Over the course of two days, Aviation completed semester check-out of 8 cadets on the Flying Team. Demonstrations of how to safely fly the aircraft in a wide variety of challenging conditions. They completed one FAA required Biennial Flight Review as well as six Lakota helicopter familiarization flights conducted by 2nd Aviation.

Visit from NBA Executive. Dr. Kirk Goldsberry, Vice President of the San Antonio Spurs, lectured students studying Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Dr. Goldsberry discussed the changing spatial patterns of professional basketball over the past decade. He drew on his work with the Spurs, his experience analyzing the NBA for ESPN, and how the USA Olympic Basketball team used spatial analytics to prepare for their gold-medal winning effort in Brazil. Dr. Goldsberry encouraged cadets to apply spatial reasoning in all facets of their life. In short, location matters.

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Parchment's annual college rankings are pulled directly from students using Parchment's free, online college admissions tools. The Parchment website is a free resource that helps students and parents research colleges, discover their chances of admissions and see how they stack up with their peers. Parchment, the most widely adopted digital credential service, announced the results of its sixth annual Parchment Student Choice College Rankings study. During a period of great concern over the cost and value of higher education, student choices reveal a marked preference by applicants for colleges and universities that offer a clear and distinctive educational environment. These "mission-oriented" schools, including Pomona College, United States Air Force Academy, the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy, attract students who share their purpose and consequently are chosen by those whom they admit when students have alternative choices available.

Parchment's annual study is different from other college rankings as it compares more than 770 colleges and universities using the self-reported matriculation choices of nearly 89,000 first-year college-bound students. Parchment treats student's college choices like a chess tournament, ranking schools by the total matchups won against another school. In 2017, students reported on more than 124,000 total matchups, increasing the six-year total matchups to nearly 323,000. Over the course of the six years of the Parchment study, each year yields results uncommon to traditional college rankings. Unique to the 2017 rankings, Pomona College took over the top spot, following Stanford University's three-year run at No. 1. In the most recent rankings, 17 schools that were ranked in the Top 25 in 2016 remain in 2017. Read More

The Superintendent notified the Corps of Cadets, The Long Gray Line and parents that Cadet Brandon T. Jackson, Class of 2019, died on September 11, 2016 after an automobile accident in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. Read Superintendent’s Letter

The Army West Point women's soccer team rallied from one goal down to defeat Hofstra 3-1 here Saturday afternoon to earn its first victory of the season. Maya Watkins put the Pride in front in the 29th minute but that would be all the Black Knights would allow. Army then rattled off three unanswered goals, from three different cadets, to secure the two-goal win. Junior Clare Shea notched her second goal of the season to tie the score at 1-1, while Madison McGinn and Nicole Bautista each recorded their first markers of the year. McGinn's tally was the eventual game-winner, coming in the 52nd minute. Senior Jordan Cassalia recorded nine saves in net for the Black Knights as she earned her first victory of the season between the posts. Lauren McGovern and Kayleigh Stallings were both awarded assists. Leading the Black Knights in shots was Jade Jamison, who posted two, one of which on frame. Shea, Bautista, and McGinn all scored on their lone shots in the game. The three goals marked the first time this season the Black Knights had one more scores. Read More

After four-straight sweeps this weekend, the Army West Point volleyball team was named the Dartmouth Tournament Champions. The Black Knights completed their streak with a 3-0 victory over Niagara Saturday evening. Allie Strong was named the Tournament MVP and was joined by Vanessa Wesley on the All-Tournament Squad. Today's wins puts Army (6-4) on a 5-0 streak with all matches being decided in three-straight sets. The Black Knights held an advantage in every statistical category over the Purple Eagles. The Cadets (1-9) led in points (52-28), kills (38-22), aces (7-3), blocks (7-3), assists (33-21) and digs (42-40). Wesley led the team with 10 kills and a .563 hitting percentage. Amber Clay and Sydney Morriss had eight kills apiece while Strong tallied seven. Haven Bethune continued as setter for Army and dished out 26 assists and added a match-high three service aces. She had her second double-double of the day as she added a team-high 10 digs. In blocking, Olivia Fairfield made the difference for the Cadets with five with Morriss adding three.

