Friday, July 11, 2008

SCHOOL SHIPS OF THE Maritime Academies


by McLaren, Robert T
MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY
Senator Ralph Leavitt of Portland, Maine, prompted the creation of the Maine Maritime Academy by an act of the 90th Maine Legislature on 21 March 1941. The first class of 29 students reported on 9 October 1941. Rear Admiral Douglas Dismukes, a veteran of WWI, came out of retirement to head the fledgling school. The classes met on the campus of the former Eastern State School, and the students were lodged at Castine's Pentagoet Inn. The first training ship was the coastal schooner Mattie out of Camden, Maine.


World War Two required a rapid build-up of deck and engineering Merchant Marine officers. The new academy met that challenge and by the end of the war had graduated 384 officers. During the war, the cadets made their training cruises on Long Island Sound on various steam ships that were on loan from the Maritime Commission. In 1954, the former Hospital Ship Comfort (AH-6) became the TS The State of Maine.
The C1-B cargo ship was built under a Maritime Commission contract in 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corporation at Wilmington, California. The ship was converted to a hospital ship at San Pedro, California, by Bethlehem Steel and commissioned 5 May 1944. The 417-ft ship sailed from San Pedro 21 June 1944 for Australia with a Navy crew and Army medical personnel.
The ship operated in the South Pacific, evacuated wounded from Leyte and transported patients back to San Pedro. The hospital ship stood off Okinawa from 2 to 9 April, and received wounded for evacuation to Guam. She returned to Okinawa 23 April. Six-days later, she was struck by a Japanese suicide plane. The ship was badly damaged, 28 ship personnel were killed including six nurses and 48 others were wounded. Temporary repairs were made at Guam and the ship sailed to Los Angeles, California, arriving 28 May. After repairs, the ship became a stationary hospital ship at Subie Bay from 5 September to 11 October 1945. Following a voyage to Okinawa, she sailed for the US, arriving at San Pedro 11 December 1945. She made another voyage to the Far East between 1 January and 4 March 1946, and was decommissioned at San Francisco on 19 April 1946. The hospital ship Comfort received two battle stars for WWII service.
In 1962, the Academy received another WWII training ship with a historical background - the 493-ft USS Ancon (AP-66), built in 1938 by the Bethlehem Steel Company at Quincy, Massachusetts. On 7 August 1942, she was transferred from the US Army and became the Flag Ship of the Atlantic Transport Division Nine. The Ancon took part in the landings at Fedhala, French Morocco, and then returned to Norfolk. On 29 February, she was reclassified to AGC-4. Ancon participated in the Salerno, Italy, landings in September 1943. She steamed to England, arrived 11 November 1943 and started preparation for the invasion of Europe. Ancon served as flag ship for R/Adm. J.L. Hall, Commander of TF-124 (Omaha Beach Force) from 6 to 27 June 1944.
The Ancon returned to Charleston, South Carolina, for repairs and departed in December to serve as flag ship for R/Adm. J. Right during the invasion of Okinawa, 1 April 1945. She then served as press release ship for the landings on Iwo Jima and the surrender and occupation operations at Tokyo. She remained there until 30 November 1945. She returned to the United States in December 1945 and, on 5 February 1946, was placed out of commission in reserve and returned to the Army the same day. Ancon received five battle stars for her WWII activities.
In 1973, the troop transport MSTS Upshur (T-AP-198) classed as (P2-S1-DN3) became State of Maine. The third of the Barrett class with MSTS Geiger being the second, they were constructed by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey. All three were for the American President Lines deluxe passenger service. With the Korean War outbreak, it was decided by the Government to convert the ships to troop transports. Their dimensions were 533-ft 9-in in length over-all, beam 73-ft, normal shaft power 12,500. The conversion provided accommodations for 392 passengers in 93 state rooms and approximately 1500 troops. The State of Maine was retired in 1994 and the Academy used the Patriot State from the Massachusetts Academy for their 1995 summer cruise. The Upshur became a vessel for fire training by the Coast Guard at Mobile, Alabama. In 1997, the ex-USNS Tanner (TAGS-40) was delivered to the Academy and became the State of Maine. She was built in 1990 and has a length of 500-ft, a beam of 72-ft and draft of 30-ft. She has a complement of 288 including 200 cadets and is driven by a 8000-hp diesel, and is a near sister ship to the TS Golden Bear.
McLaren, Robert T "SCHOOL SHIPS OF THE Maritime Academies". Sea Classics. Dec 2005. FindArticles.com. 27 Jun. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200512/ai_n16057672

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All You Ever Wanted To Learn About The Military Academy Preparatory School

By: Jane Ling

The United States Military Preparatory School (USMAPS) is just what the name implies - it's a preparation school for candidates that want to go to a united-states military school.
It's also called the WestPoint Prep sometimes, as most of the graduates of this prep school will attend the West Point army academy after they graduate. A few will attend other military schools in the US.

