News From Fort Schuyler

February 5, 1998 - Volume 2, No. 8

YOU MISSED A GOOD GAME, ALMOST A CLASSIC - Last Saturday, in a well-played, low scoring game that was hotly contested all the way, the Maritime men's basketball team lost a close one to Kings Point, 60 - 66. As Director of Athletics, JIM MIGLI, observed, it was a great game with standout performances. JOSE PEREZ, 4/C, scored 20 points and played great defense (named Skyline Conference "Rookie of the Week" for three weeks in a row), MIKE NUKK, 2/C, had yet another 20-point game (named Skyline Conference "Player of the Week"), and there was a sterling defensive performance by point guard, DAN DOUGHERTY, 4/C, who held KP's leading scorer to nine points. A hearty "Well done" to the entire team.

GET OUT YOUR CALENDARS - Albany will be livened-up by the presence of Maritime cadets, faculty and staff in the coming months. On March 3 they invade the State Capitol to lobby legislators on SUNY Day. They will also be there to get the lay of the land prior to SST 1998. Yes, Albany is expected to be the first port of call, with TS EMPIRE STATE VI due to arrive on the evening of Tuesday, May 19 and depart 21 May. If you happen to be up that way, honk if you see a cadet. The other ports are still to be determined, but may include some recommended by cadets, i.e., Dublin, Hamburg and Palma de Majorca. (Source: President's Report at Faculty Meeting of February 3)

MORE SHIP NEWS - STEVEN J. MILLER, Class of 1976, has submitted his resignation as Chief Engineer in order to concentrate on the completion of his law degree at NYU and the bar examination. Good luck to you, Steve. Coincidentally, ERIC RENZ, Class of 1988, First Assistant Engineer, will be departing to accept another position. We wish him all the best in his new endeavor.

(Source: President's Report at Faculty Meeting of February 3)

WELCOME BACK - Joining the faculty as members of the Marine Transportation Department this semester are two alumni, TIMOTHY PETERS '94 and MARIYA BAZZICALUPO '96. Tim will also be coaching our nationally-rated crew team. (Source: Faculty Meeting of February 3)

MARAD: THERE'S NO FUEL LIKE AN OLD FUEL - What the MARAD budget actually says is that the state academies are not getting federal funds to fuel their training ships this year. So, if anyone has a few (thousand) barrels of oil to spare, let us know. (Source: President's Report at Faculty Meeting of February 3)

BUT WALL STREET STILL FUELS THE STATE BUDGET - Surplus funds? Budget increases? New funding initiatives? Phrases like these have not been heard at Maritime for nearly ten years. But, Governor Pataki's budget plan, still to be acted upon by the legislature, includes a 5-year capital improvement and quality of life plan which calls for Maritime to get $900K for technology (computers, networking the campus), and $2.6M to upgrade the physical plant. Any funding above and beyond the bare-bone budgets the college has dealt with since 1989 can certainly be put to good use in upgrading the structures and infrastructure of the campus. Things are looking up.

CLIVE CUSSLER, BENEFACTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE - President Brown has just notified the Luce Library that best-selling novelist and underwater explorer, Clive Cussler, has made a generous to the library for its collection budget. What a wonderful way to start the month! The staff is now reviewing important additions to the print collection which had been delayed or canceled due to fiscal constraints.

BTW - Dr. Cussler (Doctor of Letters in Maritime History, SUNY Maritime College - 1997), gave the impetus for the first issue of what is now called "News from Fort Schuyler." On 9 September the library sent an e-mail notice to alumni alerting them of possible television coverage relating to Mr. Cussler's underwater search for the John Holland submarine off Fort Schuyler. The rest is history.