News From Fort Schuyler

December 6, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 56

SPACE CADET - According to the NASA website, (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/ ) Space Shuttle Discovery is now poised for a December 10^th launch. This 9-day mission, which will be piloted by Astronaut Pilot Scott J. Kelly, Class of 1987, will focus on servicing the Hubble Telescope. Surely Scott will give a happy 125^th anniversary salute to SUNY Maritime College as he circles overhead on December 10.

GOLDEN EIGHT BELLS FROM FORTY-NINE - This year the 50^th Anniversary class continued its celebration after Homecoming on into November. The class announced a generous scholarship fund at Homecoming and enjoyed a successful November reunion get-together in Naples, Florida. VICTOR HAMKE, Class of 1949, sent the library a copy of the "Golden Eight Bells" yearbook that he and his wife edited for this event, writing; "We thought there might be a place in the Luce Library (our former mess deck) for a copy of it." [Indeed there is. Other reunion classes with similar publications should be sure to deposit a copy in the archives collection.]

GOING DIGITAL - There have been several responses to the snail-mail/e-mail item in the last issue. One from PROF. WILLIAM MASSANO, Science Department, comments on CAPTAIN WETHERELL's thesis: "Well written protests to the contrary, the term 'snail mail' is already firmly entrenched in the vernacular. Access any online forum and the USPS will be called snail mail. It may not fit logical definition, but when does a living, breathing language like English (and its dialect - computerese) ever let itself be limited by logic ?" Mirroring the editor's comment on the powerful effect e-mail can have, Maritime Industry Museum volunteer, WALTER E. LEE, writes: "I was a non-computer person, reluctant and reticent. Then they gave me the Internet and e-mail at work. The rest has been history. At almost age 57 (this week) I've a new lease on life. My wife doesn't always agree." How's that for a testimonial ? Walter also comments: "Think where we'd be if Paul Revere relied upon the Postal Service !' (Just a joke.)

FROM E-SIGNALS TO CODE OF SIGNALS - Word from ROY SOLURI, Class of 1962, that NIMA has digitized the "International Code of Signals" (Pub 102). It can be viewed as a PDF document at http://164.214.12.145/pubs/pubs_i_other_list.html Roy, the Deputy Chief of the Marine Navigation Department, writes: "The publication contains descriptions and illustrations of signals for visual, sound, and radio communications to be used in situations related to safety of navigation and personnel, especially when language difficulties arise."

MEDIA MAN - Recent library donations from sailing expert, GARY JOBSON, Class of 1973, are signs of a busy, productive career. Gary, who is covering the America's Cup preliminaries in New Zealand for ESPN as its lead sailing analyst, sent two of his new ESPN videos: "The Whitbread Round the World Race 1997 - 1998," and "Cape Horn - The Beauty and the Fury," along with a new book, "The winner's guide to Optimist."

Read his interview with Dennis Conner at http://espn.go.com/moresports/ac99/s/1999/1114/170689.html

DC DEC 9 DEC 10 - The Washington Chapter of the Alumni Association is celebrating the college's 125^th with a doubleheader, hosting a Maritime Night on December 9^th and a luncheon on the 10^th. Chapter luncheon details are at: http://www.fsmaa.org/Chapters/WashingtonDC/chwashdc.cfm For information about the Maritime Night (open to graduates of all the maritime schools and anyone else in the maritime business) call CHRIS AVERSANO, Class of 1994, at 703 - 846 - 4158.

FREEBIE - Speaking of inclusiveness, the Alumni Association has opened up access to its online roster. Now you can look up classmates even if you haven't paid your dues. Good time to check your entry.

SALTY CHATS - If you wanted to see how internet chat rooms worked, but didn't dare, BARRY PARKER might have the answer. A maritime marketer and leading light of the Connecticut Maritime Association, he recently hosted a chat with an expert on the subject of maritime tracking and tracing systems on Freightgate.com. Barry is planning online chats on other sexy maritime subjects. All you need is a web browser that is Java-enabled. The Alumni Association's DomeNet has graciously volunteered to post his announcements about future chats, so sign up at - http://www.fsmaa.org/MailList.cfm

AUSPICIOUS ETA - In a message sent from somewhere west of the Galapagos (?) [01.00 S 095.00 W], ROGER L. PARSONS, Class of 1975, reports that the research ship he commands, the "NOAA ship RONALD H. BROWN, will be arriving in San Diego on 10 December for a 3-month shipyard and alongside period."

ANOTHER TIE - This from a graduate of the Class of 1975, ROD McFADDEN: "There's a new family tie. KEVIN GRANT, the eldest son of KEITH GRANT '75 (that hallowed band) graduated in 1999. Lord, I feel old."

FINAL REMINDER - One-hundred copies of the new CLIVE CUSSLER book, Atlantis Found, have already been purchased for his December 7^th book signing appearance at the Luce Library. You can still get one for yourself and another for a friend if you come to this gala Friends of the Library event on Tuesday at 3PM.