The USMAPS was established in 1946, and it's current location is on the Fort Monmouth Army base, in Eatontown, New Jersey. The official mission of the establishment is: "to provide academic, military and physical instruction in a moral-ethical military environment to prepare and motivate candidates for success at the United States Military Academy"
The students of the USMAPS are defined as "Cadet Candidates" (CC's), and enjoy free tuition and board. The program lasts for 10 months and it's aim is to prepare the students to the rigorous academic and military demands they will meet when the finish the Prep stage, and attend West Point academy.
The Program:
The Cadet candidates start the 1 moth program in early July, when they arrive at the facility. They start with a four week intensive basic training that puts them into shape. This part of the program is called CCBT - Cadet Candidate Basic Training. Immediately after the CCBT, The classes start and they end in mid-May. The curriculum includes English, mathematics, physics, military history and military training. Most of the CC's will go to West Point academy, but some will attend other establishments.
West Point Applications:
There is no separate application for USMAPS, only the West Point application. The 10 month training program at USMAPS is offered to candidates to West Point who lack the grades or skills necessary for West Point. During the Prep school year, the CC's must file a new application to West Point. It should be noted that almost all of the CC's who finish the prep school are granted to attend West Point.
Athletics Activity:
The USMAPS also have an extensive athletic program including football, women's volleyball, cross-country, track, men and women's basketball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and wrestling. The USMAPS primarily competes against the other prep school's teams, especially their rival the Naval Academy Preparatory School.
Location Change:
The USMAPS has gone through a few location changes since it's establishment.It was founded in June 1946 at Stewart Army Air Field, Newburgh, New York - just a few miles away from West Point. In 1957, it moved to Fort Belvoir, Virginia. And finally, moved to Fort Monmouth in 1975.<
Shutting Down:
Due to the Base Realignment and Closure, 2005, Fort Monmouth is currently in the process of being shut down. USMAPS will continue, however, to operate at the Fort Monmouth campus for several more years.

About The Author
Jane Ling is the owner and operator of a military school website http://recommended-military-schools.info. Visit and learn more about military academy, military prep schools and more.

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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

AcademyOne Powers New System to Simplify College Transfer at Pennsylvania Colleges and Universities

AcademyOne's CollegeTransfer.Net service and technology solutions provide an innovative platform for Pennsylvania's Transfer and Articulation Center (PA TRAC) web portal.

WEST CHESTER, Pa., May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- AcademyOne Inc., a leader in information technology solutions for higher education, provides the backbone technology and consulting services that power the newly launched Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Center website (http://www.patrac.org/).

Navigating transfer between colleges and universities is often a difficult and bureaucratic process which can result in a loss of college credit for students, increased student and family debt, delayed time to graduation and ultimately labor and workforce challenges for business and industry.

Pennsylvania's Department of Education chose the higher education information technology leader, AcademyOne, to build the new PA TRAC web portal. AcademyOne has a history of expertise and leadership in building powerful and innovative solutions for higher education and government aimed at producing efficiencies and economies of scale in education. Aligning curriculum between institutions and building robust web-based tools are just two of AcademyOne's many areas of expertise.

AcademyOne supports and applauds the state of Pennsylvania on this important and forward thinking initiative designed to ease transfer between colleges and universities, eliminate frustration and confusion for students, as well as reduce waste and inefficiency for colleges during the college transfer process.

"Building systems that manage college transfer is an incredibly important role that education and government must support in today's increasingly global, mobile and online education landscape," says Dave Moldoff, AcademyOne's founder and CEO. He continues, "The fact is more than sixty percent of college students attend at least two post-secondary institutions on their way to a baccalaureate degree. The information systems that support education stakeholders, including students, administrators and faculty must respond to these burgeoning realities."

