The International Affairs Forum visited "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon. Cadets had the opportunity to experience political satire related to current events as audience members in the studio during a taping of the show. The guest on the show was John Oliver, who host his own political satire show on HBO, titled, "Last Week Tonight." During a break in taping, Jimmy Fallon entertained cadets with a story about a performance he put on at West Point early in his career.

The Secretary of the Army, Dr. Mark T. Esper a judo alumnus, joined judoka cadets for some morning PT during Army Navy Weekend. The West Point Judo team beat Navy at Drexel for the second time this semester.

The Army West Point men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse and baseball teams will all have at least one game this season televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.

Both lacrosse teams will trek to Annapolis, Md., on April 13 for a doubleheader against service-academy rival Navy. The women's game is slated for 1 p.m., while the men are scheduled to follow at 3:30 p.m.

The ensuing weekend will feature a men's lacrosse matchup between Army and defending Patriot League champs Loyola at Michie Stadium on April 20 at 2:30 p.m. A day later, a rematch of the baseball Patriot League Championship Series between the Black Knights and the Midshipmen is set to go down at Navy on April 21 with first pitch slated for 12:30 p.m.

Every summer, the White House sends out approximately 7,000 applications to apply to decorate the White House Christmas Trees. Once the applications are returned to the White House, the First Lady and the chief decorator look at the applications (and probably do security checks) and select roughly 125-200 people to come and decorate the trees at the White House.

Kari Harmeling, a military spouse residing at West Point who also just happens to have graphic artist experience, was one of those accepted.

"The theme for the decorations is ‘American Treasures' and I was one of six others in my group," Harmeling said. "There is a Gold Star tree, and that is the first thing you see as you enter the East Room. It serves as a reminder of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to our nation. It really set the tone."

Harmeling said she didn't know any of the six that were with her, but they stayed in the same hotel.

"We became fast friends though," Harmeling said. "We worked from sunup to sundown. But we had breakfast in the State Dining Room. We first spent the day sorting through decorations in a large warehouse and then the decorations were sent up and we started. There was a piano player playing all day, which was very nice and, in some rooms, a band played. Read More

Cadets currently enrolled in the Geospatial Information Systems program displayed and presented their class projects to staff, faculty and community members Dec. 11 and 12 in the Haig Room in Jefferson Hall Library. The projects focused on the use of geospatial analysis and how it can be used to share stories of our interaction with the earth.

Cadets presented projects on a variety of subjects such as detailing the migration of Syrian refugees to European countries, elk migration patterns in Yellowstone National Park, U.S Reliance on Foreign Trading Partners, Countries Spending the Most on Defense Spending and correlation between obesity and suicide rates in the Midwest and Michigan.

"I would have thought that urban counties would have the most suicides, but that proved to be wrong," Class of 2021 Cadet Steven Hoadley said of his project. "Once I began researching, I found there are 13 people per 100,000 that died by suicide and the rate has been rising. It went to 15.4 suicides in rural counties. On the other hand, you may have to take that with a grain of salt because a lot of counties have small populations."

Hoadley added that Michigan is divided in three different regions and the southern part has the biggest cities. "I wanted to see if urban counties had lower suicide rates and they do, which surprised me," Hoadley said. "Some of the reasons that rural counties have higher suicide rates may be due to the fact that there are less resources available to them for mental health and fewer mental health centers. There is also the stigma in rural counties about getting help." Read More

Five First Class cadets at the U.S. Military Academy have been honored as either a Marshall or Schwarzman scholar.
Recipients of the Marshall Scholarship may study for graduate degrees in any field of study at a university in the United Kingdom. Schwarzman Scholars attend Tsinghua University in Beijing where they study for a Masters of Global Affairs. This year's Marshall Scholars from West Point are Class of 2019 Cadets David Bindon, Robert Drummond and Madeleine Schneider. Class of 2019 Cadets Kevin Colton and Eva Gould received the Schwarzman Scholarship.

