News From Fort Schuyler

March 3, 2000 - Volume 4, No. 7

DON'T GET LEFT BACK AT THE PIER - A reminder from the Gerry Albin that the Class of 1950 is sponsoring a commemorative cruise to Bermuda following its 50^th year Homecoming ceremony on September16, 2000, in honor of the 125^th Anniversary of SUNY Maritime College. This special September 17 - 24 cruise aboard the NORDIC EMPRESS is open to all Schuyler graduates, as well as their families and friends. "Snipes and Apes, spouses and kids, join the fun...swap sea stories, meet old and new shipmates, tour Bermuda with its great beaches and golf courses. Tell your classmates and friends, hold mini-reunions...let's fill the boat!" For particulars about this Royal Caribbean International ship go to: http://www.rccl.com/1.6/ and click on "Ship Viewer." If you are interested in joining this 50^th Reunion Cruise or want more details about the special Fort Schuyler package (including an exclusive private cocktail reception aboard the ship and a $50 per cabin credit if book by 30 April) contact Hartford Travel at Hartford@webspan.net Other questions, contact ED ARNDT, Class of 1950, at: e.arndt@juno.com

A SIMULATING AFTERNOON - JOE AHLSTROM, Class of 1982, a faculty member in the Marine Transportation Department and Captain of the Training Ship EMPIRE STATE, writes that last week on the same day as the Winter Career Fair, "I ... had the good fortune to hold our first GMDSS lab in our brand new simulator .... We installed 6 stations equipped with INMARSAT A and B. We also have an Instructor Station separated from the cadets. The equipment was installed by Buffalo Computer Graphics and it is exactly what we need to comply with the GMDSS segment of STCW95. Each station has 2 laptop computers and, true to Dome fashion, I caught one cadet playing solitaire on the laptop. I guess that qualifies for skylarking in the 21st Century. Needless to say, I had him do a Mayday on the VHF and nailed him for inadvertently releasing a SART."

DOWNEASTER DOING WELL - Former Marine Transportation Department faculty member, JEFFREY MONROE, has just been appointed to a two-year term on the Navigation Safety Advisory Council by Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater. According to a DOT press release: "The Council, sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard [Office of Vessel Management (http://www.uscg.mil/vtm/pages/navsac.htm )] consists of 21 members who meet twice a year to provide advice to the Department of Transportation on matters relating to the prevention of collisions, rammings, and groundings..." Captain Monroe is Director of the Department of Transportation in Portland, Maine (http://www.ci.portland.me.us/waterft.htm )

FIRST LADY CALLS THE SHOTS - The first woman graduate, MARJORIE MURTAUGH-COOKE, Class of 1974, studies the collisions, rammings and groundings about which Captain Monroe advises. According to her brother-in-law, BARRY COOKE, Class of 1969: "If any U.S. maritime incident involving shipping occurs resulting in over $500 million in damage or death, she calls the shots on the investigation." According to the online Alumni Association roster, Ms. Murtaugh-Cooke is Director of the Office of Marine Safety at the National Transportation Safety Board. (http://www.ntsb.gov/surface/marine/marine.htm )

RESEARCH IS EDUCATIONAL - An update on funded research activities performed by the International Transportation Research Center, ( http://www.sunymaritime.edu/graduate/internat.htm ) the research arm of the Graduate Program, was recently distributed by its Director, Dr. SHMUEL YAHALOM. Sponsors of the research included the Port Authority of NY/NJ, NJ DOT, NYS DOT, and the University Transportation Research Center Region II. Some of the projects which the center provided research were a multi-phase study on Intermodal Productivity and Goods Movement, and studies on Parking Meter Operability, Lane Occupancy Charges, a Strategic Plan for the Development of Regional Freight Model, and New Jersey Link to the 21^st Century: Maximizing the Impact of Infrastructure Investment. Several studies benefited from research assistance by graduate students. Another version of that "hands-on" experience.

THE ALMA MATER VARIATIONS - Responses keep trickling in as memories are jogged. For example, DAVE FREER, Class of 1971, wrote: "I have a unique version of the Bells of ST. MARY'S done by a gospel bluegrass group called the Lewis Family. The banjo picker is Little Roy Lewis." Dave loaned the tape to the library so that an archive copy of this perky, instrumental version of the alma mater could be recorded. Who knows, someday the college website might support some RealAudio versions of the Bells of ST. MARY'S, plus live WebCam views of the EMPIRE STATE VI, Fort Schuyler and the Luce Library ?

COMPLIMENTS TO THE COMPETITION - The second issue of Maritime Watch is now online at the college website. This handsome newsletter, prepared by SONDRA LEVIN, Director of College Relations, has a dozen feature stories. You can read them at http://www.sunymaritime.edu by clicking on "News & Events."

THIS WEEK'S NFFS GLOSSARY - STCW95 = International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watchstanding for Seafarers ; GMDSS = Global Maritime Distress and Safety System ; SART = Search And Rescue Transponder.