Last week, ORRHS had the chance to hear a distinguished alumnus from the Class of 2015 speak about his experiences at one of the United States service academies.
Cadet Gerald Lanagan, who is currently in his second year at the United States Military Academy more commonly known as West Point, addressed the assembled students in the auditorium during their advisory.
“It’s a nice opportunity for the student body to welcome back a graduate from 2015,” Principal Mike Devoll commented as he introduced Lanagan.
Cadet Lanagan began with basic information about his experiences at the academy and West Point in general. He explained the different army ranks and nicknames for the four separate years: freshmen are “plebes,” sophomores are “yearlings,” juniors are “cows,” and seniors are “firsties.”
There are also several basic courses that all cadets are required to take; for instance, although majoring in economics and business management, one such class Lanagan recently completed was survival swimming.
Lanagan also touched upon cadet schedules during both the school year and summer months. During the school year, there are six class periods a day, as well as times for activities such as chores, athletics, and studying. For the summer before sophomore year, cadets participate in advanced military training at Camp Buckner. Next summer, Lanagan will engage in a 14-day field exercise on infantry tactics before shadowing superior officers at Ft. Benning in Georgia.
To the amusement of many, Lanagan’s younger sister, senior Molly Lanagan, was the first to fire off a question when the audience was invited to ask. “Can you tell them what sports team you’re a part of?”
Lanagan laughed as he answered her, as did others when they heard his reply, “Women’s basketball.” He went on to say that he trains alongside the players.
Several of Lanagan’s former teachers asked further questions. “How much did you struggle [in regards to the physical tasks]?”
“West Point expects you to be really well-rounded with physical aspects,” said Lanagan. “But you get used to it; it’s not as bad as it seems.”
Lanagan was also asked about his experience with the renowned U.S. Army versus Navy football games. “The Army-Navy game is the most fun I’ve had in the fall,” he said. “A lot of us take a pass weekend to see the game.”
Life at West Point isn’t all fun and games, as health teacher Jenkins mentioned after the assembly ended. “You put the time into it,” he said while talking to Lanagan.
Lanagan’s sister agreed with the sentiment. “Both our parents were in the Air Force,” Molly said, “but I think [West Point] is a good thing for him. I think it’s nice that he knew all throughout high school that he had to work hard to get there.”
“I worked really hard here,” Lanagan said of his time as an ORRHS student. “A lot of the classes I took here, we took again at West Point.” He elaborated that the self-studying skills he learned at ORR were an immense advantage for his time at the academy because the same methods are used there.
By Jo Caynon