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Pertining to the new supe, he is the person in charge and is just that the person in charge and we must respect AND follow the chain of command.
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Our Mids do but the last time I checked I did not work for the Navy.;)</p>
<p>I hope they have reserved a large enough room for that upcoming "Board of Visitors" meeting mentioned earlier!!!! Should be a lively meeting.</p>
<p>In recent years I have had it up to HERE w/ gov't [and private sector] personnel who were supposed to "know what they are doing" screwing things up.
I don't know if the changes being imposed will be for the better or worse and I will respect the chain of command, but that chain of command include members of congress who oversee the Academy.
So, while the Supt may be the "person in charge" that doesn't make him infallible.
Seems like even the "decider in chief" has had to learn that lesson.</p>
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<p>News to me. Enlighten me please.</p>
<p>And I just learned USNA doesnt serve Vegetarian Meals on weekends. Thats a shame! So some go very hungry on weekends.</p>
<p>Good news! The Marathon team has not been cut.</p>
<p>While I agree the Supe can make changes, it certainly seemed as he had an agenda before he showed up and evaluated the Academy onsite. </p>
<p>My son also complains about the quality of food and having eaten only one meal to guage my opinion on, it wasn't very good...the food was good in the 70s, it really isn't anymore.</p>
<p>If the Supe wants to really eliminate distractions...then cancel all NCAA sports and extra-curricula activities. Mids could just do PT after classes until dinner. Don't allow dances nor dating...it's just a distraction afterall. No cars for 2/c and on and on.</p>
<p>The Academy recruits the best and brightest...leaders, athletes, students, yet they are going to be treated as if they're in some parochial school with nuns watching over their every move. The Brigade WAS excited to be back and the Supe killed all enthusiasm in one quick punch. That's NOT leadership. </p>
<p>Navy football is on a roll and represents the Academy well. Sure, two individuals have tarnished themselves who were football players. However, the football team and all other varsity sports lead the country in APR. Mids are studying. They were also rewarded for making the Supt and Dean's lists. Why eliminated rewards for outstanding performance. It's BS. The Academy also had more Rhodes Scholars than any institution over the last five years. USN&W Reports looks at their data. Navy isn't a liberal arts school. They probably take a hit due to the small number of majors but academics are doing well. Look at all the data.</p>
<p>The Academy has some of the finest athletic facilities and building more. TIt will be a waste of money as Mids won't have the time to use them. With good grades, THEY could decide how to manage their time and decide to study, press their uniforms, workout, or attend a mid-week sporting event. Now, they have NO choice. That's not teaching them a thing. It's leading them to not being accountable for their actions. </p>
<p>The football team will be on national TV with NO Mids in the stands. Real impressive support by the Brigade. A representative number will be allowed to go ND. The football team rocked the house last year and the Mids responded in kind. Now, they can't even have Pep rallies. They'll be no Mids supporting mid-week events.</p>
<p>Look, as I said above. If you want to remove distractions. Remove them all and then advertise that to those that you are recruiting. If your intent is to treat them like they're in the Navy...then guess what, they would have liberty every night they didn't have duty. There are few schools in the Navy that have mandated study hours. </p>
<p>The Supe has set restrictive policies that are more stricter than when he was a Mid. He also didn't chop Plebe year. </p>
<p>This will also have a impact on the local economy, probably about a $1 million dollars annually. Certainly, Annapolis can absorb it but I'm sure the Supe thought about that also. I'm not against change but gee, it seems like he's punishing all Mids for the infractions of a few. Adding more study hours when the Academy IS doing well academically and retaining Mids, seems to b punishment. Let's keep them bottled up so they can't get into trouble. They're not going to learn accountability and responsibility, and how to manage their time as well. </p>
<p>To kick off the new year and kill all spirit the Brigade had is a wrong move. How motivated do you think all the Mids are? Talk about a distraction. </p>
<p>At least Adm Rempt had a sense of humor, some life in him and was fun. </p>
<p>I'm a grad, and I do not agree with the changes. That's my two cents.</p>
<p>My donations are going to NAAA to whether the storm...who will they be
able to recruit when no when will be in the stands except perhaps the few alumni from the local area.</p>
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<p>Are they?</p>
<p>One of the six missions of the Admissions Board is to ascertain whether candidates are "likely to choose fields of study that reflects needs of Navy".
