Admiral's Journal: May 28, 2010
Dear Faculty, Staff, Parents and Friends,
Another beautiful day at sea! After days of not seeing land, we are currently circling the largest of the Islands of Majorca. One of the benefits that come with being close to land is being within cell phone range again. No sooner was land sighted than cell phones were also sighted, with cadets and staff hoping for good signal strength to make quick calls home.
In describing their first experience being aboard the Empire State, the third class cadets with whom I’ve spoken are describing it as “Awesome! Terrific! Great! Better than expected!” I’m also hearing the same from the second and first class cadets. They are all asking lots of questions, and it is a true joy to see the their interaction with the officers and instructors, who take such pride in sharing years of experience and knowledge from being at sea and then seeing the “I got it” look on the faces of the cadets. What is even more rewarding for me is to be a “fly on the wall” and observe the interaction between our cadets, as knowledge is shared in matters ranging from how to get a fix or take a bearing off a point of land or landmark to how to weld, as I observed yesterday, when I encountered three cadets down in one of the engineering spaces, all gathered around another cadet. When I asked what they were doing, one said “We are making a table out of aluminum, and we are learning how to weld!” I asked the cadet who was wearing the welding helmet (and who was junior to the others), where he had learned how to weld, and he proudly replied, “at SUNY Maritime!” This is what the Summer Sea Term is all about, and what makes it so special is this wonderful training environment, where the theory that was learned in the classroom is blended with the application of that theory aboard ship. Whether learning how to weld, repairing a condenser, producing a weather observation or determining the ETA (estimated time of arrival) to the next waypoint, our cadets know that they are doing and learning something truly special in this unique environment that is the Summer Sea Term and, more importantly, are gaining confidence in their abilities
I wish each of you, particularly parents and family members, could see and hear what I’m seeing and hearing, as it is truly a special and transformational experience. I know you would be extremely proud. I know that I am!
Sincerely,
John Craine
John W. Craine, Jr
President
