many cases, their very lives. Army Strong!

PHOTOS & VIDEO: Cadets Perform Works by Author Toni Morrison

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:52:00 GMT

Department of English & Philosophy cadets honored author Toni Morrison by performing her works during a dinner hosted by the West Point Association of Graduates on March 22. Cadet Krystal Onyema sang "He Is By" from the opera Margaret Garner (libretto by Toni Morrison) and seven other cadets read passages from her novels, including Beloved and Home.

Watch video of the presentations

"I never expected this kind of welcome," Morrison said after the cadet presentations. "You have amazed and pleased me -- every single one of you."

To conclude the evening, Cadet Brandi-el Cook presented Morrison with a plaque featuring photos of Roscoe Robinson, the first black four-star general in the U.S. Army, and Henry O. Flipper, the Academy's first black graduate.

"You have in your hand the preliminary history of African Americans at West Point, and the great things they went on to do," El-Cook said.

See photos from the evening

Read about Morrison's lecture earlier in the day

Dean’s Weekly, March 22

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 01:01:00 GMT

2^nd Annual West Point Chemical Engineering Fuel Cell Car: Cadets of CH152, Advanced General Chemistry, participated in the second annual West Point Chemical Engineering Fuel Cell Car Competition sponsored by the West Point Chemical Engineering Program. Given a fuel Cell car, a target distance, and a load, the cadets determine the amount of hydrogen gas in order to fuel the car and achieve the distance desired without going over the finish line. Each hour had a winning team that was awarded a West Point Chemical Engineering Ruler.

West Point Selects 6 Teams for Soldier Design Competition: Twelve teams with advisors and cadets representing five different academic departments presented their projects as candidates for entry into the MIT-West Point 10th Annual Soldier Design Competition. The competition seeks feasible, near-term engineering solutions that will support soldier and/or first responder needs. The Center for Innovation and Engineering is the West Point host and liaison with M.I.T. for the preparation and assessment of the cadet teams. This year’s group of teams represents a very diverse and strong field of projects. The projects proceeding to the final round of competition are as follows: Lighter-Than-Air Radiological Survey UAV (P&NE), Non-Lethal 40mm Grenade Obscurant (CME), Stryker Rear Air-Guard Hatches (Re-Design) (CME), B-Hut/SIP-Hut Deployable Living Structures(CME), Fatty-Acid Disinfection System (C&LS/GEnE), and Multiplexed Diagnostics (C&LS).

EV387 (Meteorology) Field Study: Students in EV387 (Meteorology) placed a research wind sensor next to the North Dock helipad as part of a field study of winds around West Point. Simultaneous measurements will be taken from 5 locations on post and analyzed. The research furthers students understanding of terrain winds and supports a G3 and 2nd AVN inquiry about wind sock locations.

Waste-To-Energy Research: Cadets Floren Herrera, Louis Tobergte, and Jessica Niemiec spent their spring break collaborating with research colleagues from ARDEC Picatinney, Benet Labs, and SUNY Cobleskill to further their waste-to -energy research funded by RDECOM and SERDP (DOD-EPA-DOE Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program). The team made great progress in designing, building, and testing two alternative gas scrubbing schemes that will support a rotary kiln waste to energy gasifier for FOB waste to electricity applications.

SE/EM 403 Capstone Project : Cadets Erin Farinelli, Cody Ross, Stuart Tepoorten, and Cody Nyp participated in a field experiment at the ASA(ALT) sponsored Technical Support and Operational Analysis (TSOA) Activity for deployable force protection at Camp Blanding, Florida. As part of an SE/EM 403 Capstone Project, the cadets are partnering with Night Vision Laboratory to develop re-design options for the Cerberus Lite ground radar system currently fielded in USCENTCOM to create an enhanced modular system with broader CONOPS than the current design affords.

Cadet Competitive Cyber Team (C3T) in Codegate 2013 YUT Challenge: The Cadet Competitive Cyber Team (C3T) competed in the Codegate 2013 YUT Challenge, an international cyber security competition hosted in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The team participated remotely, occupying computer labs in Thayer Hall, and spent 36 hours straight solving a series of cyber challenges in the areas of digital forensics, software vulnerabilities, web application exploitation, and binary data analysis. The C3T placed 79th out of 285 competitors, a respectable showing for their first team competition, especially considering the experience level of the competitors.

Cadet Activities Roundup, March 21

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:31:00 GMT

Orienteering: The West Point Orienteering Team began their spring break by travelling to Shawnee, Kansas for the U.S. Intercollegiate Championships. The team secured their 11th consecutive and 35th Intercollegiate national title. The West Point Orienteering team swept the men’s varsity category with Cadets Nolan Miles ’13 placing first, Zach Schroeder ’14 second, and Andrew Eck ’13 third by only one second. Cadet Judelyn Farrow ’15 placed third in the women’s varsity category.

Judo: Selected West Point Judo athletes attend training at the University of Puerto Rico during Spring Break in preparation for the Collegiate Nationals. The athletes had the opportunity to train four times with Olympic Coach Hiromi Tomita and his athletes. On the back end of spring break, athletes travelled to Iowa State University for National Collegiate Judo where they crushed the competition by winning gold in both the Men’s and Women’s Novice divisions and silver in the two Advanced divisions. Combined, West Point Judo athletes won 62 individual matches at this challenging event.

Pistol: At the National Intercollegiate Pistol Championships at Fort Benning, GA Cadet Heather Deppe ’13 shot the team high score three times and earned the individual bronze medal. The team won the overall title by besting Navy by nearly 40 points in the three-event aggregate. Eight Army Pistol Team members earned 14 All-America honors.

Fencing: At the North America Cup Championship in Sabre in Reno, NV, Cadet Domenic Casinelli finished 24^th of 225 qualifiers in the Division II Event, and improved to 14^th of 331 in Division III. Cadet Casinelli now has the opportunity to qualify for the USFA Summer National Championships.

Triathlon Team: During Spring Break, the West Point Triathlon team travelled to Scottsdale, AZ for an intense week of training in preparation for the USAT Collegiate Nationals race which will be held in Tempe, AZ in April. The team logged over 5,250 miles of swimming, cycling, and running with each athlete completing nearly 21,000 feet of climbing in the mountains around the Phoenix area.

Scuba Team: The Scuba club took 25 cadets to San Pedro Island off the coast of Belize to dive the famous Blue Hole and see sharks, eels, jellyfish and squids.

Cadet Activities Roundup, March 14

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:20:00 GMT

Aviation: The West Point Aviation Club Flying team won the Northeast Collegiate Regional Flying Team Competition in New Bedford, MA. Their total score for the competition was 548, with the next highest score of 441 achieved by a school that historically dominates this competition. The Flying Team is now invited to the National Competition at Ohio State University in May.

Water Polo: The West Point Water Polo team hosted seventeen teams as part of the 4th Annual CPT John Hallett Memorial Tournament at West Point. The Water Polo Team hosts this tournament in honor of John Hallett, former captain, who was killed in action in southern Afghanistan in 2009. The West Point Water Polo team competed in six games, finishing fourth overall. Two noteworthy victories were the 20-7 victory over the Coast Guard Academy and the 15-9 victory over the United States Naval Academy club team, marking the fifth consecutive win of Army Water Polo over Navy Water Polo.

Snow Support (Ski Patrol): Forty cadets travelled to the Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, VT to conduct ski and toboggan (S&T) skills testing for their National Ski Patrol (NSP) certifications. Fifteen of the 18 candidate patrollers passed their S&T skills testing and were granted their NSP certifications.

Team Handball Team (Men): West Point Team Handball hosted the largest and most competitive club tournament in the country this season. West Point lost the semi-final game to the tournament Champion Team, New York City Team Handball, by a score of 25-20.

Army Takes Revenge on Navy, Captures Women's Air Pistol Titles

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:45:00 GMT

West Point cadets were starting from behind. Watching as their rivals from the Naval Academy laid claim to the first prize of the Intercollegiate Pistol Championship, Army stormed back in the second half to capture team and individual titles in NRA Women's Air Pistol Championships.

Four of the five championships remained unclaimed, but the wins would not come easy. The marksmanship, patience, and swagger developed throughout the winter pistol season would be put to the test. Especially in the second overall championship -- Women's Air Pistol.

The Naval Academy won Women's Air Pistol for the last three years. While the team has always been solid, it was the performance of last year's Overall Women champ Emily Meyer that truly made a difference. But Meyer isn't here. She graduated in 2012.

The same could not be said for Army's star shooter.

Enter Heather Deppe. Winner of the 2011 Women's Overall championship, Deppe experienced a number of narrow defeats to Meyer over the past few seasons. But Meyer was gone. The title was her's to take. The one match that always eluded her.

Boxers Across the Country Prepping for National Championships

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:18:00 GMT

The 2013 National Collegiate Boxing Championships will be held on April 4, 5, and 6 at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. "We are very pleased to have our national collegiate championships hosted at a site that has the superb history of championship bouts that Foxwoods has enjoyed," said NCBA president Ken Cooper.

The NCBA, with 35 universities and all 4 service academies as members, first will send their athletes to regional competitions. Those that emerge victorious will move on to the championships at Foxwoods Resort. Among the schools that reached the NCBA championships last year were Penn State, University of Nevada Reno, UNLV, University of Massachusetts, Iowa State, West Virginia, Cal Berkeley, University of Washington and all four of the U.S. service academies. In total, 19 universities competed in the 2012 championships.

This will be the 38th national collegiate boxing championships and the U.S. service academies have enjoyed great success with their athletes. The academies have won 28 of the 37 national collegiate titles to date. The U.S. Air Force Academy took the title in 2012. Twelve championships in different weight classes will be contested on Saturday night, April 6, at Foxwoods Resort.

Read about the Army team!

Thursday's bouts will be open to the public for no charge, and will start at 1pm. The semifinals occur on Friday night with the first match at 5. The finals start on Saturday night at 7. Ticket prices are $35 and $25. Tickets will be $15 for those with a student ID. For those with a military ID, tickets are $30 and $20.

Dean’s Weekly, March 11

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 03:40:00 GMT

Former Prepsters Return: Former USMAPS prepsters reached back to Cadet Candidates to offer tips on making a successful transition to USMA. The cadets shared their USMA experiences and answered questions in small and large group settings.

Critical Thinking about Leadership: Information Literacy and Critical Thinking Plebe classes hosted a select group of outstanding upper-class cadets to learn firsthand lessons in cadet leadership. Fourth class cadets Justen Anka, Lindsey Danilack, Eric Triller, Patrick Samuels, Will Goodwin, Ashli Carlson, Orlando Sonza, Chris Kelly, Duncan Aylor, Samuel Sands, Danny Freeman, Christopher Bolin, Alex Morrow, Bill Owens, Jacob Swatley, Sally Sittnick, and Isaac Murray engaged in informal conversations over topics including academic achievement, scholarship competitions, summer training requirements, physical and military development and preparing for their initial leadership opportunity when assigned their new cadet in the Fall.