One of the things that causes me concern is that USNA implies that some of their majors do not reflect the needs of the Navy. Why do they have them? Perhaps for Midshipmen who cannot stand the rigors of a tech/eng degree?</p>
<p>A rough guess is that during the application process virtually all express an intent for either a technical or engineering degree. Why has this dropped drastically by the end of their Plebe year and cause a substantial portion of the class to select liberal arts majors. I view the latest ranking of USNA as one of the top 20 liberal arts schools in the US as a cause for concern. The Navy is a technical service. </p>
<p>Throughout the history of the voluntary majors era, the SecNavs have imposed quotas on tech/eng degrees. It has been as high as 80% and most recently, just prior to Iraq, it was 75%. For many (most) liberal arts majors it is a fallback because they don't to either expend the effort or feel that they are incapable of fulfilling the requirements of a tech/eng degree..</p>
<p>Perhaps the new Supt is being proactive. It would seem to me that if Plebes had mandatory Friday night study, their viewpoint might change and mandatory Youngster Fri nite study might cement their decision.</p>
<p>The Top 20 ranking is outstanding for an Academy that has a limited number of students that are liberal arts majors. Twenty-twenty-five percent as you say won't have an impact on the ability of Academy grads to function in the fleet. Academy grads in the "bull" majors still take Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, Navigation, "Wires", "Steam" and similar courses. Just because their liberal arts program is ranked doesn't mean that their Math, Science and Engineering programs don't attract the best and the brightest, and are not ranked. USN &WR is not the end all. I don't have a premium subscription so I can't access all the listings. I'll wait for the magazine that comes out this week and see what our engineering probrams are rated. In the past, they have rated all the service academies together in one category but our engineering programs have ranked very well. Systems Engineering is one of the top programs in the country but you wouldn't want every grad to major in systems. Academy graduates have enough of a technical background to take on any of the tasks their assigned. It is whether they can manage their time, money, familiy, and lead men and women that counts the most. Now, they're going to be lead around with a ring through their nose so their ability to make mundance decisions that other college students make on a daily basis as to when to study, attend a sports event, or work-out are all pre-determined to such an extent that we'll develop followers more than leaders. I don't recall any recent artilcles in any publication stating that graduating Midshipmen did not meet fleet expectations. In fact, I remember reading articles of how well they're doing in the fleet and how strong our academics were...if not, they sold the current Midshipmen a lie. I can't see how the Academy has gone down hill over the last summer from what I was briefed as a B&G officer.</p>
<p>Our athletes are graduating with the highest ratings in the country measured against all NCAA schools. Academics are not in the dumps. The bull majors that have recently been added have been foreign language majors that are directly involved in what we're doing overseas.</p>
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<p>Wait till your "Poly Sci and Fly" want to go to Naval Test Pilot School.</p>
<p>well dinner last night did not make it to the end of the table. Apparently 3 mids "went without." people cut their one piece of meat to "donate" and pass down the line at the table. Outrageous. </p>
<p>Please don't remind me of those on the battlefield with their MREs. that day will come- but there is no excuse for "that day" being on the shores of the Severn. </p>
<p>So we now have had inadequate "rations" for the past 3 days. Mold on bread. Carepackage can't get there fast enough. </p>
<p>No wonder they are cranky. Hope the supe is enjoying his meals. If he really wants to fix something, fix the food.</p>
<p>Keep them motivated? Upbeat? Positive?
Trying my best-
but there is "no excuse" for this.
