Department of Foreign Languages
Spanish: On 17 APR, Cadets from DFL Spanish’s Advanced Conversation (LS470) visited with students at Entrada Academy (Bronx, NY) for the course’s annual service-learning trip. Entrada Academy is a Title I NY public school where over 85% of students identify as Latino and receive some form of English language support. During their visit, Cadets had the opportunity to work with multiple levels of English Language Learners in support of the Entrada students’ upcoming language proficiency exams. In addition, Cadets discussed opportunities related to college education and the military. After the visit, Cadets remarked that they have gained a new appreciation for the challenges experienced by English Language Learners and those who instruct them, as well as the importance of mentor-ship and the opportunity to interact with our regional community on a personal level.
Chinese: On 19 APR, at the West Point Club, Pursuant to coordination with MG(r) John MacDonald, DFL Dept' Head, Academy Professor of Chinese, and Chinese Desk Chief along with cadets Joseph Joo, Jacob Medeiros, Zachary Newquist, and Vladimir Guirand gave a presentation of the overseas programs that benefit cadets studying Chinese to approximately 49 Chinese and Academic business leaders (see participants). The cadets presented completely in Chinese and were very warmly received.
French: French Semester Abroad Program cadets meet each spring to celebrate USMA Founder’s Day in Paris. Students studying at the Catholic University of Lyon, the Catholic University of Lille and The Sorbonne (in Paris) unite with the West Point Society of Paris to enjoy a bi-lingual dinner together. Cadets share their three months of experiences, thus far, with USMA graduates and French military Officers alike, enjoying fine cuisine and practicing the continental style of dining.
Persian: On 19 Apr, the Persian Forum of the Foreign Languages Club took a trip to NYC in order to engage the greater Persian-speaking and Persian-influenced communities. Cadets visited Pardis School for Children, a Persian-school for Iranian-American children, got introduced to trilingual Persian-English-French literary audio books, marched in the annual Persian parade, and sampled Iranian fare at a Persian restaurant. During the trip the cadets not only used the opportunity to practice their language skills with native speakers, but also were acquainted with many different people from various Persian-influenced Central Asian and Caucasian countries whose members were participating in the Persian Parade.
Russian: On 17 APR, approximately 120 cadets studying basic Russian traveled to Brighton Beach, in Brooklyn, NY. Brighton Beach has one of the largest populations of Russian immigrants in the United States. Over 70 native Russians volunteered to sit down and converse with the cadets entirely in Russian. While initially intimidating to the cadets, they soon learned that they could communicate and ended up having excellent conversation and making new friends. Afterwards the cadets were able to explore the Brighton Beach area and experience the many Russian shops and restaurants.
Russian: On 18 APR, Cadets Jonathan Astashinsky ’17, Steven Brist ‘17, Devin Froseth ’17, Leonard Kosta ’17 and Tyler Payne ’17 competed in an annual regional Russian language olympiada, held this year at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. The competition included recitation of Russian poetry, prepared Russian-language presentations and improvised Russian-language presentations. CDT Leonard Kosta came in 3rd place overall for the “2nd-year Russian student” category.
Russian: On 16 APR, cadets studying Russian were invited to a DFL musical performance by the Trio Barynya Ensemble – a ethnic-cultural balalaika group – at Cullum Hall. The performance included balalaika renditions of Russian classical and folk music. A video selection of the concert can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/9oba4FOuvDI
International Cadet Club: The International Cadet Club conducted a trip section to Washington D.C. and the U.S. Naval Academy. The main events of the trip included a tour of the White House, a visit to the U.S. Department of State, and attendance at the USNA International Ball.
On 10 April, after touring the East Wing of the White House, Cadets received several briefings at the U.S. Department of State, organized by Huber Parsons – a 2000 USMA graduate, former Army Officer, and Operation Iraqi Freedom wounded veteran. Cadets received very informative briefings from the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau (INL), and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).