MX400 Guest Speaker Series: Four lieutenants and a captain from 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) who recently redeployed from Kandahar Province spoke about their combat experiences to 550 firsties in MX400. In the middle of the event, cadets posted questions for the speakers via a mobile application. In addition to answering some of the questions during the event, the speakers continued to engage in the mobile discussion space after the event—even a day after—thereby extending the learning outside the walls of Robinson Auditorium.

Cadet in Society of Women Engineers Magazine: Cadet Jennifer Alonso ’14, CE major, along with COL Daisie Boettner and Dr. Elizabeth Bristow were among the women highlighted in the Winter 2013 Society of Women Engineers Magazine. The article by Sandra Guy is entitled “Women in Military Labs Contribute on a Multitude of Fronts” and highlights the many contributions women in the Department of Defense are making in science and technology. The article can be accessed at http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/swe/winter13/#/40.

PY201 – Evolution of Beauty: PY201 (Philosophy) students enjoyed an evening lecture on "Evolution of Beauty" with USMA Band member SFC Sam Kaestner and the West Point Woodwind Quintet. Encouraging cadets to think associatively and innovatively, the event illustrated how art and music from Neoclassical, Impressionist, and Abstract-Expressionist traditions can facilitate and complement the exploration of larger philosophical ideas. The presentation creatively juxtaposed works of visual art by Jacques Louis David, Claude Monet, Mark Rothko, and Chuck Close with the ensemble’s performances of music by W. A. Mozart, Maurice Ravel, John Cage, and Nico Muhly.

VIDEO: Cadets Lead Leadership & Ethics Conference in Florida

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:15:00 GMT

Dozens of Hillsborough County high school students spent the day learning life lessons outside of the classroom. Teens selected to participate in the West Point Leadership & Ethics Conference are identified as some of the highest achievers in Bay area classrooms.

Their teachers during last week's seminar at the University of Tampa were students themselves. They are local U.S. Military Academy cadets on spring leave from West Point. While they're still in school, they're experts on today's lesson: ethics.

"We have a Cadet Honor Code which is that a cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do. It's something that we live with on a daily basis," said Cadet Sean Minton.

The cadets are passing along their higher standard to hand-selected high school juniors who are following in their footsteps. The crux of today's conversation: the right choice isn't always the popular one.

"I'm here to try and break that peer pressure boundary, and to help them make the right moral decision as they go through life," said Cadet Nicholas Czupryn.

This is the fifth year Tampa's West Point Society has hosted the Leadership & Ethics Conference. Only a few other cities offer similar programs for high-achieving high school students.

Watch video

PHOTOS & VIDEO: Lessons, Values Passed On to Cadets at Ring Melt

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:22:00 GMT

Before placing her father's ring into the crucible at the 13th Annual West Point Class Ring Memorial Melt held on March 4, 2013, at the Pease & Curren refinery in Warwick, Rhode Island, Catherine Downing, daughter of Colonel John P. Downing Jr. '45, told class officers present from the Class of 2014: "In ancient times, people believed that the blood that flowed from one's ring finger went straight to the heart. I know that the values my dad learned at West Point -- Duty, Honor, Country -- went straight to his heart. I hope for you cadets that my dad's heart's blood will strengthen you in your future." In fact, the strength coming from Colonel Downing's ring and the rings of 36 other graduates donated is making an impact on the cadets now.

Cadet Jeff Ferebee, President of the Class of 2014, noted that a strong feeling "swept over" him at the Ring Melt. "This event showed a special side of the West Point family paradigm," he said, "a group of those who have lived the dream and continue to live the dream by giving to us, the ones joining that family--the Class of 2014 is indebted to the Association of Graduates and the donors who made this event possible."

Family figured prominently in this year's Ring Melt. This year's ceremony saw the most family members of donors in attendance, including Colonel Richard Norton and his son Tim, who placed their uncle's ring, Colonel Robert McCord '47, into the crucible. Mr. Jake Ruppert '76 was also on hand to donate his own ring, wanting its gold to be part of the ring of his nephew, who is a member of the Class of 2014. Another living donor, Colonel (Ret) Kenneth Webber Jr. '48, divided his ring in two: half was donated last year so that its gold could be part of his granddaughter's class ring, Candace Webber '13, and this year his grandson, Cadet Kenneth Webber '14, and his son, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Kurt Webber '79, placed the other half into the crucible.

The most rings in this year's program came from the Class of 1964, the 50-Year Affiliation Class to that of 2014. Before placing the ring of her husband, Colonel Leon Yourtee III '64, into the crucible, his widow, Mrs. Roberta Yourtee, foretold of the familial bonds awaiting the cadets as members of the Long Gray Line. "The greatest gift my husband left me was the Class of 1964," she said.

The rings in the crucible, along with gold shavings taken from all Ring Melt ceremonies dating from the inaugural one in 2001 and now representing 293 rings, were melted in a 2,300-degree furnace and poured into a mold to form a solid gold bar weighing nearly two pounds. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the bar was turned over to Jayne Roland, a representative from Balfour, the jeweler contracted with manufacturing the rings that will be handed out to the Class of 2014 during Ring Weekend in August.

Upon inspecting the shiny new rings on their fingers, may the lessons and values contained in the gold reach the cadets' hearts and may the gold reflect the faces of the Long Gray Line family to which they now rightly belong.

See photos | Watch video

Ferrell '14 Stresses Perseverance to High School Students

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:05:00 GMT

Success is achieved more though courage and perseverance than innate talent, according to a United States Military Academy cadet.

Ben Ferrell '14, who graduated from Maryville High School, spoke at Montgomery Ridge Intermediate, Coulter Grove Intermediate, Maryville Junior High, and Maryville High schools. The cadet, who is on spring break, was making a brief stop in town.

"In eighth grade, I tried out for the track team," said Ferrell, addressing Maryville Junior High School's students. "I wasn't a very good runner, and I wasn't very fast at the time, so I didn't make the team. I also tried out for the soccer team, but I wasn't very good at that, either. I didn't make the A team. I didn't make the B team. I made the C team, and I was pretty much a bench warmer."

He tried out a lot of things at Maryville Middle School. "When I was in eighth grade, I was still figuring stuff out. I had no idea what I wanted to do, which is why I wanted to share my experience with you."

Ferrell continued to try a lot of things as a high-schooler. He played violin in the orchestra, competed on the swimming team, and worked as lifeguard.

The cadet also did fairly well, academically. However, he didn't get all As.

"The service academies look at how hard you work," Ferrell said. "I tried really hard at a lot of things. They saw that I failed at stuff, but I got up and tried other things."

Cadet Activities Roundup, March 7

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:42:00 GMT

Powerlifting: The Army Powerlifting Team competed in the Albany Strength Powerlifting Championship. Even without their senior members who were celebrating 100^th Night Weekend, the team crushed the competition. Four out of five members placed 1st in their division, and the team set several NY State lifting records. Captain Adam Rubalcaba set three New York state records in the 220 pound weight class division with a 610 pound squat, 440 pound bench press and 615 pound dead lift. Cadet Sidney Blecher set two NY State records with a 315 pound bench press and an astonishing 500 pound squat. New York state records were also broken by team members Anthony Rombold and Lawrence Cavins. The team will next be travelling to Killeen, TX for the USAPL Collegiate Nationals on April 12-14.

Debate Council and Forum (Model UN): The Model United Nations team competed in the Princeton Interactive Crisis Simulation (PICSim). This conference involved an international flavor, with more than half the participants from universities outside of the United States. The West Point delegation won 1st Place, having been awarded the title of Best Delegation each time the West Point Model United Nations team has attended the conference. The following cadets performed exceptionally well: Best Delegate (First Place): Brandon Moore ’14, Allan Newman ’14, Patrick Beauregard ’15, Anthony Veith ’16, Or Taylor ’15. Outstanding Delegate (Second Place): Jack Worthington ’14, Jason Lally ’15, Sean Kealey ’15 and Jonathan Richards ’16 also represented West Point excellently at PICSim.

Paintball: Travelled to Poughkeepsie, NY for practice at an indoor facility in preparation for the National level events in April.

Team Handball Team (Women): West Point Women’s Team Handball took fourth place at Los Angeles Team Handball Club’s first tournament. The team will host its annual Laura Walker Tournament March 30-31 at Arvin Gymnasium in honor of 1LT Laura Walker ’03, a former West Point handball player who died in Afghanistan in 2005.

Mixed Martial Arts (Kendo): Army Kendo competed in the 20th annual Shidogakuin Tournament, where the cadets fought against opponents from university and private club teams from all over the northeastern US.

Climbing (Mountaineering): The climbing team competed at their 3rd CCS competition at The Edge rock gym. The team performed extremely well with Julian Barker taking second in the men’s category and Zhaina Myrakhanova taking second in the Women’s category. Mike Eack also had an amazing day as he lead climbed a 5.12 for 735 points and Matt Fitzgerald excelled in the bouldering category.

Debate Council and Forum (Debate): The Army Debate Team competed at JV/Novice Nationals at Towson University. Cadets Michael Barlow and James Saker won six of their seven preliminary rounds but lost on 2-1 decision in semi-finals to George Mason University in the JV division. Cadets Barlow and Saker earned the third and thirteenth speaker awards in JV, respectively. Cadets Leslie Cornelius and Bradley Hodgkins also advanced but lost to the top seed in quarterfinals on 3-0 decision. In the novice division, Cadets Caleb Stevens and Theodore Lipsky advanced to the final round but were defeated by Liberty University on 3-0 decision. Cadet Lipsky also won the eighth place speaker award in the novice division.

Fencing: The Women’s Fencing Team produced two individual finalists at the NIWFA Fencing Conference Championships in the elimination bracket of 16 athletes- Cadet Darcy Parks in Sabre finishing 11th and Cadet Elizabeth Judd in Epee at 15th. In a field of all varsity teams, the Women’s Epee Squad finished first in the club division. Cadet Tessa Knight had one of the best performances of the day going 11-5 on C Strip Epee. Cadet Leah Fynaut was awarded the All Conference and All Academic Awards from the NIWFA. The Men’s Fencing Team competed in their MAC Conference Championship and brought home the gold! In a tough championship format, Cadet Blake Gordon won the gold in Individual Men’s Sabre. Cadet Marvin Hargraves swept the A Pool in Epee coming out in 1st Place and after the individual finals finished in 2nd Place in a very tough fought match against our rival from Stevens Tech. The Men’s Epee Squad consisting of Cadets Marvin Hargraves, Dave Maynor and Mark Owens took home the bronze trophy for 3rd place. The Men’s Epee Squad finished 1st and the Men’s Team finished 1st in that division as well. A unanimous vote of all Fencing Coaches awarded the Men’s Team with the 2013 Sportsmanship Award, and Coach Bob Grieser with the 2013 MAC Conference Coach of the Year Award.

