News From Fort Schuyler

March 31, 2000 - Volume 4, No. 11

NEW HAT - Professor JEFFREY WEISS, Class of 1978, has been appointed as Director of the Graduate School of International Transportation Management here at Fort Schuyler. Prof. Weiss, a member of the New York Sate and Federal Bars, has taught at Fort Schuyler on a full-time basis since 1990 in the Marine Transportation Department and the graduate program. In a March 23rd letter to the Maritime College community, PRESIDENT BROWN writes: "By all measurements, Professor Weiss is highly qualified to accept this position. His understanding of the maritime industry, excellent skills as a teacher, and high level of energy are obvious to students and faculty alike. His reputation in the maritime community is outstanding." Take a look at the newly expanded web presence for the Graduate School at http://www.sunymaritime.edu - click on "academics" and then go to "graduate programs."

CHECKS TO THIS URL - A new website is now in operation for the 125th Anniversary Ball. Go to http://www.givetomaritime.org for information, plus fax forms for reservations, advertising, and sponsorship opportunities. This Ball was cited in a recent Maritime College Foundation letter as the "most important fund raising event in the history of the college." The letter stresses the importance of this annual scholarship fund-raiser, noting that: "Scholarships are critical to the students, their families, and to our well being as an institution." Even if you don't want to dance at the ball on April 8, you can still participate - and help a cadet

TSES CATALYST - According to JACK HAYES, Class of 1947, the port visit to Charleston by the Training Ship EMPIRE STATE VI in May 1999 started a chain of events that is already bringing new nautical opportunities to Scouts in South Carolina. In a recent press release, Jack reviewed the development of Sea Scout Ship 210 in the Low Country District of South Carolina for a BSA publication: "The ship is a Venturing Unit....The ship chartered with 9 scouts and now has 12 members...... Planned events include a visit to the oil spill recovery vessel GEORGIA RESPONDER, careening the LONO KAI, tour of a 6,000 car auto-carrier, a long cruise in company with boats from HO NON WAH during July, and visits to ships at SC ports to enthuse scouts in maritime pursuits." Quite an agenda for this ten-month old.

BTW - Hold those nautical charts. Jack reports that: ".... your publication has generated charts and invitations from many sources. We're up to the gunwales with charts at the moment...."

AMISTAD - An extensive story on the launching of the AMISTAD slave ship replica appeared in the New York Times on Sunday, March 26. It describes the Mystic Seaport project coordinator for the AMISTAD project, QUENTIN SNEDIKER, Class of 1972, as "..a captain and master shipwright with experience in building historic wooden sailing vessels. Mr. Snediker, who has the look of a classic seaman, with a white beard and denim sleeves rolled up to expose an anchor tattooed on his left forearm, led the research into the details of the original AMISTAD that had been little noticed by historians interested in the ship's story, not its nautical design." The AMISTAD America organization's website provides a photograph and e-mail address for Quentin at: http://www.amistadamerica.org/aa.evolution/people.html

CORRECTION - The correct address for the captain of the recently launched replica of the AMISTAD, Bill Pinkney, is capbill@snet.net (The second "l" in bill was omitted in NFFS 4:10)

WHAT'S IN A WORD ? - Not everyone agreed with the Editor that the term "Fort Scupper" had a nice maritime ring. For example, LEN SUTTER, Class of 1953, shot back this response: "..as far as I know this is an insult, a scupper being essentially a sewer." Nor did everyone agree that DAVE COOKE, Class of 1972, was the first day student. JERRY NOLAN, Class of 1956, asks: "..what about the guys that graduated during and immediately after WWII ? They were all day students !"

SHE SAYS IT WASN'T SO - According to MARIBEL SOSA, Class of 1991, the cadet newspaper, Porthole, DID make an appearance during the 1990/91 academic year. "I was the Editor during the 90/91 academic year (well, co-editor for the first half of the academic year with Gerald Thornton.) I have at least one old issue somewhere. I had a tough time since the staff was almost non-existent." [Spring cleaning query to NFFS readers: can anyone provide a copy of this rare Porthole for the Luce Library archives ?]

SOMEONE DID IT RIGHT - The recently concluded Blood Drive was well-publicized and highly successful. Besides strategically placed posters, there were colorful placards placed on tables all over campus. Hats off to College Nurse MICHAEL BRADY, Chief Corpsman JONATHAN WADLER, and Cadets ARNOLD, BOONE, DALLY, FRITSCH, HATHAWAY, HELLER, HENESEY, MEEHAN, PERRICONE, PRICE, TRITT and ZIMMERMAN ----- for making the effort to turn this routine campus bloodletting into a memorable one.

GEARING UP FOR NUMBER 10 - The Class of 1990 is planning to celebrate its tenth reunion on September 15-16. LEIGH MITCHELL O'DONNELL asks that classmates contact him at AcadGrads@aol.com

FINAL WORD FROM AL - A recent e-mail message from Al AYMER, Class of 1967, ended with this invitation: "Visit my online business and SuperStore at http://www.excelir.com/aymer-go-global " See for yourself.