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| A line-up of the Naval Cadets |
Prior to April 2011 I admittedly had little, if any knowledge about the navy, other than from a few films with a uniformed Tom Cruise or Richard Gere (if that even counts), let alone any specific allegiance to it over the army, or any other force for that matter. I grew up in London, and if anything I was far more likely to come across Territorial Army bases than ships and sailors. Little did I know, however, that a conference at the US Naval Academy, and the later achievements and popularity of a certain SEAL Team Six would have me wearing badges and academy hoodies with the slogan 'Go Navy, Beat Army!' with pride.
Every year since 1961 the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD has hosted a foreign affairs conference (NAFAC), inviting students from across the US to debate global issues. A One to World delegation has participated in the conference since 1991, with foreign students adding that vital international perspective to proceedings. I was international. Check. I’d been studying in the US. Check. And I had opinions. Double check.
So it was armed with our international perspectives that the One to World group, consisting of members from various countries, including China, France, Germany, Pakistan, Albania, Cyprus, and now Great Britain descended the Amtrak on April 11th and were greeted by a wall of white uniforms.
This year’s conference theme was ‘People, Power and Politics in the Internet Age’ and the conference found itself taking place during an incredibly fitting moment, the midst of the Arab Spring. What more relevant time to be discussing the role of the internet and new technologies, and for many roundtables at the conference the role of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, the use of which by protestors in the Arab world had been much publicized.
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| Niki Psarias (1st on the left) at the social with fellow student delegates |
The conference was structured to the last detail (think NAFAC emblem embossed bags, notepads and water bottles for every delegate) and was a whirlwind of long days, lectures, debates, roundtables, good food and great discussion. The only gripe probably being the early starts, typical for the midshipmen but alien to all the visiting students-evident by the bleary eyes and copious coffee drinking before every morning’s first lecture-with the shuttle buses seemingly departing earlier and earlier from the hotel as the days progressed. Those early military time starts were understandable, however, when we saw how jam-packed our schedule was.
The lectures attended throughout the day served as a platform to inspire discussion at the individual roundtables, including such current and relevant topics as ‘Censorship: Boundaries and Global Communications’, ‘Terrorism and the Internet: Realities, Possibilities and Limitations’, ‘The Next Blitzkrieg: The Internet as a Political and Economic Weapon’ and my own roundtable, ‘Connection Technologies in Conflict Zones.’ Discussions, navigated by a moderator and senior advisor, were informal in atmosphere and were a chance for the One to World delegates to show off those international perspectives they’d brought with them. At the lectures we were fortunate enough to be presented with a diverse range of speakers including academics, admirals, professionals from the FBI and Microsoft, plus the incredibly inspired choice and coup for the conference, Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg.[1]
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| Roundtable discussion with student delegates and cadets |
As well as the opportunity to debate and discuss with contemporaries, NAFAC proved to be as much a chance to learn about life at the academy itself. There were endless questions to the midshipmen, who seemed to be amused by our inquisitiveness and all to happy to answer questions they’d surely heard a thousand times before. Discussions were had over the lunch table, the dinner table (see a pattern here?) and the boarding school/Hogwartseque King Hall, the midshipmen’s dining hall, huge and loud, that had some moderators muttering ‘keep close’ to their delegates for fear of losing them in the vastness and cacophony. Nevertheless, everyone was intrigued by life on the Yard[2]:
So what time do you have to be awake every morning?
-Between 4-6am. Midshipmen’s days are planned with training and classes until 8pm.
How hard is training if you decide to become a SEAL?
-Very. Hell week anyone? No doubt after the revelations of May 1st this line of questioning would have been far more extensive.
And for most university students the incredulous:
You have a curfew??
-Yes. Curfew is set at midnight on Monday-Friday.
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| Maryland Crab Cakes and other delicious seafood |
On top of the conference activities delegates were treated to a formal brigade and a social event with easily the world’s best mini crab cakes (as to be expected of Maryland) and even the chance to try sailing, or manoeuvres on the YPs (Yard Patrol boats.)
And so it was with some understandable reluctance, armed with our aforementioned badges and academy hoodies purchased from the gift shop, numerous Facebook details (in keeping with the conference theme of course) and new friendships, the One to World delegation, exhausted but enriched by the experience departed Annapolis.
The conference had been such a unique experience. Not only does NAFAC afford the exchange of ideas and experiences with your peers, but it’s also the opportunity to catch a glimpse into life at an academy and its incredible camaraderie and familial atmosphere that is otherwise unseen by the general public.
I would like to thank the academy (!), all our fellow delegates, our One to World coordinator, Asya, and of course the midshipmen for all their hard work and making us feel so welcome.
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| One To World Delegates with U.S. Navy Cadets |
And as much as I’d love to turn you all into navyphiles One to World displays no favouritism and also participates at conferences at the US Military Academy at West Point, NY. So the next time you hear of such a conference, sign up! OTW needs you! I only wish I was still studying in the US and I could join you, and maybe add a ‘Go Army, Beat Navy!’ badge to my collection, but don’t tell any of the midshipmen that!
By: Niki Psarias
[1] Watch some clips of the Forrestal Lecture here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEu-L1St6h0
[2] Vocab lesson: the academy campus is known as the Yard.
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For more information on attending NAFAC as a One To World Delegate or participating in another one of our activities and events, please contact Coordinator of Enrichment Programs, Asya Dinets at asya@one-to-world.org
Niki would love to hear your questions and comments-- feel free to leave them here!
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