DCA Update - Extracurricular Clubs

Competitive Clubs

Triathlon:

• During the week of 13-22 March, the West Point Triathlon Team traveled to Scottsdale, AZ, to conduct their annual training trip in preparation for the USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals in April
• The week was an outstanding success with each athlete completing between 300 and 400 total miles of swimming, cycling, and running in the Arizona sun
• This was the largest total mileage and most comprehensive spring train-up the team has ever done
• Each session was supervised by the team’s elite coaching staff of Coach Ian O’brien and Assistant Coach Amy Maxwell, from Tri-Origin coaching; Coach O’brien is also the coach of Team USA members aspiring to make the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero
• While in Scottsdale, the team also enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. Preston Miller (USMA ‘68), who provided logistical support for the team’s trip and hosted the team for dinner
• This build-up week will provide the West Point team with the necessary skills and training to crush the competition and, once again, decisively beat Navy at USAT Nationals

Orienteering:

• On 21-22 March, the West Point Orienteering Team traveled to Media, PA, to race in the US Intercollegiate Championships
• The event featured a classic course on both Saturday and Sunday, which were made difficult by the sudden snowfall in the area on the Friday preceding the races
• West Point cadets faced skilled competitors from Rochester University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Texas, and Harvard University
• The USMA Orienteering Team came out on top, finishing in first place for the 13th consecutive time at the Inter-collegiate level
• CDT John Hensley Williams (‘15) placed first overall in the individual men’s category, and CDT Hans Sitarz (‘17) placed third; CDT Jessica Johnson (‘18) placed first overall in the individual women’s races; CDT James O’Keefe (‘15) won the men’s race on Sunday

Crew:

• From 14-22 March, Army Crew conducted spring training operations on Hartwell Lake, SC
• All teams conducted rigorous morning and afternoon practices, accelerating their preparation for the spring sprint season
• The week culminated in a joint scrimmage against another collegiate program, also at Clemson for spring training
• The Varsity and Novice Men dominated in the 5x5-minute races, defeating a much larger, national-level Purdue program and local rival, Marist University, an NCAA/Corps-Squad equivalent program
• The women’s team provided a strong challenge to the same schools, finishing only seconds behind the two programs, but showed much improvement compared to previous years
• For the first time since 2004, the entire team con-ducted spring training in the same location, with a mis-soon of developing team unity, pride, and respect for one-another, with a vision of building “one team of significance, worthy to win.”

Equestrian:

• On 20 –23 March, four members from the West Point Equestrian team traveled to Grand Oaks Resort in Lady Lake, FL, and had the privilege of participating in the Western Semi Finals
• The West Point riders did an amazing job; CDT Alexandra Vinson put in a superb ride on the horse Fergie, and CDT Crystel Calderon rode the horse Zoey in the first heat
• CDT Calderon was called back for the final, due to her spectacular ride
• The two riders did an amazing job riding against other competitors from top Western schools throughout the country; unfortunately, none of the cadets qualified for the Western Divisions of the National Championships
• The members of the team had the opportunity to see a demonstration of the driving horses used in the film, “The Hunger Games”; also, the team members got to see the home of the original Budwiser Clydesdale's, Bud and Weiser
• This coming up weekend is another regional championship, and the team is hoping to qualify riders for zone championships

Support Clubs

Glee Club:

• During Spring Break, the Glee Club performed at several venues on the West Coast
• The 66 cadets and four staff traveled with three members of the USMA Band
• The club kicked the tour off with a flash-mob in the Los Angeles International Airport; with the help of Delta Airlines and the Bob Hope USO, the club surprised the travelers in Terminal 5 with a spontaneous rendition of Phillip Phil-lips’ Gone, Gone, Gone, and a medley of armed forces service songs
• The following day, the Glee Club supported the West Point Society of Los Angeles in their Founders Day celebration at the Ronal Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley
• Before an audience of 400 people, the Club performed traditional West Point and Army songs, as well as contemporary works; the cadets then en-joyed the opportunity to visit the library’s extensive museum
• Later that evening, the Club gathered in Newhall, a small historic town north of Los Angeles; in the Canyon Theater, the Club presented a 90-minute public concert, incorporating the full Spring Break repertoire in front of 300 concert-goers
• The following day, the Club enjoyed a well-deserved day off, and got to sample much of what Los Angeles has to offer
• On Tuesday, the Club gave two 55-minute performances to the students at North Valley Military Institute in Granada Hills; NVMI, a State of California charter school, provides quality, college-prep education to predominately under-privileged students
• After each concert, the cadets spent time talking with the students and faculty, answering questions about West Point and military service
• Later that day, the Club performed at the Trinity Classical Academy in Valencia
• One of the greatest developmental opportunities of the trip came on Thursday, 19 March, when the Glee Club got to participate in an extended recording session with Skywalker Sound, a Lucasfilm Company
• Skywalker Sound is a multi-Grammy Award winning recording studio and post-production sound firm responsible for countless movie soundtracks and albums
• Throughout the day, the cadets completed nearly 40 takes on four different musical selections and enjoyed the opportunity to work with some of the best audio and video production professionals in the business
• The club came away with four great recordings and countless hours of video and interviews
• Following the success at Skywalker, the Glee Club boarded buses to continue the tour to Portland, OR; there they performed at the Tiger Woods Pavilion at the Nike Global Headquarters in Beaverton
• In front of an audience of nearly 600, the Club presented a 90-minute concert that combined traditional West Point and military songs, popular pieces, and contemporary works