Skeet & Trap: The Skeet & Trap Team made their annual trip to the historic Camp Fire Club of America. The club counts Teddy Roosevelt as one of its founding members and is one of the oldest shooting clubs in the New York Region. A variety of unorthodox shooting games not usually shot in collegiate competition gave the Camp Fire shooters the edge as the two teams contested the Amos Bock Trophy. The trophy is named after 2LT Bock ‘04, a former team member who was killed in action in 2006 in Iraq.

Jewish Chapel Choir: Cadets participated in Jewish Collegiate Festival of the Performing Arts along with groups from Boston University, Columbia/Barnard/Jewish Theological Seminary and Brandeis University.

Snow Sports (Snowboarding): The Snowboard Club competed in its last regional competition at Windham Mountain for the last of five slope style competitions. Wesley Sickman took first place, Matt Clidas took 3^rd, and Chris Beatty was selected to compete in the USASA national’s competition for Slope style.

Athletic Director’s Update, March 6

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:28:00 GMT

From the Athletic Director, the women’s basketball team won its last two games and, aided by Navy’s loss in the regular-season finale, claimed the No. 1 seed in this year’s Patriot League Tournament. Both teams posted 11-3 records, but a season sweep of the Mids gave Dave Magarity’s squad the right to host throughout the conference playoffs. On Tuesday, the team made history by winning four of the Patriot League major awards. Magarity earned his first Patriot League Coach of the Year honor, Anna Simmers was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, and in a league first, Kelsey Minato took both the Patriot League Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. Army is the first team to win all four of those honors in the same season. Kelsey and Anna were named to the All-Patriot League First Team, while Aimee Oertner joined Minato on the league’s All-Rookie squad. The Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team and Anna’s all-league selections were all unanimous.

The men’s basketball team was also well represented on the Patriot League awards list. Zach Spiker was honored as the Patriot League Coach of the Year and Kyle Wilson was the unanimous choice as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Zach is just the third Army coach in program history, and first since 2002, to be named a conference’s top coach. Kyle is the program’s third Rookie of the Year, but the first in 20 years. Ella Ellis was a unanimous first-team All-Patriot League pick, becoming the first Black Knight to earn multiple first-team accolades in 17 years. Wilson was a unanimous All-Rookie team selection and was joined on the squad by Kyle Toth. The team finished the regular season with a program record eight Patriot League wins (the first winning season since 1984-85) and earned the No. 4 seed in the postseason.

Two of the longest-standing records in their respective programs fell over the weekend when lacrosse’s Garrett Thul broke the Army all-time scoring mark and track’s Lisa Junta topped the Academy record in the 5,000-meter run. Thul scored seven goals in the win over Michigan at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium to run his career total to 141 and pass Scott Finlay’s mark of 140 that had stood since 1978. Thul was named both the Orange Bowl Lacrosse Classic Most Valuable Player and the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week.

After breaking Army Athletics Hall of Fame member Teresa Sobiesk’s Academy record in the 3,000 meters at the Patriot League Championships, Junta topped her mark in the 5,000 meters en route to the ECAC title. The previous mark had stood since 1987.

There were two other record-setting performances on the track last weekend. Katrina Donarski topped her own Academy record in the 500 meters and the men’s 4x400-meter relay team of Matt Green, Chris Smith, Stevyn Spees and Patrick Taylor posting a new Army standard.

Lisa, Garrett, Ella and Anna were all honored as Army Athletic Association Co-Athletes of the Week. Ella capped his regular season with back-to-back 30-point efforts, while Anna scored 21 points in both games last week and showed the defensive prowess that led to her conference award. Rounding out the list of accolades this week was softball outfielder Amanda Nguyen. Amanda was the Patriot League Player of the Week after hitting .643 and scoring six runs in four games last weekend.

As the winter season winds down, three teams get their chance for postseason glory this week. The rifle team will compete in the NCAA Championships for the 10^th straight year, while the hockey team heads to Mercyhurst for an AHA best-of-three series beginning Friday. The wrestling team is at the EIWA championships Friday and Saturday.

Dean’s Weekly, March 1

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:04:00 GMT

Hertz Fellowship Finalist: Cadet Brandon Clumpner has been selected as one of the 50 finalists for the 2013-2014 Hertz Fellowship. Considered to be the Nation's most generous support for graduate education in the applied physical, biological and engineering sciences, the Hertz Fellowship is valued at more than a quarter million dollars per student and support lasts for up to five years. Brandon has a 2nd round interview in Newark on March 1 with award announcements expected by April 1. Brandon has previously been selected as the Naval Post Graduate School fellowship winner in January.

New Faces of Engineering: Mechanical Engineering major Cadet Adam Leemans was selected as a finalist in the New Faces of Engineering national competition by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The competition seeks to recognize and highlight the diverse backgrounds of the rising generation of outstanding engineers in the United States. The top ranked academic performer in his class, Cadet Leemans is also the Brigade Energy and Environmental Officer, Captain of the Triathlon team, and will be pursuing graduate studies related to energy on a Rotary scholarship in England.

First Edition of Cadet-Run Newspaper, Past in Review: Cadets Stephanie Wangeman '13, Teddy Fong '14, and Calla Glavin '14 helped lead an effort to publish the first edition of the Cadet-run newspaper Past in Review in several decades. These cadets liaised with senior Academy leadership and coordinated efforts with dozens of fellow cadets to create a new Brigade Staff position (Assistant Brigade S-2/PAO, currently Cadet Glavin) who will serve as the editor-in-chief of the newspaper in an official capacity.

Cadet Paper Publication: The peer-reviewed Journal of Special Forces Medicine accepted a technical paper for publication with two cadets as lead authors. The article, Single versus Double Routing of the Band in the Combat Application Tourniquet was written based on detailed experiments done during a summer 2012 AIAD to the Army Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, TX. Cadets Brandon Clumpner ‘13 and Ryan Polston ‘14, both mechanical engineering majors with a focus on bio-mechanics, are joined in the authorship by several medical doctors and scientific staff who supported the effort.

STEM Outreach, Mission Impossible – Save Eggly: Cadets from the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department challenged the West Point Middle School 6th Grade class to use science, technology, engineering, and math concepts to build a rescue device to save Eggly from atop a mountain surrounded by lava. The cadets included Paige Youngerman, Alessandra Coote, Holly Schlotterbeck, Melissa Wells, Christal Theriot, Jean Presley, Jennifer Alonso, and Mackenzie Vaughn.

Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering Colloquium: DTRA, Nuclear Science and Engineering Research Center hosted an NE400 Nuclear Engineering Seminar Series Colloquium which was given by Dr. Richard Garwin on “Reflections on Nuclear Weapons: Then and Now”.

Engineers Week: A contingent of West Point Chemical Engineering cadets celebrated Engineer Week and enhanced their knowledge of chemical engineering by travelling to the annual Mid-Hudson Technical Societies Engineers Week Banquet. The technical program included a very important chemical engineering related talk “A Future Made of Glass” on the manufacturing of glass components for industry by Dr. John E LaSala ‘72 and former USMA faculty member.

Guest Lecture – EV396 (Environmental Biological Systems): Dr. Dwight D. Bowman, a Professor of Parasitology at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, gave a presentation to Cadets in EV396 (Environmental Biological Systems). Dr. Bowman is an expert in the field of veterinary parasitology and introduced Cadets to a wide-range of protozoans, worms, other parasitic organisms, and discussed methods of transmission. Dr. Bowman advised Cadets on preventive measures and left them with vivid images of the consequences of not preparing for the medical threat in regions where they may lead Soldiers in the future.

Budget Saving Initiatives: Approximately 500 cadets in General Psychology for Leaders (PL100) took an online WPR using the BlackBoard program. 99% of the cadets were able to successfully logon to the network, access the test, and submit their answers. Preliminary analysis of cadets’ performance suggests no difference in performance between the paper test administered last semester and the online version administered this semester. The PL100 program intends to continue using online WPRs and will also conduct an online Term End Examination in May.

RecycleMania Video and Current Standings: The 2013 RecycleMania video is out and circulating through the Corps! The video, which features the Dean, IOCT all-star Cadet Teddy Fong, and Rabble Rouser Cadet Christen Constantino has served to increase awareness regarding the competition. View the video by clicking here. After two weeks of competition, USMA is doing very well. We are currently 4th of 311 schools in the Per Capita Classic, 10th of 137 in the Paper Division, 2nd of 137 in the Cardboard Division, and 11th of 131 in the Bottles/Cans Division. We are also 52nd of 311 in the Gorilla Division (bulk weight division). Stats can be viewed weekly at http://recyclemaniacs.org/.

Cadet Activities Roundup, February 28

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:50:00 GMT

WKDT Radio Station: During the Army-Navy Men’s and Women’s Basketball games, Cadets Drew Huelfer ‘16 and Bryce Tyson ‘14 conducted a halftime interview with GEN Martin Dempsey '74, Chairman, JCS. Afterwards, the cadets received a coin from GEN Dempsey.

Pistol: The Pistol Team traveled to Annapolis to compete against the Naval Academy Pistol Team over Presidents Weekend. Army won the Standard Pistol event with a score of 2142 to Navy’s 2140. However, on the second day of the match Navy won the Air Pistol event 2231 to 2200 and the Free Pistol event 2080 to 1998, giving them a 3-event aggregate score of 6451to Army’s 6340. The team is preparing for Nationals in two weeks.

Snowboarding: The Snowboard Club competed in its first Slopestyle event. Cadet Wesley Sickman took first place, Cadet Chris Beatty took second, and Cadet Matt Clidas finished third, sweeping the podium. All of these members are one step closer to qualifying for Snowboard Nationals in Copper, CO.

Nordic Skiing: The West Point Nordic Ski Team competed in their Regional competition at the Camp Ethan Allen Biathlon Range in Jericho, VT. The Men took 2nd Place overall in the team standings. Team captain James Bassette ‘14 led on the Men’s side with an overall individual 3rd Place finish. Plebe Josh Bassette finished 5th overall and distinguished himself by taking 1st in the 1.5 km Skate-sprint. Plebes Jon Gilbertson and Andrew Beckmann finished 10th and 14th overall, respectively. For the Women, Emily Buck ‘15 placed 3rd overall in the individual standings after placing 2nd, 5th, and 6th in previous races. The Women took a 3rd Place overall team finish.

Parachute Team: Twenty-five cadets from the West Point Parachute Team conducted wind tunnel training in Nashua, NH. During the three day period, the team utilized seven and half hours of free fall time.

Foreign Language and Culture Forum (French): Twenty-five cadets travelled to Quebec City, Canada to visit the 2e Bataillon du Royal 22e Regiment at La Citadelle. Cadets learned some key differences between the US military structure and the Canadian military structure. Cadets were honored with a visit to the regimental veteran’s chamber where General George Vanier is buried.

