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ACADEMICS
Academics are the key to a mid’s success, especially since
everything is based on merit. Studies are very demanding and after getting “A’s”
in high school, a D or failing an exam can be quite a shock. Choosing a major
that one has a passion for is very important. It should be one that helps the
mid stay motivated while he studies for long hours daily and on weekends.
If a 4/C can validate a course during plebe summer, she
will be able to move ahead or take more advanced courses. All mids are assigned
academic counselors who will help them select the best course offerings. Toward
the end of plebe year, each mid makes a selection from one of the eighteen
majors with the help of his advisor.
Because the Naval Academy is such a concentrated four-year
program, if someone falls behind academically, it is likely he or she will be
forced to separate. A minimum course load is 15 hours per semester and a 2.0 CQPR
is required to graduate. Moreover, the Academy does not waste its time with
anyone who fails due to lack of effort.
The academic board meets every semester and reviews
individual records of those who have done poorly during the previous semester.
They look at all aspects of the midshipman’s record and decide whether to
separate him from the Academy. Some courses may be available during summer
school for make-up and/or enrichment, but for many, it is too little, too late.
Extra instruction (E.I.) is available to all mids. It is said that everyone who
receives an appointment should be able to conquer the academics if they really
try and the professors and officers want to help everyone succeed. Many get the
“gouge” from their roommates or upperclassmen. Small classes are a definite
learning advantage, but if you go to class unprepared, your lack of preparedness
will not go unnoticed.
All plebes will be taking a similar course load their first
year. If a plebe is indecisive about which major to choose, it is recommended
that he start out in a more demanding major because it is easier to drop back to
a less challenging major than to try to get into a tougher one later on.
There are many special academic opportunities such as
Trident Scholars, Honors Program, and Voluntary Graduate Education Program
(VGEP) that offer an even greater challenge for those students who meet the
criteria.
Exams are scheduled and the semester ends before Christmas
leave, so the midshipmen begin the second semester in the new year. Mids may
request that their grade reports be mailed to their parents and the Senator or
Congressman who gave them their appointment, but they are not obligated to do
that. Parents have no choice in the matter.
PE
AND PHYSICAL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Unless they validate, mids take PE courses every semester
which include: boxing, wrestling, swimming, gymnastics, judo, hand to hand
combat, tennis and other elective sports. Some courses are required and some are
elective.
The Personal Readiness Test (PRT) must be completed within
specified limits each semester. The PRT consists of a 1.5 mile run, 2 min of push-ups, 2 min of sit-ups, and a flexibility test.
SPORTS
Every midshipman must participate in either a varsity or an
intramural sport. There are dozens of varsity sports (men’s, women’s, and coed)
and at least 15 intramural sports. Academy teams’ successes are impressive when
you realize that most of the schools with whom the Academy competes are much
larger schools. Moreover, the other schools do not maintain the same high
academic standards for their varsity athletes.
The intramural program is equally extensive
and also quite competitive. It pits companies against companies and battalions
against battalions. It is a great way to stay in shape, vent frustrations and
relieve stress.
A movement order gives authorization for a
group of mids to leave the Academy for various types of events (i.e. sports,
clubs, drills). There are specific criteria for every leave.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
There are over
90 extracurricular
programs available, most run by midshipmen.
ACADEMY
EXCHANGE PROGRAM
During their 2/C year, a small number of competitively-selected mids participate in an exchange program with their
counterparts at three other service academies as well as international naval
academies in France, Spain, Chile and others. A few midshipmen may also spend a semester at a civilian school in countries including Jordan, Russia, and
China.
PARADES AND FORMATIONS
Formations are held three times each day before each meal.
Noon formations take place outside when
weather permits and conclude with everyone marching into the Hall. If you have
attended one of the noon formations at Tecumseh Court, you may have assumed that
the midshipmen you see represents the entire Brigade. Actually, it is only the
first, second, fourth and fifth battalions; the other battalions
have their formation in the back on either side of Mitscher Hall.
During the fall and spring
seasons, parades take place almost weekly on Worden Field. Also the Brigade
marches to the stadium and onto the field before every home football game and at
the Army-Navy game, wherever it is played. The Color Parade and Dedication
Parade are held during Commissioning Week.
COLOR
COMPANY
A Color Company is determined each year and all thirty
companies participate in a point system competition which continues throughout
the year until Commissioning. Points are accumulated for performance in
academics, sports, parades, and military activities. The winner is the Color
Company for the following year and is recognized during Commissioning Week. With
this honor are added privileges for the Company as a whole as well as for the
individuals in it.
SERVICE
COMMITMENT
Midshipmen do not have a service commitment until they
start their second class year. If a midshipman leaves for any reason during the
first two years, he will not have either a monetary or service commitment. Just
before they begin their 2/C academic year, however, they sign papers committing
themselves to serving as officers for five years after graduation or five years
after earning wings as a naval aviator. There is a class celebration at this
point called “Two for Seven” representing the time spent and the time remaining.
LEAVE
PERIODS
Every leave period begins after completion of the mid’s
last scheduled exam or military duty. A movement order gives authorization for a
group of mids to leave the Academy for various types of events (i.e. sports,
clubs, drills). There are specific criteria for every leave.
In the fall, everyone has Labor Day, Columbus Day, and
Veteran's Day liberty and at least two days off for Thanksgiving weekend.
Mids can go home for Christmas leave after their last exam
or duty. Everyone has to be back the same day, usually right after New Year’s
Day.
The return from Christmas brings The Dark Ages, a
time at the Academy where things seem to close up for the winter and life
becomes a toil. Everyone has Martin Luther King’s Birthday and Presidents’ Day
off. The next leave is spring break in early March; it is usually nine days
long, including weekends.
