Wow...
A well intentioned person starts a thread that goes like this:
What would help the midshipmen to have the best atmosphere and most positive atmosphere at Kings Point? Moms and Dads of CURRENT MIDSHIPMEN (after asking your son/daughter), and MIDSHIPMEN THEMSELVES would be the best source for feedback. What are your ideas and suggestions? <emphasis added by jasperdog>
This thread is for ideas that will help now. Can we brainstorm and come up with the best ideas to make KP the school that is the most loved school in USA??
and gets little to no participation/interest from the target audience - current Midshipman and/or their parents - and instead gets this sort of reply in spades:
I'm thinking that "Moms and Dads" need to stay out of it other than to support their Mids, attend parent day authorized events and athletic events at the Academy whenever they can, and donate to Kings Point (yes, $$$...not just your Mid).
KP has had over zealous parents and others trying this "let's do something to improve morale" thing and such ...
Am 100% certain this is all done with the very best of intentions, so no slams here...just think that our Mids are now trying to grow up and they need to handle things the best they can without undue outside influences from home.
Parents can have a great bit of influence on this "morale" thing by just being supportive parents and helping their Mids to be successful Midshipmen.
Yes, that may rub some parents the wrong way, but folks, I have 100% confidence in the fact that the Midshipmen of Kings Point CAN and will handle life at Kings Point. Seems each Mid that has come before them and graduated handled it well enough. Every member of every class I have talked to seems to have experienced some "morale" issues...mostly as a plebe. Imagine that?
....
If you simply cannot help yourself and must "do something" to save the morale at King Point, please for the love of all that's good and right, talk to the Superintendent's Office FIRST...they may just have an idea where there is a need a group of parents could fill.
Or, if your Mid plays a sport, contact the coach of that team and see what you might could do for the team on an away or home game day...but, go first to the coach....don't assume. Please and thank you.
Again I say Wow! So let me say this I've refrained from jumping in to this thread to give the TARGET AUDIENCE a chance to put up some suggesting in response to the original poster's request, since I am neither a current midshipman nor is my DS one anymore. That said since from what I can tell with the exception of Kram1 no one else actively participating in this discussion is either a current midshipman, or from what I can tell the parent of a current midship, I figured as a parent of a recent graduate I'd jump in.
First to my fellow alumni (both USMMA and/or other Service Academies) - as for simply telling folks that you too had to walk five miles uphill both ways to and from class and basically that the issues are the current regiment is too whiney, etc - on that I'd like to throw down the BS flag right now. While morale may or may not have been as much or more an issue for anyone's class prior to this year, is that really the point? And why do you really think that was an integral part of the USMMA experience that made you a better person, leader, etc. today? From my perspective, I don't feel a low morale atmosphere in any way helped either I or my son.
I'll also say that compared to what my Class went through between July 1978 and June 1982 and what my son's class went through between July 2008 and June 2012 - there is NO DOUBT in my mind we, the Class of 1982 had things much better and easier from a morale perspective. We had only two Superintendents, generally consistent leadership and rules during our 4 years at KP. We had Annual Calendars composed of four (4) 10 week quarters vs. three (3) 14 week "trimesters" which are basically 16 week semesters crammed into 14 weeks - whether we're willing to admit it - our academics were certainly easier, unless perhaps if you were/are a true "Dualie". We went on ships for two equal length sea years that usually actually stopped in ports where we could get off the ship and enjoy exploring the port for at least a couple of days and often longer; current midshipmen don't get this opportunity unless they are assigned to an MSC vessel and there are other issues/challenges with that since often when they are there ore six cadets vice two... For the Class of 1982 that I was in, drinking off campus was legal as the legal drinking age in NY was 18 at the time; that meant we could blow off steam in NYC easier than the students today and with less repercussions if we did choose to imbibe. I recall going out to see my son for a couple days while he was in port in Long Beach during his first sea year - why? Well he was the only USMMA cadet on his ship, all the other officers were Cal Graduates and went home and out with family (don't blame them AT ALL) during this one three day port call on a Matson GCX run. When they did that he was basically stranded - ever try to get around LA without a car? Ever try to rent a car in this day and age in SOCAL if you are under 25 years old and don't have a corporate account? My point is simply, even the holy grail of USMMA - the sea year - while still the hallmark and absolute best, for most graduates, experience of the four years at KP - not as fun today as it was "back in our day". Why? Because the world changes.
Remember that - the world changes .... so maybe we Kings Pointers should too. Maybe the badge of martyrdom we all seem to wear, as well as the pride we seem to take in USMMA "being a great place to be FROM" vice "AT" is a painful suit of armor whose time has come to be shed.
All I am saying is that the original poster simply asked two questions:
1) What would help the midshipmen to have the best atmosphere and most positive atmosphere at Kings Point?
and 2) Can we brainstorm and come up with the best ideas to make KP the school that is the most loved school in USA???
I'll now add a third to the discussion since some clearly feel the answer to number 2) is no, and perhaps doing so in some way lessens or cheapens the experience....
3) What would be the harm/soooo bad about USMMA being a school that in addition to being a Great Place to be from; the current student body felt it was a great place to be at?
And in response to question number 1) let me suggest, that if it becomes possible when things are reviewed, I truly feel a) a return to an academic year based on four equal quarters vice three trimesters would make many items that now become bigger issues than they were "back in my day" and that would be a start. b) Additionally, I think a better funded/more proactive tutoring program, especially for Plebe year would reduce stress improve the overall graduation rate as well as probably reduce the number of setbacks so in addition to helping morale would also likely prove to be an effective ROI for the Government. c) I think the professionalism, qualifications and involvement of the Commandant's staff, particularly the "Company officers" in the oversight and administration of the Regimental Program should be reviewed and the first class be given more say and a freer hand in the day to day running of the regiment - that would likely help the morale of both the first and second classes in a
significant manner. And, finally d) I'll agree with an earlier poster that more constructive frequent interaction, in a properly structured manner between Alumni, especially alumni "in the industry" and members of the current regiment would also be helpful in that it helps to remind all in a substantive way of both the "Options and Opportunities" they will see at the end of this journey of dealing with the stress and hassles (compared to so called "normal college life") of life at KP and exposes them to great role models and possibly mentors.
Just one persons opinion on the matter and hopefully you all won't skewer me for being so direct and blunt, but hey I'm used to it these days.