Poor planning - and who, exactly, will take responsibility and accountability for that?</p>
<p>hmmmmmmmmmmm....................</p>
<p>(and please spare me the comments on "teambuilding".... obviously they already know how to pool their resources....)</p>
<p>this is no fun folks.</p>
<p>No. And I'll bet not a single one of them will starve. :eek:</p>
<p>no, they won't starve. </p>
<p>but I can think of no faster way to undermine the "morale and welfare" of students..... and lets remember that they are still students. </p>
<p>And I will add....students without access to Drydock.</p>
<p>No, they are Midshipmen. There is a most significant difference, imo. And I know you may agree, this is not college in uniform. These kids are tougher than we allow them to be. And they need to be. There world is not a nice place.</p>
<p>I don't buy the notion that this gonna undermine morale and/or welfare. You're sounding like a mother, a loving one at that. ;)</p>
<p>Its the academys responsibility to have enough food and also that it won't get them sick! Particularly if they are required to eat it there!</p>
<p>Of course they don't want them sick and I've not heard of the masses or even lone Mids heading to sickbay because of starvation or malnutrition. Have you?</p>
<p>I believe this is a test which we are at risk of failing. And it's attitude, the ONE thing we can impact upon our sailors. And the ONLY thing I believe we can impact or even should. </p>
<p>This is not nearly so much of what has or has not been imposed upon our children and now Midshipmen as it is how will they deal with it. And how will we encourage them to deal with this change and others.</p>
<p>Attitude 101 (and not Nutrition 101) ... as one on this site said so well, "It's the ONLY thing we can choose so choose a good one."</p>
<p>Did anyone bellyache when many Mids were in fact losing weight during plebe summer? I vote for trying to help our children-now-Navy Mids by encouraging them to see it as a test. "Do your best."</p>
<p>Is there a shred of evidence that the USNA administrators are placing our children and their charges in harms way over this? And you know, I had some mold on my bread at the college I attended ... and I was paying for that loaf! </p>
<p>Really, I'm not wishing to be contentious. I simply do not grasp this issue as being of any signifcance to us aside from allowing our babies to cry to us about it all. That's ok, but like most of the time my baby was crying to me, I failed to see the cause as much more than a momentary inconvenience or pain, usually gone by the next meal.</p>
<p>According to the Supt.,USNA is supposed to be the standard for excellence. Poor planning regarding food quantity and distribution etc.. in light of the new regulations doesn't demonstrate a very high standard.</p>
<p>Obviously my mid will take care of himself. However, at USNA, this shouldn't even be an issue.</p>
<p>It should not be an issue.
Rumor has it things are better today- we will see.</p>
<p>athletes, in particular, can be very focused on nutrition, fitness, making weight, etc.... training, weightlifting...all part of "who they are," abet, midshipmen first...but you can't take the athlete out of the athlete, even if that athlete is wearing a cover. After a summer of training, protein shakes, etc, it doesn't take much to lose it all....and quickly (if only I had that problem!)</p>
<p>They will adjust-
but have overnighted 2 carepackages to make sure!
loving mom? you bet!</p>
<p>Here's the link to the Top 20 story.</p>
<p>Not exactly bad publicity. USNA is an engineering school but USN & WR placed all the service academies in that category, most likely because none of the service academies have a Phd program.</p>
<p>As for Poly Sci and Fly...touche!</p>
<p>When I showed up to my first ship, myself and another Ensign showed up on the same day. He was ROTC from UCLA and a basketball player. I was a shorter former Mid with a science background but from the Academy. The Engineers chose first and took me since I was an Academy graduate and I spent the next two years standing CIC, Bridge and Engineering watches. I had 50 engineers who I was responsible for. He on the other hand, went to Ops, had about eight Ops personnel and stood CIC and Bridge watches. The fleet does see our background as being important and on the same hand, holds us accountable for that education. </p>
<p>Poly Sci and Fly...there's nothing wrong with a Political Science background. Not everyone needs to be an engineer. My daughter attends a very good engineering school. It's the women at the school that take much of the social, community, and service leadership roles on campus. I've seen guys mill around smartly until a female tells them exactly what to do....that's the otherside to the engineering equation. Certainly, it's a generalization but also something I've seen over four years, many, many times. Academy engineers also lead which not all engineers will do. I grant you that. But, one doesn't have to be an engineer to be a leader and the Academy is better off with leaders than making everyone an engineer or science/math wiz. There needs to be a balance and 80/20 seems to work. </p>
<p>Best wishes!!!</p>
<p>If Adm Fowler can prevent even more more instance like this happening to a Naval Academy graduate or someone he/she supports in the field or at sea with his changes, he needs everyone's support until what he has done proves otherwise.</p>