From the Editor's Desk | #3
10 Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
CADET is a bi-annual, self-published, independent magazine and online publication about West Point.
created by 2 USMA grads @chrisWpestel @carolinepestel
For Your Eyeballs
EYE CANDY This lovely video, In a Nut Shell, is pretty brilliant and mesmerizing and a tremendous use of sound effects
For Your Eardrums
RADIO GA GA On Monday, as we ventured back from our Winter 2019 Ski Expedition, I was reminded how much I enjoy intentional radio shows with even the slightest of themes (this one was a two-fer oldies show in PA - Big Mike features the Drive at 5, playing double shots of your favorite artists! Dick Clark’s music calendar is up at 5:30). For several years I would find myself listening to the Nights with Alice Cooper Radio Show on road trips and Breakfast with the Beatles from WXRT 93.1 in Chicago on Sunday mornings as I drove our daughter to hockey practice
WORK PLAYLIST Here’s a playlist to help you, apparently, get shit done
TRAVIS TRITT Last Wednesday my wife surprised me with an early birthday present (in the parking lot of the Pentagon, of all places) - two tickets to see “Member of the class of ‘89” Travis Tritt (other members - Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black). We spent that evening at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA with Mr. Travis Tritt, his guitar and about 1500 of his closest friends. He spent the night playing his hits, reminiscing about his inspirations (including but not limited to Jerry Reed + Bob Baer + George Jones + Merle Haggard + Waylon Jennings + Hank Jr. + Allman Brothers) and telling stories. It should be noted that he is very capable of making himself laugh at his own jokes. He also told a little, lovely story about a 12-string guitar and several women called out in the silence to him - they kindly and loudly let him know he is “hot and sexy.” He is neither hot, nor sexy. But he does make wildly entertaining music videos like these and this one
For Every Heart…in Gray
NAVY CONTINUES TO REALLY SUCK Here’s yet another article detailing how the Naval Academy is falling apart
ARMY WOMEN’S TENNIS The team made a trip to the National Capital Region late last week. We had the chance to see the women’s team practice at the Army-Navy Country Club which is just a few minutes from our house in Arlington, VA
GRANT STATUE Check out the work in progress
VICTOR CONSTANT We came across this post announcing the opening of the ski slope at West Point, which prompted us to check out the website for the ski slope, which led us to this cool Ski Patch logo and this one for an event
FIRST CAPTAIN The First Captain made a visit to speak to the West Point Society of DC. We took his picture and learned some things
The Matrix
38 The elder member of the CADET TEAM (me) turned 38 this week. Looks, like my NBA career has finally hit a dead end. Regardless, I decided to rededicate myself to physical fitness and to create a routine of good habits, I have undertaken a 38,000 push-up challenge for my 38th year of life. It’s actually a fairly reasonable daily activity of 104 push-ups-a-day. So far so good. It’s a marathon, not a sprint
The Design of Things
THE DESIGN OF CULTURES Snow Sports, Mountain Sports, Ski culture…whatever you call it…it has some great graphic design. It was great being immersed, this past weekend, in a culture that has so much fun with its design. This was good inspiration because I was took on a graphic design client this past week
ANOTHER POINT Speaking of cultures, it would be fun to re-imagine West Point in this vein
RE-IMAGING THE OSCARS? - Likewise, this would be fun…Cadet Magazine’s Nominations for our very own annual awards??? Should we do this? Screen Junkies does a good job of this
NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN If you are familiar with Austin Kleon, you might have noticed that we are completely guilty of STEALING (Like an Artist) this “From the Desk of…” format from his weekly newsletter - which you can sign-up for here. It’s totally worth it, one of the best parts of our week
CADET INSPIRATION Several years ago we took notice of a certain online sports publication that was differentiating itself by doing two things: Black & White photography and first person narrative. It was also created by Derek Jeter - The Players Tribune
AMERICAN HYGGE
SKI LODGE LIFE and the Comfort of Crackle Barrel. Apres Skiing, big fireplaces, over the top Bloody Mary’s, big sweaters. We had a blast inculcating ourselves in ski-culture over the weekend. We can’t wait to go back to Seven Springs in PA. Plus this logo of theirs has up feeling pretty lucky and very good. On our way back home we indulged in Cracker Barrel solely for the nostalgia
Podcast FROM THIS WEEK
FREAKONOMICS We’ve dug the Hidden Side of Sports Series and the current episode taught us about Shrinking your Worldview and the Athletic Mindset
99% Atomic Tattoos episode talks in-depth about Atomic Bomb survivability including the infamous “duck…AND coverrrrrrrr” campaign, and a voluntary blood-type tattoo program in Indiana
EYE Eye Magazine on Stack
PHOTOGRAPHY
365 & 100 I was digging through our archives, my personal IG account, this Robert Frank NYT article and revisiting an old year-long 365-project and am thinking its time to start a new undertaking. Maybe do a new one - 100 strangers/portraits project has always interested me. Its a good way to create stock & flow. After all, you are what you repeatedly do
SOCIAL MEDIA
10 The 10-year challenge was the flavor of the week. We didn’t participate
8-BIT The Army Athletics Communications team is talented. Mike Richards created this awesome Army Hockey Animation for the big match-up with the Royal Military Academy. We’re suckers for 8-bit pixel art and animation
IG FEATURE We has one of our photos featured on West Point’s Instagram feed!
