This week the 1st class cadets in license majors are taking their Coast Guard license exams. The exams last all week, and are given in the gym. Since four years of school and training has been leading up to these exams, it’s obviously a stressful time for these seniors.

This week is different for all cadets. We have “short mofo” in the morning, which means that instead of forming up across the entire parade field, we form up in a half circle around the patio by the mess deck. This makes morning formation much shorter, so that we don’t disturb testing. In the dorms, we’re supposed to be quiet to allow the kids taking tests to study. Freshmen have closed door study hours, so we keep our doors shut but have the deadbolt out so that the doors are propped open to allow squad leaders to come in. License seniors are also exempt from all classes this week. A few of my classes are with seniors, so there are a number of people missing.

The school makes efforts to help the license seniors prepare and perform better on the exams. The library has had longer, more accessible hours to allow better studying. There were massage therapists on campus this week to help testers relax, and reduce tension and stress from taking the exams.

1st Company is in a little bit of an awkward situation at the moment, in that we have Admiral’s Inspection next Wednesday. Usually Admiral’s is held on a Monday, but they’ve pushed it back a couple of days to let us prepare after Coasties are over. That said, it usually takes the week before Admiral’s to get ready, so we have to work on cleaning in off hours when testing is being done, so we don’t disturb the seniors who are studying.

I’ve found it pretty interesting to watch the Deck seniors as they’ve been getting ready for, and taking, the Coast Guard exams. Since I’ll be in that position in 3 years myself, I’ve been curious to see how they’re handling it. From what I’ve heard, the Deck tests have gone very well so far.

Good luck to all the seniors in testing right now. Hopefully you all pass with flying colors.

Mass Maritime has a multi-layer chain of command, due to the co-existence of cadet and staff officers and leaders. I’ve created an overview of the chain of command below.

Continue reading ‘MMA’s Chain of Command: From the President to the 4/C Cadet, and Everyone In Between’ »

Even though I’m a Deckie, I like to broaden my own field of knowledge by getting involved with things from other departments as well. Currently the International Maritime Business department is offering a 3 part series on how to build your own PC. Being interested in computers, and having built PCs before, I was curious to see what this was all about and what they were using to do it.

I unfortunately was unable to make the first part of the series, in which they covered more of the non-technical aspects of building a PC - where to get parts, the advantages and disadvantages of building it yourself, etc. Last night was the second session, which I luckily was able to attend.

In the second installment, they had gotten all the parts they were going to use, and did the actual assembly of the computer. They purchased parts that were the exact same specs of a Dell XPS (I’m not sure which model, I’ll try to get that information and post that here later on), which cost about $2,300 direct from Dell. Using online retailers, they were able to purchase all of the parts (including monitor, mouse and keyboard) for about $1,300. That’s a pretty big benefit of doing it yourself right there!

As they assembled it, they went through what each part does, why it’s important to the system, and how to install it. They had a webcam going through a projector so that we could all see the small precision work they were doing, which was definitely helpful. Once it was all assembled, they plugged in the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and the power cord, and pushed the button. The machine whirred to life, but didn’t get very far since Windows isn’t installed yet. That’s what next week’s session is for.

Next Tuesday is the final installment in the series.  We’ll be going over how to install Windows (this machine will be running Vista), as well as Linux.  I’ll be sure to get plenty of pictures!

Wednesday night/Thursday morning I had watch 2330-0330 in the Cadet Information Center. As a freshman, I have to do rounds in either the even or odd numbered companies, and the other freshmen does the other ones. We are listed as messengers, so we also are sent to run errands if need be. Usually that shift and watch post is pretty boring, and rarely does anything happen whatsoever.

This time, however, we did get a little entertainment. Around 0230 we were sitting in the Cadet Information Center, watching the seconds go by on the clock (if there had been paint drying we definitely would have watched that instead to kill the boredom), when two girls who don’t go to school here came around the corner, giggling and arguing about what to do, and how they were going to find who they were looking for. They stood in the hallway caddy corner to CIC where we could see them in plain sight, which they obviously didn’t realize. As it turned out, they didn’t even realize we were there until the Second Class on watch walked over to them to find out who they were and why there were here at 2:30 in the morning. As soon as they saw him, they freaked out a little bit and started “whispering” to each other about the man in uniform approaching them. Apparently they weren’t aware that we all wear uniforms, and were under the impression that he was a cop. After a few minutes of trying to get any usable information from them, we finally determined that they were looking for two cadets, but didn’t know where they lived and had been wandering around for quite a while, knocking at random doors to try to find them (bear in mind what time it is). We told them they should probably just leave before somebody annoyed at being woken up called Campus Security, which they agreed was probably a good idea. They walked off the same way they came.

