And so, after a four year roller coaster that started with a jarring I Day experience, included everything from the thrill of Herndon to a sprint football championship to a string of panic-inducing crises, and ended with a pandemic that obliterated a week of celebrations four years in the making, it's over. He is no … Continue reading USNA 2020 Signing off: Goodbye, farewell, and amen
The emotional roller coaster of being a Naval Academy parent has never been more intense than the past few weeks. Yes, Plebe Summer was a shock. Yes, Plebe Year was grueling. Yes, there were a million and one moments where we all thought our hair would burst into flames over the latest "OMG" moment. All … Continue reading The only “must-see TV” of the pandemic – how to watch the Naval Academy Commissioning ceremony
I'll admit that I've been pretty selfish these past few weeks. My focus has been on my kids and their respective senior years. MidSib received her appointment to the United States Air Force Academy Prep School, but her prom (named America's Best Prom by Reader's Digest) and her graduation hung in limbo. We've sat in … Continue reading Bravo Zulu, VADM Buck and Captain Buchanan
24 April 2020 The Honorable Larry Hogan 100 State Circle Annapolis, MD Governor Hogan: These uncertain times require bold, thoughtful leadership and I am reaching out to you and the good people of Maryland that while you continue to keep yourselves safe, you work to allow a brief return to a modicum of normalcy and, … Continue reading An open letter to Gov. Larry Hogan and the people of Maryland
As they often do during this time of year, my thoughts turn to my mother, who passed away on Easter Sunday when I was 11 years old. As the news we've all been dreading came to pass - that the Academy would cancel all public events for Commissioning Week for the Class of 2020 - … Continue reading Easter, COVID-19, and the Naval Academy Class of 2020 – a plan from my parents
The Naval Academy taught the parents of the Class of 2020 to be flexible. We got through Plebe Summer. We got through Plebe Year. We rode the roller coaster through summer training and Alpha inspections and restrictions and Army-Navy games and 1,000 other things that all seem like distant memories now. None of that prepared … Continue reading Being a 2020 Naval Academy parent in the time of COVID-19
It's no secret 2020 has been a rough year for those of us associated with the United States Naval Academy. We've lost members of the Brigade and now the coronavirus is threatening to take away things we've been looking forward to, including Commissioning Week. But we are nothing if not optimists, so we will continue … Continue reading It’s time to party, Herndon style (podcast included!)