Hailing from Canton, Michigan, Bindon is the Brigade Commander, or First Captain, of 4,400 cadets at West Point. While studying mechanical engineering, Bindon has completed a number of technical projects including a fluid dynamics analysis in urban and rural landscapes. He has a written primer for future cadets' use in summiting the learning curve associated with his research and ported flight software to cheaper, faster and commercially-available single board computers for the Joint Precision Airdrop System used in the theater of war.

Aside from his academic pursuits, Bindon largely dedicates his time to the development of others. He has served in various leadership positions, ranging from a mentor for 22 high schoolers interested in the Academy to the commander of 1,430 cadets in a crucible summer training experience. In his career, Bindon hopes to become an Aviation officer and apply his approach to technical problem-solving and his capacity for leadership toward tackling the nation's most meaningful pursuits in the military and beyond. Bindon will study for a master’s in economics and philosophy at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Master’s Degree in War Studies from King's College London. Read More

The Department of Military Instruction hosted Brigadier James Carr-Smith, the British Military Attaché and Head of the British Army Staff in the United States. Carr-Smith visited West Point to deliver a presentation entitled "Interoperability – Why we have no choice." While primarily an opportunity for staff and faculty development, the visit also served as an opportunity to help broaden Carr-Smith's understanding of how West Point cadets are trained and educated before he takes over as Commander Sandhurst Group, the UK equivalent of the Commandant of Cadets.

Having endured a torrid journey through inclement weather, Carr-Smith was briefed on the military training progression that cadets receive during their 47-month West Point experience with a focus on Cadet Summer Training. He met with several department heads and discussed potential U.S.-UK collaborative opportunities.

Although West Point is very different from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) commissioning model, the opportunities and benefits of increased collaboration between the two foremost military academies is obvious and was an enduring theme during the visit. Carr-Smith took part in a defense and strategic studies lesson as they studied the AirLand, AirSea and Multi-Domain Battle and was given a tour of the West Point Simulation Centre to see how simulation technologies complement USMA's Military Education and Training program. Read More

Heading into her first marathon Cadet Kate Sanborn '20 had heard all about the wall, the moment in the middle of the race when physically and mentally you simply break. Standing at the starting line facing down the course, Sanborn didn't know how her body would react. A marathon stretches 26.2 miles from start to finish and despite the hundreds of miles of training Sanborn put in preparing for the race, the longest she had ever run at one time was 21 miles. Each day of training had been meticulously tracked in her notebook, every day of double runs and the weeks where she ran 77 miles as she laid down a base of endurance.

In November at the Richmond Marathon it was time to see if those miles and hours spent training would pay off. If the wall came, she was determined to push past it and cross the finish line. "That was the one thing I was unsure of. How was my body going to handle it and how was I going to react mentally?" Sanborn said. "The day of, I showed up at the line and was like, ‘what happens, happens.' If I just take a carefree attack at it, then nothing can really hurt me. If I hit the wall, then I hit the wall. I know that I am going to finish whether that is walking and jogging. I am going to cross the line." Read More

Cadets enrolled in: From the Margins to Mainstream (Society and Culture in American History) went on a trip section to New York City to see and talk about subjects discussed in class. Cadets have been learning about how historically marginal ideas and groups became incorporated into mainstream American society. On this trip, West Point Department of History faculty, MAJ Ben Flores and Dr. Laura Hooton, guided cadets to sites related to the counterculture of the 1950s and 1960s, the LGBT community, immigrant communities, and the Harlem Renaissance. For the experience, cadets trekked across New York City walking from Greenwich Village, through Soho and Little Italy, to Chinatown, and taking the subway up to The National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Along the way the group had several insightful discussions about the nature of these sites, how they related to themes discusses throughout the course, and why they are important to contemporary American society and culture. Overall, cadets gained a greater understanding of how and why marginal groups and ideas made it into the mainstream and the important role New York City played in that process.

The Stanford Professor and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, delivered a guest lecture to cadets enrolled in SS307 and several other Department of Social Sciences (SOSH), Defense & Strategic Studies (DSS), and Department of Foreign Languages (DFL) courses. Ambassador McFaul's lecture was based on his most recent book, "From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia," which blends the Ambassador's memoirs from his time in government with his penetrating analysis of Russian politics, foreign policy, and U.S.-Russian relations. The talk was jointly sponsored by the Department of Social Sciences and the Modern War Institute and provided cadets with a timely discussion of Russia's recent aggressive actions across the globe.

