– Yard Gouge Spring 2025
Posted: 3/14/2025
Council of Class Presidents meeting, October 2025
Dear classmates, the following synopsis is from the Fall 2024 Council of Class Presidents meeting held at USNA, with a representation of speakers delineated:
VADM Yvette Davids, Superintendent, Class of 1989
— Priorities are unchanged, to include Dignity and Respect and fostering a Culture of Excellence
— Infrastructure Resilience and Recapitalization:
- Flooding — August flooding 3rd largest flooding on the Yard in history; with SECNAV support, we have showed external stakeholders the effects of flooding. FY2025 will fortify Barry Gate, which would otherwise be underwater if nothing is done.
- Berthing improvements planned; first section of seawall improvement has been completed; McDonough upgrades on track
— Around the Yard: Change of Commandant; back up to 36 companies; overall graduation rate 89.1 percent for 2024 (every demographic and race/ethnicity above 83 percent); Class of 2028 68.7 percent male, 31.3 percent female, 43 percent minority
— Bancroft Lecture series in the news: made the decision to postpone due to inappropriate political nature of speaker’s intended remarks
Captain Walter Allman, Commandant, Class of 1997
— Commissioning into Conflict — know the mission, know your team, know yourself
— Midshipmen need to know the strategic landscape, adversaries, and be ready to commission
— Make morning PT more productive with an emphasis on a lifetime of fitness
Dr. Samara Firebaugh, Provost and Academic Dean
— CNO’s message: “We are here to preserve the peace, respond in crisis, and win decisively in war.” Threats to our nation and our interests are real and growing — we must think, act, and operate differently
— Generative AI Working Group; Brigade Honor Staff is developing guidance for Gen AI-related honor cases
— Priorities: aligning and updating the curriculum, increasing geopolitical competence, keeping pace with emerging technologies, fostering innovation and research relevant to national security
— New “Data Science” major
Mr. Chet Gladchuk, Athletic Director
— 36 varsity sports at Navy, third highest number in the nation
— Last capital campaign, $250 million
— Facilities: N-MCMS blue side $50 million to renovate (tents put up are permanent, scoreboard to be raised and put on top of a new two-story building)
— Lacrosse building: $16 million of 24 million has been raised
— New rugby center: $10 million
— New pool, last one build in the 1950s. Baseball stadium to be gutted inside.
— 94 percent of student athletes graduate
Now’s the Time, 89!
Warmly, Denise”
Posted by Ingar Grev on behalf of Denise Willert on 3/13/25
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