The Magazine
VOL III has hit the final stages of production. We hope to have the magazine completely finished within the next 7 days. That puts pre-ordering at your finger-tips any day now. We can’t wait to show you what nearly 20 collaborators have in store for you and your eyeballs
SWATCHES we love this Post from Legacy Magazine of the color swatches they’ll be using in their upcoming issue. We’ve had a color swatch idea in the on-deck circle for a while and this post may have pushed us towards taking a chance on it
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Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Promotions + Posters + Promos + Pencils + Periodicals
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
The Stunning Army Football Images of Dustin Satloff + Be a Responsible Army Football Fan + What I’m Reading + A Good Old Fashion Army-Navy Conspiracy Theory + Our Small Print Collection is Selling Out
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Army Boxing + Empathy + Understanding + Compassion
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
The ODIA Mixtape + We Are Sell Outs + The First Century of Cadet Living + Our COVID-19 Media Diet + Has the Corps? + New Gig Poster + USMA 2003 Legacies + Uncle Rico played Sprint Football? + Small Prints, Polaroids, & Hats
Derek kept a war journal. Within its pages he foreshadowed his fate. He also seemed to ponder his legacy, but not in a selfish way. He merely wanted the sacrifices of his men to matter. He wanted their, and ultimately his work to matter. He wanted it to last. He wanted to live on.
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Maps + USMA Maps + Old USMA Maps + Even Older USMA Maps + A Yearling Map-Maker + Map Videos + DIY Map Making + USMA Dept of Drawing + West Point Points West + What I’m Reading + Even More Map Stuff.
It’s here. The most requested Mess Hall recipe in existence - often replicated, never truly duplicated. The almighty Chicken Crispito, superstar of the Great Chicken Crispito Riot of 2006. We decided to give a copycat recipe our best shot. Attention All Cadets, today for lunch we will be having Chicken Crispitos.
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Worth A Million + The Dark Side of West Point + How to Surf the Old School USMA Web + Our Latest Newsletter + Today’s Most Beautiful Thing + Beat Navy is Catching On + Crypto Cartel & Excavation Pictures Updates + Poems and Pictures + Impact of Maggie Dixon + Eye Candy
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Pre-Order Yourself Some VICTORY + 3 Army Football Players Branch NFL + 1997’s Mr. Irrelevant + A Graduation Think-Piece…Not What You’re Thinking + 1930’s Michie Stadium in Color + Turning Two + The Super Fun History of C-2 “The Flying Circus” + 2008 SOSH Run + The Art of Cool - Did James Dean Go To USMA? + Last Call For What’s In Your Trunk + These Cards Are FOR Humanity + Long Read: Ranger School
In response to re-sharing our recipes for Spicy Chicken Patty, Coooooorn Chowder and Congo Bar, we fielded a request for a recipe for another Mess Hall classic - the Blueberry Scone. If this were truly a “copy cat” USMA recipe, we’d have to provide guidance for how to produce the driest scones on Earth. However, we figured we would spare you the pain of that. Instead, below you’ll find a simple guide to the most perfect blueberry scone. It may not conjure the same nearly-choking-it’s-so-dry-and-crumbly dining experience you may recall from your cadet days, but we hope it will trigger some positive nostalgia (or least an enjoyable snack) nonetheless.
