News From Fort Schuyler
March 22, 2002 - Volume 6, No. 11
DECENNIAL DUTY DONE - A year-long self-study process culminated this week at
Fort Schuyler with an on-site visit to the campus by a team of academics
from colleges representing the Middle States Association of Colleges and
Secondary Schools. The top to bottom self-study effort was coordinated by
DR. JOSEPH C. HOFFMAN, Class of 1975. Joe teaches mathematics in the Science
Department and serves as the Dean of Freshman Programs. The visitation
concluded on Wednesday with a verbal report by the accreditation team to
faculty and staff. It will be followed in a few weeks by a final written
evaluation and recommendations.
SHIP CHECKS - A 16 March New York Times feature story, "Coast Guard
Encounters Big Hurdles in New Effort to Screen Arriving Ships," deals with
the heightened port security measures implemented since 9/11. This includes
checking crew lists on all arriving ships for terrorist links, and detecting
things like nuclear and chemical weapons on suspect ships. The article
focuses on the daunting workload of the USCG Office of Policy and Planning
for Waterways Management and its chief, CAPT ANTHONY REGALBUTO, Class of
1971. He is quoted as saying that, although Coast Guard crews know "how to
use their eyes and ears as sensors to see if anything is out of the
ordinary," they still need sophisticated detection equipment to test for the
presence of chemical weapons, nuclear materials or explosives. The article
concludes, "But Captain Regalbuto said he and his staff believed it was much
better to have begun the program, even with inevitable problems, than to
have done nothing at all." Tony commented to NFFS, "...since the 9/11
attacks, my job has been very challenging, but the maritime industry and
Coast Guard have risen to the occasion." See the entire story at
www.nytimes/com/2002/03/16/national/16COAS.html
SHIP SEX - Commenting, "Damn landlubbers," RODNEY G. McFADDEN, Class of
1975, sent a heads up on a CNN story broadcast on 20 March. The story,
'Ships to Lose Their Femininity,' concerns the fact that British shipping
industry newspaper of record, Lloyd's List, "...has decided that from now on
ships will lose their femininity and will be referred to as 'it' not 'she.'"
The editor of Lloyd's List is quoted as saying: "We see it as a reflection
of the modern business of shipping. Ultimately they are commodities...not
things that have characters."
(www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/sailing/03/20/lloyds.sex/index.html)
DANCE TIME - The big annual fund-raiser for scholarships takes place on 13
April at the New York Hilton. This year's Scholarship Benefit Dinner-Dance
(formerly The Admiral's Ball) will honor U.S. Maritime Administrator,
WILLIAM SCHUBERT. This event, sponsored by the Maritime College at Fort
Schuyler Foundation, will also honor JOE GERSON, Class of 1947, with an
Order of St. Mary's Medal and make a posthumous Distinguished Service Award
to STAN MELASKY, the Foundation's late Executive Director. His widow, Pam,
and son, Josh, will receive the award. "For over 25 years the Maritime
College Foundation has provided funds for scholarships to deserving and
needy students who could not, without this financial assistance, attend the
Maritime College or participate in its Summer Sea Term on the Training Ship
EMPIRE STATE." For more information and reservations go to:
http://www.fsmaa.org/DinnerDance/
HOW FRED GOT TO BE 'DOC HESS' - Dr. FRED C. HESS marked his 81st birthday
this past September. A celebrated professor and mentor at Fort Schuyler from
1946 to 1986, Fred recently completed a 150-page soup to nuts memoir: 'Some
of My Favorite Memories from Childhood into the Twenty-First Century.' A
reader of this book soon realizes that Doc Hess has a phenomenal memory and
a talent for being in the right place at the right time. There are many
vignettes which will resonate with Fort Schuyler graduates, especially in
the first 125 pages. Fred recalls highlights of his days as a teacher,
faculty advisor to the Dance Committee, shipboard instructor on the EMPIRE
STATE, Channel 11 weatherman, and lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium. In
many ways this publications complements and extends his earlier
reminiscence, 'Fort Schuyler and Me,' which is still available through the
Alumni Association. Distribution plans for 'Some of My Favorite Memories'
have not been finalized. Let Richard Corson know if you wish to receive
information about the availability of this publication: rcorson@nyc.rr.com
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