Your son/daughter goes where???

One of my favorite memories: I was walking near the chapel in uniform and a little old lady turns to her husband and says, "Look, Dear, it's a GIRL one!"
We seriously discussed doing a spirit mission that included posting a sign on the chapel wall saying, "Please don't feed the cadets."

After basic, my dorm room overlooked the A-Hall/Chapel area. My roommate opened the curtains on a Saturday morning, saw some tourists, and said, "Look! Real people!"...to which I asked, "What does that make us?":yllol:
 
One of my favorite memories: I was walking near the chapel in uniform and a little old lady turns to her husband and says, "Look, Dear, it's a GIRL one!"
We seriously discussed doing a spirit mission that included posting a sign on the chapel wall saying, "Please don't feed the cadets."

After basic, my dorm room overlooked the A-Hall/Chapel area. My roommate opened the curtains on a Saturday morning, saw some tourists, and said, "Look! Real people!"...to which I asked, "What does that make us?":yllol:
Oh, that's so yesterday...;)

My class, and previous ones, used to put them on the T-Zo, facing the chapel wall...and then look up with begging eyes...

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Not a 2023'er, but when I tell people I want to attend the Naval Academy, most don't ask the uninformed questions, but say something like, "Oh, my *insert relation* enlisted in the Navy! He does/did *x field*." Keep in mind that's after I say I want to be a Marine officer. Marine. Officer. It's even worse when I say USCGA or USMMA. If people understand that SA's are schools, they usually ask what the Merchant Marines are or the Merchant Marine Academy commissions students into the Marine Corps, or why the Coast Guard needs an Academy, or if the Coast Guard is actually military. Once a family friend thought that the Marines didn't allow women yet.
 
One of my favorite memories: I was walking near the chapel in uniform and a little old lady turns to her husband and says, "Look, Dear, it's a GIRL one!"
We seriously discussed doing a spirit mission that included posting a sign on the chapel wall saying, "Please don't feed the cadets."

After basic, my dorm room overlooked the A-Hall/Chapel area. My roommate opened the curtains on a Saturday morning, saw some tourists, and said, "Look! Real people!"...to which I asked, "What does that make us?":yllol:
I was running the strips past the chapel one day, looking dejected as all doolies do, and a tourist exclaimed, "Look how sad IT looks."
 
upload_2019-1-1_17-50-0.jpeg "They took the blue from the skies & a pretty girls' eyes & a touch of Old Glories' hue..."

 
Not a 2023'er, but when I tell people I want to attend the Naval Academy, most don't ask the uninformed questions, but say something like, "Oh, my *insert relation* enlisted in the Navy! He does/did *x field*." Keep in mind that's after I say I want to be a Marine officer. Marine. Officer. It's even worse when I say USCGA or USMMA. If people understand that SA's are schools, they usually ask what the Merchant Marines are or the Merchant Marine Academy commissions students into the Marine Corps, or why the Coast Guard needs an Academy, or if the Coast Guard is actually military. Once a family friend thought that the Marines didn't allow women yet.
I got to say that the things you have heard seem pretty reasonable to me. I dont know one person who ever attended an academy but if you were to tell me that you going to the Naval academy, I would probably mention that i knew someone who enlisted in the navy. Its either that or not saying anything except maybe 'well thats great." People will pay more attention to your comment about the Naval Academy than wanting to be a Marine officer. As for USCGA or USMMA, while I think I knew about the Coast Guard Academy, I had no knowledge of USMMA. Honestly, the only thing I know about the Merchant Marines prior to coming to this site, comes from watching WWII movies. Most people know about West Point, AF Academy and the Naval Academy. The other two, I dont think so much.
 
Not a 2023'er, but when I tell people I want to attend the Naval Academy, most don't ask the uninformed questions, but say something like, "Oh, my *insert relation* enlisted in the Navy! He does/did *x field*." Keep in mind that's after I say I want to be a Marine officer. Marine. Officer. It's even worse when I say USCGA or USMMA. If people understand that SA's are schools, they usually ask what the Merchant Marines are or the Merchant Marine Academy commissions students into the Marine Corps, or why the Coast Guard needs an Academy, or if the Coast Guard is actually military. Once a family friend thought that the Marines didn't allow women yet.
I got to say that the things you have heard seem pretty reasonable to me. I dont know one person who ever attended an academy but if you were to tell me that you going to the Naval academy, I would probably mention that i knew someone who enlisted in the navy. Its either that or not saying anything except maybe 'well thats great." People will pay more attention to your comment about the Naval Academy than wanting to be a Marine officer. As for USCGA or USMMA, while I think I knew about the Coast Guard Academy, I had no knowledge of USMMA. Honestly, the only thing I know about the Merchant Marines prior to coming to this site, comes from watching WWII movies. Most people know about West Point, AF Academy and the Naval Academy. The other two, I dont think so much.
Great points. I understand that people try to relate by mentioning that they know someone in the Navy, just mentioning it. Also understand that most people. including myself for quite a long time, have no clue what USMMA is!
 