About 20 minutes later I went to do my rounds, and I found the same two girls still wandering around! As soon as they saw me, they took off in the other direction, ran outside and got in their car and left. I think they were convinced that everyone here was a cop, and that the heat was on to find them. It was definitely the highlight of watch.

Side Note: I will be at Welcome Aboard tomorrow, so if you’re going to be there, look for me at the Sea Term station.

Today in Basic Seamanship Lab we had our first experience training in the motor whaleboats. For those of you unfamiliar with motor whaleboats, here’s a picture of one very similar to the ones we have here at the Academy:

Part of Basic Seamanship involves small boat handling, so we use the motor whaleboats to learn line handling and boat maneuvering. Today made it particularly interesting for our first time out, since we were fighting very strong crosswinds while docking, and driving rain.

Class today consisted of the procedures for starting and stopping the diesel engine, proper line handling commands and actions, maneuvering away from the dock, coming back to the dock, and properly securing the boat again. One of the things that everyone took a little while getting used to was using the engine and the forward spring line to properly maneuver the boat against and away from the dock. For those of you that don’t know, the forward spring line is a rope that runs from the bow of the boat to a cleat on the dock aligned with the after, or rear, part of the boat. This creates diagonal tension that, by putting the engine in forward and turning the rudder, you can use to push the bow and stern toward and away from the dock in a controlled manner.

Proper operation of the motor lifeboat is one of the qualifications we have to pass in order to pass Basic Seamanship, and eventually get a Coast Guard license. But hey, at least we’re messing around in boats!

I’d imagine that one of the big questions that most prospective cadets and parents have, such as this parent, is what life in the dorms is like. In general, it’s similar to that of most other colleges: there are two people to a room, we share the heads, and we’re always in each other’s business.

However, we have unique aspects of dorm life, such as cleaning stations and inspections. Cleaning stations are only for freshmen, and are done in the morning at 0550 and at night at 1900. The assignments for cleaning stations rotate each week, so depending on the size of the company you may only be on the cleaning bill once every 3 weeks or so. There are different specific jobs assigned to each person, so that the entire company gets cleaned twice a day.

Interaction between males and females is also heavily regulated. Men and women are not permitted to be in a room with the door closed. There is also no fraternization permitted, meaning that upper and underclassmen can’t date each other. That’s not to say that it doesn’t happen; it’s simply not supposed to happen due to potential abuse of power issues as a result of the regimental structure.

Tonight’s events in 1st Company are a perfect example of what life in the dorms is like for freshmen. Due to a series of events related to poor cleanliness in the rooms and the company’s public spaces, 1st Co freshmen have morning and evening inspections every day this week (instead of just morning inspections). We also have all-hands cleaning stations from the end of evening inspections until study hours, which will be over an hour’s worth of cleaning.

The dorms are, for the most part, pretty quiet. Since we can’t throw parties, it keeps the noise level pretty low, except for during study hours (go figure) when everyone on deck has their hatches open and is talking and working together on homework. It’s helpful when it comes time to sleep though, since there isn’t a lot of disturbance to keep people awake.

One of the things I like most about living in the dorms is the view out my window. I can’t think of too many places where I could watch ships & barges going past, and have a 540′ ship docked a few hundred feet from my building.
(The new version of the blogging software I use is giving me trouble with posting images, so once I get that resolved I’ll put up some pictures of my view.)

On a side note: I may be at the Welcome Aboard event this Saturday, depending on whether or not I’m sailing this weekend. So, I might have the chance to meet some of the incoming freshmen for next year; I’ll keep you posted.

Hehe, you see what I did there? It’s a play on words

Anyway, a parent posted a comment on a previous blog entry suggesting that I discuss some of the more “mundane” details of life at MMA, such as the mess deck. The mess deck is the hub of cadet life beyond the regiment. Eating, relaxing, and socializing are just a few of the major roles the mess deck plays in cadet life.

On any given day of the week, you’ll find a variety of cuisine choices. We have two regular serving lines, each with a different selection. We have a short order sandwiches and wraps line, with different specials each day (I usually get a wrap when they have roast beef) which can be customized to your liking. We also have a pizza line, which usually has anywhere between 6 and 10 different types of pizza to choose from. Next to that is a roasted meat line, where you can get hot sandwiches of the meat of the day. Finally, we have a wraparound salad bar, with a large selection of toppings and dressings.  Tuesday is a favorite day among cadets, because we have chicken patties for lunch.  On Wednesday nights, Chartwells (the food service company that runs the mess deck) has something special for dinner, or to accompany it.  A few weeks ago they brought in some chefs from Peking Palace, a local Chinese restaurant, to make a Chinese buffet for us.  We’ll also have special buffets the Wednesday before certain holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The mess deck also serves as the social hub for cadets.  Here we catch up with kids that we may not otherwise see, and get all the good gossip around school.  In this environment the rumor mill is potent, and the mess deck is the best forum.  Aside from that, it provides a place for cadets, especially underclassmen, to relax and hang out with friends.  The freshmen and sophomores sit on one side of the mess deck, on the side toward the parade field, and the juniors and seniors sit on the other side.  This way, we can be at ease without worrying about a squad leader or officer getting on our case about something.  We also have two televisions in the mess deck, which gives freshmen a chance to watch TV and get the news.

