Good Evening All,
Another great day of Orientation for the books! Despite some not-so great weather, the Cadet Candidates continue to have high spirits, training to be their best before graduation, and improving every day.
Here are your updates from your Company Commanders:
1ST COMPANY
Family and Friends of 1st Company,
Our morning started by being the first company on the football field for PT. We were so excited for this, and glad it has become a trend in our mornings. We completed the calisthenic exercises this morning, and I am pleased to say that members of the Commandant of Cadets, who are some of our highest ranking officers on campus, complimented 1st Company for our volume and sense of morale.
Until lunch my squad leaders focused on practicing marching with the Cadet Candidates and studying their youngie knowledge. They are about 75% completed with learning youngie knowledge, which they will be tested on at the end of orientation. This knowledge consists of the names of the regimental staff, various leadership traits, quotes, the steam cycle, shipboard emergency signals, and more. Today the youngies really focused on the emergency signals and the 41 parts of a lifeboat. Patio went perfect today, and this really motivated the Cadet Candidates to be better.
The afternoon consisted of meetings with regimental staff about the honor code and a breakout session by academic majors. This meeting was a good opportunity for the Cadet Candidates to meet others in their major, as well as learn more details about the degree they will begin to pursue in just a week or so. These meetings were then followed by all freshmen being brought to the bleachers to watch our football team scrimmage against Dean College. 1st Co began to cheer on the team with a distinct chant, and eventually all other companies joined in.
Yesterday, our CCPL was C/C Sandoz. Mr. Sandoz has excelled in all aspects of orientation, and also holds his shipmates to high standards. When asked at patio, Mr. Sandoz explained to Mr. Francavilla, the Regimental Commander, that he wants to see this company succeed, and we want the Admiral's Cup. Today, our CCPL named was Mr. McEvoy. Mr. McEvoy has made a large amount of improvement in everything he has been taught. He is a quick learner, and adapts to any challenge that has been presented to him. Congratulations to both Youngies! In the evenings, a privilege of the CCPL is to be able
to sit with senior staff for dinner. It has been a pleasure to get to know each CCPL, and learn about who they are beyond just a Cadet Candidate. Each of these Cadet Candidates have impressed me with their desire to be here and their dedication to leading their shipmates in becoming better versions of themselves.
Very Respectfully,
1/C Jessica Hinds
1st Company Commander
2ND COMPANY
Good Evening everyone.
Today the Cadet Candidates started out with a mile and a half run while spouting different cadences from the Cadre. After a quick recovery and change of uniform, Second Company attended Morning Formation. After, the 2Co C/Cs, under the guidance of their Squad Leaders, started to arrange their rooms in the way they shall stay for the entirety of their freshman year. They then went out to the baseball field and learned new marching movements. After a very successful Patio, they enjoyed a Maritime Dining lunch, and proceeded to their various lectures for the day. At 1900, the Regiment moved over to Clean Harbors Stadium to support the Buccaneers Football team in their scrimmage against Dean College. The night finished with an hour where the C/Cs got to know each other better, and study their Youngie Knowledge. Stay tuned for more updates!
Very Respectfully,
1/C Matthew Barry
2nd Company Commander
3RD COMPANY
Today, the Cadet Candidates started their morning with PT on the football field. 1st Battalion completed the field exercises. All of the Cadet Candidates worked hard and cheered on their shipmates through the workout.
After breakfast, the Cadet Candidates spent a lot of time on learning drill movements. They are starting to work together and listen to drill commands. I spent some time outside with the Cadet Candidates practicing for the marching competition that is planned for Wednesday morning. After drill, the Cadet Candidates spent some time in the shade, reviewing their young knowledge for lunch patio.
After lunch, the Cadet Candidates attended a few presentations. They attended an academic breakout session and Honor Code presentation.
Following evening meal, the 3rd Co attended the football scrimmage. This was a good opportunity for 3rd co youngies to get to know each other and enjoy the football game.
Very Respectfully,
Sophie Strano
3rd Company Commander
4TH COMPANY
Today was a day spent predominantly on learning for the Cadet Candidates, as time throughout the day was spent on drill practice, knowledge learning, further room and uniform standards, and academic major breakout groups. All of this knowledge is essential to a Cadets success and growth at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and the Cadet Candidates are constantly striving to improve in all categories.
The academic breakout rooms was a new experience for the Cadet Candidates, and they were all afforded the opportunity to meet with Operations Officers and Training Rates for their chosen majors, and learn more about the material they will be learning throughout their 4 years at the Academy. This was a great opportunity for them to ask questions and begin to dive deeper into their future careers and professions.
To finish off the day, Cadet Candidates attended the football scrimmage against Dean College. This once again proved a great opportunity for further bonding between them and gave them an opportunity to showcase their school pride.
With only a few days remaining in Orientation, 4th Company is in a great position. We are pleased with everything the Cadet Candidates have accomplished so far, and can’t wait to see their continued growth throughout te remaining days.
Very Respectfully,
1/C Jack Mulligan
4th Company Commander
5TH COMPANY
Good morning,
This morning started off the same as any other. We had PT on the field and participated in a variety of field exercises such as push-ups, planks, mountain climber, and burpee’s.