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
What’s in Your Trunk? + USMA Black-Out Poetry + Get Skills + What Cadets Create + Army Student-Athletes are Different + Old Grads 155-Years Ago + From the Notebook Page to the Magazine Page + USMA 2008 & MITs Ventilator Effort + Doc & Glenn Long Read
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
The Lonely Comm + Creative Cadets Making Art + A Howitzer IG Account?? + Faces & Facades + Crypto Cartel is on Amazon + We Love Victory (Journal) + From Our Blog x5 + Mess Hall Recipes + We Need our Help to Complete VOL V of CADET (Coming in July 2020)
Today we present something little different - a list of West Point books that may not be on your radar, these are all of the FICTION variety. In this list are stories of ghosts, controversy, social change, epic poems of early USMA history and contemporary novels, there’s a comic book and a wonderful collection of satire and humor.
Laura Walker died on August 18th, 2005 in Afghanistan, many miles removed from Arvin Gym, the Cadet Barracks, the Mess Hall and trip sections. Laura was an Army-brat, Captain of Women’s Team Handball, and a member of the class of 2003–our classmate. I did not know her very well. And that fact stung me with a sense of dread as I arrived at West Point on the morning of Friday, March 27, 2015.
The CADET team went down the rabbit hole that is Amazon and turned up some USMA finds to quench your pressing need to keep the Army spirit going strong during these times (when even toilet paper is next to impossible to find).
Amidst the chaos of the unforeseen circumstance presented by COVID-19, many of you have likely found yourselves teleworking, cooped up at home, unable to travel, and running out of ways to keep you and your families stimulated. We’ve assembled here 20 things you might consider doing to keep things interesting - Watch penguins swim remotely at the aquarium! Take a free Ivy League, yoga, or cooking class! Virtually tour that museum you’ve been wanting to check out! Write a poem and submit it to CADET magazine for Volume V! Watch a live streamed concert! The list goes on…
Our most recent offering, VOL IV, again weaves together 6 decades of the Long Gray Line to bring you a survey of West Point culture and creativity. We have the esteemed honor to highlight grads old and new, current cadets and a West Point community member - we are thrilled to have the opportunity to share their talents with you.
Here’s a look at the contributors who are helping make VOL IV of CADET our best and most ambitious effort yet.
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Those Mischievous Uglies + An Old Friend + Books + Cannons + Lead by Example + Mysterious Bricks + Missing Michie + A Lovely Logo + A Record Album That Doesn’t Exist + USMA 1891 + Long Lines of Gray
A few weekends ago we took a much needed mini vacation, and decided to spend it in the Hudson Valley. We made @thethayerhotel our home base, and between our suite, sunset drinks on the Hudson at Zulu Time and their must-go Sunday Champagne Brunch, we couldn’t have had a more enjoyable stay.
BEAT NAVY
We love imagery. We love the Army-Navy Game. And we love this "most wonderful" time of the year. So, to celebrate, here are the Top-10 Army-Navy prints from our shop.
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
West Point Women Portrait Project + Low (Maintenance) Does Not Equal No (Maintenance) + West Point Drawings from @RYNO.ART + Sunsets & Wonder + Ken Burns & Conan O’Brien + Many Articles on Grit (TL;DR We’re SOOO Gritty) + Unknown West Point Watercolor Artist’s Paintings
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
An Army Fan + 1st Captain Portraits + Michie on Game Day + Adorable LAX photo + Weekly Curation Inspiration + Time Marches On + Henry O. Flipper Art + BEAT AIR FORCE!
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Something Grand + Some Ghosts + Vietnam Soundtrack + The Classic Train Station/Hair Cut Combo + Always Beat Navy + A Letter You’ve Probably Heard of + Iconic Architecture + A Weekend Trip to the Hudson Valley.