The Army West Point women's rugby topped Dartmouth, 63-12, at the Anderson Rugby Complex on Friday evening. The Black Knights lifted their record at 1-1 on the season while Dartmouth fell to the same mark. Maj. Gen. Wayne Grigsby, Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Cornelison, Lt. Col. Kautzman, Lt. Col. Bault Cap. Griffith, Staff Sgt. Smith of the First Infantry Division were in attendance. Army's 63 points was the second-highest total in program history. Click here for the video: https://youtu.be/SPXr-rY0WxI. Junior wing Sydney Hawkins takes a pass from midfield and sprints past the defense for Army's first try of the match. Junior Tosha Wilson-Latimore and senior Megan Rogers made their first starts of the season. The Black Knights outscored Dartmouth 46-0 in the final 40 minutes. The 51-point margin was the second-greatest in program history. Sophomore lock Nicola Newton dotted down right before halftime to kick start the Army offense to a 51-0 run for the final 40 minutes of the game. Read More

The Army West Point football team made its 2016 debut at Michie Stadium on Saturday afternoon and gave fans something to cheer about for the second week in a row. The Black Knights rushed for 348 total yards to defeat Rice, 31-14. Rice got on the scoreboard early, with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Stehling to Connor Cella, just 1:00 into the game. However, Black Knights responded with a quick six-play, 75-yard scoring drive that saw Darnell Woolfolk reach the end zone from six yards out to tie the game, 7-7. Army took the lead late in the first quarter on Andy Davidson's third touchdown of the season; a 13-yard run. A two-yard run from Davidson pushed the Black Knights' lead to 21-7 as the teams went into the break. In the second half, Army kept the pressure on, adding yet another touchdown from Davidson and a field goal from Mitchell Howard to give the Black Knights the victory. Click here to watch the video: https://youtu.be/aweY1Pfsxzs.

The win marked the first time since 2010 that Army has won two games in a row The Black Knights are 2-0 for the first time since 1996. Davidson was the first Black Knight to score three rushing touchdowns since Larry Dixon did it against Fordham on Nov. 22, 2013. The Black Knights recorded their fourth interception of the season Saturday afternoon. They tallied just six picks in all of 2015. James Nachtigal forced his way into the backfield and knocked the ball out of Stehling's grasp, Andrew King fell on it to give Army the ball on the Rice 35-yard line with just over eight minutes to play in the second quarter. The Black Knights scored on the ensuing possession to make it 21-7. Read More

Army West Point first-year Nicole Bautista was named Patriot League Corvias Women's Soccer Rookie of the Week after her strong performance against Hofstra. The honor was the Rockville, MD, native's first career weekly accolade. Bautista's first collegiate tally was a big one as it not only handed Army the 3-1 advantage over the Pride, but ensured Army its first win. The rookie dribbled through the midfield and launched a well-driven shot from 22-yards out that blew past the goalie and into the lower left corner. Also receiving conference honorable mention praise was junior Clare Shea, who netted her second marker of the year. Shea's tying goal came at the 36:29 mark and happened after she collected a deflected ball inside the box. The Allendale, N.J., native then fired a low shot into the right corner for her sixth career goal. Read More

The Thayer Honors Program seeks to develop West Point’s highest-performing cadets academically and professionally through interdisciplinary collaboration. Cadets accepted into the program work to publish research, apply critical thinking to solve complex global issues, and serve as ambassadors for West Point in military and professional situations. The Thayer Honors Program invites plebes to apply based on mid-term and first semester grades. Selection is based on academic QPA, teacher recommendations, and physical program scores. Induction into the program opens academic opportunities such as advanced class sections, research project connections, and scheduling preferences to attend Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) programs during the summer.

Photo: CDT Lindsay 17 volunteering at the Foundation for Economic Development and Educational Promotion International School in Cape Coast Ghana

By gathering the highest-performing cadets from across academic disciplines, the Thayer Honors Program fosters collaboration and innovation. Design Day, an event hosted by the Thayer Honors Program, encourages creative application of cadets’ expertise to generate real-world solutions while teaching design and problem-solving principles. The cadets work together in groups with mixed years, majors, and experience levels to make a viable solution to the given problem. The Thayer Honors Program works with the scholarship preparation courses in order to prepare cadets to be competitive for prestigious scholarships such as the Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman scholarships. The Thayer Honors Program also develops members through a mentorship program linking cows and plebes together for a two-year mentorship cycle, after which the mentee goes on to become a mentor. This year, the Thayer Honors Program is hosting its first annual Honors Banquet, featuring speakers on the topic of Leading through Interdisciplinary Collaboration.

