what does a CGA cadet do during spare time?

What the bad little cadets in the YouTube video are doing is a little forbidden something called "Rodeo Buffing". Why is it forbidden? As you can tell from the video, cadets can get hurt, but more often something around the buffer, or the buffer itself breaks, causing tax payers more pain. I would not recommend making Rodeo Buffing a normal past time.


Each year what you do changes...as does the extent that you can get away from "The Factory".


Your first year is generally going to be packed, and you will not have much liberty. My recommendation, sign up for a sponsor family during Swab Summer, and take advantage of their house every chance you get. My Sponsor Family was great and I would just go over there on the weekends to relax.

The next year you have a different liberty policy.

Your junior year, again, you will have more liberty, civvies, and more of a reason to head up to Boston, or down to New York. Newport RI is a destination, but don't get caught there in civvies unless it's authorized.

Finally your senior year you will have the first taste of "freedom" or atleast what feels like freedom compared to what you've been used to the past three years. You'll have a car, so use it. Go up to Vermont or NH and ski. Don't forget to pick up those underclass shipmates of yours who still don't have a car or a steady and easy to use transportation system. You're liberty will feel good, almost like you're a normal person until you realize the true freedom of college campus from your civilian friends.


You have to make your own fun while you're at the Academy. That may come in the form of Spirit Missions, finding a fun sport or intercompany (IC) activity. There are plenty of things to entertain your time and plenty of shoal water on the way to getting that diploma, so keep your head on straight, know the end goal (the fleet and serving your country), and remember to stay honest with yourself and your shipmates.

My class started out with over 300, I think we graduated...206. Getting in isn't the trying part, staying in is.

Good luck! Hope this helped a bit.
 
that is really more than what I've found out in a few days time... thanks!!!! yeah, i understand, although freshman year would seem like more freedom to me than my present state(really really really over worried parents and living with a large family)... but yeah, thanks for that information. I think track and running is fun(surprised?) and I also would be active in things like(hopefully they have it) pro-life group/club/committee?(if not I'll fight for one) which i enjoy. I understand about the injury risk etc. I would like to play rugby like my two older brothers (Mount Saint Mary's University) but i would be somewhat asking for an injury and wouldn't want to risk the academy over something like that. Thanks again LineInTheSand!
 
Big negative on the pro-life group at the academy. You have to remember that federal service academies are an extension of the US federal government. I'm not saying we won't talk about controversial things in class, because that happens every day, as it should in a college. I don't believe a service academy could justify a politically sticky group dealing with abortion...I'm saying there could be no official group for that, especially considering it is currently legal in the US.


If you liked the rodeo-buffing video check the old school "Coast Guard Academy Rack Monster" video on YouTube....classic.
 
I wouldn't worry too much on that, in fact my high school didn't acknowledge us as a group till this year (and we are a catholic high school). So I understand with the federal institutions etc. and sep of church and state. I don't expect much respect anywere on that issue, but I understand what you mean. Anyhow though, I'm thinking of staying in contact with my school through the years later to keep it alive there.
I did happen to sea that "Rack Monster" before, and I can relate to it. Our Dean of Students is like that(He does hunt down and snipe people for violations). Someone here made a video very similar to it with him.
 
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There is a Catholic club on campus...very active...so this would be a good outlet for your spiritual side. I'm sure they have a pro-life component within the club but as stated a separate club on this issue might be frowned upon.
 
The Blue Magnet Rack Monster isn't a form of enforcement. The video is about the blue magnet (a blue sheet on your rack at the Academy) that locates weak cadets and draws them in to sleep at the wrong time.


In truth is is better to sleep at the wrong time than to try to make it look like you're not. If you attempt to deceive those arround you, that's a big fat honor offense, but if you're sleeping at the wrong time, that's a class III offense...a very minor offense that had...maybe 2-3 demerits associated with it.
 
They go to Mr. G's for pizza. Cruise the pier by the train station. Hit Crystal Mall for some shopping and a little sailing on the Thames River.

Those are a few of the things that I remember.
 
Oh and didn't they do a little beer brewing in the recent past. LOL
 
Ah yes, there is Mr. G's, which is cadet friendly. While I was there, we had Tiger's, which was a couple of buildings over from Mr. G's. Tiger's was so cadet friendly you could get their screen name on AIM and order hoagies at any time for delivery. She was so good that she knew your order after awhile (does that mean I ordered out too much?). Another frequent delivery is from Golden Wok.

Crystal Mall is a good mall, for the area. There is also New London Mall, which is really a strip mall. Chili's was a frequent division dinner destination.

For Sunday mornings, especially as an upperclass, I was a fan of the Portugese Fishman for brunch.

You will become a movie buff as Waterford 9 is the local Regal movie theater which was on the libo van route.

If you want to get out of the area, Stonington is an cadet destination, and is property owned by USCGA.

Finally Mystic was great for restraunts, but it wasn't easy to get there, so it was reserved (for me) for parent visits and fancy dinners.


Let's also not forget that New London, CT is smack dab in between New York and Boston.
 
there's a van that takes you around New London. pretty much every saturday consists of lunch at Chilis (knowing a molten chocolate cake is waiting for me each saturday gets me through the week:shake: ), movie at the Waterford 9 (Line is correct on the movie buff thing) and then a walk over to walmart to end the day.

make an effort to get out every weekend. dont be one of those people that just sits around the academy all time. Go to Boston or New York on long weekends. basically just try to enjoy life as much as you can or this place will start to get to you.
 
I share the love of Chili's molten chocolate cake. It is a little sad, at age 22 to sit at a bar with a cake and a mug of skim milk, but you gotta do what ya gotta do!


As a 3/c we DROVE that van, of course it was a 15 passenger van, and you had to watch the van roll over video. It was unreliable, but you did learn your way around town and to TF Green.
 
In addition to heading to New York and Boston, take advantage of your sponsor family. This is really important as a 4/c and a 3/c. I still keep in touch with my sponsor family. Last time I was in New London, we went out to lunch. It's a great program, use it.
 
my bad lineinthesand..... I was thinking of something else i found with the coast guard;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9AfELoRHuw&feature=related

But I did see that rack monster one as well.

I don't know about you guys, but a nice tall glass of whole milk is what I like best (cake is good with it). Its nice to hear that there are plenty of places to eat.
 
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