The Black Knights bring their eight-game winning streak into the 2018 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Saturday.

The game is slated for a 2:30 p.m. CT kick and Army will be looking for its fourth consecutive bowl win, including its third straight in the Armed Forces Bowl. The contest will air live on ESPN with Chris Cotter, Jim Mora, Emmanuel Acho, and Quint Kessenich on the call. The game can also be heard on the Army Sports Network through the TuneIn app or goarmywestpoint.com.

How to Follow: Television - ESPN | Radio - Army Sports Network| Game Notes - Army Notes •  Houston Notes | Live Stats - GoArmyWestPoint.com| Twitter - ArmyWP_Football

Members of the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department (CME) took a few moments to honor the 17 former cadets who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. The department conducts the Run to Remember from Mahan Hall to the West Point Cemetery twice a year and reads the names of the fallen.

Johnny Surdick of the Army West Point men's lacrosse team earned First Team Preseason Inside Lacrosse Media All-America honors, announced by the group on Monday. Surdick is coming off a junior season in which he garnered Inside Lacrosse Media All-American accolades after being named First Team All-Patriot League a season ago. For the second straight year, he led the Black Knights' defense with 23 caused turnovers. He averaged 1.92 per game and ranked third in the Patriot League.

The firstie captain from Odenton, Md., added 42 groundballs last season while guarding the opponent's biggest offensive threat each outing. Surdick tallied four assists in 2018 which was a new career mark. The Black Knights begin their season with road games at UMass and Rutgers in early February before hosting Hudson Valley foe Marist at home on March 19 for the first contest at Michie Stadium in 2019.

A remarkable testament to the dedication of one of our amazing Physics and Nuclear Engineering (PaNE) instructors.

"My high school wasn't very challenging. I never had to struggle. I was 15th in the class. Section leader in my marching band. Top of this. Top of that. Where I grew up, not too many people go to college out of state. So, when I got accepted into West Point, I assumed that I'd continue to succeed. But I finished my first semester with a 2.5 GPA. Not only was I barely surviving, but I felt like I was trying as hard as I could. I started thinking: 'Am I dumb? Can I even do this?' My second semester I had a physics teacher named Major Bowen. He was honest with me about my faults. He told me that I needed to get more sleep. And that I had poor time management skills. But he also told me some nice stuff. He said that I was a good student to have in class. And that I was definitely smart enough to succeed. It's nice to hear that stuff when you're surrounded by so many naturally talented people. Major Bowen showed me ways to become more efficient. I started using calendars. I started studying in groups. I began tutoring people in calculus, because teaching is the best way to really learn a subject. Six weeks into the second semester I got my first test back, and it was an 'A.' It was a '90,' but it was an 'A.' It was like: 'Oh, wow. I can do this.'" ~CDT Lampkin '21.

Today marks the National Football Early Signing Period but due to Academy policy names of recruited student-athletes will not be released until they arrive on campus this summer.

Army West Point head coach Jeff Monken had this to say about his early signing day class:

"We are excited about the future of Army Football. With this being the first of the national signing days, we have secured commitments from several outstanding young men from across the nation. Although we, like traditional college teams, cannot publicize these commitments until after their arrival on campus this summer, we are confident that we have secured a group of young men who will be outstanding leaders of character to serve our nation along with football players who will help continue the winning ways of Army Football."

Army West Point head football coach Jeff Monken was named one of seven finalists for the 2019 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award, sponsored by Marathon Oil Corporation. Joining him on this impressive list of the nation's best college football coaches are: Bill Clark (University of Alabama-Birmingham), Josh Heupel (University of Central Florida), Brian Kelly (Notre Dame), Nick Saban (University of Alabama), Dabo Swinney (Clemson University), and Jeff Tedford (Fresno State University).

Monken has helped bring the historic Army football program back into the national spotlight over the last five years. After winning six games between his first two seasons, Monken led his Army team to an 8-5 record in 2016, highlighted by his first win over Navy. Monken followed that up with a 10-win season last year, and then matched those numbers again with another 10-win season in 2018. Army has an opportunity to set a new school record for wins in a season with a victory over Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 22.

