DCA Update - Extracurricular Clubs

Director’s Notes — An Inside Look

The year is winding down, but the DCA Extracurricular Activities have been at full force. Many of our clubs and forums had the opportunity this past week to travel across the country and represent West Point through both competitions and academic endeavors.

At home, the Pipes and Drums hosted their 33rd Annual West Point Military Tattoo, and the Parachute Team hosted an Inter-Service Academy Meet. The Army-West Point Crew team won the 1st Annual CPT Brian R. Faunce Cup, held at Penn State; Triathlon placed fifth overall in the 2015 USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships; and the Pistol team won the North-east Regional Scholastic Pistol Program Tournament for the fourth consecutive year in a row. Congratulations to all who competed, and a big thank you to all who continue to represent the DCA Extracurricular Clubs so admirably.

Several of our clubs have home events this weekend, and I highly encourage all to come out and participate and show support. As a reminder, next week will be our last DCA Update of the year. Please like our page on Facebook, or check the DCA Calendar at allforthecorps.com to get updates on upcoming events.

COL Dean R. Batchelder
Director of Cadet Activities
All For The Corps!
Visit: www.allforthecorps.com

Competitive Clubs

Triathlon:

• On 24-25 April, the West Point Triathlon Team traveled to Clemson, SC, to compete in the 2015 USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships
• USAT Nationals is the largest collegiate-only event with over 1600 athletes representing over 100 institutions
• The team once again proved they were a top-tier program with the men’s team placing 5th, and the women’s team and overall team finishing in the top 10 in the country out of 119 colleges and universities competing
• The top Army male and female athletes were CDT Dylan Morgan (‘16) and Angelica Dickson (‘16), who both placed in the top 10 of their respective gender categories in the draft-legal race on 24 April
• CDT Dickson went on to place 13th, and CDT Morgan placed 8th in the Olympic distance race on 25 April
• The overall score is based upon the top four finishers on both the male and female sides
• Scoring for the men were: CDT Dylan Morgan (‘16), who placed 8th; CDT Jacob Slife (‘18), who placed 54th; CDT Bradley Bachand (‘15), who placed 80th; and CDT Tho-mas Hinds (‘16), who placed 91st
• On the women’s team, the top athletes were: CDT Angelica Dickson (‘16), who placed 13th; CDT Catherine Sedy (‘16), who placed 14th; CDT Mackenzie Williams (‘18), who placed 61st; and CDT Paige Dougherty (’18), who placed 64th

Marathon:

• On 24 April, nine cadets from the West Point Marathon Club traveled to Oklahoma City, OK, to participate in the OKC Memorial Marathon Relay and Half in order to honor those who were affected by the bombing
• The cadets were all originally from Oklahoma, and most were the same age as those children that died in the bombing
• This was an incredibly impactful trip, with the cadets receiving several interviews from the local news stations
• Also, on 26 April, ten cadets from the West Point Marathon Club participated in the New Jersey Marathon in Long Branch, NJ
• The cadets competed in order to have the final runner qualify for the Boston Marathon next year; the remaining cadets ran the half marathon as a training run
• CDT Daniel Schlich won the half marathon with the time of 1:11:14, a full minute ahead of the next contender

Crew:

• On 25 April, the Army West Point Crew team traveled to Bald Eagle Lake in Howard, PA, to participate in the CPT Brian R. Faunce Cup
• The Faunce Cup honors the memory of Penn State graduate and Army ROTC member, Captain Brian R. Faunce, who gave the ultimate sacrifice in 2003, when he was killed in action in Al Asad, Iraq
• The Army team introduced the Cup to the father of CPT Faunce and presented commemorative stone tokens to the father, the ROTC SGM, and the Penn State Crew
• The 1st Annual Faunce Cup was won by the Cadets who outscored Penn State 62 to 54 in the team points competition
• The men dominated the competition, winning three of their four events
• The Varsity Men’s Eight defeated their counterpart by 20 seconds, with the fastest time of the season at six minutes one second
• The Novice Men’s Eight also clocked their fastest time of the year, six minutes and ten seconds, defeating the PSU entry by more than 34 seconds
• The three Army entries in the Varsity Men’s Four lost by a boat-length in a close race after the two A boats clashed oars with 500 meters left in the race
• The women secured the Cup for the Army team by taking three of the five races in their events
• The small boats won the day with the Varsity Women’s Four defeating all three Penn State shells; with their race, they improved their time by two seconds over the previous week
• Similarly, the two Varsity Women’s Pair entries defeated the lone PSU win in the Novice Four Event
• Both Women’s Eights lost tough races to Penn State, with most Army athletes double rowing from the Fours events earlier in the day

