President Donald Trump will serve as the commencement speaker at the Class of 2020 graduation ceremony at West Point, New York, on June 13. “We are honored to host the Commander-in-Chief as we celebrate the many accomplishments of our graduating class,” said LTG Darryl A. Williams ’83, 60th Superintendent. The Class will return to campus in time for the June 13 graduation ceremony, which will look different from recent graduation ceremonies due to current force health protection requirements. The size and scope of the graduation ceremony will be determined by safety considerations for cadets and the entire West Point community, and the academy leadership is conducting a thorough analysis and plan for the safe return of the Corps of Cadets. For updates on academy operations, restrictions or cancellations go to WestPoint.edu/coronavirus.

West Point Astronaut Andrew Morgan ’98 returned to Earth on April 17, after 272 days in space aboard the International Space Station. His mission, which began July 20, 2019, coincided with the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing. Morgan also shares the distinction of landing on Earth exactly 50 years to the day after the tense but triumphant Apollo 13 landing. Throughout his time on ISS, Morgan has stayed connected with West Point in many ways. Just a few weeks ago on March 24, he held a Q&A video conference with cadets via Facebook Live, hosted by USMA’s Department of Geography & Environmental Engineering. USMA 1998: Look closely at the cap he put on after taking off his helmet—it has the class crest and motto: Duty Will Not Wait!  Photo.

The West Point tradition of the Social Sciences or “SOSH” Run continued in a virtual environment on April 16. The SOSH Paper, which is the signature writing assignment in the required “Introduction to International Relations” course, is a rite of passage for cadets in their third year at USMA. Over the years, cadets have found creative, unusual and comedic ways to submit hard copies of their papers. In years past, the culminating event has been a parade of “panic-stricken” and costumed cadets dashing from the cadet area to Lincoln Hall to turn in their papers in time to meet the deadline. This semester, cadets aired live videos, posted videos and submitted pictures to Microsoft Teams from their homes as a way of continuing the SOSH Run tradition in the remote environment. View USMA SOSH Run video.

During the first two remote lessons of his plebe math class, LTC Charles Sulewski ’96 found the cadets to be too quiet. They weren’t engaging in the way they did in a typical classroom environment, and there was limited interaction throughout the lesson. So, when the cadets logged on for the third lesson, they found something a little different waiting for them. Sulewski, who plays in the math department’s band and has a piano, violin and guitar in his home office, welcomed the cadets to class with a medley of Billy Joel’s “Miami 2017” and Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” on the piano. The idea was to use music to get the cadets talking. He then invited the members of the class to logon 5-10 minutes before each lesson and for one of them to do a “show and tell” for the rest of the class. From his mini concert, the idea has caught on like wildfire. Full story.

Our Communications & Marketing team is proud to bring you the latest print edition of West Point magazine, accomplishing our mission under unique working conditions. This issue was in layout when WPAOG began working from home due to COVID-19 requirements, and the entire team worked tirelessly to complete our editorial review and upload the magazine to the printer while working remotely. Much of the content for our “Corps 2020” issue was written and photographed during late winter and early spring, and we hope you enjoy this flashback to cadet life as it was from January through spring break. Expect your copy in the mailbox in the next two weeks! The digital edition is available online now. As a multimedia supplement to our “Feeding the Corps” article, watch our one minute time-lapse video of the Corps eating lunch in the Mess Hall.

It is graduation time for the Class of 2020! What better way to acknowledge the newest members of the Long Gray Line, than with something to commemorate their achievement? Get everything you need to celebrate your grad, including the best Class of 2020 gifts, from the WPAOG Gift Shop. Congratulations Class of 2020! The WPAOG Gift Shop is open for online business at WPAOGGiftShop.com, and telephone orders at 800.426.4725. Orders ship within one business day.

Ingenuity and smarts are a part of cadets’ DNA, and not just academically. Figuring out how they can achieve the goal of staying in top shape is a prime example of their ability and resilience to overcome the obstacle at hand. Three cadets shared their experiences of what their “new normal” looks like while doing workouts at home as quarantine and social distancing are buzz words being used every day now. Full story.

On April 17, the West Point Band posted this inspiring music video with this message: “And when the night is cloudy, There is still a light that shines on me, Shine on until tomorrow, Let it be. From the entire West Point family — sending a message of hope, unity, and love to our global community. We may be facing difficult times, but never forget that we’re facing them together. Stay safe, stay strong — we’re here for you and we’ll get through this. - There will be an answer, let it be.” The song features performances by West Point Band members SSG Emily McAleesejergins, vocals and SSG Bryan Ponton, keyboard, and Cadets Dion Perinon ’20, cello, and Spencer Cowen ‘22, guitar.

For Women's History Month, WPAOG produced a video salute to the women graduates of West Point. Since 1976, West Point women have continued to strengthen the legacy of the Long Gray Line. They have excelled as leaders of character as cadets, as officers in the military, as instructors, as leaders in business and government, and as West Point alumni leaders. Since the first women graduated with the Class of 1980, more than 5,100 women have graduated from West Point, prepared to proudly serve our nation and their communities. We thank them for their continued service.

Legislation known as the CARES Act, designed to rescue the economy from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, was passed by Congress and signed into law by the president on March 27. To learn about the provisions applicable to charitable giving included in the Act, officially named the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, please visit WestPointAOG.giftplans.org or contact the WPAOG planned giving team at 845.446.1627.

Missing that feeling you can only get when you're at West Point? Try using these virtual backdrops that can change your location in an instant. Take a meeting at Trophy Point or chat with family and friends in the Mess Hall while you Skype or Zoom (Instead of that white wall behind your desk). Most of us are now communicating with our family, friends and co-workers on some kind of smart device. So change it up or just have some fun with these West Point images that you can download or save to your desktop and smart phone. Download backgrounds.

We’ve almost reached our goal of 10,000 followers! Stay up to date on the latest West Point news! From exclusive photography to information on upcoming alumni events, like and share our posts and videos with friends and families.

Looking for an activity to do while you’re home? The designer of the 2020 Army West Point Spirit Button will receive two free tickets to attend the GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY TAILGATE on December 12! All 1,500 attendees at the tailgate will receive the winner’s button. For instructions on the button design content, click here. Digital entries only.

Don’t worry, it’ll still be found in West Point magazine, but beginning this fall it will now appear in the Fall and Spring issues instead of Winter and Summer. This gives people time to consider your books for holiday gifts! Reserve your space in the Fall 2020 West Point Authors Bookshelf, a specially-priced advertising section in West Point magazine showcasing books by West Point affiliated authors. Check out the latest West Point Bookshelf in the Winter 2020 issue to discover and support these books. Learn more about this and other WPAOG advertising and sponsorship opportunities.