Army West Point rookies David Cooper and Joe Ryan were both announced as finalists for 2016 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards. Cooper and Ryan are among just 36 nominees nationwide for this honor that recognizes one young man from each of the country's five regions as the best and the brightest for their accomplishments as athletes, scholars and citizens at the high school level. The finalists all graduated from high school in 2016 and are now playing college football. The five honorees, who are being recognized for their previous accomplishments in high school, will be announced the week of Oct. 3. "The NFF Chapter Network continues to grow and excel, and their work this year has allowed us to identify these 36 exceptional high school scholar-athletes who have clearly established themselves among the best in the nation," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "It will be a difficult task to select one from each region as the absolute best. Each possesses incredible talent in all facets of their lives, and it is a tremendous honor for us to highlight their accomplishments." Read More

EECS held its 7th EECS Systers Luncheon on Wednesday, 31-Aug that included 24 female cadets and 6 faculty. The event, organized by Dr. Suzanne J. Matthews, was designed to bring female students and faculty in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Technology together in a casual, relaxing environment. Cadets and faculty alike enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with each other and make new friends. EECS Systers elections were held, and we discussed a number of potential activities for the coming academic year. Our new officers are: CDT Jennifer Niemann ’16 for Chair, CDT Tianna Johnson ’19 for Vice Chair, and CDT Emily Guevara ’19 for treasurer. We plan to hold a similar luncheon later this semester. EECS Systers is USMA’s chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery’s Council on Women in Computing.

Nine cadets on the Army Sailing Team, along with Prof. Lee Harrell from the Physics Department and LTC Sean Sculley from the History Department, competed against 100 big boat sailing teams from around the world in a 238-mile race from Stamford, CT to Martha’s Vineyard. With Hurricane Hermine approaching New York during the race, winds climbed to 25 knots and helped the team complete the race in an amazing 40 hours. The team's strategic planning accounted for both the forecasted weather and tidal changes that allowed them to make several key tactical decisions that resulted in their success. The team scored second in its class of six boats, sixth overall against 100 boats, and won the intercollegiate Corinthian Cup awarded to boats raced by sailors under the age of 25, beating teams from King's Point, SUNY Maritime, and the defending champions from the American Yacht Club. First established in 1932, this race attracts some of the finest oceanic sailing teams and is one of the more difficult and intricate of its kind. This was only the second time Army Sailing has competed in this race since receiving its sailing warhorse, the Invincible, from the US Naval Academy and these are its first trophies. The Invincible is now back home on the Hudson as the team practices for the big boat Service and Maritime competitions, as well as the Collegiate National Championship held this fall in Annapolis.

The Army West Point men's soccer team matched its season high with three goals to defeat visiting Siena, 3-2, during a nonconference match on Tuesday evening at Clinton Field. Army improves to 2-3-0 this year following the win, while Siena drops to 1-4-1. Freshman Rex Epps scored what would ultimately become the game-winning goal in the 69th minute, while senior Nick Williams and junior Okheem Riley contributed first-half tallies. Junior Rosero found the back of the net for Siena in the opening half to make the score 1-1 before the Saints took advantage of an Army own goal in the 75th minute, which made the score 3-2. Click here to watch the recap: https://youtu.be/IEENdH1nzgw. Army stays unbeaten in its series with Siena, as the Black Knights improve to 5-0-1 all-time versus the Saints. Riley and freshman Alex Grave de Peralta added assists for Army. Riley becomes the third Black Knight this season to contribute to multiple goals in a game, joining Epps and senior Christian Clark, who had a hand in two goals against LIU Brooklyn and Air Force, respectively. Junior Christian Nolasco earned his second consecutive start in net and made one save to improve to 2-2-0. Epps netted his team-leading fourth goal of the season. The Irmo, S.C., native has goals in three of Army's five games. Read More