Pipes and Drums: The United States Corps of Cadets Pipes & Drums performed a halftime show for the Army Men’s Basketball game versus Colgate. The band performed the tunes “Scotland the Brave”, “Rowan Tree”, and the always popular “Army Strong” at center court for the Army home crowd.

Debate Council and Forum (Debate Team): The Army Debate Team competed at the CEDA East Regional Tournament at Western Connecticut State University. Cadets Michael Barlow and Jay Saker finished in third place while qualifying for the National Debate Tournament. The National Debate Tournament is the premier debate event in the nation and the Army Debate Team has not had a team qualify for this event since 2007.

Scoutmasters’ Council: The key leaders of the Scoutmaster Council travelled to Park City, UT over Presidents Day weekend. This was in preparation for the annual SMC Scout Camporee in April which brings 5500 scouts to Lake Frederick.

Glee Club: The West Point Glee Club travelled to Washington, D.C. Co-sponsored by the West Point Alumni Glee Club and the Marcia K. Randall Glee Club Endowment, the Cadet Glee Club performed at Walter Reed’s Wounded Warrior Center where they were pleased to visit with and dedicate a song to 1LT Nick Vogt ‘10. The club appeared on Sunday afternoon in a free public concert, VETStravaganza, to a full house. The concert was designed to draw attention to the value that Veterans bring to employers. “The American Warrior” featured a reading of the poem by MG(R) Alan Salisbury ‘58 by Glee Club Alumni COL (R -USAF) Malcolm Agnew ‘49, and former Glee Club President CPT Lisa Beum ‘09.

Racquetball: The Cadet Racquetball Team had a successful trip to the Regional Championships for Eastern Collegiate Racquetball Conference (ECRC) in Bethlehem, PA this past weekend. Top finishers from the competition included: • Runner-up: Men’s 2 Collegiate Blue Doubles: Cadets Daniel Blaine and Patrick Innes • Runner-up: Men’s 3 Collegiate Blue Doubles: Cadets John Hendler and John Markham • Runner-up, Men’s 3 Collegiate Blue Singles: Cadet John Markham • Runner-up, Women’s 1 Collegiate Red Singles: Cadet Sarah Hutchison. ECRC presented regional awards for the 2012-13 season and the Women’s Team took home 3rd place honors overall. Additionally, team captain Megan Maurer was honored with the Daren Hidalgo award for sportsmanship. The award is given to one player in ECRC annually, and is named in honor of former USMA graduate and Team Captain Daren Hidalgo ‘09 who was killed in action in Afghanistan in February 2011.

Athletic Director’s Update, February 28

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:45:00 GMT

The gymnastics team defeated the Mids at West Point on Sunday. The team won four of the six events, and Garrek Hojan-Clark (pommel horse), Chris Short (parallel bars), Jesse Glenn (floor exercise, all-around), and Kip Webber (still rings) earned individual victories.

The swimming & diving teams competed at the Patriot League Championships with the Black Knights earning four event titles. Firstie diver Chris Nguyen captured both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events to earn his third straight Patriot League Diver of the Meet honor. Chris became only the 10^th Patriot League student-athlete to earn four first-team all-conference swimming & diving certificates.

As a team, the men finished second with its highest point total in six years. On the women’s side, plebe Molly Mucciarone won the title in the 50 freestyle, Army’s first winner in that event since 2001. Molly also was part of the program’s first 200-freestyle relay championship team since 2001. She was named first-team All-Patriot League. As a team, the women posted their highest point total in 12 seasons. Molly was also selected as our Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week.

The rifle team qualified for its 10^th straight NCAA Championship, which will be held March 8-9 in Columbus, Ohio. Individual qualifiers will be announced on Thursday. Several shooters were honored by the Great American Rifle Conference last week. Michael Matthews earned first-team honors in the smallbore discipline, honorable mention in air rifle and second-team in the combined scoring category. Richard Calvin was a second-team selection in air rifle, while Joseph Todaro earned honorable mention in smallbore. Chris Malachoskey was named the GARC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Distance runner Lisa Junta, who won both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter run at the conference championship last week, was named the female Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Lisa was joined by Ricardo Galindo on the Patriot League Academic All-League teams as well.

Staying in the classroom, we are pleased to report that both cross country teams were named Division I All-Academic teams by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) by having held a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better and have started at least five runners at their respective NCAA regional championship.

Lacrosse goalkeeper Sam Somers also earned accolades this week. He was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week after his 18-save performance at Syracuse.

Dean's Weekly, February 22

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:10:00 GMT

EN102 - The Relationship between Poetry and Music: The Jazz Knights of the West Point Band delivered a lecture to approximately 150 cadets from EN102 (Literature) on the relationship between poetry and music entitled “Form Follows Function.” Throughout the two 55- minute presentations, SSG Mark Tonelli explained how both poets and musicians use particular poetic or musical forms to emphasize or otherwise feature certain themes or ideas within their work. The Jazz Knights’ presentation culminated with a musical arrangement and vocal performance of Robert Frost’s classic poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Photo by SFC William Calohan.

Soldier Design Competition Initial Design Briefings to RDECOM CSM: CSM Lebert Beharie travelled to West Point to meet with cadets on 12 different design teams representing student design efforts to solve soldier equipment as part of the annual Soldier Design Competition with M.I.T. CSM Beharie, SGM Chris Harris (ARL), and SGM Eric Usbeck (USMA G-3) comprised a senior enlisted panel charged with listening to 8-minute student design presentations and providing important veteran insights to assist the students in adjusting or improving their efforts as they prepare for a semi-finals round to be held 6 March at West Point and the finals round to be held 4 April at M.I.T).

Cadet Creative Writing Forum: COL (R) Joe Cox, former Academy Professor in DEP, visited West Point on Wednesday, 13 February, and spoke to the Cadet Creative Writing Forum. Author of The Written Wars: American War Prose through the Civil War and Garden’s Close, his most recent collection of poems, COL (R) Cox presented several of his own poems and commented on his personal reflections of life and war in his works. After his presentation, COL (R) Cox stayed for an informal discussion, which covered several topics including romance, family, the creative process, war, and death.

Course Field Trip – EV487 (Environmental Security): 19 cadets enrolled in EV487 Environmental Security participated in a field trip to the US Mission to the United Nations and to the United Nations itself. The cadets were briefed by USUN staff members who work in the Military Affairs branch of the US Mission and by experts from both the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Development Programme. They then toured the UN building viewing both the General Assembly and the Security Council meeting rooms among other highlights. The briefings tied directly to class discussions on how military and NGO organizations can promote stability and security in developing nations and thus limit the global spread of terrorism and the ultimate involvement of the US military.

New Shoulder Insignia - A Historic Occasion: The new cadet Energy and Environmental shoulder insignia was unveiled at the Energy and Environmental Officer (E2O). The shoulder insignia is in subdued and dress versions, where the rockers represent the cadet rank, and the three wavy lines beneath the rockers represent a common phenomenon found many places in the environment such as energy and water.

Cadet Activities Roundup, February 21

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 01:10:00 GMT

Model United Nations Team: The Model United Nations team competed in the Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN). This competition featured over 3,000 delegates from nations across the world including: England, France, South Africa, Venezuela, China, Singapore, and Japan. The West Point team won the national championship as the Best Small Delegation for the fifth time in eight years. The following Cadets performed exceptionally well: Megan McNulty '15 - Outstanding delegate (2nd Place), Brandon Moore '14 – Honorable Mention (3rd Place), Warren Geary '14 – Best Delegate (1st Place), Ben Ketchum '13 – Honorable Mention (3rd Place), Ross Boston '13 – Honorable Mention (3rd Place), Colleen Harrison '13 – Honorable Mention (3rd Place), Will Dickson '13 – Best Delegate (1st Place.)

Marathon Team: Braving sub-freezing temperatures and icy road conditions, a select number of West Point marathoners joined the ranks of committed local runners for an early morning race over the icy roads of Fairfield Connecticut. In this all-out “sprint to the finish” 20k (12.4 mile) training race, racers prepared themselves mentally and physically for the “holy grail” of the marathon world, the Boston Marathon. Leading the Black Knights thru the finish was yearling Daniel Schlich with a “slick” time of (1:08.38), earning him 3rd overall. Yearling Cadets Conner Roche and Ben Shields were close behind with an indiscernible photo-finish of (1:17.24), earning them 7th place. Plebe Marc Samland finished with a time of (1:19.34) earning 12th, followed by yearling David Richardson 19th with a time of (1:21.44).

Judo Team: Another excellent performance by our Judo athletes at the New Jersey State Championships. Newcomers to the team Sara Roberts and Daniel Park took silver and gold respectively in their novice divisions. Cadet Chase Snow took the gold in the novice 66 kg men division and expects to do very well at Collegiate Nationals next month. In very intense competition in the advanced division, Cadets Anthony Sciuva and Joseph McKenna both earned third place medals. Sciuva also competed in the novice division where he took first place. Cadets Carson Giammaria and Matt Day both placed fifth in a competitive 73KG division who's top three finishers where international competitors from South Africa and Russia. Overall, another great step towards collegiate nationals.

Men’s Fencing Team: The Men’s Fencing Team travelled to MAC Conference host University of Maryland to compete against the southern tier opponents. Cadets Marvin Hargraves (10-2 in Epee), Blake Gordon (9-3 in Sabre), and Jeff Nielsen (8-4 in Foil) continued their winning ways taking the top finishes in their weapons by win-loss percentage. After being defeated by nationally ranked Johns Hopkins by a score of 4-23, the men regrouped and won decisive victories over host Maryland (16-11), University of Virginia (14-13), and College of William and Mary (15-12). Against both Virginia and William & Mary, Cadet Hargraves scored the decisive 14th bout victory putting the team over the top in both close matches.

Athletic Director’s Update, February 21

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:34:00 GMT

Wins over Navy, record-breaking performances, and conference championships highlighted a great week for Army Athletics. The men’s and women’s basketball team both captured Star Game victories in Annapolis on Saturday. The women started the day with a 48-40 win, completing a season sweep of the Mids. The win moved the team into a first-place tie with Navy in the Patriot League standings. Plebe Kelsey Minato was named the Patriot League Player of the Week for the second time this season after averaging 19.5 points in both of the team’s wins. The men’s team hung on for a thrilling 56-55 win, capturing its first Star Game victory in Annapolis since 1992. It is the team’s second straight Star win and the third in the last four seasons. Plebe Kyle Wilson was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week, averaging 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in last week’s games. The upcoming schedule features two more chances to get into the win column versus Navy. The gymnastics team hosts the Mids on Saturday, while the wrestling team welcomes its arch rival on Sunday at Christl Arena.