Ok. I think this is my 2nd post on this thread but I love it. Went to dinner with two great couple-friends of ours this weekend. We have 1 son who is a 2018USAFA grad in UPT, and another who is at USMA and hopes to fly. The couples are all graduates of top Midwest Universities (Considerd Ivies of the Midwest). When I told them both boys have/will graduate with technical degrees they looked puzzled.... I went through the whole spiel about the 4 year degrees and both places ranked as top engineering schools... still puzzled looks...at this point my wife kicked me under the table
 
My dad graduated from USAFA so of course I'd heard of that (and visited, multiple times), even though he got out of the Air Force when I was a baby. I'd heard of West Point and USNA and maaaaybe USCGA (that one's iffy). But the Merchant Marine Academy? Just learned of its existence last summer, when someone who found out DS was applying to USNA went on and on about her stint in the merchant marines. I had no idea what she was talking about and had to google it later. :biggrin:
 
My dad graduated from USAFA so of course I'd heard of that (and visited, multiple times), even though he got out of the Air Force when I was a baby. I'd heard of West Point and USNA and maaaaybe USCGA (that one's iffy). But the Merchant Marine Academy? Just learned of its existence last summer, when someone who found out DS was applying to USNA went on and on about her stint in the merchant marines. I had no idea what she was talking about and had to google it later. :biggrin:

Common circumstance ;-).
 
Time to re-awaken this thread for the 2019-2020 cycle!

Share the unbelievable stuff people say to you about intent or confirmed plans to attend an SA, pursue a commission via ROTC or other path.
 
This happened to my dd:

She was asked about future plans and she stated her intent to apply to USAFA (she was in 10th grade at the time).

Young man responded "What is that?" (he had never heard of SA's before then. Then, "Why would you want to do that? Nobody will want to date you. You should stay at home and sell (home business) like my mom." (no offense to anyone who does, but it is not what my dd wants to do...).

The kicker, this young man walked out of the interview room for the Senatorial Nomination interview right before dd entered. :oops:
 
This happened to my dd:

She was asked about future plans and she stated her intent to apply to USAFA (she was in 10th grade at the time).

Young man responded "What is that?" (he had never heard of SA's before then. Then, "Why would you want to do that? Nobody will want to date you. You should stay at home and sell (home business) like my mom." (no offense to anyone who does, but it is not what my dd wants to do...).

The kicker, this young man walked out of the interview room for the Senatorial Nomination interview right before dd entered. :oops:

After encounters like this, the rapier-like response that leaves them stunned always comes to mind somewhat after the moment is past.

The one above is a doozy: essentially equates her worth to her dateability, a cheap shot to a young woman, essentially declaring she would be worthless in that respect to a large swath of humanity (nobody would date you), questions her judgment and implies she is stupid/foolish for her choice (why would you want to do that), then tells her what she “should” do without having been asked his opinion, telling her her place is at home (that will always be a choice, of course, but hers alone)...argh. I declare him a Jerk, First Order. He was also counting on her not calling him on it, because no doubt she was raised to be nice, and he felt confident he could say stuff like that and get away with it.


A quiet and uninflected “Wow,” slight pause, then a swift and bland, unfazed, turn of the conversation to another topic (can you believe the rain out there) restores the power balance of a conversation where someone just rolls in with a multi-pronged dig. A favorite of mine over the years.

Of course, I’ve had fun thinking up positively wicked things to say. Inspired by “Thank you for your service” above, I’m always fond of thanking people. Perhaps “Gosh, thank you, I am such an idiot, I hadn’t realized wanting to serve my country would completely destroy my ability to date anyone. I so appreciate you telling me that.”

Forgive me, I had so much of this thrown at me over the years when women were just starting to enter the service outside the Nurse Corps in large numbers, I have way too much practice in fantasizing satisfyingly awful ripostes. The sad thing is, it’s still happening.
 
After encounters like this, the rapier-like response that leaves them stunned always comes to mind somewhat after the moment is past.

The one above is a doozy: essentially equates her worth to her dateability, a cheap shot to a young woman, essentially declaring she would be worthless in that respect to a large swath of humanity (nobody would date you), questions her judgment and implies she is stupid/foolish for her choice (why would you want to do that), then tells her what she “should” do without having been asked his opinion, telling her her place is at home (that will always be a choice, of course, but hers alone)...argh. I declare him a Jerk, First Order. He was also counting on her not calling him on it, because no doubt she was raised to be nice, and he felt confident he could say stuff like that and get away with it.


A quiet and uninflected “Wow,” slight pause, then a swift and bland, unfazed, turn of the conversation to another topic (can you believe the rain out there) restores the power balance of a conversation where someone just rolls in with a multi-pronged dig. A favorite of mine over the years.

Of course, I’ve had fun thinking up positively wicked things to say. Inspired by “Thank you for your service” above, I’m always fond of thanking people. Perhaps “Gosh, thank you, I am such an idiot, I hadn’t realized wanting to serve my country would completely destroy my ability to date anyone. I so appreciate you telling me that.”

Forgive me, I had so much of this thrown at me over the years when women were just starting to enter the service outside the Nurse Corps in large numbers, I have way too much practice in fantasizing satisfyingly awful ripostes. The sad thing is, it’s still happening.

Sounds like the idiot was afraid she would be higher on the slate.
 
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