Team Handball (Women’s)

• This past weekend, Army West Point Women Team Handball’s Gold team finished up its league season with two hard fought games in the District of Columbia against the DC Diplomats and the New York City Team Handball Club
• The Gold Team consisted of women who are in their first year of learning the sport, while their opponents have played for an average of 15 to 20 years
• The Gold team was not able to pull out a win for either game, however, they showed remarkable improvement from the last time that they played a tough NYC team
• CDT Netteange Monaus (‘18) stepped up from the circle position to spark the team offensively in the second half as the team adapted to a new form of defense they have not seen before
• CDT Kianna Duncan (‘18) demonstrated great court sense with her cuts in both games, while CDT Clara Pitts (‘18) directed traffic from the centerback position
• CDT Samantha Todd (‘17) served as the team’s utility player, playing almost every position except her normal position of goalkeeper this weekend, demonstrating remarkable versatility
• This greatly improved team is feverously preparing for Club Nationals in a which both the Gold and Black teams will compete against the top clubs in the United States

Hobby Clubs

Sailing:

• On 18-19 April, the Army West Point Sailing team traveled to Ithaca, NY, to participate in the MAISA North Spring Qualifier at Cornell, where they placed sixth overall
• It was a strong all-around performance that resulted in the team’s highest finish at a regional qualifier in over five years
• ‘A’ Fleet skipper CDT Mike Danko (’17) and his crew, CDT Danielle Jordan (’17), helped set the pace early on Saturday with winds gusting over 20 mph
• On Sunday, ’B’ Fleet skipper CDT Matt Schmitt (’17) and his crew, CDT Brain Bui (’16), earned a pair of top six finishes to secure the teams 6th place finish in a highly competitive field of 17 teams
• On 18 April, the Army Sailing Offshore section competed in the Naval Academy Sailing Squadron’s spring big boat regatta in Annapolis, MD
• Sailing conditions were challenging with light and variable winds, and a difficult ebbing current
• Army, skippered by CDT Jackson Biddle (‘17), held a lead several times throughout the first two legs of the course
• After rounding the leeward mark, the wind dropped and Army found themselves unluckily on the unfavorable side of the course
• As all teams waited for the new breeze to fill, the boats on the other side of the course found the wind first; Army recovered to finish fifth in the fleet
• On 18 April, Army sailing also competed in the ICSA Old Guard Regatta hosted by Yale in New Haven, CT
• The Old Guard Regatta is an annual event comprised of the founding members of the Middle Atlantic and Northeast Intercollegiate Sailing Associations
• The Army team battled some of the top teams in the country, to include National Sailor of the year, giving the underclassman who participated much needed experience

Paintball:

• From 16-20 April, the Army West Point Tournament Paintball team competed in the National Collegiate Paintball League’s National event at Central Florida Paintball in Tampa, FL
• The Tournament Paintball Team fielded both an A team and an AA team; the purpose of the AA team was to provide valuable tournament experience for the plebes and yearlings on the tournament paintball team
• The A team had scheduled games for Friday, and the AA team had scheduled games on Saturday; both with the possibility to advance to play on Sunday
• The first match the A team played had a format of two 10-minute halves, with 2-minute breaks between points; the AA team played a match where the games lasted until one team scored two points, or the time expired
• The A team went 1-2 at Nationals and did not advance to Saturday, placing 15th out of 20; the AA team did not advance to Sunday, and went 1-3

Academic Clubs

Creative Writing Forum:

• On 25 April, ten cadets from the West Point Creative Writing Forum traveled to Bronxville, NY, to attend the Sarah Lawerence College Poetry Festival
• Three cadets had the opportunity to read their own poetry, and represented USMA well amongst peers from Bennington, NYU, Sarah Lawerence, and SUNY Purchase
• The whole group of ten cadets also got the chance to hear amazing and inspiring readings by nationally recognized writers Jamaal May and Patricia Smith

