From the Editor's Desk | #16
CONNECT + INSPIRE
CADET is a bi-annual magazine about West Point culture.
Highly independent, quite unofficial, aggressively dedicated.
Based in DC @chrisWpestel @carolinepestel
Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
BROTHERS + SISTERS
BROTHERS have you ever wondered what an Army Football change-of-command ceremony looked like? Well great, you’re in luck because here’s a few photos from USMA 2000’s LTC Brandan Rooney taking over for classmate and teammate LTC Tom Goetke. Rooney was starting RB, Goettke was a starting LB. They were firsties when I was a plebe on scout team. I look up to them. Climb to Glory!
SISTERS My classmate, USMA 2003’s Mary Tobin put it in perspective: “…in 17 days 32 Black Women will graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. This is the largest class of Black Women to graduate from the Academy since the first two black women graduates in 1980. My heart is bursting with pride and I am so proud to call them my West Point sisters!” This year’s 32 black women graduates equals 0.06% (32 of 1020) of the graduating class, the most in school history…in 1980 it was equal to 0.002% (2 of 921).
FOR EVERY HEART IN GRAY
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEFS TROPHY was presented to Army Football on Monday as were the COACH K awards. MEN’S LAX had a big week and advanced to the NCAA Tournament and WOMEN’S TENNIS’s Ana Joyner was named Patriot League Player of the Year. Likewise ARMY GOLF’s Nick Turner was Patriot League Champion and named Scholar-Athlete of the Year. MEN’S SOCCER held their ALUMNI GAME and hosted the NATIONAL CHAMPION Terps from Maryland in a friendly. In Army Football news of note, NATCHIGAL HAD A TRY-OUT WITH THE BROWNS, WOOLFOLK HAD A TRY-OUT WITH THE GIANTS, and BRINSON CONTINUES TO IMPRESS BY GOING FOR AN MD AND PHD AT STANFORD. PROJECTS DAY wrapped-up last week and the SCUBA TEAM FIRSTIES TOOK ONE LAST DIP IN THIER DRESS GRAY. Also, WEST POINT DAY & ASTRONAUT DAY are a thing that segues nicely into the connection between STAR WARS + WEST POINT as is evident HERE, HERE and HERE. And finally, over the weekend USMA held its annual SPECIAL OLYMPICS at Shea Stadium. Whew. I am sure I missed many things.
SPOUSES CLUB COOK BOOK CALL FOR PHOTOS want your photos featured in the upcoming West Point Spouses Club cookbook? If you answered, yes…you’re in luck. The West Point Spouses' Club Gift Shop Cookbook is looking for your photos that celebrated the songs and traditions of West Point.
THE MAGAZINE
VOL III the third wave of VOL III subscriptions will hit their respective owners mailboxes early next week. As of today, VOL III has been sent to over 90 cities. At least 1 Old Grad from 38 different classes spanning from 1955-2022 has subscribed to CADET so far. We even shipped a copy of VOL III to Lake Forest, IL to a prospective member of the class of 2024. Current cadets, parents, grads, even USMA staff and faculty are in on the subscribing trend.
VOL IV well. no time to rest on our laurels, right? We’ve begun the process of putting together VOL IV. We’ve got our game plan ironed out, our theme in-tow, and have a vision that we will begin putting into motion here within the next 30 days. We can not wait to share the process with you all.
RADIO GA GA
IF I CAN DREAM I recommend listening to this phenomenal rendition of IF I CAN DREAM while sitting outside the Pentagon as you wait for your significant other to get done with work. You will feel tangible freedom.
FOR YOUR EYEBALLS
BLACK KNIGHTS this sick (as the kids say) ARMY FOOTBALL GRAPHIC is worthy of being printed and hung on the doors of opponents hotel rooms - thusly, cementing fear in the deepest recesses of their soul.
HOCKEY RINKS ARE FPR FAMILY PORTRAITS well, if you don’t agree with me, check out THE EVIDENCE FROM THE PHENOMENAL LIZA WILLEY
THE MATRIX
TAKING INVENTORY so it appears we are ANOTHER MONTH CLOSER we’re tracking…are you?
THE DESIGN OF THINGS
THE LASTING IMAPACT OF GEN MILLS are you aware of the impact that GEN MILLS HAD ON USMA LORE and its visual identity? No? Us either, good thing AOG’s On This Day project is still going strong. Man, this guy spearheaded so much of what we identify as West Point-ness. It’s nuts, I tell ya.
R-DAY POST WWII imagine asking a MAJ to remove rank prior to seeing the “Cadet in the Red Sash” check out some stories from USMA 1950’s R-DAY.
WEST POINT 100: CREATORS
THE LIST last year we started gathering information on the creators within the Long Gray Line. This effort has not disappointed. Almost every day we are turned on to yet another grad making something awesome in this world (this week was no different, here’s who we made contact with - a San Diego surfboard designer from USMA 1997, a Great Northwest outdoor photographer from USMA 2013 who (back in the day) took some incredible photos of the 2013 Brigade Championship Football game, The Founder of Aquila Ceremonies from USMA 2012, a writer/illustrator/musician from USMA 2011 , and can’t get enough of the work from Liza Willey (above) and Christy Fatula). Check out the list we’ve wrangled up so far. And if you know of a grad creating something awesome, let us know about them right here. The list is being updated this week as we’ve reached 3/4 of the 100. We certainly can’t wait for this list to breach 100.
PODCAST FROM THIS WEEK
99% INVISIBLE are squirrels a nuisance at West Point? Anyone have situational awareness on this. BECAUSE THEY ONCE DOWNED THE NASDQ.
20K HERTZ after listening to this week’s episode of TWENTY THOUSAND HERTZ I want to catalog West Point sounds. Has this ever been done?
SOCIAL MEDIA
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