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.

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 theNAFAC 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

Read more from GoBlackKnights.com

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

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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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. 

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.

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.

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.

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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. 

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.   

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.

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.

Read more from Army Athletics

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.”