Pre-Medical Society of West Point:

• On 22-25 April, 28 members of the West Point Pre-Medical Society traveled to Bethesda, MD, to shadow doctors in an array of specialties at the Walter Reed National Medical Center
• Many of these doctors were old grads from the Service Academies
• The trip included two days of multiple shadows, and then a Saturday morning trip to tour either USU or Georgetown medical schools before coming back to West Point

Ethics:

• The Ethics Debate Team traveled to Annapolis, MD, on 25 April, to compete in the second-annual Military Ethics Competition
• Cadets Arita Araceli, Sam Kolling, and Dean Feinmann presented a legal and moral argument related to “snap” vehicle checkpoints, which were first implemented in Iraq in 2004
• The USMA team finished third
• Also participating in the competition were Air Force, Navy, the Merchant Marine Academy, and VMI

Polish Language Club:

• On 23-26 April, eight cadets from the West Point Polish Language Club traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part in a wide-ranging cultural immersion and regional awareness activities
• At the Pentagon Poland Desk, cadets spent an enlightening morning with State Department and Foreign Area Officer representatives dis-cussing contemporary US/NATO joint activities with Polish Armed Forces and officer career paths in International Military Affairs
• Cadets gained insights into complexities of articulating and executing US Policy towards Poland, and its neighbors in Ukraine and the Baltic countries
• Later, cadets were hosted at the Polish Embassy by Land Forces Attaché, LTC Karol Sobczyk, and Foreign Ministry Vice-Consul, Dr. Dorota Markiewicz, who briefed cadets on goals of Poland’s bilateral military relations with the US and the role of Polish Armed Forces in NATO readiness planning and regional training, as well as deployments to the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan
• The hosts fielded questions on Polish views of Russia’s intentions, attitudes of the Polish public towards economic sanctions against Russia, and Polish military modernization
• During the visit, cadets also had the opportunity to meet the well-known architect Dr. Julian Kulski, who as a boy of 12, served in the clandestine Home Army in Nazi-occupied Poland
• While at the K Foundation, cadets also toured an exhibit chronicling the life of Polish Underground activist Jan Karski, who braved three trips out of Poland to provide the Allies with proof of Nazi death camps
• At the end of the event filled day, cadets met with LTG (Ret.) Edward Rowny (USMA Class of 1941), founder of the original Kosciuszko Squadron cadet club in 1940

Diversity Clubs

Korean-American Relations Seminar:

• On 25 April, cadets from the Korean-American Relations Seminar visited New York City, and met Adrian Hong, a socio-political commentator and human rights advocate
• The purpose of this visit, was to discuss with Mr. Hong, the future of the Korean Peninsula, as well as share his experiences with assisting activists to other international causes
• During the trip, the cadets also paused to reflect on the sacrifices made by United Nations Command at the New York City Korean War Memorial
• Later, the club communed over Korean food at a nearby restaurant

Native American Heritage Forum:

• On 26 April, three cadets and the OIC from the West Point Native American Heritage Forum attended the Columbia University Native American Student powwow
• Cadets were able to see Native American dancing, drumming and signing, eat traditional Native American foods, and ob-serve traditional Native American crafts
• Cadets participated in the dancing, and were asked to lead the powwow dancers into the dance area
• Cadets also passed out fliers to advertise to dancers and spectators, the West Point Keepers of the Peace Powwow, which will be held at Trophy Point on 3 May
• CDT Brittany Lee (‘18) and CDT Rachael Sawyer (‘18) tied for first place in the potato dance, where dancers must balance a potato between them, without touching the potato with their hands

Religious Clubs

Catholic Chapel Cadet Catechists:

• On 17-19 April, the West Point United Catholic Fellowship Club completed its second annual UCF Re-treat (#26) for 28 Cadets and 20 New Paltz students
• The Retreat is open to all cadets, regardless of faith; the intent of the Retreat is to provide the cadets time to reflect, learn about their faith, strengthen their beliefs and relationship with God, and to build a stronger Faith Community
• Cadets plan, prepare, resource and execute the two day Retreat with the guidance, mentorship and coaching of Adult mentors; LTC (Ret.) Jones was the OIC, Brother Carlos Hernandez was the Assistant OIC
• The Retreat incorporates both Cadet and Adult Speakers who share their faith journey with the collective body
• Small group talks and discussions, music ministry and a full community mass fill out the remaining time/schedule
• The guest speakers were Mr. Mark Shea, MAJ Mark Moretti (SCPME), and MAJ Stoney Portis (English); all shared their personal Faith journey
• Themes for each day included: Dying, Rising, and Going Forth; Self-Examination, Faith Community and Going Forth

