Working Waterfront

Good morning everyone,

Though it is Wednesday I feel that I need to recap the weekend.

Friday morning was very exciting. At 0530 as we began to row our crew shell out into the middle of the pond. One of the rowers accidentally leaned too much to starboard(right). At that point as the shell began to roll there was no going back. We ended up taking a nice swim in Herring Pond.

During morning formation I was awarded the Commandants Award for being the Cadet of the Spring 2010 Term.

In the afternoon I got a call from the Regimental TRO (Training and Retention Officer). He asked me if I could work at an event on behalf of the Academy. Being the motivated cadet that I am, I volunteered without hesitation. Before I knew it I had a box of pamphlets and the keys to unlock our Training Vessel RANGER. I mustered up some freshmen and headed to New Bedford, MA to meet the Ranger for the Waterfront Festival. At the festival we stood on board the Ranger as it was parked along the pier. Tons of people came by to take a look around and ask questions about MMA.

The best part of the day came when two alumni stopped by. One of them was the manager of the pier that we were tied up to. The other owns a small tug and barge business in the harbor. Next thing I know my roommate and I were behind the helm of a tug and taking it across the harbor. We should have put a student driver sign up. From there we watched the Coast Guard do some drills out of a helicopter. We then participated in a tug parade around the harbor.


After finishing the rest of our tours, we returned Sunday to continue doing tours.

The point of my story is that MMA holds amazing opportunities. Sometimes you have to look for them, and sometimes they come right to you. The Waterfront Festival also gave a great chance to network and meet people. Especially the alumni that came and talked to us.

I look forward to more exciting events like the Waterfront Festival.

If anyone has questions about MMA please feel free to e-mail me at joshua.lamm@maritime.edu

Signing off,

3/c Josh Lamm
Cadet Blogger




Pictures (Top Left: Hanging out on the Ranger. Right: Driving the tug and trying not to crash. Bottom Left: End of the tug parade with all the tugs pushing into the pier.)

Monday 9/20/10

The weekend was awesome. I got a chance to work at the Open House for prospective students. I worked the Marine Transportation table in the mess deck. It's always nice to answer the many questions of parents and prospective students. Open House is nice way to give back to the Academy for all that it has done for me.

Another fresh week at MMA. Started my day strong with a nice 0400 wake up for crew practice. The winds were blowing wild this morning down at Hearing Pond. Water was crashing over the sides and we were still rowing all the way through sunrise.

Today also included my first Rules of the Road test. I studied and prepared myself the best I could for the test. It would be nice to say that I knew every single question. Truth is, a few questions really picked my brain. I feel like I did well, though I must wait until tomorrow to find out the results.

Tonight I spent my time working on Naval Science and studying for a few other classes.

Tomorrow:
- 6k meter rowing test
- Classes
- Lifeboat Practicals
- Chart Homework

Until tomorrow,

3/c Josh Lamm
Cadet Blogger

joshua.lamm@maritime.edu

The Very First Post

Hello everyone out there. As you know I am 3/c Josh Lamm. I'll be writing about the day to day life here at Mass Maritime.

Tuesday September 14th, 2010

Since I am a member of the Varsity Crew Team I have the privilege of waking up at 0400 (every morning) to go to practice. By 0530 we were on the water and underway. Being part of crew has its benefits for sure to balance out the 0400 wake up. Being part of a team makes life at MMA more exciting, we are like a small family. On Fridays before races we go out on the town as a team for a nice dinner and usually some shopping.

After practice I had a 0800 Naval Science class. Naval Science goes into depth about the Merchant Marine and the history of the U.S Navy. At 1000 I had Rules of the Road. Imagine taking drivers ed without ever seeing a car..... or a road. Rules is one of the tougher Marine Transportation classes here at MMA. 1100 brought me into Macroeconomics. Following lunch I had Ship Construction. I finished my academic day at 1415 (2:15 for those on the 12 hour clock).

I was grateful to get some much need rack time. Tonight I have some homework and studying to do.

If anyone has questions about MMA or the Marine Transportation major please feel free to e-mail me at: Joshua.lamm@maritime.edu

Signing off,

-3/c Josh Lamm
Cadet Blogger