I took this picture this morning from my room, which is why the picture quality leaves a little to be desired.  However, I wanted to seize the opportunity to get the shot, since they’re keeping the new name covered up until the ship is christened as the USTS Kennedy.  So, enjoy this “sneak preview” picture of Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s training ship with its new nametag.

If you’re a little confused as to why there’s a new name on the bow, take a look at this post.

As I’m sure most people are now aware, the Academy trustees have voted to rename the training ship to the USTS Kennedy, in honor of Ted Kennedy’s service as a U.S. Senator for Massachusetts.  I was asked last week via Skribit that I write about cadet reactions to the name change.

There hasn’t been much discussion among cadets about the name change, to be honest.  We heard a little bit about it at the beginning of the year, and were asked to express our opinions via e-mail about a possible name change.  A few weeks later we were informed that the change was going to take place.  Since the announcement, there have been some passing comments made, but nobody’s discussing it too much since the decision’s already been made.

As far as the comments that are being made: certainly there are jokes and such being made about naming a ship after a man who had an accident involving the water, and other jokes related to that.  However, there have also been positive comments about the fact that it may help bring the school some more publicity.

I haven’t really tried to get involved in such discussions since I really don’t know much about Ted Kennedy.  However, I do know that he’s been a public servant for many, many years and that, despite personal opinions of his mistakes or policies, his time in office is a reflection of patriotism in itself, so I don’t see any reason we shouldn’t honor that.  Just my 2 cents.

What do you think of the name change?  Please post your thoughts in the comments area below.

You probably thought I’d forgotten about the Photo of the Week this week, didn’t you?  Not to worry, I had simply been outside enjoying the day and was waiting to post it when I thought other people would be back inside too.  I know it’s a Friday evening in June, but there may be a few people reading it tonight, you never know.

Anyway, this week’s picture is actually one I took last fall after being at the Academy for only a few weeks.  It’s probably one of my top three favorite photos that I’ve taken of the Enterprise so far.  I really like the way the sun hits the ship, making everything light up & glow.

I’ll try to continue this segment for the next few weeks until I go to boot camp, but since school will be out next Tuesday it’ll have to all be old material like this one.

This week’s photo of the week is of our return to Buzzards Bay after Sea Term 2008.  Some of the officers and 1/C cadets from the Deck department went up by the crow’s nest on the Enterprise to watch our transit through the Cape Cod Canal.

I certainly hope that I get to do this my senior year!

If you have a photograph that you’d like to submit for Photo of the Week, please contact me with either a link to the photo online, or let me know that you’d like to e-mail me one.  Thanks!