Parachute:

• From 16-20 March, the West Point Parachute Team conducted Jump Orientations in Raeford, NC; the team completed over 500 jumps during this time frame
• The Class of 2018 cadets all completed their tandem jumps, as well as all of the necessary two-instructor accelerated free-fall jumps with help from the USASOC Black Daggers and the ATEC Test Board; the Class of 2018 are in position to complete their A-License requirements for this semester
• The upper-class teammates continued to train in advanced skydiving practices
• The Class of 2017 4-way team, took flight for the first time with help and assisted coaching from the Gold Knights
• The VFS (Vertical Free-Style) Team consisting of the Class of 2017 completed their first jumps together
• Some members of the Class of 2015 and 2016 completed their camera progression; most of the necessary coach rating validation jumps were completed
• The team was also given the opportunity to hear from several inspirational warriors in the Special Forces branch as well

Academic Clubs

Debate:

• On 19 March, the Army Debate Team traveled to Wichita, KS, to compete in the Cross Examination De-bate Association National Tournament at Wichita State University
• CDTs Michael Barlow and Quanzy Caston became the first Army team in eight years to advance to the round of 32 (out of 116 teams)
• Additionally, in their final debate tournament of their careers, CDTs Ryan McGovern and Aaron Spikol were selected as Academic All-American Debaters (two of the top twenty selected in the country this year) for their excellence at debate and in the class room

Model UN:

• From 14-20 March, eight cadets from the USMA Model UN Team competed at the Harvard World Model United Nations Conference in Seoul, South Korea
• This conference brings together students from over one hundred countries from around the world to compete in over thirty committees, ranging from the World Health Organization to the Special Summit on the Stability of South Sudan
• Throughout the week, cadets from the team were able to engage in fierce debates as well as experience both the culture of the ROK, and that of those students with whom they competed
• Overall, the conference served as both a developmental experience in public speaking, and an exercise in good civil-military relations
• On aggregate points, the USMA Model UN Team ranked second in the world in the Small Delegation Category, marking the academy’s continued position at the top of the world rankings and excellent competitive ability on the Model UN Circuit
• The following cadets were recognized with individual “gavels”, or delegate awards in their committees: CDT Megan McNulty (‘16), CDT Jesse Nelson (‘16), CDT Jack Bagdadi (‘17), CDT Sneha Singh (‘17), and CDT Brittany Scofield (‘18)
• The following cadets were also integral to the success of the team: CDT Patrick Beauregard (‘15), CDT Ezra Engel (‘17), and CDT Christine Sidhu (‘18)

German Language:

• During the week of 13-21 March, the DFL’s German Language section sponsored a Spring Immersion in Germany
• CPT Brown, German Instructor, was the trip OIC and escorted nine USMA cadets through southern Germany
• The trip consisted of five days in Stuttgart, one day in Munich, and one day in Garmisch
• While in Munich, the cadets received a tour of the German Armed Forces University; while in Garmisch they received a tour of the George C. Marshall Center, European Center for Security Studies

DCA Happenings

Cadet Programs

Plebe Parent Weekend 2015

A successful Plebe Parent Banquet, receiving lines, and hop were con-ducted on 14 March; 3400 cadets and guests attended.

Book signings for Plebe Parent Weekend on 13 March and 14 March 2015 include: Elaine Lowry Brye, author of Be Safe, Love Mom.

And Roger Miller, photojournalist of West Point: An Inside Look at the Long Gray Line.

Upcoming Book Store Book Signings

• Bill Quatman, author of A Young General and the Fall of Richmond - 6 April @ 1330 - 1530
• RET GEN Richard Lynch, author of Adapt or Die - 15 April @ 0930-1130
• Emma Sky, author of The Unraveling - 16 April @ 0930 - 1130