From the Commandant's Desk
A Regiment for the 21st Century
Inseventyyearsoftrainingandteaching, was2.93withover200Midshipmenmakingthe
Maine Maritime Academy has undergone
Dean's List. This past November, 73% of the Reg-
significant changes with the most recent being
iment of Midshipmen participated in a fundraiser
the construction of the new ABS Building for En-
that produced $2,000 in support of an MMA staff
gineering, Science and Research. Over that time
member who is battling a particularly nefarious
and through al those changes, some have ques-
form of cancer. Twenty Midshipmen coordinated
tioned if the Regiment is relevant anymore. Let
a day of work to help Bucksport Little League
me assure you that the Regiment of Midshipmen
construct a new storage facility one Saturday this
is not only alive; it is thriving here in Castine.
Autumn and Midshipmen have taken on roles as
Like any organization that is going to remain
mentors to students from The Adam's School here
relevant, the Regiment of Midshipmen has
in Castine where one 1/C has also stepped in to
adjusted. However, those adjustments have not
be that school's basketbal coach. Ten members
changed what the Regiment sets out to accom-
of Band Company participated in the annual
plish in four years. It is human nature to resist
Christmas Concert with the Castine Town Band
change, particularly when that change is occur-
and the students have made arrangements to get
ring to a program that has had a positive impact
the grand piano in Delano tuned. We are stil ac-
on a generation or generations and as I returned
tive members of two fire departments and ambu-
to MMA to take the reigns as Commandant, I
lance services, competing in local First Responder
wondered about how much had changed and if
competitions in both El sworth and Eastport last
the founding values remained. I wasn't sure, after
year. This is just a smal sample of the things
more than 20 years away from Maine Maritime
that our Midshipmen do as an exhaustive list of
"
Academy, if I was going to find that this genera-
their campus involvement would overwhelm this
tion that has been labeled as "Millennials" would
publication.
be receptive to those values that we alumni recog-
Make no mistake about it, OUR Regiment is
Plus ça change, plus
nize as the bedrock of our professional success.
alive and wel . I look forward to introducing
c'est la même chose.
I am happy to report that not only are those
you to these young men and women at the next
values intact, but the Regiment is in fact thriving
alumni event you attend on the training ship or
­
because of them. Many of you remember a time
here on campus.
when you were a member of the Regiment of
The more it
Midshipmen because that was the only option
at Maine Maritime Academy. In retrospect, you
changes, the more
have, I hope, come to realize that there were
many benefits to the program and that lessons
it's the same thing.
learned as a Midshipman have assisted you as you
navigated your profession. Today, every major at
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse
Captain Nate Gandy `92
Maine Maritime Academy is represented in the
Regiment because students in IBL, Power Engi-
neering and even Ocean Studies have realized
"
that the Regiment wil teach them management
and human interaction skil s that they just can't
learn in a classroom. Elsewhere in this edition
of MARINER there is a section that focuses
on numbers, so let me break down some of the
Regimental numbers a bit further.
Last semester, the average GPA of the Regiment
mainemaritime.edu
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Mariner 2014.1.indd 39
4/10/14 11:39 AM

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