IT'S YOUR SHIP - That's the name of a book highly recommended by OTTO LIEPIN, Class of October 1946, as a "...MUST read by all officers and in particular jr. officers. The book, 'It's Your Ship,' [was] written by Capt. D. Michael Abrashoff, former skipper of the USS BENFOLD. His story is about how a 'change in direction' in the way a captain manages his crew, created an atmosphere on board which made the crew 'turn around' the problems of the previous command, to where BENFOLD became 'the best damn ship in the Navy.' Otto, who mentions early in his note that Abrashoff graduated in the bottom third of his class at Annapolis, concludes his message by observing that: "A 1300 SAT score does not guarantee our school having innovative and resourceful grads. It takes dedication and commitment by the student to be the best, to produce excellence in the graduating student."

"TWAS FETE - The Humanities Department's Professor JULIE WOSK, traveled up to Albany on 16 December to receive the Chancellor's Research Recognition Award. According to the SUNY press release, "SUNY Fetes Leading Scholars in Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences," (http://www.suny.edu) "Chancellor Robert L. King .... honored 42 of New York's most important and creative scholars who add to the world's body of knowledge as well as beautify, entertain and solve complex issues. These award-winning faculty members of the State University of New York changed the way we view the past, see ourselves today and contemplate the future." [You can read more about Julie at the Maritime College website. Go to http://www.sunymaritime.edu and click on 'News"]

PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER - Back in the 1950's, when Admiral Durgin was the President of the Maritime College, Dick Reynolds donated a planetarium to the college. The planetarium, which featured an A-1 Spitz projector, was located for many years in a room with theater seating on A-Deck of Fort Schuyler, above the present Mail Room. Now, thanks to information provided through a website cited by DINO GEORGIOPOULOS, Class of 1958, (http://members.aol.com/famjustin/Youngkrist2.html) there is an explanation of "...the relationship between VADM CALVIN T. DURGIN, USN (Ret.) former president of the Maritime College and RICHARD J. REYNOLDS (RJR Tobacco) who donated the Reynolds Planetarium to the College.." This explanation of Reynolds' connection to Fort Schuyler provides another interesting piece of the Maritime College story.

PITTS IN PAMPERS - Former Special Assistant to the President and Head of the Maritime College Foundation, JOE BERESWILL, who attended the Clive Cussler book signing on December 1st, sent photos of Clive holding Joe's beautiful twins, and wrote: "I thought you might enjoy seeing 'Uncle Clive' and his two young Dirk Pitts (aka Michael J. Bereswill and Joseph A. Bereswill, both 9 months exactly at the time of the picture) at the Luce Library, plotting another NUMA-sponsored underwater. Since leaving The Dome...this has been my biggest achievement to date!!! I attribute it entirely to my years of sipping from the Dome's 'Special East River Elixir' water fountains. Kathleen (the boys' mom and my wonderful partner and best friend) believes otherwise. On the other hand, while were at the Fort with Clive, she absolutely refused to let me drink the water." [Joe, in addition to many other talents, is an underwater diving expert. He was the mentor of the Scuba Club at Fort Schuyler.]

EMERGENCY CERTIFICATION - The Continuing Education Department of SUNY Maritime has launched a new certificate program in Emergency Management aimed at providing "...an in depth review of the advanced protocol and procedures that emergency personnel are employing to enhance their efficiency in responding to emergencies of any size or nature." The certificate program includes courses in emergency management, emergency communications, emergency planning and drills, and incident command systems. For more information, check out the college website.

FERGIE GOES ONE BETTER - Responding to the Editor's comment that his wife claimed he'd never met a split infinitive he didn't like, FERGUSON J. BYARS, Class of 1939, wrote: "I wouldn't even know a split infinitive if I saw one! Or a dangling participle either for that matter. Would she tell me?"