At least 32 institutions will guarantee credit transfers through PA TRAC. These schools include Pennsylvania's 14 community colleges, the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, as well as one state-related university and three private institutions.

Representative Josh Shapiro (D., Montgomery County) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education unveiled the new web site during a news conference at the Capitol on Tuesday. The transfer initiative and PA TRAC were established in accordance with a 2006 law signed by Governor Edward G. Rendell intended to create a seamless statewide transfer and articulation system for Pennsylvania. To learn more visit http://www.patrac.org/ and http://www.academyone.com/.

Contact:

Michelle Davis, Consultant
AcademyOne, Inc.
601 Willowbrook Lane
West Chester, PA 19382
Telephone: 610.436.5680 x 303
Email: mdavis@academyone.com
Corporate Web Site: http://www.academyone.com/
CollegeTransfer.Net Web Portal: http://www.collegetransfer.net/
 

CONTACT: Michelle Davis, Consultant of AcademyOne, Inc., +1-610-436-5680 x303, mdavis@academyone.com

Web site: http://www.academyone.com/ http://www.patrac.org/ http://www.collegetransfer.net/

"AcademyOne Powers New System to Simplify College Transfer at Pennsylvania Colleges and Universities". PR Newswire. May 14, 2008. FindArticles.com. 09 Jul. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4PRN/is_2008_May_14/ai_n25428211

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Monday, July 7, 2008

SCHOOL SHIPS OF THE Maritime Academies

By : McLaren, Robert T

MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY. Senator Ralph Leavitt of Portland, Maine, prompted the creation of the Maine Maritime Academy by an act of the 90th Maine Legislature on 21 March 1941. The first class of 29 students reported on 9 October 1941. Rear Admiral Douglas Dismukes, a veteran of WWI, came out of retirement to head the fledgling school. The classes met on the campus of the former Eastern State School, and the students were lodged at Castine's Pentagoet Inn. The first training ship was the coastal schooner Mattie out of Camden, Maine.

World War Two required a rapid build-up of deck and engineering Merchant Marine officers. The new academy met that challenge and by the end of the war had graduated 384 officers. During the war, the cadets made their training cruises on Long Island Sound on various steam ships that were on loan from the Maritime Commission. In 1954, the former Hospital Ship Comfort (AH-6) became the TS The State of Maine.

The C1-B cargo ship was built under a Maritime Commission contract in 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corporation at Wilmington, California. The ship was converted to a hospital ship at San Pedro, California, by Bethlehem Steel and commissioned 5 May 1944. The 417-ft ship sailed from San Pedro 21 June 1944 for Australia with a Navy crew and Army medical personnel.

The ship operated in the South Pacific, evacuated wounded from Leyte and transported patients back to San Pedro. The hospital ship stood off Okinawa from 2 to 9 April, and received wounded for evacuation to Guam. She returned to Okinawa 23 April. Six-days later, she was struck by a Japanese suicide plane. The ship was badly damaged, 28 ship personnel were killed including six nurses and 48 others were wounded. Temporary repairs were made at Guam and the ship sailed to Los Angeles, California, arriving 28 May. After repairs, the ship became a stationary hospital ship at Subie Bay from 5 September to 11 October 1945. Following a voyage to Okinawa, she sailed for the US, arriving at San Pedro 11 December 1945. She made another voyage to the Far East between 1 January and 4 March 1946, and was decommissioned at San Francisco on 19 April 1946. The hospital ship Comfort received two battle stars for WWII service.

In 1962, the Academy received another WWII training ship with a historical background - the 493-ft USS Ancon (AP-66), built in 1938 by the Bethlehem Steel Company at Quincy, Massachusetts. On 7 August 1942, she was transferred from the US Army and became the Flag Ship of the Atlantic Transport Division Nine. The Ancon took part in the landings at Fedhala, French Morocco, and then returned to Norfolk. On 29 February, she was reclassified to AGC-4. Ancon participated in the Salerno, Italy, landings in September 1943. She steamed to England, arrived 11 November 1943 and started preparation for the invasion of Europe. Ancon served as flag ship for R/Adm. J.L. Hall, Commander of TF-124 (Omaha Beach Force) from 6 to 27 June 1944.

