West Point & Design
CONNECT + INSPIRE
CADET is a bi-annual magazine about West Point culture.
Highly independent, quite unofficial, aggressively dedicated.
Based in DC @chrisWpestel @carolinepestel
THE DESIGNS OF USMA | 2018-19
If there was ever a lull in West Point activity, it would have to be this time of the year. Now, we know West Point doesn’t ever stop, but this is the closest things we get to a slow period. So, we are taking this opportunity to look a little closer at the convergence of two of our favorite topics (and why CADET exists) West Point and Design. Much like our Design series from the Army-Navy Game, this aspect of the West Point experience can easily be overlooked.
Over the next few weeks we will wrangle 10 design topics and will put them under a microscope. We will look at the year that was AY2018-19, as well as take a deep dive (or at least a shallow swim) into topics to explore the connection of design to the heritage and traditions of the West Point story.
This is going to be FUN!
[COMING SOON]
THE DECISIVE (USMA) MOMENTS
The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.
- Dorothea Lange
THE STILL IMAGE We are living in a golden age of photography at West Point. With each passing year more cadets are finding their visual voice with a camera. Additionally, there is a surge of highly…
BRILLIANT SIMPLICITY
“The next time you see a sixteen-color, blind-embossed, gold-stamped, die-cut, elaborately folded and bound job, printed on handmade paper, see if it isn't a mediocre idea trying to pass for something else.”
― Milton Glaser
DIGITAL if you are like me, you can’t get enough social media infographics. These beauties range from in-game statistics to copious retrospectives. Done right, these graphics possess the ability to…
A CATALYST FOR INTROSPECTION
Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation.
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
DEPARTMENT OF DRAWING many years ago West Point’s academic curriculum included mandatory classes from the Department of Drawing. In addition to learning a necessary topography skill cadets…
TIMELESSNESS THROUGH STYLE & HERITAGE
Fashion is just another word for the constant, inevitable shifts in popular taste. Garments, just like buildings and cars and movies, can’t help but reflect the circumstances of our moment in history. That’s what fashion is. Another way of telling time.
- Avery Truffleman
UNIFORMS one of the best designed pieces of anything from the last year is Army Football’s tribute to the BIG RED ONE. This masterful design is top-notch in every way. From the look and feel, to the…
WEST POINT INTERCONNECTEDNESS
Cooperate and Graduate
THE DESIGN OF INFLUENCE
We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.
― Walt Disney
SING SECOND [RE-MASTERED] when USMA 2017 grad Austin Lachance was given the chance to re-visit his masterful 2017 Army-Navy Spirit video, he didn’t hesitate and knew exactly where he wanted to take it…
MARCHING TO THE BEAT OF INSPIRATION & TRADITION
Without music, life would be a mistake”
― Friedrich Nietzsche.
DUTY HONOR COUNTRY on Sunday, May 12, 2019, the Glee Club tagged us in the comments of a post. Much to our surprise, the post was announcing the first new West Point song in 100 years…
DESIGNING STORY FOR POSTERITY
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
WEST POINT STRUCTURES & SPACES
Every great architect is - necessarily - a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.
- Frank Lloyd Wright
PILLARS OF WEST POINT IN THE MESS HALL Have you ever noticed those four statues attached to the poop deck in the Cadet Mess Hall?? Even if you are certain you’ve looked in their direction…
THE BLUEPRINT OF IDENTITY & LEGACY
I was born by myself but carry the spirit and blood of my father, mother and my ancestors. So I am really never alone. My identity is through that line.
- Ziggy Marley
USMA 2019 vs USMA 2022 The evolution of class crests is something we are excited to take a deep dive into a little later this year, stay tuned…
Thanks for reading. If you like this and want to support us, forward it to a friend.
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