The track & field teams competed at the Patriot league Championships at West Point last weekend, and distance runner Lisa Junta highlighted the event with her record-breaking effort in the 3,000-meter run. Lisa’s winning time broke Army’s 27-year old record previously held by Army Athletics Hall of Fame member Teresa Sobiesk. Lisa also captured the league’s 5,000-meter crown with the second-fastest time in Academy history. She was named the program’s first Female Track Performer of the Meet since 2008. Kaitlyn Love also won Patriot League gold in the 60-meter hurdles and was part of the first-place 4x400-meter relay squad. The men’s team won five events, including two relays. Clyde Wilson captured the 800-meter run, Stevyn Spees won the 500 meters and Kyler Martin crossed first in the 60-meter hurdles.

Lacrosse’s Garrett Thul also took home an individual honor, winning the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week Award. Garrett led the team to a pair of wins by scoring 11 goals, including a career-best seven scores in the victory over VMI.

VIDEO: Meet Giovanna Camacho '13, Women's Boxing Team Captain

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:04:00 GMT

Cadet Giovanna Camacho '13 is a founder of the West Point Women's Boxing team and also serves as captain. "She's probably the reason I am so in love with this Academy," says Cadet Austen Boroff '14.

Learn more about Camacho and the Women's Boxing team here:

Dean’s Weekly, February 15

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:02:00 GMT

Cadets and “Flight Line of the Future”: Sponsored by Lockheed Martin, Cadets Mark Maley, Chris Pawlik, Ariana Mankus, and Alicia Phillips represented SE403 and SE450 Systems Engineering capstone teams as they visited Nellis Air Force Base as part of a "Flight Line of the Future" competition with the United States Air Force Academy. The four Systems Engineering students had the opportunity to view F-22 Raptor and unmanned aerial systems flight and maintenance operations as well as engage with maintenance personnel. They gained insight into technologies currently used to sustain fleet readiness as well as assess the readiness for future technology insertion into flight line processes. Overall, six USMA teams are competing in the competition.

Trip Section to AT&T Global Network Operations: 41 Cadets from EECS visited the AT&T Global Network Operations Center in Bedminster, NJ. The cadets participated in the tour of the Network Operations Center as well as a demonstration of the latest technology being developed for market by AT&T. This new technology included interactive advertising screens that use facial recognition to interact with their views. In addition, the cadets received a briefing about the global capabilities of AT&T's network and their efforts to monitor and predict world events affecting their network and customers. Their capabilities include a large component dedicated to Cyber operations, as well as helping law enforcement agencies respond to Cyber attacks.

Guest Lecture – Dr. Michael Brennan ’66: The Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations (CSCMO) sponsored a lecture for EV376 (The Geography of the Middle East) by Dr. Michael Brennan '66, a respected physician, international envoy and a past President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He spoke about his experiences working in the region to improve education and training of medical staff and medical/health care systems in concert with military organizations to bring about positive change in the Civil-Military realm. He gave cogent examples of successes achieved in operations in Iraq, Japan and Haiti and also related some of the challenges to make greater impacts in Afghanistan, Syria and Libya. He left cadets with a great lifelong example of the premise Be, Know, Do, and demonstrated how important relationships are in breaking through cultural gaps as a military professional and world citizen.

Department of Mathematical Sciences: The Department of Mathematical Sciences, with funding from the Center for Leadership and Diversity in STEM, hosted the second speaker in a series entitled “Women of Color in the Mathematical Sciences.” Dr. Syvillia Averett, Assistant Professor at Central State University in Ohio, spoke on “The RePresentation of Me: Learning Math, Living Math and Loving (almost) Every Moment.” This speaker series aims to increase the presence of underrepresented minority faculty in STEM by providing a venue where cadets can meet and interact with minority women mathematicians from a variety of universities.

Cadet Development-PL482: Armed Forces and Society: Cadets from PL482: Armed Forces and Society visited the Stony Child Development Center on post as part the class topic on Military Families. This trip let cadets see a CDC and better understand some of the rules and considerations they should know when they become Second Lieutenants and lead Soldiers who have children.

WPNP-Faculty Outreach-SEALS Training: BS&L's Negotiation Project ran a two-day training seminar for 46 Navy SEALs sponsored and funded by the Naval Special Warfare Platoon Leaders Course, at Norfolk, VA. The West Point Negotiation Project is a USMA faculty effort to improve the ability of military leaders to negotiate and is an activity within BS&L's West Point Leadership Center. Among the mobile training team were Cadet Andrew Oswald '14 and Cadet James Garner '14.

Cadet Activities Roundup, February 15

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:07:00 GMT

Drill Team: The United States Military Academy Drill Team travelled to New Orleans, LA to compete in the Tulane University Mardi Gras Drill Meet where they took 1st place in Platoon Exhibition, as well as 2nd place in Individual Exhibition. By defeating all of its opponents at the platoon level, the team reaffirmed its position as one of the top exhibition drill teams in the nation.

Climbing Team: The West Point Climbing Team participated in the second of four local competitions that the team will compete in during the spring semester. In this in New Rochelle, NY, climbers Julian Barker ‘15 and Zhaina Myrzakhanova ‘15 placed 1st in both the men’s and women’s categories respectively. The team as a whole took first place finally defeating rival RIT.

Cadets and New Paltz 4H Club: An “Army Strong!” and motivated contingent of Chemical Engineering Cadets and faculty hosted 30 members of the New Paltz 4 H club (Animals Around the World!) in Bartlett Hall North. The evening events include three stations: the West Point Chocolate Factory led by AY13 Head of Confectionery, Amy Hill ‘13, and David Arrowchis, AY14 Head of Confectionery; A Fuel Cell Car Competition led by Josh Dillard ‘13 and Sean Fitzgerald ’13; and a Life Science Workshop led by Kiley Hunkler ‘13, Danielle Cummings ‘14, and Andrew Laib ‘14. The 4H club students were thrilled with a home-made chocolate tasting of the West Point Chocolate Droplets and the Fuel Cell Car competition modeled after the AIChE Regional and National Competitions. Special recognition to the following cadets who dedicated time for a this special (STEM) service project: AIChE Club President, Matt Letarte ‘13, Sean Fitzgerald ‘13, Josh Dillard, Amy Hill ‘13, Nathan Nguyen ‘13, Louis Tobergte ‘14, and James Haworth ‘16.

Debate Council and Forum (Domestic Affairs Forum): Eleven cadets from the Domestic Affairs Forum travelled to NYC for a media day trip. Cadets met with Mr. James Freeman and Mr. Bret Stephens from the Wall Street Journal editorial board. Next, they went to MSNBC and met with COL (Ret.) Jacobs and MSNBC News President Phil Griffin to discuss leadership and the media trends. Cadets also sat in on Rachel Maddow’s production meeting and went on a tour of 30 Rock with COL (Ret.) Jacobs. In the evening, cadets observed a taping of the Daily Show and afterwards met with the Executive producer, two writers and a field producer.

Women’s Boxing: The West Point Women’s Boxing Team hosted the first all-women boxing competition at the inaugural West Point Women’s Boxing Invitational in Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center. The weather impacted the competition, limiting the number of teams available, but the women still put on an incredible show with 12 bouts on the card. Photo by Mike Strasser, Pointer View.

Fencing: The Men’s Fencing Team competed in their 2nd of 3 competitions weekends to qualify for the Conference Championships at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ on Sunday. The men were defeated in a close match up against host, Stevens, by a score of 12-15.

Debate Council and Forum (Debate Team): Three cadets travelled to Academy Assembly at the U.S. Air Force Academy for the opportunity to discuss U.S. China relations with other students from all over the world and to listen to a number of exceptional speakers and panels, including former Ambassador John Huntsman.

Skeet & Trap: An annual tradition, members of the Skeet & Trap travelled to Wee Burn Gun Club in Darien, CT. The shoot included some unusual shooting games that were out of the ordinary for most of the team, the wobble skeet, wobble trap, and 5-stand games. The top five shooters for West Point included Cadets Robert Sterling ‘15, Andrew Laib ‘14, Robert Downey ‘13, Jared Van Curen ‘15 and Ben Stone ‘13.

Plebes Shine in Army Athletics

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 03:43:00 GMT

From the Athletic Director’s Update, a plethora of plebes stepped to the forefront this week. Rookie gymnast Jesse Glenn won the all-around title at the 22^nd Annual West Point Open. He is the first Black Knight to win the all-around in the event’s history, and led to Jesse’s selection as the ECAC Gymnast of the Week. In men’s basketball, Plebe Kyle Toth was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week after averaging 15.0 points and shooting better than 50 percent for the week. Kyle’s selection made Patriot League history as it was the first time that three different players from the same team won the rookie award in consecutive weeks. Dylan Cox was chosen on Jan. 21 and Kyle Wilson won the ward on Jan. 28. Kyle moved into eighth place on Army’s freshman scoring list with 283 points and is the Black Knights’ highest-scoring plebe since Alex Morris in 1992-93 (346). In Women’s Basketball, plebe Kelsey Minato captured her seventh Patriot League Rookie of the Week certificate, including her fourth consecutive. Minato’s seven newcomer honors tie the Army record set by Cara Enright and Lisa Russell, while she is only one shy of the Patriot League standard. In Swimming and Diving, plebe Nick Treiberg shattered the plebe record in the 50-yard freestyle and several other Black Knights authored personal-best performances at the non-scoring Bucknell Invitational on Saturday. The first-year swimmer also teamed with fellow plebes Pierre Archambeau, Zach Blankenbeker and Colin Kanzari to win the 200-yard medley relay in a clocking of 1:34.13. In tennis, plebe Harrison McCormick shined in his first collegiate duals as he went undefeated in singles and doubles contests. Plebe Haley O’Connor provided heroics over the weekend, winning back-to-back three-set matches on Friday. Her thrilling 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 triumph over Sacred Heart’s Paige Olson clinched the Black Knights’ victory and ended a four-hour long match. Go Army!

Alfonsi '13 Recognized With Flipper Award

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:02:00 GMT

Congratulations to Cadet William Alfonsi '13, this year's recipient of the Henry O. Flipper Award. Brigadier Gen. Richard Clarke '84, Commandant of Cadets, presented the award at dinner last night.

In honor of the first African-American graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, the award recognizes the senior cadet who has demonstrated the highest qualities of leadership, self-discipline, and perseverance in the face of difficulty.

Flipper was in the Class of 1877 and succeeded in a very segregated Academy where he was befriended by a few cadets, violently disliked by many, and ignoed by most. Read more about Flipper and his legacy.

Class of 2013 to Perform "TED" for 100th Night Show

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:53:00 GMT

The West Point Class of 2013 will present its 100th Night Show: "TED" A Play

Directed by: Sebastian Smoak

Produced by: Christopher Telle

Written By: Shane Greaves, Collin Hennessy, Katherine Houle, KT Leonard, and Gregory Trahan

West Point's Eisenhower Hall Theatre

Friday, February 22 - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 23 - 8 p.m.