After morning PT 5th go right into learning new marching movements. The platoon worked with determination to perfect there column left and rights as well as a move known as “to the rear”. We are getting into more advanced moves in the coming days and the cadet candidates hard work will continue to pay off as we move forward towards the marching competition.
The cadet candidates had a stellar patio performance at noon meal where they were able to spout all the knowledge they were asked in a confident manure. Your cadet candidate have come so far already in their ability to work as a team and it is showing in all aspects of orientation.
There were a couple of meetings today which included academic breakout sessions and a honor code meeting. The afternoon continued with dinner then into the evening all the cadet candidates attended the Buccaneer football scrimmage where they were able to relax for an hour and a half.
The night concluded as normal with the playing of taps.
Very Respectfully,
1/C Michael Riehl
5th Company Commander
6TH COMPANY
Good evening,
There’s something about a maritime morning that makes it all worth while. Having the privilege of leading my company in a cadenced run is something I will look back on and smile at for many years to come. I can think of no better way to start my morning than running alongside the canal at 0545, as the sun is rising and the world awakes. To see the look of determination on the C/C’s faces as they echo our cadences at full volume is more than enough to keep my mornings going. Knowing that they are bettering themselves when they could have still simply been on summer break, letting the complacency win, and continuing to be average proves to me that they have what it takes to find a place in this world. I was very motivated this morning by their volume as well as their energy as we went on our run. It makes my job a world easier when I think about it in this manor. I know that these mornings, although tiresome, will be etched into my mind forever.
Today was pond day. The C/C’s transited to the pond after breakfast. Upon arrival I turned them over to the very nice MMA staff who was working there. Having no cadre in their proximity allows for the candidates to have a relaxing and more fun day than normal, as the general stresses of orientation are dissipated by the tranquility of the pond. The candidates participated in three different activities while at the pond. The first was sailing small sailboats with a shipmate. They had buoys set up which the candidates had to maneuver around. I was impressed as I watched from a far by C/C Schiano who had clearly sailed before as she was a master with the boat. Furthermore, C/C Lavinski proved his veteran status as a sailor with impressive speed and maneuverability with his vessel. C/C Naar also demonstrated her willingness to success with amazing effort and focus throughout this activity. The next exercise at the pond was putting the monomoy training they learned at their sea lab a few days ago into practice. Each monomoy boat had a crew which had to work together to steer and maneuver the boat, which is easier said than done with the long wooden oars. If the candidates do not work together as a cohesive unit, it is very difficult to steer, and the loss of an oar is a possibility. Once the candidates learned how to operate the monomoys, they raved against eachother and their times were recorded. From what the instructors had told me, 6th company had the highest average times over all the other companies thus far, which goes towards admirals cup and made me smile. The final activity was a cadenced row similar to that of which the crew team would participate in during their season. It was nice to see the candidates working together and getting their boats up to speed. C/C Madden and C/C Griffin displayed great character during this event. The pond day was a great success, and a nice break for the candidates from the long days at Taylor’s Point.
After the pond, the C/C’s met with the Academic Operations Officers and their Rates, who essentially oversee the success and the operations of their major. The C/C’s were very active and asking questions which were great to answer. It was the first real taste of what their intended major was truly about, so to see the passion in their eyes as they set their goals on a profession was inspiring to myself.
Evening patio was decent for 6th Company, but as the saying goes; the biggest room in the house is always the room for improvement. Patio was led by C/C Joy, who knew all 41 parts of a lifeboat as well as the steam cycle and spouted it with confidence.
There was no intramurals today, but instead the candidates spectated the football scrimmage which took place on the field. It was a gorgeous night coupled with a beautiful sunset and the stands packed with Youngies cheering their shipmates on.
The leadership trait to reinforce today was managing complexity. Managing complexity is one of the most important lessons that we need to learn in order to comprehend, as well as tackle any of our conflicts within our lives. It is no secret that life is complex. At a glance from a far, tasks can often seem impossible, unbearable, or simply infeasible. A big part of reaching your potential and becoming a high functioning individual is centered around your ability to manage complexity. Having the ability to break down intricate problems into manageable components and being able to address them one by one is one of the most important lessons of success. This lesson can be applied to all facets of life. It is important that our candidates realize now where they stand. Yes, graduating college is a complexity in and of itself. With this being said, being able to get small wins every day, and improve themselves just 1% day by day will ensure their success in their four short years here, and set them up for a lifetime of greatness. Leonardo da Vinci said it best, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”
Very respectfully,
1/C Michael Nogueira
6th Company Commander
7TH COMPANY
7th company has firefighting in Bridgewater today. From all accounts, cadet candidates were respectful, well behaved, and enjoyed themselves. Activities involved flowing water from a hydrant, handling charged hoselines, and putting out live fires with an extinguisher. Upon their return, they had several meetings and then attended the first football scrimmage of the season. Similar to pond day, firefighting day was a bit of a break from the cadre that allowed the cadet candidates to bond some more. They're nearing the home stretch and getting better every day!
Very Respectfully,
1/C Luke Dawson,
7th Company Commander
