Department of English and Philosophy
Ethics of War Conference (Upcoming Event) On 27 and 28 March (Friday and Saturday), West Point will host the second annual conference on the ethics of war, a joint project between West Point and Villanova University. The conference will feature the work of some of the most renowned experts in the field as well as undergraduates from West Point and Villanova University. Nigel Biggar, Richard B. Miller, Fiona Robinson, and Jeremy Waldron will each address plenary sessions while Michael Walzer will provide the keynote address. The conference is a rare opportunity for officers and Cadets to discuss these urgent and complex issues with civilian experts and students. For more information, please go to www.westpoint.edu/dep. With the exception of the lunch and dinner, participation in the conference is free for all West Point personnel.
Acting and Improvisation Workshop at Vassar College. On 27 February, students enrolled in EP394 Shakespeare visited Vassar College to participate in an acting and improvisation workshop with the Actors from the London Stage, one of the most respected touring Shakespearean theatre troupes in the world. Throughout this workshop, students engaged in various theatrical exercises that emphasized vocal performance, movement and gesture, character development, and storytelling. Later that evening, after having dinner with Vassar students, the Cadets attended a performance of Macbeth by the theatre troupe, during which five actors played the more than 25 roles in Macbeth. The dexterity and dynamism of the actors, who seemed capable of switching roles/characters/personas in an instant, greatly impressed the Cadets and the rest of the audience.
West Point Initiative Visits Vassar College. On 27 February, as part of the DEP-sponsored West Point-Vassar Initiative, twenty-two Cadets traveled to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie for training and fellowship opportunities. Cadets enrolled in EP394: Shakespeare participated in an acting workshop conducted by Ben Warwick and Annie Aldington, two members of Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS), a touring ensemble of five British actors. Meanwhile, another group of Cadets participated in Title IX/Sexual Assault prevention and intervention training with Vassar College students. Vassar College students then took all of the Cadets on a tour of the college's library, followed by a group dinner and AFTLS's performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth at Vassar's Martel Theater. Following evening social activities, a small group of Cadets remained overnight in the Vassar College dormitories with student hosts. The next morning these Cadets and their hosts gathered for a group breakfast before concluding the exchange. This weekend visit reciprocates a visit made by students of Vassar College to West Point this past fall, and it follows upon numerous other events designed to bridge the civil-military divide.
Department of History
The History Department hosted another successful “Night at the Movies” event on 18 February 2015. It featured a viewing and discussion, facilitated by Professor Jen Kiesling, of the 1957 Stanley Kubrick film, Paths of Glory. The film, starring Kirk Douglas, is an examination of the nature of courage and the effects of poor leadership. Douglas’s character is given the task of defending soldiers forced to stand trial for cowardice in order to save face in the wake of a failed assault.
On 19 February 2015, CPT Mark Ehlers and LTC David Siry gave a presentation to the Hellcats of the USMA Band that drew attention to the importance of field music in armies of the American Civil War. The following day, the Hellcats, accompanied by Civil War reenactors, returned the favor by playing bugle, fife and drum calls for cadets enrolled in HI395, History of Civil War America. The cadets found the demonstration to be a valuable supplement to their study of the political, social, and military experience of the American Civil War.
LTC Rick Black served as the guest speaker for the 2015 Black History Month Ceremony at Ebenezer Baptist Church in the City of Newburgh on Sunday 22 February. The ceremony was also attended by the local chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club as well as SSG (R) Sanders Matthews, who was a member of the 10th Cavalry Regiment at West Point from 1939-1945. LTC Black’s remarks focused on local black history with a military connection. He spoke about Will Lee, who was a slave belonging to George Washington and served as Washington’s enlisted aide throughout the American Revolution. He also spoke about the 369th Infantry Regiment, more popularly known as the “Harlem Hellfighters.” The talk concluded with a look at the 9th and 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers, highlighting not only their accomplishments in the American west during the post-Civil War era, but also their contributions here at West Point, primarily in the instruction of cadets in horsemanship from 1907 until 1946.
On 27 February 2015, MAJ Brett Lea took the Royal Military College of Canada Men’s Volleyball Team and its coaches on an historical tour of Trophy Point and Fort Putnam. The players braved three feet of snow to reach Putnam's heights and take in the beauty of the Hudson River Valley. Once there, the group enjoyed a discussion about the circumstances surrounding Benedict Arnold’s treasonous attempt to deliver the fortifications at West Point to the British during the American Revolution. The team was here to play matches against club volleyball teams from USMA and VMI. Despite MAJ Lea’s best efforts to exhaust them before the match by trudging through the snow of Ft. Putnam, RMC squeaked by USMA in an extremely competitive match.
Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering
Modern Nuclear Weapons Briefings: During 2-3 March, Dr. Brian Lansrud-Lopez, a Nuclear Weapon Design Physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), visited the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering and presented information about modern nuclear weapons in several different forums. He presented briefings entitled “Modern Nuclear Weapons, Current Stockpile, Safety” to NE450 students as well as all physics and nuclear engineering majors; “Future Experimental Techniques” to students enrolled in NE400 Seminar; “Modern Nuclear Weapons at a Higher Technical Level” and “Computational Capabilities at LANL” to staff, faculty, and students. All of the presentations were at the Secret-RD level.
Defense & Strategic Studies Program
On Thursday, 26 February, Major Ford (DSS) traveled with five (5) cadets to Yale for an evening lecture with General (ret.) McChrystal’s Leadership course at Yale University. The Cadets had very positive feedback and the interaction with the Yale students went very well in both the classroom and afterwards. The group received a tour of the Campus with and then ate dinner at one of the College's dining halls. After dinner, the group attended the lecture, where GEN (ret.) McChrystal had the entire class introduce themselves. This past Friday, 27 February 2015, the Combating Terrorism Center hosted LTC Alla, an Iraqi Special Forces Officer. The Defense & Strategic Studies department hosted a war council in conjunction with this visit during Dean’s hour in WH 5006. Panelists included Iraqi Special Tactics Unit LTC Ala'a, Battalion Commander; CPT Ali, Operations Officer (S3); CPT Ali, Company Commander; US Special Forces MAJ Keener, Company Commander.
Department of Foreign Languages
Arabic: The Eight Arabic students continue their studies in Morocco and Jordan. The five Cadets in Jordan report they escaped the snow in Amman to visit Wadi Rum and Petra, and are planning a weekend trip to the Red Sea. In Morocco the three Cadets there continue their studies and look forward to a spring break trip to Europe.
Chinese: The cadets on Semester Abroad celebrated the Chinese New Year in traditional fashion. The cadets in Tawain travelled to Cad Yan’s family home in the south of Taiwan. While away from school for the week they took the opportunity to try scuba diving lessons (in Chinese). The cadets studying in China also had the opportunity to see Chinese New Year Celebrations in the traditional manner with the families they have met in China. Cadet Young made some interesting observations of their travels.
“Our trip to Guilin was enhanced by meeting up with one of our Chinese language partners/friends who is from Guilin. She was able to show us parts of Guilin that are familiar to locals and give us an experience that we wouldn’t have been able to get on our own. We went to her uncle and aunt’s house for tea and it was like role playing a dialogue from our textbooks back at West Point. We are able to learn a lot more from being out talking and interacting with local Chinese people than from textbooks. This experience is priceless.”
German: USMA German Club attended a German mass at St. Joseph’s in NYC (Yorkville). Following the service, USMA cadets enjoyed coffee/cake and German conversation during a reception with the German Vice Consul – New York Mission, and members of the Yorkville German community. The USMA cadets also enjoyed a German lunch at the Kolping Society house near the church. St. Joseph’s is located in Yorkville, the traditional German section of New York City (E. 87th St.) and was the place Pope Benedict XVI held mass in 2008 during his trip to NYC. The USMA cadets also visited Glaser’s German Bakery in the neighborhood and ate delicious German pastries made by fourth-generation Glaser family members.
International Cadets of West Point (IWCP): 23 International Cadets, 3 American Cadets, and 1 Officer in Charge from the International Cadets of West Point (ICWP) club traveled to the United Nations in NYC last Thursday 26 FEB. They received a tour of the UN Headquarters, several briefings at the UN Foundation, and then visited the Republic of Chad’s Mission to the United Nations.
The briefings received at the UN Foundation were from the Iraq Desk Officer of the Humanitarian Affairs Office, the Political Minister-Counselor of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations – New York, the Public Affairs Section Chief of the Department of Peace-Keeping Operations, and the Communications and UN Relations Officer of the UN Foundation.
Arabic: Friday 6 March through Sunday 8 March 11 Cadets from the West Point Model Arab League will travel to La Verne University, La Verne, California, to compete in the National Council on US-Arab Relations’ Southern California Model. There the Cadets will represent Syria and Morocco in parliamentary debate against students from other universities representing other nations in the League of Arab States. This second regional competition will set the Cadets up for success at the upcoming National Model at Georgetown University 10-12 April.
Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering
Student World Affairs Council for the Weekly. On 28 FEB 15, eight cadets along with MAJ James Sturm participated in the 2nd Annual Student World Affairs Council at Marist College. Sponsored by the World Affairs Council of the Mid Hudson Valley, cadets participated in six panels where undergraduate students from USMA, Marist, Vasser, SUNY New Paltz, Bard College, and the University of Delaware presented thesis projects with this year’s theme centered on Conflict and Crisis Resolution. CDT Sean McQuade presented his paper on stability in the Korean Peninsula during the panel on the Conflict in Asia. Additionally, the event’s key note speaker, Dr Susan Thomson presented her findings on research conducted in Rwanda as well as her experiences as a USAID officer.