Tickets are now available at the Ike Hall Box Office, temporarily located on the 2nd floor, adjacent to the elevators.

Dean's Weekly, February 8

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:12:00 GMT

Cadet Development-“Cadets teaching Cadets”: Cadet Julian Watson provided a thought-provoking presentation on the human brain to Class of ’00 MAJ Adam Grim’s PL100 (General Psychology for Leaders) class. Cadet Watson is majoring in Engineering Psychology and as part of a class project in PL391 (Sensation and Perception), he demonstrated the Mind Flex which uses brain waves to power various games. The Mind Flex measures the concentration and intensity of brain waves through an electroencephalography (EEG) sensor attached to the participant’s head

Cadet Development-Depression Research: USMA cadets and faculty met with colleagues at Rockefeller University to conduct a laboratory meeting discussing an ongoing collaboration in depression research. This meeting was conducted in the first week of a new interdisciplinary study seeking to better understand the correlation of the human p11 protein with depression. A goal of the work is to develop a simple physiological marker that could be used to help diagnose and better understand depression or PTSD, and ultimately contribute to reduced suicide rates within our Army. The collaboration involves 3 institutions: USMA, Rockefeller University and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Sweden. Cadet Janelle Runion ‘13 briefed 2000 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology/Medicine, Dr. Paul Greengard, and members of his research group, on the radiometric light data collection and analysis the Photonics members of the team are contributing to the study. The study which began in January will be collecting light data every half hour through May 2013.

Rutgers Quantitative Finance Summit on Risk Management: Seven cadets from the Systems Engineering Department’s honors program went to the “Rutgers Quantitative Finance Summit on Risk Management”. The event was held at the NYSE and included a panel of senior financial risk managers from major organizations including sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds and Bloomberg. The group got the chance to visit with professionals in the financial industry and tour the exchange. The tour included visits to the trading floor, the iconic balcony where the opening and closing bell is rung, and the executive board room.

Computer Science Cadets in “Code War”: The team of firstie CS majors Steve Rogacki, Isaiah Salsman, Nolan Miles, and Sean Coffey competed in the Windward International Collegiate Programming Championship, also known as "Code War.” In the grueling eight-hour contest, more than 100 teams from a dozen states and four countries struggled to create sophisticated Artificial Intelligence strategies.

Leader Challenge 16 “The New PL”: Every platoon in the Corps of Cadets conducted a Leader Challenge to hone their judgment and decision-making as a future officer. With the support of 144 staff and faculty platoon mentors and over 400 cadet facilitators, each participant “put themselves in the shoes” of CPT Haley Hamilton ’10 as she navigated the complexity of her first training event in her new platoon. Officers and cadets spent 55 minutes discussing everything from risk management and working with NCOs to leadership and culture change.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: 80 plebes from the History Department travelled to Washington, D.C. for an afternoon in our nation’s capital and a day of special programming at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Cadets unanimously agreed that the day’s highlight was discussion with Holocaust survivors Bob Behr and Henry Greenbaum, both of whom were either liberated by, or later served in the US military. The trip’s primary sponsors, Lorraine and Martin Beitler, joined the USMA group at the Holocaust Museum.

STEM Outreach in Poughkeepsie: Cadets and officers hosted the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie for a STEM outreach event. During the tour, cadets on the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition team and Joint Cooperative Unmanned Systems Initiative team talked to the young men and women about robotics topics such as, sensors, and programming. The tour culminated with an opportunity to drive Packbot systems in the Robotics Laboratory. The purpose of the event was to ignite an interest in pursuing education after high school for youth from the Poughkeepsie area.

Cadet Activities Roundup, February 7

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:11:00 GMT

Climbing Team: The team competed in the first of five competitions that comprise the Collegiate Climbing Series Regional Championship. Team members gave rise to a solid performance in the season opener and multiple cadets placed in the top ten finishers overall. Cadet Zhaina Myrzakhanova ‘16 performed particularly well, coming in 2nd place in the women’s category after less than one year on the team. West Point finished second overall.

Judo Team: West Point Judo excelled at the Super Bowl Championships at Tech Judo in North Bergen, NJ with a total of 9 first place winners, 2 second places and 5 third places out of over 100 competitors from the Tri-State area. Gold medal winners include Cadets Peter Stanley, Joel Puritz, Wes Talley, Pat Hogan, Anthony Sciuva, Catherine Clarke-Pounder, Carson Reed, Larisa Tudor, Patrick Diehl and Juliet Talavera. Silver Medal winners include Cadets Carly Patton and Carson Giammaria. Bronze medal winners include Cadets Daniel Sprouse, John Barnes, Mike Miranda and Catherine Donohoe.

Team Handball Team (Women): West Point Women’s Team Handball claimed third place at UNC’s annual Blue Cup Invitational. West Point Women’s Team Handball excitedly looks to build on their strong beginning as they prepare for the college national championship in April. On 23 February, the team heads to Los Angeles for its first tournament in California.

Foreign Language and Culture Club (Portuguese Language): The Portuguese Language Club competed in the 15th Annual Philadelphia Flames Soccer Club Indoor Tournament in Warminster, PA and they finished second in their division with 3 Wins and 1 Loss.

Racquetball: The Cadet Racquetball Team had a successful trip to the Eastern Collegiate Racquetball Conference (ECRC) Meet at State College, PA. Highlights of the tournament included the following team results:

Winner, Men’s 2 Collegiate Gold Doubles: Cadets Albert Casas and James Sutter; Winner, Men’s 2 Collegiate Red Singles: Cadet Albert Casas; Runner-up, Women’s 4 Collegiate Red Singles: Cadet Michaela Gallien; Winner: Men’s 4 Collegiate Red Singles: Cadet John Hendler; Winner: Men’s 4 Collegiate Gold Doubles: Cadets John Hendler and Michael Trainin; Winner: Men’s 3 Collegiate Blue Doubles: Cadets Patrick Innes and John Markham; Runner-up, Women’s 1 College Blue Singles: Cadet Apphia Kim; Winner, Men’s 2 Collegiate Blue Doubles: Cadet James Sutter.

Snow Sports Club (Snowboarding): 2 February marked the second BoarderX race for the Snowboard Club at Windham Mountain. Jess Montgomery and Chris Beatty competed in their second race. This weekend also marked the debut races for snowboarder Dylan Doty and skier William Mace. Doty took everyone by surprise with his first place finish in the opening heat. However, in the Final Heat Chris Beatty secured a second place finish, placing him in the top two BoarderX racers in the entire Catskill Mountain region.

Skeet & Trap Team: The USMA Skeet and Trap Team traveled to the Mt. Pleasant Sportsman’s Club and shared food, fun and a 50 clay target competition with club’s members. Mt. Pleasant is an older establishment, informally founded around 1890 by men who shared a mutual passion for the outdoors and was formally chartered since 1941. Shooters turned out strong scores under the adverse conditions, with the high-gun of the day award going to a 3-way tie among the attending cadets.

Graduation Date Changes for Classes of 2014, 2015, and 2016

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:41:00 GMT

The Class of 2014 graduation ceremony is now Wednesday, May 28, a slight change from the previously planned date. This graduation has been moved in order to de-conflict academic, graduation, pre-commissioning, and summer training events. Additionally, this date better facilitates the systematic movement of cadets and equipment timed to the phases of barracks construction and renovation and ultimately allows for a more relaxed and eventful graduation-week experience.

The Class of 2015 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27. The Class of 2016 will graduate on Wednesday, June 1.

The graduation date for the Class of 2013 will not be affected by this policy and remains May 25.

Dean’s Weekly, February 1

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:25:00 GMT

Cadets’ Professional Credential in Sustainability: Cadets Ethan Dewart '14 and Robert Hume ’15, both Civil Engineering majors, recently became the first undergraduate students ever to earn the Envision TM Sustainability Professional credential (ENV PV) from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). Envision can be used to assess civil works projects including roads, bridges, pipelines, dams, levees, water treatment facilities, and even power plants. By earning this credential, Cadets Dewart and Hume are prepared to lead others in addressing sustainability issues and build infrastructure that conserves, or even helps to restore, the natural environment.

Energy & Environment Chain of Command Published Article Published: Cadet Adam Leemans, the Brigade Energy and Environmental Officer, and Cadet McKenzie Hudgins, the Brigade Energy & Environmental NCO published an article titled “Leveraging the Army’s Culture of Discipline to Enhance Mission Effectiveness” on the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy & Environment homepage (www.army.mil/asaiee). The article addresses cadet initiatives to promote energy awareness and conservation in the Corps. View the article by clicking here.

Spanish: Cadets who attended Semester Abroad in Spain, gave their report to faculty on their experiences during lunch and Dean’s Hour. Of particular note is the article featuring CDT Carlos Febus-Traphagen in the Spanish Army Newspaper “Armas y Cuerpos,” in which he gives a report of how his presentation on the history, traditions, and cadet life of West Point at the Utebe Spain Conference at the Official School of Languages on 21 November, 2012.

Class of ‘83 Distinguished Leader Series-LTG Daniel Allyn: As a part of the Class of 83’ DLS, LTG Daniel B. Allyn, XVIII Airborne Corps Commander spoke to cadets from the Black and Gold Leadership Forum; LTG Allyn focused his remarks on the challenges Army officers will face as our Army transitions from combat operations thru the drawdown of US forces in Afghanistan. In addition, LTG Allyn spoke to BS&L Faculty about the role of field grade officers in our Army and the recent announcements of the WISR, repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and sequestration.

“10 Best” EN101 Essays: The EN101 Composition faculty honored the cadet authors of the "10 Best" EN101 essays published in a pamphlet by that name. Department Head COL Scott Krawczyk awarded each cadet a Department Certificate of Achievement and gave department coins to the top four authors. The 10 Best Essays were selected from over 1000 written. The top three places were awarded to:

-First place: Andrew Beckman, "The Eagle and the Dragon: A Bipolar Model of Economic Hegemony and International Relations”

-Second place: Matthew Coughlan, “Becoming Human: A Look into the Feasibility of Artificial Intelligence"

-Third place (tie): Ian Bedo, "Ethics, Moral Attention, and Animals"

-Third place (tie): Gregory Merkel, "The Future of Education Means the Demise of Public Schools"

Cadet Activities Roundup, January 31

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:36:00 GMT

Pipes and Drums: The United States Corps of Cadets Pipes & Drums and the Royal Military College Pipes & Drums conducted an exchange, joint training workshop, and joint performance as part of RMC Weekend 2013. The USCC Pipes & Drums band members hosted RMC Cadets for three days and conducted training on January 26. The culminating performance integrated both bands and the RMC Highland Dancers for a performance in Robinson Auditorium. Following the performance, the Cadets exchanged gifts and then attended the RMC Hockey game that evening.