The Ancon returned to Charleston, South Carolina, for repairs and departed in December to serve as flag ship for R/Adm. J. Right during the invasion of Okinawa, 1 April 1945. She then served as press release ship for the landings on Iwo Jima and the surrender and occupation operations at Tokyo. She remained there until 30 November 1945. She returned to the United States in December 1945 and, on 5 February 1946, was placed out of commission in reserve and returned to the Army the same day. Ancon received five battle stars for her WWII activities.

In 1973, the troop transport MSTS Upshur (T-AP-198) classed as (P2-S1-DN3) became State of Maine. The third of the Barrett class with MSTS Geiger being the second, they were constructed by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey. All three were for the American President Lines deluxe passenger service. With the Korean War outbreak, it was decided by the Government to convert the ships to troop transports. Their dimensions were 533-ft 9-in in length over-all, beam 73-ft, normal shaft power 12,500. The conversion provided accommodations for 392 passengers in 93 state rooms and approximately 1500 troops. The State of Maine was retired in 1994 and the Academy used the Patriot State from the Massachusetts Academy for their 1995 summer cruise. The Upshur became a vessel for fire training by the Coast Guard at Mobile, Alabama. In 1997, the ex-USNS Tanner (TAGS-40) was delivered to the Academy and became the State of Maine. She was built in 1990 and has a length of 500-ft, a beam of 72-ft and draft of 30-ft. She has a complement of 288 including 200 cadets and is driven by a 8000-hp diesel, and is a near sister ship to the TS Golden Bear.

McLaren, Robert T "SCHOOL SHIPS OF THE Maritime Academies". Sea Classics. Dec 2005. FindArticles.com. 27 Jun. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200512/ai_n16057672

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Saturday, July 5, 2008

Las Vegas Academy’s Series of Short Plays Showcases Student Talent in Las Vegas Schools

By: Stacy Andell

Las Vegas Academy, one of the magnet schools of the Las Vegas Public School District, has prepared a series of student produced and student led theater performances.
The Five Plays :

  • You Want Freedom Fries With That? “ An original theater piece about being an American teenager in an increasingly small world, written and conceived by the Roncalli Drama Festival Ensemble, performed at the Roncalli Drama Festival in Poggibonsi, Siena, Italy, in the heart of Tuscany.”
  • Mixed Babies “ Five teenage girls of color discuss life, love, relationships, and friendship in this compelling short play.”
  • Coffee Con Carnage“ An original sketch conceived and performed by the students of the Mime and Improvisation Class.”
  • Sorry, Wrong Number“ A classic one act thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
  • The Intermission“ A playwright listens clandestinely to the reactions of the intermission crowd at the premiere of his new play: a surprisingly insightful look at how we perceive what others think about our art.”

History of the Las Vegas Academy
Established in 1992 by the Las Vegas Public School District and area universities, the Las Vegas Academy is committed to fostering student skills in the arts and communication. This magnet school includes students from all over Clark County at its campus in an historic urban shopping district.

Las Vegas Schools students pursue a major in one of the following fields: dance, vocal music, instrumental music, international studies, piano, theater, theater technology, and visual arts. The school operates longer than other schools in the area in order to pack in all the subjects that students need to study in this arts intensive program. Classes are organized on a block schedule, in which students take regular academic classes every other day and major classes every day.

This aggressive approach to education has earned the Las Vegas Academy many honors, both state and nationwide. Including awards from the White House, Senators Reid, Bryan, and Ensign, former Governor Miler and former Las Vegas mayor Jones, the Academy has also garnered attention from the International Network of Performing and Visual Arts schools and been labeled a STAR school. In addition to winning three Grammy Signature School awards, the Academy has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as both a New American High School and a U.S. Blue Ribbon School.

The Student Experience at Las Vegas Academy

Students of the Las Vegas Academy compete through a tough screening process just to attend, including an audition as well as maintaining a high grade point average in their regular academic subjects. While students at other area high schools attend class for 50 minutes a day, students at Las Vegas Academy go for 86 minutes. The school day also goes one hour longer overall. This hard work pays off with over sixty percent of graduates enrolling in four year universities. The series of short plays to be produced by the theater and theater technology departments will be just one of many ways in which Las Vegas Academy students present their hard work and dedication to the local community.

About The Author

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.View their website at: http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Nevada/Las-Vegas/index.html

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