The winner will be announced live on January 9, 2019 during the awards dinner and ceremony at the Post Oak Hotel in Houston. Now in its 33rd year, the Coach of the Year Award recognizes the country's top college football coach for their contributions both on and off the field. The award is the only college coaching honor selected after all bowl games are concluded and is voted on by the National Sports Media Association.

The Army West Point football team practiced for the first time in the Lonestar State on Wednesday prior to its appearance in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.

The Black Knights practiced at Wildcat Stadium on the campus of Kennedale High School.

Army focused on special teams for the first portion of practice and then broke into individual and team drills for the final hour.

The Cadets have one more practice and then a walk through on Friday before the game on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Central on ESPN.

The Army West Point football team had 12 cadet-athletes recognized on Phil Steele's All-Independent teams. The Black Knights were well-represented on the first and second team for offense, defense and special teams. Firstie captains Darnell Woolfolk and Bryce Holland were selected to the All-Independent First Team for offense, while the second team offense included Kelvin Hopkins Jr., Jaxson Deaton, and Austin Schuffert.

On the defensive side, the Black Knights landed four on the first team and one on the second squad. Kenneth Brinson, Cole Christiansen, Mike Reynolds and Elijah Riley were voted onto the first team, while James Nachtigal was a second team honoree. Army also saw John Abercrombie and Reynolds make an appearance on the second team for special teams players after an impressive season so far for the Black Knights. Army is back in action on December 22, in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, which will be live on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. CT. Read More

Army West Point head baseball coach Jim Foster recently announced his team captains for the 2019 season. Firsties Daniel Burggraaf, Tyler Giovinco, Trey Martin, Cam Opp, and Josh White will step into their new roles and look to lead the Black Knights during their upcoming season. Giovinco and Martin repeat as captains, while this is the first honor for Burggraaf, Opp and White.

"We're very proud to announce this group as captains for the 2019 season," Foster said. "The mix of three pitchers and two position players is a good balance for us. They have been tremendous leaders for our team since I first came to West Point a few years ago. The hard work they have put in has helped the program grow and improve considerably and I know we're all excited to get the season started."

This five-man group has accumulated numerous accolades since coming to the Banks of the Hudson. Four were named to the All-Patriot League Second Team just a year ago, while two were tabbed to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team. There is also a two-time Academic All-Patriot League Team member, a Northeast All-Region First Team recipient, and a cadet-athlete who was selected to the 2018 NCAA Baseball Raleigh Regional All-Tournament Team.

The Black Knights will begin their road to defend the Patriot League Tournament title starting in February.

In celebration of Computer Science Education Week, six Systers cadets from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), USMA chapter of The Association for Computing Machinery's Council on Women (ACM-W) along with two EECS faculty members traveled to West Point Middle School (WPMS) to interact with middle school students and future coders. The event was led by Cadet Haley Steele '19 and coordinated by Dr. Suzanne J. Matthews and Lieutenant Colonel David Harvie of EECS and Ms. Wonee Aversa of WPMS.

During the "Hour of Code" activity, coding club members were introduced to Chibitronics, a set of electronic stickers designed to engage students in art and computing. Cadet Steele, who organized and led the event, learned about Chibitronics at the 2017 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing and was inspired to engage West Point middle school students with it. Cadet Steele led a training event in Spring 2018 to introduce cadets to Chibitronics, so they would be prepared to help the middle school students. The middle school students used Chibitronics to create light-up holiday cards for their loved ones. The event was a huge success with the middle school students absolutely enamored with Chibitronics and having a wonderful time creating their cards. Cadets assisted as students got stuck, with faculty only assisting as needed on top of that. All in all, the activity was a huge success.

In addition to Cadet Haley Steele, the cadet volunteers were: Cadets Tianna Johnson '19, Carlie Sleeman '19, Taylor Bradley '21, Cara Shattan '21), and Kennedy Warren '21. The faculty volunteers were Dr. Suzanne J. Matthews and LTC Dave Harvie.