Herndon

<p>That 2011 looks so good. :)</p>

<p>1 hour, 32 minutes, not bad at all.</p>

<p>although not a challenge to the great class of 2009....ahem.
i went out on liberty today and of course there are now 2000 youngsters running around. we all kept looking at each other's name tags to see whether they were 3/C "upper or lower half". i can't wait until graduation.</p>

<p>let's not forget the other momentous occasion that passed today...the Youngster Luau! okay, maybe not so important...</p>

<p>but Ring Dance is on saturday! i will be there to dip the boyfriend's ring...very very exciting.</p>

<p>Youngster Luau? :confused:</p>

<p>"3/C upper and lower half". Too funny! </p>

<p>Nah, they're 4/C until the 1/C toss their covers. See? Plebes can be ratey even after Herndon! ;)</p>

<p><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.herndon18may18,0,1145475.story?coll=bal-local-arundel%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.herndon18may18,0,1145475.story?coll=bal-local-arundel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
A Michigan midshipman won the U.S. Naval Academy's quirky tradition for first-year students - climbing a lard-coated granite obelisk.</p>

<p>Jamie Schrock, 18, of Detroit was the first to reach the top of the Herndon Monument yesterday in an annual rite marking the end of the students' year as a plebe, or freshman....

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Listen to a nice recognition of USNA tradition and Herndon on NPR this morning:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10253865%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10253865&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Today was the calm before the storm of Commissioning Week at USNA. There was actually parking in the Mid Store parking lot and no long lines at either the Mid Store or Dry Dock, but after tomorrow, that's all going to change!! I saw a few 3/C (no way to see if they are newly minted or waiting to put on that 2/C shoulder board) with parents and many smiles. The week's forecast is looking fabulous btw!</p>

<p>You mean they let the plebes wear the 3/c shoulder boards after they climb?</p>

<p>That's bogus! Part of the fun of going to Commissioning was putting your next set of boards in your pocket and changing them when the firsties tossed their caps in the air.</p>

<p>What's next? Air conditioning in Bancroft? Oh....wait....</p>

<p>Mike</p>

<p>Yep and this year the plebes wore their chokers to the Plebe Recognition Ceremony...</p>

<p>The 2010 parents got to see their Mids rooms again! 08'ers parents got one shot at PPW and now we have to wait until Firstie Parent Weekend in September..</p>

<p>The place is going to h*%# in a handbasket...(-:</p>

<p>(Hey Mike, are you the gomids.com mod???)</p>

<p>atrmom....wanna make me feel even more guilty? (And I really DO feel sheepish about this) 5th Battalion families were able to get up to the Plebe's rooms BEFORE and after dinner. It blew my mind. OK, I'm the parent of 5 kids who went off to college right after high school, and my kiddo is our baby, so this is round 5 of visiting college dorms - but I actually felt wierd and almost trespassing to have so much time up there on 6th wing with my daughter, her roommates and all our families gawking around. I made my poor girl pull every single uniform out of her closet so I could see it up close and take a picture of them. Living 3000 miles away it's not everyday I see these variations of USNA uniforms. And yes, I'll admit - these floors, bathrooms and rooms are the cleanest places for college areas I've ever seen - even if she was apologizing for 'the mess' we were seeing.</p>

<p>So '08 parents, I don't blame you for complaining. </p>

<p>I will say that at the end of Sea Trials the whole Plebe class begged the new Commandant for an overnight liberty - but she smiled and changed the subject.</p>

<p>So as a '10 parent I predict that before we graduate something like that will happen to a subsequent class, and we '10 parents can whine and join the rest of the others before us who will wholeheartedly agree about how the place is getting laxer by the day! :-)</p>

<p>GO NAVY!</p>

<p>
[quote]
but Ring Dance is on saturday! i will be there to dip the boyfriend's ring...very very exciting.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Just out of curiousity, how does that work for darksiders?</p>

<p>The tradition is that the USNA class ring is christened in the waters of the Seven Seas. The Chaplains from all over the Navy gather the water and it's put into a font. The owner of the ring and his or her date walk through a giant ring and dip the ring (worn around the neck with a ribbon) in the water. The dance used to be held in Dahlgren but now it's in a huge marquee tent on Hospital Point complete with fireworks</p>

<p>I've threatened him with bodily harm if he doesn't get at least a couple of pictures tonight!!</p>

<p>Peskemom, that's okay, 08 got an unexpected overnight during their PPW( but I suspect it wasn't that unexpected to the powers that be)! We'll get a chance to see our son's room on Sept 13-16 (First Class Parents Weekend) plus we'll get to go to classes with him on that Friday)</p>

<p>I'm happy for your daughter...Plebe No More!!! Right after Herndon, my son and his friends ran to the benches right in front of T-Court and plopped themselves right down!!</p>

<p>
[quote]
The dance used to be held in Dahlgren but now it's in a huge marquee tent on Hospital Point complete with fireworks

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Is that because they want to keep it that way or because Dahlgren is the mess hall while King Hall gets renovated?</p>

<p>Who would want to dance on grass, anyway? :confused:</p>

<p>Its been that way for several years atleast... Besides, Hospital Point is a much nicer venue for the event, especially with the normally great weather we have. Although its supposed to rain tonight which kinda sucks. But oh well, Ring Dance really isnt about the dance, its more the before and after parties</p>

<p>Z- the marquee has a wooden dance floor. It should be a great evening, the weather here is beautiful-sunny and a little on the cool side. Hopefully, the rain won't materialize.</p>

<p>
[quote]
The tradition is that the USNA class ring is christened in the waters of the Seven Seas. The Chaplains from all over the Navy gather the water and it's put into a font. The owner of the ring and his or her date walk through a giant ring and dip the ring (worn around the neck with a ribbon) in the water.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Got that part, but do darksiders both wear their uniforms? Do they dip their rings together? Again, just curious.</p>

<p>Yes, the Midshipman wear their mess dress and dates wear formals or a tux, but I'm not sure who dips the ring...maybe they do it together like cutting a wedding cake or maybe the date does it, I don't know... I met my husband when he was a Firstie so I missed the Ring Dance. Z could tell you more about it.</p>

<p>Okay, based on pictures on the USNA PAO website from last year, the Midshipman and date each hold one end of a blue ribbon and dip the ring together into the water.</p>

<p>Correct.</p>

<p>Additionally, (assuming things haven't changed) the date wears a gown or tux if they are not in the class celebrating the dance. Doesn't mean they couldn't wear their uniform if they didn't want to, of course.</p>

<p>Now anyone at the Academy who is going must be in uniform... i.e. your youngstar gf must wear her mess dress as well... There are always alot of mid girls who do get dresses, and every year a few get in trouble for it</p>

<p>My friend's Midshipman daughter is wearing a dress to dinner, but then she's and the other girls in the group are going to change into their uniforms before they go to the dance.</p>