<p>Received from Public Affairs Office of USMA (West Point) this morning.</p>
<p>"The Superintendent approved the move of "R" Day from June 25 to July 2,
2007. Please pass this information on to your members and all members
to the Class of 2011."</p>
<p>w00t! More summer vacation!!!! =)</p>
<p>After spending a year at NMMI all I want to do is get to beast.</p>
<p>To all who will be attending R-Day, a thought. Since the date has now been moved to July 2, you might consider sticking around the Highland Falls area for an extra couple of days. If you do, then you can go back to West Point on July 4th to hear the USMA Band play at Trophy Point, followed by fireworks. It is always a very special time as they traditionally will play the 1812 Overture with real cannons! Very cool! It also gives you one more chance to see your new cadet in uniform, but not really talk with them. Bring a picnic dinner and stake out a place early! It's a popular event, so be prepared to walk long distances from/to your car. And it can be hot, so bring lots of water.</p>
<p>Does anyone know the reason for the change? Also, will A day be moved too?</p>
<p>You'll want to check all the dates before confirming flights and hotels.</p>
<p>This really is not a good idea. Our son would have just freaked if we had done something like that. To tell you the truth it sounds a little like stalking and I have been told that it is not looked on kindly by USMA.</p>
<p>I have to agree with Sierra1. While I would have loved extra glimpses of our New Cadet that week, I am positive it would have made things harder for both of us. Some local parents will attend the 4th celebration, and perhaps catch their cadet during the procession in or out, but no contact. And frankly the parent support system will chastise anyone who attempts contact.</p>
<p>I disagree, with the caveat that I believe the intention in the original post was not to see your candidate, but to experience the show put on for the public by the West Point community to celebrate Independence Day. The candidates are kept apart from the public, so the chance for contact is minimal. You can see the group, and if you are lucky may catch a glimpse of your son or daughter. There is much more chance that you will not be able to identifiy anyone. It is fun to view the group from afar and see how quickly they have bonded. The real enjoyment is in the atmosphere, the cameraderie, the fireworks and the music. It is a great event, and I have been fortunate enough to attend serveral times, both as a member of the West Point Community and as a parent of a cadet. I'm not sure what leads you to say USMA frowns on attendance, since it is a very much a public event. I would agree that you should not go with the express purpose of seeing your candiate, but to miss it would be missing a great opportunity to understand a little more the community your child is about to become a part of. I plan to stay in the area after seeing my second son off on R-day to enjoy the activities on the 4th, and hope that others will take the opportunity.</p>
<p>Lighten up, folks! Nobody is suggesting you stalk your cadet. As USMA08Mom says, you'll be lucky to even figure out which one is yours! The new cadets sit front and center so all you'll see of them is their backside. The crowd is large and the venue is spectacular. If you don't want to see "The Million Dollar View" on July Fourth, by all means stay home. But you'll miss out on learning a bit more about the Academy and its traditions. And I can say from personal experience, in many ways it was more enjoyable than R-Day because everyone was much more relaxed. Folks come from miles around to see the show, so any parent in attendance is going to be in the minority anyway.</p>
<p>Actually, I think it sounds like a fabulous idea. It's an event that I'd love to attend someday. And for any parent who is "stalking" their new cadet, just know that the cadre will give that poor kid some very extra special attention. If you choose to remain in the area, enjoy the concert and looking at all the new cadets, but don't try to make any contact. That means no signs either.</p>