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Upcoming Events

(Athletics, Extracurricular Activities and Faith-Based Involvement, Class of 2014) Permanent link All Posts

I am capable of reflection – I do it monthly on this blog – and I would write about what’s gone on in the past few weeks if it seemed more pertinent at this point in time. But I’m naturally more of a forward-thinker, and at the CGA, October is a time that certainly invites looking ahead (though, perhaps you could say that for every month here!) There’s a lot to look forward to, and less that most of us would like to look back upon. The end of September and the beginning of this month have been a bit of a slog – Formal Room and Wing, a Personnel Inspection, an extra heavy load of tests and papers, even mid-terms…people have been worn pretty thin. But, it’s analogous to weathering a storm: we’ve been surrounded by all the wind and torrential downpour and chaos for what’s seemed like forever, and suddenly, we’ve broken into the clear. Everything good that’s upcoming is laid out before us – and it looks fantastic!

Here’s the run-down of the excitement:

Columbus Day Long this weekend has everyone’s spirits soaring. Plans are across the board – people going home, visiting different cities, trying to squeeze in one last beach trip before the cold weather hits. For my part, I’m off to New York City with some of my best friends, though a little piece of my heart will be back here in Connecticut. Women’s rugby has their fourth game of the season this Saturday in Stonington – even if I’m not playing this season, I have to give a shout out to my teammates!

Next week, Glee Club will attend our biggest event of the year – the Coast Guard Foundation Dinner in New York City. It was pretty mind-blowing last year as a 4/c…the majority of the “important” people in the Coast Guard all packed into one super-fancy hotel ballroom, and us, the CGA choir, going to sing for them. It’s a great time though and this year, I’m lucky enough to be part of the extended-stay group. The Fairwinds need a 2nd alto to stand in for their performance the next evening – so that means an overnight stay in NYC, and missing classes all day Friday. Jackpot!

But for those back at the Academy that Friday, it won’t be just any school day. Next weekend is Parent’s Weekend, which means hundreds of CGA family members at school and classes, extra band and Glee performances, departmental style drill, the Parents’ Weekend football game, and more overnight liberty for the corps.

The period after Parents’ Weekend marks two enlivening occasions: that end of drill season, and the beginning of the “holiday” season. Yes. That means no more 0655 drill practice every Monday and Friday, no more 1600 Reg Reviews on Friday afternoons when everyone just wants to go out on libo or sleep. It’s a glorious thing. And the end of October, as Halloween approaches, is always a fun time. There’s Aviation Day, room decorating, the Corps costume contest, the Halloween dinner and Trick or Treat on the Hill all in those last couple of weeks of the month. Rarely do we get to “play” so much at the Academy – it’s a nice treat.

And to top all that off, on October 30th, I run the Marine Corps Marathon with the Running Club. Training “crunch time” is already in full swing…

That’s the gist of it – the activities just keep coming and coming, it seems! Hopefully there will be plenty of interesting material for me to report on in the next month. Until then, I’m just contentedly looking forward.

More about Jessie.

Last Edited by Leann Strickland at 2/15/2012 1:57 PM