News From Fort Schuyler

March 5, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 12

ENGINEERS NEEDED FOR SST 1999 - This note from ELMO BAUMGART, Class of 1976: "The Engineering Department is looking for Watch Officers/Instructors for the Summer Sea Term. The Training Ship leaves Fort Schuyler on May 15, 1999 and returns to the Fort on July 13, 1999. Ports of Call are Charleston, South Carolina, Bridgetown, Barbados, Naples, Italy and Cardiff, Wales. Anyone who is interested please contact Prof. Elmo Baumgart 76 at 718-409-7415 or e-mail him at baumgarte@usmma.edu "

WHAT SITE ARE YOU ON? - A web site with over 200 pages of maritime content, The American Merchant Marine, is described in the San Francisco Chronicle 'Pagemaster' column as, "The most comprehensive web site on the history and lore of the U.S. Merchant Marine." According to the webmasters: "Our site fulfills the hope of President Franklin Roosevelt, who was the real champion of the Merchant Marine and wanted its story to be told." The site also covers the U.S. Maritime Service, Army Transport Service, Navy Transport Service, Military Sea Transportation Service, and the Military Sealift Command. Go to http://www.usmm.org (Source: SFC, 12/14/98)

AND THE SHIP'S LIBRARIAN WILL BE.... An old hand has pulled rank to claim the Ship's Librarian's post for SST 1999. DR. RALPH J. FOLCARELLI, will be making his fourth cruise since he first signed aboard the EMPIRE STATE in 1972. Dr. Folcarelli brings to the tank tops a distinguished career as librarian, author, professor and academic administrator (he is the retired Dean of the Palmer School of Library and Information Science at C.W. Post) His last cruise was in 1991, when he co-produced the video, 'Summer Sea Term 1991.' Welcome aboard, "Books."

REFLAGGING - Another colorful addition to the storied walls of the Luce Library, in the form of a blue, green and white "house flag" from Det Norske Veritas, was presented to the college by BLAINE COLLINS, Class of 1986, at the February 26 Regimental Review. Blaine, Head of Maritime North America and Regional Manager, is responsible for all DNV maritime activities in the U.S., Canada, and Central America.

TITANTIC AMOUNTS OF TRIVIA - At last, a new slant on this famous maritime disaster, thanks, indirectly, to our Congress. Apparently, so many pollsters are on the beach since the end of the impeachment hearings that there is a scramble for new topics. Here are the responses to a purported poll, possibly due for release on April 01, which was noted in a recent MARHST-L discussion list posting:

QUESTION: If you [and your significant other} had been on the TITANIC, would you have:

A.) Tried to live together by hanging onto a life raft? (51 percent)

B.) Split up with your partner so that one would live? (26 percent)

C.) Drowned together? (17 percent)

D.) Declared "every person for himself" ?? (3 percent)

An inexact source was given, "either" American Demographics or the Associated Press (and, yes, the numbers only add up to 97 percent.)

EXCHANGE RATES A MENTION - The lure of spending the Fall 1999 Semester at the University of Paris is a big hit, according to DR. KAREN MARKOE, Chairwoman of the Humanities Department. A number of cadets have expressed serious interest in this once-in-a-lifetime student exchange experience ' in which transferable courses in literature, history, languages and economics will be taught in English.

HELPING HANDS - During the past nine months, the Maritime College has provided on-the-job training to ten young men with learning disabilities, ages 18-21, participating in the McSweeney OTC work-study program. Six work with the Maintenance and Grounds Department with the rest at the galley with Marriott Food Services. Supervision is provided by two full-time staff provided by the program. According to Vice President of Administration, RICHARD S. BIZAR, Class of 1961, "We are performing a community service in providing a work environment for these students. They are doing necessary work that relieves our employees to do other tasks. This is a win-win situation for all." (Source: Memo dated 2/27/99)