News From Fort Schuyler

December 8, 2008 - Volume 8, No. 42

MAKING WAVES IN ISLAND OF ENCHANTMENT - Governor Anibal Acevedo recently appointed two Maritime College graduates to the Puerto Rican Pilotage Commission: DAVID AVILES '92 (Regional Manager for the National Response Corporation) and PATRICK LOPEZ '94 (a San Juan Bay Pilot.) In addition, the new President of the Puerto Rico Shipping Association is HERNAN AYALA '88 (VP of Operations for Luis A. Ayala Colon Sucr., Inc.) According to David, Hernan has also completed his law degree and passed his bar exam.

HITTING HOOPS IN LA LA LAND - Did you know there is another maritime tournament that predates the two-year old Chowder Bowl for the football teams? On November 21-22 the Privateer basketball team journeyed to Vallejo to kick off their season at the 3rd Annual Maritime Tip-off Tournament. The other participants in this year's tiny tournament were California Maritime, Maine Maritime and the Coast Guard Academy. Fort Schuyler came home with a 1-1 record, losing to CG and beating Maine Maritime in the consolation game. (Read more at the Bangor News website - http://www.bangornews.com/detail/94706.html? or at www.sunymaritime.edu)

PIRATES - What with the spate of pirate attacks on shipping, maritime schools are paying more attention to the subject in their pre-cruise training. While maritime school cruise itineraries are not in pirate waters, the fact that piracy is in the news provides a good teaching moment for the subject, since the students may be faced with piracy incidents in their maritime careers. According to an article in South Coast Today, Mass Maritime plans to discuss the pirate attacks in their security training classes. The article also quotes Prof. LARRY HOWARD, the Chairman of the Global Business and Transportation Department at SUNY Maritime. He noted that the attacks highlight the importance of security on the seas, "The point is, if pirates, who are relatively uneducated, unfinanced and unsophisticated, can do these kind of things, one would suspect al-Qaida could do it, as well." (http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081204/NEWS/812040328)

SUNY CHINA 150 PROGRAM - Two weeks ago the 150 Chinese students participating in SUNY's 'China 150 Program' got together for lunch and an afternoon program at Stony Brook featuring remarks by Chinese Ambassador Keyu Peng to compare notes about their experiences at the SUNY Maritime, Farmingdale and Stony Brook campuses. Fort Schuyler is hosting four of these Chinese earthquake victims for the 2008/09 academic year.

NEW STUDENTS WELCOME - The second semester's contingent of new undergraduate and graduate students at Fort Schuyler will be greeted with a full day's worth of orientation when they arrive on campus on 12 January and then right into classes the next day. It will be a busy week for everyone on campus, what with a special in person-presentation at the TIV by the illusionist, James David, on 15 January and the screening of the film, Role Models, at the regular Friday Night Movie showing at the Mess Deck on 16 January.

FAMILY TIES - The Maritime College has a long history (marking 134 years on 10 December) and over the years many children and relatives of graduates have themselves attended the college. The tradition continues.

MAURICIO GARRIDO '84 writes that "....one of my four daughters, BRISA GARRIDO, is a cadet in the Class of 2012. She is on the swimming and sailing teams. Time flies." [It flies for NFFS, too. Perhaps it's time to expand and update the last Family Ties listing, published for Homecoming in the September 14, 1998 NFFS - which had additions in some of the following issues.]

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING - Just a reminder that the 2009 Annual Membership Meeting and Dinner of the Fort Schuyler Maritime Alumni Association takes place at the Tavern on the Green on Thursday, 29 January. Deadline for reservations is 23 January. For more information go to www.fsmaa.org

BIBLIOGRAPHIC NOTES FROM THE ANTIPODES - It has come to the attention of PHIL DILLOWAY Oct. '46 that the Powerhouse Museum Library in New South Wales, has cataloged a copy of his class's 160-page reunion historical/biographical publication, "Class of Oct. 1946" published in 2004. Phil assumes that the book came from the estate of classmate THOMAS PRIOR, who died 24 August 2007. He writes that Thomas had emigrated to Australia. In the biographical sketch written for aforementioned publication, Prior wrote: "I now reside in Stonyfell, Australia, where I am a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineers, Science and Technology. My late wife of forty years, Jennifer, was introduced to me by Professor JACK FLIPSE, while aboard the SS MONTEREY of the Matson Lines."

EBB TIDE - ALVIN CHESTER '35 a leader in the maritime community for many years, died on 20 November, 2008. According to an obituary published in the Miami Herald, Al shipped out with Grace, American Export, American West African, and then the U.S. Lines where he served aboard the SS WASHINGTON and SS MANHATTAN. He served as a Gunnery Officer in the U.S. Navy in World War 2, retiring with the rank of Captain, USNR. After the war he was a founding partner of the ship brokerage firm W.R. Blackburn & Co. which ultimately consolidated 15 corporations under American Marine Industries. Another Alvin, ALVIN GOLDEN 'Oct 46, writes that: "Al was an extraordinary person, mariner, naval hero, and maritime industry leader. It was my pleasure to be with him when he was inducted into Heritage Hall at SUNY Maritime College, where he will forever be remembered, and by the members of the Maritime Industry Museum at Fort Schuyler, for his donations to its maritime collection." GLENN GERMAINE '67 reminded NFFS that in 1991 Chester published the first volume of his memoirs entitled "A Sailor's Odyssey: At Peace and War, 1935-1945." This book, as well as 'rough draft' of volumes 2,3 and 4 are part of the collections of the Stephen B. Luce Library.

WORD FOR THE WEEK - Sockdolager (Used in a legal argument in a recent admiralty case.) Is this an everyday legal word - or was the attorney trying to impress the judge? (or was he merely suffering from logorrhoea?) Defined: 1. Something that settles a matter. 2. Some outstanding or exceptional.