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.
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.
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!
I found this video, I’m guessing put together by a parent, of the Enterprise going through the Miraflores locks in the Panama Canal on our return trip. I’m pretty sure that I have photographs looking right back at that camera. I’m really glad that somebody recorded these shots, so thank you to whoever posted this!
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.
In January and February I will be shipping out on the T.S. Enterprise, Mass Maritime’s training ship, for Sea Term. Sea Term is Mass Maritime’s hands-on training period, where cadets gain practical experience in working and living on board a commercial ship. Depending on your major, you will do between one and three Sea Terms. For example, a Marine Transportation (deck license) major will do three Sea Terms, but an Emergency Management major will do only one.
I took some pictures of the T.S. Enterprise at Massachusetts Maritime Academy last week, shown below. They were taken near sunset, to get the light coming in low across the port bow.
U.S. Coast Guard from Air Station Cape Cod ran a series of airborne insertion and extraction drills at Massachusetts Maritime Academy last week in conjunction with the T.S. Enterprise.