German: USMA German Club spent Saturday afternoon (18 April) in Yorkville, the traditional German section of New York City (E. 87th St.) and visited several German establishments. Saturday evening (18 April), the USMA German Club met with New York University’s German Club for dinner at the “Lorelei” German restaurant in New York City. Members of the two clubs enjoyed delicious German food in an indoor German restaurant, practiced their German-language skills, and discussed plans for future meetings and events both in NYC and at West Point. This was the first meeting between the two clubs and the second engagement for the USMA German Club committee with another German club in NYC. Meetings with German Clubs in the area are a major focus of the USMA German Club’s mission and support the Superintendent’s strategy of “Building Partnerships with NYC” and the region. On 19 APR, the USMA German Club volunteered to help the German Kolping Society of NYC conduct Spring Clean-Up at their Kolping-on-Hudson estate just south of Peekskill. Kolping Society members provided a typical German lunch for the cadets following the clean-up effort.
Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering
West Point Astronomy Club balloon satellite lost at sea after reaching 106,000 feet: On 18 April, the West Point Astronomy Club executed a weather balloon satellite launch from State Game Lands Number 236 located in Pennsylvania, about 30 miles west of Monticello, NY. This year, the weather “near the surface of the earth” was perfect for a balloon satellite launch. Mid-atmosphere, around thirty thousand feet however, the jet stream was especially strong, carrying the balloon satellite east at 96 miles per hour for an extended period of time.
Therefore, the path actually followed by the balloon deviated considerably from our pre-launch predictions. The final distance cowered by the balloon satellite was in fact more than twice as long as predicted by software. The balloon burst at a maximum altitude of 106,000 feet still over dry land, but strong easterly winds carried it further out east during the descent phase, causing it to land in the waters of Long Island Sound. The payload contained the most ambitious experiments put together by USMA cadets thus far. It consisted of four GoPro cameras, two HAM radio transmitters that allowed tracing its path, including one that was able to transmit live temperature and voltage data as well as an Arduino sensor board with several sensors and a data logger. The higher weight of this ambitious payload, as compared to past years, also played an important role in the loss of the satellite to the sea. We underestimated the value of the “lift at the neck” of our helium-filled balloon, causing a slower ascent rate than predicted. Because the payload box is Styrofoam and thus it should stay buoyant, and the GoPro cameras are waterproof, we still have some hope to recover the payload and look at the footage recorded by our on-board cameras. We contacted the Coast Guard and several amateur radio enthusiasts who live on the shores of Long Island Sound both on the Long Island and Connecticut side.
Department of Systems Engineering
USMA Stem Leadership Seminar. On 18 April 2015, cadets and faculty from the Center for Leadership and Diversity in STEM conducted the “Sharing our Success: STEM Leadership Seminar.” There were 157 students in attendance from all over NYC as well as the local area. The students began their day with a keynote address from Mr. Jerryl Bennett ’82. Following the keynote, students were lead on a tour of the West Point campus emphasizing the areas that highlight honorable living. Following the tour and lunch, the students participated in up to six workshops where they learned about the various engineering disciplines. In addition to exposure to STEM disciplines, each challenging workshop also presented a leadership aspect that emphasized the ideals taught at West Point in a fun and unique manner that tested the students’ decision making and values with regard to specific science and engineering fields. The workshops conducted include: Cyber-Security, Systems Thinking, Engineering Design, Civil Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, and Sustainability. At the end of the day, all students who completed the workshop and participated in the leadership challenges were awarded a certificate with additional small prizes being awarded to the most exceptional students.