On a side note: I love getting feedback and suggestions for topics to write about.  If you have a subject you’d like me to cover, please post it in the Skribit box on the right.  Thanks!

I’m sorry it’s been a week since my last post. I haven’t written anything due to a combination of being wicked busy, and not having much to write about (those two don’t really seem to go together, do they?). At any rate, I thought I’d post an update on some of the more interesting things going on with me, as well as around campus.

By now everyone has sorted out their schedule, and has gotten into their routine with classes and extracurriculars. Sailing has started for the spring semester, so we’re practicing in the afternoons, and will soon start competing.  Practice was canceled this past week on Wednesday and Thursday due to the weather, but next week we should be able to pick back up.

I’m working on getting an amateur radio club established at MMA.  As a ham radio operator, I’d like to find other cadets who are either operators already, or are interested in becoming licensed, to expand the hobby within the school.  Not only do I think it can be a lot of fun, but it also has practical application in the maritime industry, especially for deckies.  I’ll post more on that as we make progress in establishing the club.

Since Easter is on Sunday, we don’t have to be back at school until “mofo” (short for morning formation) Monday morning, which means we have no regimental inspections this week!  For somebody outside the school, this may not seem like a big deal, but it’s huge in the eyes of a freshman, since it means you can spend another night at home and not have to worry about being back in time to prepare for inspections.  It essentially adds on Sunday afternoon and night to your weekend.

I’ll check back in on Monday; right now I need to get back to laying low this weekend.

Given that it’s Saturday, I decided to talk about weekends at MMA.

Since the vast majority of cadets at MMA are Massachusetts residents (many of them living within an hour of campus), most people go home on weekends. It’s a nice break from the regiment. For those of us out of state, we have to get a little creative in entertaining ourselves. Some of us go home with friends who live close by, but many of us stay on campus. We quickly get to know the other kids who stay on the weekends, and come up with things to do together. If we have friends at other colleges nearby, we’ll sometimes go there to hang out or go to parties. We’ll go to the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis, to see a movie or just hang out. If we’re feeling lazy or the weather’s bad we’ll just hang out in the dorms and watch a movie in the study lounge, play card games, etc.

If you are out of state, playing a sport or joining clubs that have weekend activities is a great way to keep busy and entertained. I am on the sailing team, so I’m at regattas many weekends during the season. It keeps me involved, and gives me an opportunity to do something I like.

Mass Maritime certainly doesn’t have the most active weekend life, but if you make an effort you can find plenty of things to do.

All cadets are required to stand watch, license and non-license majors alike. We stand watch in three places on campus - one in the dorms, and two on the Enterprise.

In the dorms, we have watch at the Cadet Information Center (CIC), where we keep track of visitors entering and exiting the dorms, answer the phone during off-business hours, and do rounds throughout the dorms to make sure everything is in proper order. Freshmen are responsible for the rounds, and act as messengers to take information anywhere it needs to be delivered in the dorms or on campus.

On board the ship, there are deck and engine watch posts. Deck watch for freshmen consists of watching the gangway for people boarding and disembarking the ship, signing people in and out, and doing Detex rounds to check for proper order throughout the ship by punching a clock with keys at certain stations. Engine watch is resonsible for ensuring that all equipment in the engine room is performing (or secured) as it should be. Since the engine room is almost entirely secured while at the pier, there aren’t many systems to keep track of, which is nice.

Watch is stood 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the ship, and all hours before and after the academic day at CIC. These watch positions only apply in this manner while at school. During Sea Term, shoreside watch (CIC) is obviously eliminated, and the number of personnel on watch on the ship is increased significantly. However, we use watchstanding while at school to learn proper watchstanding procedures for when we ship out.

All watches are 4 hours long, except holiday watch which is 8 hours long. Watch periods are 0000-0400, 0400-0800, 0800-1200, 1200-1600, 1600-2000, and 2000-0000. One of the benefits of having an overnight watch is that as a freshman you can sleep during study hours, so you can go to bed before 2200. During Sea Term, overnight watch is even better because you’re not required to be at morning formation the next day, so you can sleep all morning!