Civil Rights Staff Riders Visit the “Other Side of the Tracks” in Greenwood, MS. Cadets were invited to a program in the Greenwood, Mississippi city council chamber. Joining community members were veterans excited to meet the uniformed cadets. The program was hosted by two of the area’s leading African-American elected officials, State Sen David L. Jordan and State Representative Willie J. Perkins Sr. The first speaker was the legendary civil rights leader Charles McLaurin who came to Mississippi to register black voters. Greenwood was a significant battlefield in the civil rights movement, but declaring any sort of victory remains very elusive. As we drove south through Greenwood would confirm the existence of an entirely different world. Less than two miles to the south and across a set of railroad tracks lies Baptist Town. It was home to Morgan Freeman, and legendary bluesman Robert Johnson who died there at age 27. Legend has it that Johnson made a deal with the devil, selling his soul for his unparalleled skill on the guitar. Baptist Town is mostly black and poor, with high rates of drug addiction and low rates of employment, it is not unique among the cities and towns that we visited throughout our trip. Each has another side of the tracks, and each has similar problems.

Famed Freedom Rider Meets with 2016 Civil Rights Staff Ride Cadets. Hank Thomas lives in Atlanta, Georgia and for the second time invited the Staff Ride to visit with him and his wife, Yvonne Johnson Thomas. Both were civil rights activists and both are gracious hosts. Thomas like to point out that among the freedom riders on that fateful day were whites, many of whom were Jewish. As the bus burned with the passengers still inside he thought they would die, but there was a small explosion, perhaps the gas tank, which allowed them to all get out. Lying on the ground someone came over to him, and asked if he was alright, then struck Thomas in the head with a baseball bat. The cadets also met with Hollywood screenwriters who are working on a movie about Mr. Thomas and the Freedom Riders.

The 2017 edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges rankings released today places the U.S. Military Academy No. 1 on High School Counselor's Top Picks list for National Liberal Arts Colleges. This is the fourth consecutive year West Point has been ranked as a top pick by high school counselors. West Point ranks No. 2 in Top Public Colleges. In the Best Engineering Programs category, at engineering schools whose highest degree is a bachelor's or master's, West Point ranks No. 4 overall, and also ranks No. 4 for its civil engineering program in the Best in the Specialties category. West Point's mechanical engineering program ranks No. 7 at schools where no doctorate is offered. "This recognition reflects the U.S. Military Academy's commitment to providing the highest quality education for the future leaders of the Army and the nation," said Brig. Gen. Cindy Jebb, dean of the academic board. "To be recognized as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country while simultaneously being recognized as providing some of the best engineering programs across the nation is something about which the entire West Point family can be proud." West Point also ranks No. 19 on the list of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

Twenty-seven cadets spent the holiday weekend polishing and finalizing their scholarship application essays during the XH407 Writing Retreat in Fishs Eddy, NY. Cadets spent most of the weekend working independently on their scholarship applications and essays; however, Major Steven Kreeger and Dr. Molly Hildebrand also conducted information sessions for the major scholarships and provided individual assistance to each of the cadets. Although the cadets spent most of the holiday weekend preparing their scholarship applications, they took a break from writing to watch the Army victory over Temple! This fall, over 30 cadets will apply for the Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Gates-Cambridge, Churchill, Fulbright, Yenching, Schwarzman, East-West, and Churchill Scholarships and the Soros Fellowship for New Americans.

Over the summer four groups of Cadets, a total 18 Cadets, studied in China and Taiwan for three weeks. One group of five students studied at Fujen Catholic University, one group of five students studied at Xi’An Normal University, and two groups of four students studied at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. In addition to 45 hours of classroom Chinese each group had opportunities to study Chinese Culture first hand. The students studying in Xi’An also taught preventative medicine, English, and sports to elementary school children in the countryside.

Ecology cadets (EV471) traveled to Wilkins Pond, USMA reservation to take ecological samples as part of their term project research. On this trip section, the cadets evaluated ecological change, human impacts on the environment, and presented this information to an audience. Students collected samples from organisms, soils, water, herbs, shrubs, saplings, and trees in wetland and upland ecosystems. Using statistics and the scientific method, students compare an assigned ecological area to a control ecological area.