News From Fort Schuyler

April 4, 2003 - Volume 7, No. 12

REUNITED - A report was received from TOM HANCOCK, Class of 1958, about his class's 4th Annual Winter Luncheon in Sarasota, Florida on 27 February: After noting that "TONI and BOB GREEN ... helped me put it together," he writes that: "This year was our largest turnout with 10 classmates and 9 wives attending. We began at noon and it wasn't until 6PM before the last left. Attending were Florida retirees, LEN BLACK, ROD CODERRE, BOB GREEN, DOM FORTUNATO, ART McCLELLAND, BILL SANCHEZ, ALEX WELLS, and snowbirds from Long Island, TOM HANCOCK, HARRY RAUSCH, and NEIL SCALA. Next year, a harbor ride with lunch is planned, so if any snowbirds expect to be in the area around the end of February, please contact BOB GREEN or [TOM HANCOCK.]"

[For detailed demographics on the migration and major characteristics of the Northern Snowbird, go to http://www.timesunion.com/life/travel/snowbirds/factoids.stm ]

NEW DIRECTION - Fort Schuyler announced the hiring of a new Athletic Director for its NCAA Division III sports programs, WILLIAM E. MARTINOV, Jr. He comes to the college by way of St. John's University. Before that he spent eleven years as a strength and conditioning coach at Notre Dame. According to the article in the College's online 'Maritime Watch' news section, Martinov said: "I could not have asked for a better opportunity than this. I wholly embrace the mission of SUNY Maritime's intercollegiate athletics, which is to provide student-athletes with a forum to achieve and build character, complement the goals and objectives of the College's curriculum, and bolster campus morale." [For the entire story go to the college website at http://www.sunymaritime.edu ]

MUGGING - In a followup to the recent discussion about 4th Class year discipline, LT RICHARD S. MILLIOT, Class of 1996, weighs in: "In response to Mr. FITZ, I believe what CDR STUBBLEFIELD was concerned with was not the discipline we receive as MUGs, but the inappropriateness of being required to perform 'personal servitude' to upperclass."

"No one should question a senior's right/requirement to give necessary orders for the smooth operation of a unit, military, merchant, business, or otherwise. But juniors should not be required to be servants of upper class. 'Swab a deck cause it needs it, sure / Shine my shoes cause I told you to, not so much.'" [According to the online Alumni Roster, Richard is a Damage Control Instructor at the Naval Surface Warfare Officers School Command in Newport, RI. You can visit the school at http://www.swos.navy.mil ]

BE PREPARED - Do you have your eye on some great candidates for SUNY Maritime who are currently sophomores or juniors in high school? Do them a favor by suggesting they apply for the college's new Summer Leadership Institute. Rising high school juniors and seniors are now being invited to attend a 5-day 'experimental leader development' program at Fort Schuyler this July. "The Leadership Institute is based on hands-on experience and is complemented by four 60-minute workshops daily. In addition to the group activities, you will also have the opportunity to select from one of two areas in which to concentrate: The Regimental Track or The Outdoor Adventure Track." The daily schedule begins with 7 AM's "Wellness Training"and goes through until 10PM's "Much Needed Rest." (Sound familiar?)

[Complete information about the Leadership Institute, including eligibility, cost, and an application, is posted as a .pdf document on the college website - http://www.sunymaritime.edu]

HELLO, ALUMNI IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST - Seattle-area alumni are invited to a joint meeting of state academy graduates and Kings Pointers on 28 April at the College Club. As BOB BOHLMAN, Class of 1961, writes at the Alumni Association website: "Basically, we Fort Schuyler folks here in the Northwest do not have any active alumni association. We would like you to consider attending this joint meeting hopefully to discuss how we might try to establish a chapter of our own alumni association here in the PNW." [You can contact Bob at RBohlman@marineexchangesea.com ]

LEARNING AT MARITIME ONLINE - In recent weeks Fort Schuyler seems to have come of age in the use of internet technology for its academic offerings. For example, you can now earn your master's degree in International Transportation Management as an online student. According to a .pdf document at the college website: "SUNY Maritime Online is designed to fit the life of busy professional mariners, military officers and international business executives who balance family, work and leisure and volunteer activities. It is a full-service, interactive distance-learning campus that takes full advantage of the dynamic efficiencies and capabilities offered by the internet. Employing a student-centered approach to learning, it eliminates the constraints of time and location, allowing students to sign on to courses at any time of day or night from any place the Internet can be accessed." [Way cool!] More information at http://www.sunymaritime.edu

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE FORT - Technology is also catching on in the undergraduate program. For example, the campus now has a Multimedia Instructional Designer (a.k.a. KATHY PYZYNSKI) who works with the faculty in the use of the SUNY Learning Network's 'Course Space' which allows students to access instructional materials via the internet. "In a networked environment, students may be working from their home, from their campus, from their work site or 'on the road.' They may be as close as your same building, or half way around the world." Online courses have grown exponentially in SUNY. Starting with 8 courses in 1995 the online offerings had grown to over 1500 courses offered by 2001. As Maritime plays catch up, it is probably safe to predict that in the coming months Fort Schuyler faculty will be busy adapting their teaching styles and syllabi to this new, asynchronous, instructional environment. [For more information about the SUNY Learning Network go to http://sln.suny.edu ]