SE Cadet team conducts analysis for Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP). Cadets Braeden Blazek, Rob Bickel, Joe Jeon, and John Glesener under the Center for Nation Reconstruction and Capacity Development and the Department of Systems Engineering in support of the Product Director, Joint Services (PD-JS) at Picatinny Arsenal has been conducting an analysis of short haul transportation needs at Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP). This rail versus trucking study was briefed to senior leadership at PD-JS, IAAAP, and the contractor operating IAAAP on 15 April. This study will provide the basis for strategic investments in rail, trucking and other infrastructure at IAAAP to meet their transportation needs. This investment decision involves hundreds of millions of dollars over the life cycle of these upgrades. In addition to developing alternative, the cadets created life cycle and value models for 6 alternatives. Lastly, they developed an implementation plan for the recommended alternatives.
USMA cadets participate in a Habitat for Humanity event. Cadets Nick Satwicz (D4), Linda Rosas (F2), and Chris Gramling (E3) and Dr. Bruce Keith (DSE) coordinated efforts to bring 33 cadets from Companies D4, F2, and E3 to a Habitat for Humanity site in Yonkers, NY on Saturday, 4 April 2015 and 18 April 2015. The event served as a company service activity for the three companies and a great opportunity for the Westchester Office of Habitat for Humanity to populate a work site with many enthusiastic, able-bodied volunteers. The cadets worked on the third of three buildings intended to eventually house veterans and their families. Keys to the first two houses were handed over to veterans in January. Other activities involved work on community gardens and general neighborhood clean-up. Various teams of cadets have worked on these two houses for the past two years. The Habitat for Humanity Office in Westchester has undertaken a veterans’ housing initiative, to provide housing solutions and employment opportunities to U.S. veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq (see http://habitatwc.org/veterans-initiatives/). To date, the H4H Office has built or is building six homes for veterans. The cadets’ volunteer activities, which are always welcomed on the site, helped to make this initiative a reality for a few veterans. Way to go, Team USMA!
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
ASME Design of Medical Devices Conference 2015. CDT Meyer Ungerman, pursuing independent research related to assisting Soldiers during loaded walking, presented a poster at the 2015 Design of Medical Devices Conference (DMD ’15) with his adviser, MAJ Amber Walker. DMD ’15 is comprised of well-attended multi-disciplinary sessions combining expertise from both academia and industry. CDT Ungerman’s technical brief will be published in an upcoming volume of the Journal of Medical Devices, and his poster was well-received by conference participants. He engaged in conversations regarding the specific application of Flexinol, a smart material alloy providing lightweight biomechanical actuation, as well as his textile-based design for the “Improved Tendon-Assisted Rigid Exoskeleton.”
New York International Auto Show Trip Section. On 7 April, thirty cadets from the Mechanical Engineering Club traveled to New York City to attend the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). This event is one of the biggest auto shows in the world and showcases thousands of vehicles, including high-end luxury vehicles. The NYIAS helped Mechanical Power Plants course students and other mechanical engineering cadets understand emerging automotive technologies and trends that will be present on newer vehicles.
SAE Baja Competition. From 8-12 April, nine mechanical engineering cadets participated in the SAE Baja Competition held in Auburn, Alabama. The undergraduate engineering competition attracts approximately 100 competitors from both universities around the country as well as international institutions. Highlights of the event include acceleration, hill climb, maneuverability, and suspension dynamic events and a four-hour endurance race. This is the culminating event of a year-long mechanical engineering capstone. By quickly repairing any issues that arose, the cadets were able to maximize their efforts in the dynamic events and the endurance race finishing 65th overall out of 100 teams.
Buried Treasure of West Point. On Saturday, 18 April, CDT Christopher Neff completed an extensive survey of the lawn near Constitution Corner as part of his EV489A Advanced Individual Study project. The goal of the project is to locate and map a buried tunnel that extends across the lawn between Quarters 100 and Constitution Corner. CDT Neff collected over 11,000 individual points of data along 52 survey lines using a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and will present his findings on Projects Day next week. Data collection requires more than one person, so CDT Neff enlisted the aid of a student from O’Neill High School who got permission to count the hours as part of a community service project. The West Point Museum staff (Mr. Paul Ackermann) and the installation archaeologist (Mr. Pat Raley) were critical in understanding the background information, and have helped CDT Neff refine his survey planning. CPT Dave Zgonc and LTC Mindy Kimball also helped CDT Neff collect data over the past two months.