Note: Leave periods are not guaranteed. Academic
problems and conduct or honor offenses are reasons that leave privileges may be
revoked. Also participation in varsity sports or other Academy activities may
affect the mid’s leave schedule.
SERVICE
SELECTION
The first step of the four-step process is screening. This
consists of medical screening and community-specific screening (academic,
physical, and professional screening). Only those that are found fully qualified for a particular
community will be able to list that community as one of their preferences.
The second step in the service assignment process is the
interview. The interview is to provide objective information to the assignment
boards regarding each midshipman’s qualifications. Midshipmen are interviewed by
teams of three officers who provide their best assessment of each mid’s
qualification for service by grading her appearance and poise, oral
communication and expression of ideas, leadership potential, community
motivation, and community understanding. The senior member of each team provides
written comments which will prove useful to a board when they must decide
whether to recommend one midshipman over another. Midshipmen who desire
commissions as Submarine Warfare officers or as Surface Nuclear officers will
also be interviewed by the Director, Naval Reactors.
The last two phases take place
during the 1/C year.
The “preference designation phase” is the process in which all 1/C mids will
indicate in a computer database up to six choices, ranked in order of
preference, each mid hoping to get their first choice.
The final phase is when the service assignment boards for
each community select their best qualified midshipmen from among those applying,
up to the ceiling provided. Boards consist of three to five officers. Midshipmen
who are not selected for their first choice community will then be considered
for their second choice community.
An executive Review Board reviews the recommendations of
the service assignment boards and this board forwards the proposed assignments
to the Superintendent for final approval.
This process culminates with Service Assignment Night,
normally held in February. Two days prior to this event, the mids
are informed of what community they will join. This gives them a couple of days
to think about the school date, ship type, TAD assignment, etc. that they will
pick on Service Assignment Night. On this night, each community will host
receptions throughout the Yard for those midshipmen who have been assigned to
that community.
HEALTH CARE The Brigade Medical Unit is situated within Bancroft Hall, and more extensive
equipment is also available at Hospital Point. There is a sick call every morning in the
Hall. If a mid is diagnosed as being too sick to participate in the activities
at the Naval Academy (e.g. pneumonia, mononucleosis), he is confined to his
room. The mid, however, is called down to sick call once a day to be seen by the
medical staff. Even while the mids are ill, they are usually given permission to
attend classes if they feel well enough to do so. The mid’s roommate is
responsible for bringing meals to the sick mid. The medical staff determines
when the mid is well enough to resume participation in all activities. More
serious cases are sent to Bethesda Naval Hospital.
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CARS
Plebes can only ride in cars with their parents or
sponsors; 3/C can ride with others. They cannot drive cars unless they are on
leave.
2/C midshipmen can have cars but they cannot park them on
the Yard. They either keep them at their sponsor’s house or rent a space outside
the Academy grounds.
1/C can park their cars on the Yard. In the spring of 2/C
year, financial corporations offer loans to midshipmen at excellent rates. Traditionally these loans were
used to purchase cars. Now many mids take the money and invest it. Mids do not
have to start paying back these loans until after Commissioning.
RINGS
During plebe year, a Class Ring/Crest Committee is formed.
Each class designs its own crest. Some elements of the design are required and
other details are added by the designers. This tradition began sometime in the
1800’s and continues today. These crests can be seen on display in the Preble
Hall Museum. The class votes on the proposed crest and a ring company is
selected to produce it.
In February of the 3/C year, orders are taken for the
individual rings. Each basic ring has the class crest on the one side and the
Academy seal on the other. Mids personalize theirs by selecting the finish and
ordering any stone they like, from gold plugs to diamonds. The rings are
delivered in the spring of 2/C year. After a trial fitting period, the mids are
not allowed to wear their rings until the Ring Dance. If a firstie or alum
catches a 2/C wearing it early, the 2/C owes him a beer.
The Ring Dance is the most impressive and symbolic dance at
the Academy. Weather permitting, it is held on the terrace between Michelson and
Chauvenet Halls. A female date wears her midshipman’s ring tied around her neck
on a ribbon; a male date may wear his midshipman’s ring on a ribbon pinned to
his lapel or on his pinkie or he may carry it in his pocket. The date dips the
ring in a binnacle filled with water that has been flown in from the seven seas
specifically for the occasion. When the couple passes through a giant ring
replica, the date places the ring on the mid’s finger and gives the mid a
congratulatory kiss.
Prior to graduation, the ring is worn with the class crest in "towards the heart," indicating that the midshipman's loyalty lies with his class. After graduation, the ring is turned with the Academy crest inwards, indicating that his loyalty is now with the Academy.
SOCIAL
LIFE
The social life of a plebe can be defined by two words,
slim and non-existent. A big Saturday for most plebes is getting a pizza with
other plebes and going to see a movie or visiting with their sponsor family or
their own family if they are in town.
Dating between
plebes and upperclassmen is forbidden. A few mids are able to maintain
relationships with their high school sweethearts (known as the 2% Club because
that is about the percentage of those relationships that last). Maintaining a
relationship is difficult and adds an extra unneeded burden to the life of a
mid. Most hometown sweethearts cannot understand the life of a plebe and
therefore expect attention that cannot be paid.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Plebes are not allowed to
drink, even if they are the legal drinking age, which is twenty-one in
Maryland. Consumption or possession of alcohol inside the Yard is prohibited. Alcohol consumption is permitted at tailgates that
are held in the stadium parking area at home football games. Underage drinking
and conduct unbecoming a midshipman because of alcohol is considered a
separation level offense.
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