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Center For Oral History + Put the Biscuit in the Basket in Belfast + USMA 2003’s Charity + Christmas Wrapping Paper + 1999-2019 Army Fandom + American Music Playlist + Pennant to Every Corner of the Country + The Thayer’s Got a Magazine + Simply Rustic Photography
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Spice Up Your Watch Party + Reunion Weekend + Hours Hype Video + Next Week at Arlington Cemetery USMA 48 + Where the Rabbit Holes Are + The Art of the Mascot Heist + 2019 is 75% Complete + A September to Remember + Buh Bye + Old Grad Artisans
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Let’s Pick on Air Force + Who’s Getting Ready to Beat Navy? + A TON of News from Us + AOG brilliantly invokes Sister Corita Kent + Collaboration News with DCA and The Thayer + Joint Service Academy Ball + We Were Featured in a Magazine + Finnish Designers and Skateboards and Columbus, IN + Book List + Change is Inevitable + The Last of the Pennants
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
NYFW & Buzz + Army Football Cartoons + Pennants are Selling Out +Waiting Sucks + Army Football Fathers & Sons + 9 Old Men + Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride + VOL IV Update
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
A Michigan Band Honor Violation? + West Point Society of Annapolis + Our New Pennant Collection + Glorious Pershing Barracks + 2003 - Protectors of the Rum + Our Series on How to be a Responsible Army Football Fan
In VOL II of CADET we ran a photo essay on graduation. Those photos are now a decade old. When I photographed them in 2009, there was no instagram. Twitter was text only and sharing too many photos on Facebook was highly, highly suspicious. The social sharing landscape was minimal and ineffective. But today we have the tools to present and venues to share. So, enjoy!
11 inches by 17 inches
215 gsm
Printed on durable card stock with extra durability for a crisp, polished look.
High-quality poster with colors that really pop
Perfect on walls, doors, or bulletin boards
11 inches by 17 inches
215 gsm
Printed on durable card stock with extra durability for a crisp, polished look.
High-quality poster with colors that really pop
Perfect on walls, doors, or bulletin boards
A SELF-PUBLISHED, BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND WEST POINT CULTURE.
- 100 Pages
- 8.5x11 in. Soft Bound Book
- Cover: 80# Semi-Gloss
- Interior: 80# Matte Text Paper
Well, we’ve decided to push the envelope from here on out.
Get a visual punch-in-the-face with bold graphics, engaging photography, and a depiction of the West Point community that you’ve never seen before. Best of all, VOL II was proudly created with the help of 10 Old Grad creators. The result is a beautifully crafted 104-page artifact full of Long Gray Line tradition and legacy with a modern twist.
CADET IS A SELF-PUBLISHED, BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERSECTION OF WEST POINT CULTURE AND CREATIVITY.
104 Pages
8.5x11 in. Soft Bound Book
Cover: 80# Semi-Gloss
Interior: 80# Matte Text Paper
CADET IS A SELF-PUBLISHED, BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERSECTION OF WEST POINT CULTURE AND CREATIVITY.
104 Pages
8.5x11 in. Soft Bound Book
Cover: 80# Semi-Gloss
Interior: 80# Matte Text Paper
CADET IS A SELF-PUBLISHED, BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERSECTION OF WEST POINT CULTURE AND CREATIVITY.
100 Pages
8.5x11 in. Soft Bound Book
Cover: 80# Semi-Gloss
Interior: 80# Matte Text Paper
CADET IS A SELF-PUBLISHED, BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERSECTION OF WEST POINT CULTURE AND CREATIVITY.
100 Pages
8.5x11 in. Soft Bound Book
Purchasing this digital gift card creates a unique code. The gift card recipient can enter this code at checkout to subtract the gift card value from their order total.
This gift card never expires.
Whether you have taken the field with the Army Team or have always wanted to...with this print you'll get so close to it all that you can smell the turf, you can hear the squeal of those bag-pipes, you can breathe in the excitement of the Corps and you can feel your heart pound harder and harder as you get set to take the field. It's finally here. It's finally time to BEAT NAVY!
Brighten up your day with this rendition of the world famous West Point Million Dollar View. You walls will thank you.
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Grant Hall Oil Painting + Old School Pins + 1-Year of Beautiful Things + West Pointers in the Arts FB Group + A List of Iconic Army Football Moments + What I’m Reading