Debate Council and Forum (Model UN): The West Point Model United Nations team traveled to Montreal, Canada to participate in McGill’s Model United Nations conference. This conference had over 1,300 participants from the United States, Canada, Europe and Africa. The West Point team came in second overall for small delegations. The following cadets performed exceptionally well: Patrick Beauregard ’15: Book Award (3rd Place), Brandon Moore’ 14: Best Delegate (1st Place), Warren Geary ’14: Honorable Mention (3rd Place), Ben Ketchum ’13: Best Delegate (1st Place), Megan McNulty ’15: Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place).

Catholic Chapel Choir: Cadet Dan Trainor traveled to Carnegie Hall, New York City, to perform Mahler’s 8th Symphony along with a large group of choral and symphonic performers for a packed house.

Debate Council and Forum (Debate Team): This past weekend the Army Debate Team competed at the Jersey Shore Invitational Debate Tournament, Monmouth, NJ. Absent the class of 2014 due to 500th Night, the team still performed exceptionally. The plebe duo of Jay Saker and Michael Barlow won first place in the Open (Varsity) division while the mixed plebe/yearling team of Brad Hodgkins and Caleb Stevens took second in the JV division. Additionally, the JV team of Aaron Spikol and Ryan McGovern advanced to the semi-finals of their division. The team also amassed an impressive collection of individual awards during the tournament. Award winners include CDT Barlow’s 1st place open division speaker award, CDT Saker’s 5th place open division speaker award, CDT Hodgkin’s 6th place JV speaker award and CDT McGovern’s 9th place JV speaker award.

Inline Hockey Club: The Army-Navy rivalry got a little richer as the inline hockey teams faced off for the first time, with Navy ultimately winning by a final score of 6-4. The age old tradition of the Army-Navy rivalry was as strong as ever on the ice of McMullen Arena in front of 1,800 fans who packed the house. The game was as hard-hitting as such an intense rivalry would demand.

Team Handball Team (Men): West Point Handball Black competed in the North-East Team Handball League in New York City on January 26. The team played a total of three games, losing the first game vs. New York City TH Club, tying the second game vs. Boston Team Handball Club, and winning the final game vs. Washington, D.C. The West Point Black is currently in the second place in the North East League, trailing behind NYC by one point.

Snow Sports Club (Snowboard Club): January 27 marked the first competition for the Snowboard Club at Windham Mountain. Jesse Montgomery was able to overcome difficult conditions as he advanced to the final heat of the race, placing 4th.

Snow Sports Club (Nordic): The West Point Nordic Ski Team competed in the Cornell Invitational Ski Meet held at the Craftsbury Nordic Center in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Yearling Emily Buck paced the Army ladies in both races while Plebe racers Andrew Beckmann and Josh Bassette led Men in the classic and freestyle races, respectively.

Ski Patrol Group: The Cadet Ski Patrol participated in the Windham Mountain Patroller Clinic from January 26-27. This clinic is to enhance the skills of skiing and boarding while transporting a patient in the toboggan.

Fine Arts Forum (Film Forum): The Film Forum attended the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT from January 23-27. COL (Ret.) Bob Rauk ’72 and his wife Reva have been hosting cadets for almost a decade and provided the group with not only lodging, but also food and use of a vehicle. The range of movies prompted discussions about ethical issues, artistry and purpose of cinema and how the pursuit of the American Dream differs between races and gender, along with many other topics.

Dean’s Weekly, January 25

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:23:00 GMT

Department of Systems Engineering: The Department of Systems Engineering sent cadets from both the SE403 year-long capstone and SE450 semester capstone project to Fort Campbell to meet with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). There are six separate group projects these cadets are working under the general category of “Designing the Flightline of the Future” which are all sponsored by Lockheed-Martin. Since the 160th SOAR has one of the most advanced Army flightlines, these cadets were able to see what new technologies are being used and where improvements should be focused in the future to increase efficiency and maximize performance.

NSC First Brownbag Lunch for the Semester: Cadets Hanafee and Maki along with Dr. Bill Pulleyblank gave the first brown bag lunch talk for the semester last week. The group presented the work they have completed in the initial phase of their research in a talk, “Data Analytics and Army Football”. Cadets, faculty, and staff from several departments enjoyed hearing how they are using a data analytic program, Virtual Gold, to study Army football statistics and look for significant statistical anomalies from both an offensive and defensive perspective. The research team hopes to be able to build a tool that would offer the coaches a new way look at game statistics. While this phase of their research is interesting to Army football fans, this research has further reaching implications to the Army in terms of being able to analyze force-on-force scenarios.

Cadets and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE): Eighteen BS&L Management Majors spent an afternoon with New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Chairman and 1962 USMA graduate, Marshall Carter, participating in a discussion of leadership and ethics across multiple domains (government, business, non-profit, academia, and the military). After the leadership discussion, cadets toured the NYSE board room and the NYSE trading floor where they interacted with the floor management and traders to learn about the exchange system. Cadets appeared briefly on Fox Business News, which broadcasts from the NYSE floor, and gave a big “Go Army” shout-out from the NYSE floor. Cadets will use knowledge gained during this event in their accounting, marketing, and strategic management courses this semester.

Cadet Academic Achievement: CDT Vince Schuele '13 had his paper titled "Semantic Network Analysis to Gauge Sentiment Among Young Muslims: A Pilot Study," accepted for presentation at 27th National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Annual Conference that will be hosted at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in April. The paper is based on an Advanced Individual Academic Development (AIAD) in Qatar last summer sponsored by the Minvera Program.

Cadet Input: Cadets provided their input for the future iPad textbook, The West Point History of Warfare. The cadets discussed the interactive features for the new e-textbook with the four companies tasked with creating the book. The first four chapters will be ready for HI301 STAP on 21 May 2013. The Class of 2014 will take MilArt on the iPad delivered text starting in August 2013.

German: Cadets from the German Language Forum will present the colors at the 53rd Annual Quadrille Ball in NYC this weekend. German Language major, CDT Caleb Magnuson, and Austrian Exchange cadet, CDT Marcel Taschwer, became an overnight youtube.com sensation with their video of releasing a mouse “into the wild” of Trophy Point. The video, posted by CDT Taschwer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VyQipO4miw, has received nearly 4.5 million hits to date.

Cadet Activities Roundup, January 24

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:22:00 GMT

Fencing: At the West Point Fencing Team’s Annual Invitational in Arvin Gymnasium this past weekend the Men’s Team swept all their opponents going undefeated at 3-0. The men, currently ranked #2 in the nation, defeated 2012 National Champions University of Florida by a score of 21-6. The men also defeated Swarthmore 22-5 and longtime rival Hunter College by 18-9. The Men’s Epee Squad, currently ranked #1 in the MAC Conference, was undefeated and both CDT Marvin Hargraves (9-0) and CDT Mark Owens (6-0) had no losses for the day. CDT Hargraves is still the #1 ranked athlete in epee in our conference. The Men’s Sabre Squad, led by CDT Blake Gordon, who went 9-0 at his first home competition, also had no team losses and finished at 3-0. In the Foil Squad, CDT Jeff Nielsen was undefeated at 6-0, still the #1 ranked athlete in the weapon of foil.

The Women’s Team went 4-2, defeating Swarthmore (18-9), University of Florida (20-7), Hunter College (22-5) and Queens College (19-8). The women only dropped losses to City College of NY (7-20) and Stevens Institute of Technology (6-21). All 3 weapon squads finished at 4-2 as well. The top athlete of the day over all opponents was CDT Darcy Parks in Sabre with a record of 17-1 . CDT Alexandria Rodgers was West Point’s top finish in epee at 13-5 and CDT Leah Fynaut in the Foil Squad set her own record going 11-7 over all opponents.

Snow Sports Club (Nordic Ski Team): The West Point Nordic Ski Team hosted and competed in the Army Nordic Invitational Ski Meet at the Vermont National Guard’s Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho, Vermont. West Point tied for second in team standings in the 10 km Classic-technique race with scoring performances by James Bassette, ’14, (3rd overall), Josh Bassette, ’16, (8th overall) and Andrew Beckmann, ’16, (9th overall). During the a 10 km Skate-technique race Army pulled together a third place team finish. James Bassette led the group again with a 9th place finish. Jordan Roth was the top finisher for the ladies as well.

Ski Patrol Group: Twenty five cadets traveled to Western Massachusetts to familiarize cadet patrollers and candidates with more difficult skiing terrain. The club skied at Jiminy Peak, Berkshire East and Butternut. CDT patrollers augmented the local patrollers and responded to a number of skiing accidents at the resorts. They provided first responder type medical care and transported patients down to the hills for further treatment.

Army Debate Team at Navy: The Army Debate Team traveled to Annapolis to participate in the Crowe-Warken Debate Tournament. After eight preliminary rounds, cadets Jay Saker and Michael Barlow advanced to octofinals in the Varsity division, while cadets Aaron Spikol and Ryan McGovern advanced to partial octofinals in Junior Varsity.

Paintball: The paintball club competed at Battle Creek Paintball’s winter scenario game “Operation Mountain Shield” with 25 cadets. The cadets received “Most Valuable Team” for the blue side. This battle simulated a fight in Afghanistan.

Orienteering Team: The Orienteering Team traveled to Rutledge, GA to compete in the Georgia Navigator Cup. The event consisted of two classic distance races through the woods of Hard Labor Creek State Park. Andrew Eck ‘13 took first place overall and Zachary Schroeder ‘14 took third.

Scuba Team: USMA Scuba went to Pensacola, FL and all divers advanced their skills and certifications. The weather kept the team from their main dive, the USS Oriskany Aircraft carrier. However, the cadets had a plan B ready to go and dove a fresh water spring and the historic Fort Pickens.

Pistol Team: The Pistol Team had a very successful weekend at The Citadel by winning all five events. West Point won the first event, Air Pistol, with a four person team score of 2191 to The Citadel's 2164. Heather Deppe '13 shot the match and team high score of 556 out of a possible 600. West Point won the Standard Pistol event with a team score of 2123 to The Citadel's 2089. Heather Deppe again had the match and team high score with a 555 out of 600. West Point won the Free Pistol event with a score of 2007 to The Citadel's 1882. Steve Halsmer '13 shot the match and team high score of 523 out of 600. West Point's three-event aggregate score was 6321 to The Citadel's 6135. In Women's Air Pistol, West Point shot a three person team score of 1088 to The Citadel's 1066. Heather Deppe led the scoring with a 369 out of a possible 400. In Women's Sport Pistol, West Point won with a score of 1608 to The Citadel's 1559. Heather Deppe shot a 542, Team Captain Victoria Joys shot a 539, and Morgan White shot a 527.