The Dirt Band rocks the Relay for Life. On 18 April 2015, faculty from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering and the Center for Enhanced Performance supported the CDT Relay for Life charity event at Daly Field. The Dirt Band played a 2 hour, 2-set show, which included songs that spanned 5 decades of music. The show’s grand finale featured cadets doing a very good impression of Lennon and McCartney’s Twist and Shout.
Department of English and Philosophy
Cadets visit the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. On April 13, 2015, Cadets from EP374 (The Arts of War) traveled to New York City to visit the National September 11 Memorial and Museum to learn about how our society memorializes the losses of the attacks in 2001. Clifford Chanin, the Vice President for Education and Public Programs, gave the Cadets a tour of the memorial and the museum and then hosted a thought-provoking question and answer session at the end of the visit. This visit built upon EP374’s themes of war and remembrance.
The Department hosted its fourth and final Works-in-Progress Colloquium of the spring semester. These events allow faculty, APL majors, and other interested Cadets to listen and respond to ongoing research in the fields of English and Philosophy. As a nod to the future of our disciplines, the WIP team invited Cadets to present at the final session of the year. We were honored to hear presentations from three cadets, two selections from senior theses and a first year Cadet’s promising work from Literature class.
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership
The third annual McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference was held at USMA from 16-19 April 2015. Fifteen senior mentors, including Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald, GEN(R) Stanley McChrystal, former or current CEOs and senior business executives, a university president, a prominent movie director/writer, significant non-profit sector leaders, and others joined eighty three highly talented and promising undergraduate students from around the world for this transformational leadership experience. The mentors provided insights on four panels geared towards answering relevant questions about cross-cultural conference, which was the overarching theme for this year's event. The senior mentors devoted two full days to working with small groups of student fellows to help their groups reflect, grow, and create useful answers to thought-provoking, timely questions that will soon be published as twelve Op-Ed articles for the New York Times-Leadership. Twenty countries and forty universities were represented at this multifaceted, rich developmental leadership experience.
Department of History
The Department of History was honored to have the Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History from the University of South Carolina, Dr. Walter Edgar, visit us on 14 April 2015 and give a Dean's Hour talk on partisan war in South Carolina during the American Revolution. Dr. Edgar's talk was informative and entertaining. He provided keen insight into the problems with British strategy and their failures to adapt to a growing insurgency. His years of study on this topic, summarized in his 2001 book, Partisans and Redcoats, provided cadets a remarkable level of in-depth analysis of a fascinating topic.
Later in the evening, Dr. Edgar hosted our final Night at the Movies of the year. It was a great send-off of this popular program. Over 50 cadets came out to watch the controversial film The Patriot and learn about many of the behind-the-scenes decisions the filmmakers made about the subject of the South Carolina partisan, Francis Marion. Many cadets were surprised to learn that while the movie was criticized as having too much gratuitous violence, almost all of the incidents depicted in the film had historical precedent.
Deputy Department Head COL Gail Yoshitani presented Dr. Edgar with the print edition of the West Point History of the Civil War for visiting with us all day and entertaining us with a myriad of stories of South Carolina partisan war, his time in academia, and a career spanning more than 25 years of service as an officer in the Army.
COL (R) Jack Jacobs spoke to MAJ John Rhodes’s and COL Ty Seidule’s History of the Military Art sections on small unit tactics and leadership during the Vietnam War. COL Jacobs did two tours in Vietnam as an advisor to Vietnamese infantry battalions, and he earned three Bronze Stars, two Silver Stars and the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest combat decoration. He holds the McDermott Chair of Humanities and Public Affairs at the U.S. Military Academy and is an on-air analyst for NBC News.