Military Clubs

Law Enforcement Tactics:

• On 25 April, five cadets from the West Point Law Enforcement Tactics Club (LETC) traveled to Brooklyn, NY, to attend the New York Police Department Emergency Services Unit 12th Annual Day of Remembrance
• NYPD Assistant, Chief Brian J. Conro, and ESU Chief of Special Operations, Charles S. Kammerdener, recognized LETC as part of the ceremony
• ESU had various equipment displays and live demonstrations of their capabilities to include water rescue operations, air assault operations, and frontal assault

Pistol:

• On 25 April, the Army West Point Pistol team traveled to Epping, NH, to compete in the Northeast Regional Scholastic Pistol Program Tournament
• Posting excellent times across the board, West Point won the tournament for the fourth consecutive time, besting strong teams from the University of Vermont and the University of New Hampshire
• The Centerfire Division is considered the varsity, and the Rimfire Division is the equivalent of Junior Varsity; a competitor may only compete in the Rimfire Division for two years before being required to move to the Centerfire Division
• The Centerfire team consisted of CDTs Anthony Veith, Jack Fagerland, Jeff Schanz, and Mitchell Booth, who posted an aggregate time of 204.86 seconds
• Each team member is required to shoot each of the four different scenarios at total of five times, with the slowest time being dropped for each scenario
• CDT Veith was the fastest Centerfire shooter of the day, with a combined time of 38.15 seconds for his four runs through the four scenarios - breaking all Scholastic Pistol Program records and establishing him as the fastest collegiate Steel Challenge shooter in the country
• The Rimfire Team of CDTs Travis Moody, Sarah Baermann, McKinnon Hokanson, and Dillon Schaaf won the Rimfire division with a combined time of 232.59 seconds
• CDT Moody was the fastest Rimfire shooter with a combined time of 48.71 seconds

Support Clubs

Pipes and Drums:

• The 33rd Annual West Point Military Tattoo was held on Trophy Point on 26 April
• The West Point Tattoo is one of the largest Celtic heritage events in the Hudson Valley and is regularly attended by thousands of people from the local community, and features performers from all over the Northeast, and as far away as Indiana
• This year’s Tattoo featured bagpipe bands, fife and drums corps, Irish dance, Highland dance, military performance groups, and Scottish and Irish historic military demonstrations
• Over 28 different performances were held throughout the after-noon; the exciting atmosphere allowed for the crowd to truly celebrate Celtic culture
• The West Point Tattoo has grown into the largest cultural diversity event at the United States Military Academy; this year had over 3,000 attendees throughout the day
• Fan favorites from this year were the O’Rourke and Ridgewood Irish Dancers, the 42nd Royal Highlanders, the West Milford Highlander Band, and of course the West Point Pipes and Drums and Celtic Dancers
• This year, the event ended with the traditional massed bands, featuring 12 bands performing together on Trophy Point, and as the notes of Amazing Grace floated over the Hudson Valley, the West Point Pipes and Drums took center field and performed their set
• Following the performance, the annual end of the year awards ceremony was held; Mr. John Bottomley, Ms. Katie Heckenbach, and CPT Andrew Zikowitz with Pipes and Drums, were all presented with memorial awards and patches
• The 1LT Tiner Drummer’s Award was presented to CDT Brian Harrison; the CDT Morris Piper’s Award was presented to CDT Nathan Roden; the Outstanding Service Award was presented to CDT Alexis Martinez; and the Father Wood Outstanding Volunteer award was presented to Ms. Katie Heckenbach

DCA Happenings

Cadet Programs

On 26 April, the Class of 2018 was invited to Constitution Island to attend a picnic and enjoy games, refreshments and music. The purpose was to help build the class’ social skills and interaction amongst peers. The fourth class end of the year event consisted of a variety of games and music from WKDT. Class of 2018 CDT Pritchard performed a fire dance.