Exclusive: The Dant Interview, Part One (GoMids.com)

GreatAmerican · 10-09-2007, 02:39 PM

http://navy.scout.com/2/688703.html

Quote:

Could you imagine Navy football coach Paul Johnson as the Commandant of Midshipmen? Not only could current commandant, Navy Capt. Margaret Klein envision it, some of her recent decisions may have been ripped right from Johnson’s playbook in an attempt to bring structure back to the Brigade of Midshipmen. Now the question is, can the Navy captain deliver similar results as the football coach? ...

usna09mom · 10-09-2007, 03:50 PM

The logic of Captain Klein's argument completely escapes me! It's so wacky that my head is spinning after reading the interview. I can't decide if the answers or questions were more confusing. Also, exactly how many upperclass were drinking four nights a week? I find it hard to believe that problem was very widespread.

"... unlike in the past when grades and physical fitness were primary factors in determining eligibility for movement orders, Klein now wanted an official endorsement from the midshipmen’s company officer.

“I just told [the company officers] – we don’t want to take a minimalist approach to this – we don’t want someone just barely scraping by and just doing the minimum to be allowed [to go]. [We want] somebody who is proving themselves and their ability to understand leadership.

Klein continued, “One of our intentions was to make sure that we were trying to get mids out of the attitude of saying, ‘Well I’m not unsat so I should be able to go.’ [We are] trying to raise the bar.”

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Does one have to max out the PRT and be on the Supe/Dant's List to qualify for a movement order?

mdlrnc · 10-09-2007, 05:45 PM

From what I hear, the academy now has the highest unsat percentage within the past ten years. Granted that this is hearsay. Does anyone know this to be true?

navy2010 · 10-09-2007, 05:57 PM

mdlrnc- apparently that is the rumor going around.

as for the dant- all this spin-spin-spin has me dizzy.

(do you think she runs her house like this?)

USNA Dad&Grad · 10-09-2007, 10:29 PM

From someone on gomids.com who purports to know and was supported by the board moderator:

"Bill the Goat" said:

Guess I should have posted this here: Sorry.
Well, lets seperate (sic) some fact from rumor:
The rumor is, passed on by a parent with " a reliable source" , that 500 mids are unsat at 6 weeks. That is 11.1% of the Brigade.

The fact is: 6.9% are unsat at 6 weeks.
Last year at 6 weeks: 6.9%
The year before: 6.4%

The 6 week average is 2.97...not the lowest in 8 years.

Bill

I'd put money on the reliability of the information from Bill. He doesn't post garbage.

navy2010 · 10-09-2007, 11:43 PM

^^^^ thus, one can assume, the manditory study hours, loss of liberty, restricted ECAs, and absense of MO's and everything else "secondary, optional and conditional" has had NO EFFECT thus far on grades.

Intersting.
Thanks for posting.

USNA Dad&Grad · 10-10-2007, 11:42 AM

Honestly, 6 week grades are only an indicator of what might be, and it's truly great that USNA does interim grades. It gets kids to buckle down and not go down the primrose path toward disaster because they might think they're doing ok, when in fact, they need a course correction. One of the many benefits of USNA's academic policies.

BTW, I read the 'Dant's comments in the second half of the gomids.com article - you have to be a "premium member" to see it, in case you're wondering. Her view is that the Brigade is still adjusting to the changes. Based upon this past weekend with 5 youngsters at my house, I'd say that was an accurate assessment.

navy2010 · 10-10-2007, 12:04 PM

^^^ agree with all, and I do appreciate the 6 and 12 week wake-up calls..... along the lines of midterm grades used at other insitutions.

Also read the remainder of the Dant's comments, and have been down often enough to observe many in the Brigade. "adjusting" just about hits it on the head- not so sure in the ways the dant envisioned.

"ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough.......! Gotta love these mids!!!!

DMeix · 10-10-2007, 01:42 PM

I have yet to meet a single classmate who has said they want to be down there watching the game.

usna09mom · 10-10-2007, 01:47 PM

^^^
dmeix, I've heard the same thing. Is it to fulfill a contractual agreement with ESPN?

USNA Dad&Grad · 10-10-2007, 01:58 PM

^^^^ Not according to official USNA sources.

From the gomids article, "Interview with the 'Dant - part one":

“(Captain Klein said,) 'The ESPN part was a late addition…a really late addition…the AD said if you’re going to have the brigade there, can I bring in ESPN? [Now what] we’re trying to figure out with the battalion officers is if ESPN is going to be there, do we care if there is a [partially] empty Alumni Hall after a certain point…if people want to go back to study.'”

As it turns out, ESPN isn’t even footing the bill for the coverage of midshipmen cheering in Alumni Hall during the Pitt game. According to Navy Sports Information Director, Scott Strasemeier, the Navy Athletic Association thought the footage would be such a benefit for the school that they are paying for the satellite truck and the costs associated with it."

DMeix · 10-10-2007, 04:45 PM

Word from one of my company's firsties is that Rempt made a deal to have 1500 mids at the game, and Fowler backed out of it. This whole videotaping the brigade in Alumni is merely the administration trying to save face.

Either way, the Brigade is becoming pretty disillusioned. A couple weeks ago, the Plebe Formal was canceled because it would have taken up study time. The following day, it was announced at noon meal that everyone would be permitted to miss study hour to attend some non-essential event (I don't recall exactly what it was).

Now, their excuse for not allowing mids on MO to the Pitt game is that it's during the week and class AND study hour would be missed. Now they're just eating up valuable time by having us sit in Alumni while we could be studying for some important tests.

Like I said above, I don't know of ANYONE who wants to go to Alumni to watch the game. When BC said the Brigade wanted to watch the game, I'm sure he meant for something along the lines of "allow us to use the wardrooms for those who want to watch"...not "hey, let's waste the Brigade's evening by forcing them into Alumni for four hours."

Profmom2 · 10-10-2007, 04:57 PM

Nice to have you back with us DMeix - Appreciate your posts.

Hope 6 weeks treated you well and you were able to enjoy a long weekend.

grad/dad · 10-10-2007, 05:08 PM

I hope I am reading some of these comments incorrectly. Are you saying that the Mids want to watch the game, but they do not want to go to Alumni Hall to watch it? Or, are you saying they do not want to watch the game. I sure hope it is the former.

navy2010 · 10-10-2007, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Like I said above, I don't know of ANYONE who wants to go to Alumni to watch the game. When BC said the Brigade wanted to watch the game, I'm sure he meant for something along the lines of "allow us to use the wardrooms for those who want to watch"...not "hey, let's waste the Brigade's evening by forcing them into Alumni for four hours."

we have heard much of the same......

grad/dad..... think both of your statements are correct. The word on the street is that the ones that want to watch would rather do it from their wardroom, just as there are many that would rather skip it all together and study. Many feel the cheering brigade at alumni hall is a shameless "made for TV" moment that is being "mandated."

Hoping it's a great game and they can all enjoy it, mando fun or not!