Cadet Skates Into History as First Female to Join Inline Hockey

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:33:00 GMT

As she took to the ice in the opening minutes of West Point Inline Hockey Club's recent win against the Merchant Marine Academy, Cadet Jenna Vercollone '14 became the first female to represent the U.S. Military Academy in any capacity in the sport of hockey.

Vercollone is a member of the West Point Inline Hockey Club, a hobby club within the Directorate of Cadet Activities. Although the club was originally founded in 2000, it took off in earnest under the leadership of Pat Toffler '09, who is currently an infantry captain.

The team is an affiliate member of the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association within the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association. The team gained momentum each year culminating in a Division I Central Conference championship in 2011-12.

This year, due to scheduling and availability changes, the club branched out to include a few ice hockey games as an affiliate member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, and Vercollone jumped at the opportunity to return to the sport she loved growing up.

"Hockey has always been my favorite thing in the world," Vercollone said. "(This team) has made my time here at West Point a lot better."

Vercollone, who is also a member of Women's Army Rugby, had not even considered that she was the first female to represent West Point in this manner.

"I hadn't thought about it. I was a little worried, being the only girl on the team, but (the other players) have been great about helping me out and making me feel at home," Vercollone said.

Although she may not be the biggest player on the team, she is no slacker on the ice.

"She goes into the corners just like anyone else, and she's one of the most committed and driven players on the team," defenseman and captain Brett Kroll '13 said.

Her dedication paid off against MMA, as Vercollone helped the team to a 6-1 victory by adding an assist of her own.

Dean’s Weekly, January 18

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:06:00 GMT

Research in Pikine, Senegal: A D/G&EnE research team including four cadets conducted the field phase of a group project in Pikine, Senegal. The project titled “Adapting to the Human Infrastructure in the Urban Fringe: Considerations for Civil Military Operations” focused on the informal influence of the urban fringe within the human terrain. Cadets spent extensive time conducting interviews and meetings with multiple stakeholders within selected areas in Pikine in order to get a full spectrum of stakeholder response. In addition to the immersive research experience, cadets were taken to the US Embassy for an overview of embassy operations given by various members of the ambassador’s staff. Cadets also visited important culture sites to include Gorée Island, a prominent slave embarkation site in the region during the pre-colonial era.

McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference Publication in New York Times: As part of the fall conference's activities, the student teams crafted six essays addressing the importance of values-based leadership in various contexts. The student teams, each mentored by a senior leader, explored leadership in the areas of disaster response, food security and sustainability, the global economy, education, media and health care. These essays are now published in the New York Times' new "...in Leadership" website.

The essays can be viewed at the following web link: http://nytimesinleadership.com/spotlight-on-leaders/

Mechanical Engineering Majors Awarded Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Scholarships: COL Daisie Boettner presented Cadet Mitch Johnson (ME, 2013) the Maher Z. Labib Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) and Cadet Adam Leemans (ME, 2013) the Bud and Nancy Griffis Scholarship ($1,000). The SAME annually awards multiple scholarships to engineering students at colleges and universities throughout the United States in recognition for their outstanding performance. The scholarships traditionally are presented at a formal dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City; however, the dinner was canceled in November 2012 due to Super storm Sandy.

The Electrical Engineering Program’s Best-in-Course Awards and Society of American Military Engineers Award: The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science recognized the AY13-1 cadets with the “Best in Course” award. These cadets completed their course with the highest grade in the course. Awards were presented for EE480 (Optical Fiber Communication) to Cadet Justin Hyder; for EE377 (Electrical Power Engineering) to Cadet Stuart Baker; for EE401 (Electronic System Design I) to Cadet Stuart Baker; and EE450 (Military Electronic Systems) to Cadet Thomas Ankenbauer. The department also recognized Cadet David Covell with the Society of American Military Engineers award. This award is presented to the top four engineering cadets in the academy by GPA.

New Cadet Competitive Cyber Team (C3T) Try-Outs: The newly formed C3T hosted team tryouts in two computer labs in Thayer Hall. Twenty-four Cadets from all four classes demonstrated their cybersecurity skills in a 12-hour Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, solving a series of challenges to score points. Results from the challenge will be one of the primary criteria in selecting the team’s 12 principal members. The new C3T will represent West Point by participating in intercollegiate cybersecurity competitions such as the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC, http://www.nationalccdc.org/) held each spring.

Photonics Research Center and Hertz Fellowship Candidates: Photonics Research Center members conducted mock interviews preparing two cadets for their upcoming Hertz Fellowship interviews. USMA's two Hertz candidates are CDT Matthew Letarte ‘13, D2, Chemical Engineering major and CDT Brandon Clumpner ‘13, A1, Mechanical Engineering major. CDT Letarte has been conducting research in the Photonics Research Center over three semesters and has presented his research at a renowned national conference. CDT Clumpner is a multiple semester researcher within DPE's Center for Physical Development Excellence. The Hertz Foundation provides Fellowships to exceptionally talented individuals studying in the applied physical, biological and engineering sciences. Each year the Foundation conducts a national competition for new Hertz Fellows. Of those who apply, only about one quarter will be interviewed. Of those who are interviewed, approximately one in ten (15 to 20 annually) will be awarded a Hertz Fellowship. The research opportunities made available through USMA's research centers provided CDT Letarte and CDT Clumpner an interdisciplinary research experience which contributed to their Hertz interview selections.

Cadet Activities Roundup, January 17

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:15:00 GMT

Triathlon Team: The West Point Triathlon team traveled to Naples, FL to compete at the 2nd annual HITS triathlon. The team had an outstanding performance with the 17 cadets earning 10 named awards. The males won seven out of the top 10 spots overall and the females had three out of the top 10 spots overall. The 1st place overall woman was Kelly Kingma ‘14. First and second place for the female 18-19 age group went to Jordan Bush ‘16 and Abigail Imelio ‘16, respectively. First and second place for the female 20-24 age group went to Sarah Haight ‘13 and Cat Sedy ‘16, respectively. The 3rd overall man was Brian Trainor ‘13. First and second place males for the 18-19 age group were Dylan Morgan ‘16 and Connor Wernecke ‘16, respectively. Second and third place for the male 20-24 age group went to Norris Overly ‘15 and Christian Ryan ‘14, respectively. Immediately following the race, the team enjoyed a wonderful lunch hosted by the West Point Society of Naples.

Inline Hockey: West Point Club Hockey soundly defeated New Jersey Institute of Technology with a final score of 11-1. Following this win, the team heads into this weekend’s three games with a 3-0 record.

Climbing Team: Members from the West Point Climbing Team visited a climbing gym in New Paltz for the first official trip of the semester. At the gym, the climbing team was able to try new and challenging boulder problems and receive constructive feedback from others outside of the team.

Cadet Fine Arts Forum (Opera Forum): Opera Forum took a trip section to see Les Miserables on January 13. Recently nominated for eight Academy Awards and five Golden Globes, the film is a cinematic adaptation of Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil's landmark musical, which is in turn an adaptation of Victor Hugo's epic novel of the same name.

Bowling Team: At the final meeting of the Eastern Intercollegiate Bowling Conference for regular season play the team took 6^th place with 60 points on the season, and only 2 points separated 4th place and 6th place. Outstanding bowlers included Firsties Wei-Hung Chen and Carl Johnson. Next event for the team is the combined 1-day and 2-day tournament hosted by the University of Nevada - Las Vegas starting on 25 January.

Ski Patrol: The cadet ski patrol traveled to the Berkshires to augment the ski patrols of Jiminy Peak and Butternut. Cadet Candidates trained and practiced their ski and board skills both days in preparation for their S&T evaluation in March.

Small Unit Tactics Club: The Small Unit Tactics Club 12 JAN range was executed safely and as planned except for the impacts from dense fog. The CIC, CDT Andrew Carlson '14, reacted to WX (firing when the fog cleared and adjusting when it rolled in) to complete the training for 19 cadets on: PMI (handling, load/unload procedures, immediate/remedial actions, T&E manipulation, crew drill rehearsals) M249 Qualification (10M) M240B Transition Fire (200, 300, 400M) Machine Gun Crew Drill PE and competition.

Dean's Weekly, January 11

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:09:00 GMT

RecycleMania 2013: The United States Military Academy is set to once again compete in the RecycleMania Tournament. The tournament officially runs from 3 February through 23 March; however, preseason “trial” weeks begin on 20 January. Last year, USMA finished 10th of over 360 schools in the Per Capita Classic category recycling approximately 44 lbs/person during the 8-week competition period. The goal this year is to recycle 65 lbs/person, which would eclipse last year’s winner, Union College, who recycled 62 lbs/person. The focus of the RecycleMania leadership team is to expand the competition from the Corps to the USMA Community. Read more here.

Chinese: The pilot course LC371 “Intensive Intermediate Chinese” completed its first semester. The new course devoted five classes to military instruction and divided the time among guest lectures, student presentations, and a film screening. Cadets were briefed on the organization, branches, ranks, equipment and history of the People’s Liberation Army of China. Cadets presented on major Sinophone cities, identifying their physical locations, describing their geographic and cultural features, and planning itineraries for imagined visits. Many AIAD participants shared personal stories and photos from their recent language and culture immersion trips to Beijing, Harbin, Xi’an and Taipei. Through these activities, cadets increased their knowledge of and interest in the Chinese military as well as its representation in popular culture.

Photo: Dr. Hongyu Huang’s students presented on major Chinese cities and took pleasure in the verbal and visual tours of China’s famous attractions.

Cadet Activities Roundup, January 10

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:17:00 GMT

Parachute Team: At the National Collegiate Parachuting Championships, the team made 697 successful jumps and earned a total of 13 medals and set three national and Arizona state records. In the Team Classic Accuracy event, cadets earned 4 Gold and 4 Bronze medals. The Firstie Team also set a new collegiate national record en route to their Gold, registering a .43m total, and breaking the record USAFA set last year of .65m. In the Masters Individual Classic Accuracy event, the Firsties team swept all three medals. Cadet Kurt Yeager won the Gold, breaking his own record from last year (.17m) with a .10m total, and that makes him a three-time National Champion in Accuracy. Cadet Ben Garlick took the Silver with a .12m total, and Cadet Christian Beckler took the Bronze with a .21m total. Cadet Garlick also set a new collegiate national record for consecutive jump total with .02m. In the Intermediate Individual Classic Accuracy event, Cadet Sam Strader ‘14 won the Gold medal with a score of .32m and in the Novice Individual Sport Accuracy Cadet Sara Vagie ‘15 took the Bronze medal.

Photo: Members and Coaches of the WPPT break for lunch provided by the WPS and WPPC of Southern Arizona.

Snowboard Club: The Snowboard Club went on its first trip this weekend after a long reorganizational week. The club went to nearby Windham Mountain to practice for the upcoming competitions. Some members practiced racing techniques for Boarder Cross races, while others spent time in the terrain park to prepare for Slope style.