FMSAA
News From Fort Schuyler
August 30, 2000 - Volume 4, No. 27
WELCOME ABOARD - The incoming Class of 2004 strutted its stuff for a large Parents' Day audience on Sunday, August 27. 205 MUGs came aboard this year. Hats off to their IDO officers, led by PAUL J. DIMAGGIO, Class of 2002, to New Cadet Training Officer, PETE VECCHIO, Class of 1992, to TOM JEFFREY, Director of Cadet Bands, and to all those new "Midshipmen Under Guidance" who showed their parents, and themselves, how much they had accomplished in so short a time.
NEW FACES IN THE FORT - The most recent college phone directory shows some new additions to the Fort Schuyler family: CDR. ALLEN STUBBLEFIELD, Professor of Naval Science, Chairman of the Naval Science Department, and REBECCA McCAFFREY, Assistant Director of University Advancement. Welcome.
BON VOYAGE - The newest acquisition for high speed Internet service provider, Cogent Communications, is DAVE COUGHLIN, Class of 1988. Dave, Director of Waterfront Activities, began working and living at Maritime in 1990. He describes his new employer as "..a high speed (100mb/s) ISP, newly formed company backed by Cisco and Multi Media Fiber." A college-wide farewell party for Dave and his wife, MAUREEN SLEVIN-COUGHLIN, Class of 1988, was held this afternoon at the Special Events Room of the Mess Deck.
BAR BRAWL - The August 29 Fairplay Daily Shipping News included this item: "Armed Yugoslav forces who boarded and detained the containership DELAWARE BAY near the port of Bar in Montenegro during the weekend, have allowed the vessel to proceed, reportedly after paying a $3,200 fine. The US-flagged, 2411 TEU vessel....was carrying US food aid to Bar and military equipment to Israel and Egypt. The American Maritime Congress newsletter reported that the troops demanded the vessel be diverted to a Yugoslav military port but the master, JEROME BENYO [Class of 1958] refused. He also refused to turn off the ship's communications systems." Jerry's classmate, JOE O'BRIEN, wasn't surprised: "Jerry has a big appetite for life and a super personality ... but he will not be pushed around. This seems to be vintage Benyo !" Another classmate, HARRY RAUSCH, agreed with Joe, adding, "Give them hell, Jerry !" For more of the story go to the American Maritime Congress at http://www.us-flag.org and click on "AMC Washington Newsletter."
SIGN OF THE TIMES - In what is, perhaps, a related story on piracy, the August 20th NY Times magazine section ran a piece by Jack Hitt on piracy in the Straits of Malacca, "Bandits in the Global Shipping Lanes." An appropriate companion piece is the August 16th Journal of Commerce article, "New Life Vests Offer Pirate Protection," which describes a new seven-pound "... armor-plated life jacket said to resist knife and bullet penetration." Supposedly it floats, too. (Go to http://www.joc.com and do archives search for "Lorica")
BIGELOWS THEY MIGHT BE - Once there was a radio advertisement for office carpeting that went: "A title on the door rates a Bigelow on the floor..." This summer, all dormitory passageways (aka "corridors" for landlubbers) got the Bigelow treatment as part of a major upgrade to cadet living spaces and lounges - for rates and troopers alike. Also two network connections were installed in every dorm room this summer, so cadets can hook up to the campus network once they install a 10/100 network card in their computer.
BIG BOOK SALE - This year's Homecoming Book Sale at the library begins on Saturday, September 16. It will feature a large special section of BRAND NEW maritime books - a first. In addition, for the stamp collector, there will be a large number of First Day Covers and other philatelic specials - another first. Of course, there will also be plenty of older books ranging from cook books to novels to history to reference. The Homecoming Books Sale is the Friends of Luce Library's first event for the Fall 2000 semester.
MARITIME SUPREMACY - So far, everyone who visited Amazon-dot-com and read the informative review by SAL MERCOGLIANO, Class of 1989, of Peter Padford's book, Maritime Supremacy, found it helpful. Any other critics out there who should be added to the "Favorite People" or "Trusted Friend" list of Amazon reviewers ?
CHARLESTON BRANCH DREAM JOB - In the August issue of Port News Magazine, published by the Charleston (SC) Port Authority, the article, "The Making of a Pilot," tells the story of four apprentice pilots nearing the end of their apprenticeships. DOUGLAS G. LOGAN, Class of 1988, is one of those pilots in training: "I met my first harbor pilots while sailing as a maritime academy cadet. That's when it really became my dream job. A lot of people told me that I would never be a pilot. There is a misconception out there that this is a job you are born into and it is only passed from father to son." At the end of the article Doug says: "But even enthusiasm is tempered as I ponder the incredible responsibility that I will have in a few months when I am licensed and working on my own. I feel very grateful to not only become a pilot, but to be one here in Charleston."