MIDSHIPMAN ACTIVITIES FUND YOUR IMPACT
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Midshipmen volunteered at the Maryland Special Olympics track and field events.
Midshipmen traveled to Ireland for the Navy-Notre Dame football game.
70 Community members supported through a Brigade-wide supplies drive after a fire at the Light House Shelter.
SUMMARY
The United States Naval Academy offers an environment designed for midshipmen to develop their leadership through extracurricular activities (ECAs), club sports, professional organizations and academic groups, both on and off the Yard. These activities have proven instrumental to the development of the Brigade. The Midshipman Activities Fund (MAF) is designed to provide funding for activities that would not otherwise exist at the individual, company or Brigade level. The MAF functions in a similar manner to campus support organizations at civilian institutions, providing resources to student and recreational organizations that enhance the daily lives of the midshipmen. While most other universities have a dedicated philanthropic division focused on raising private funds in support of key initiatives such as these, the Naval Academy does not, and therefore relies on the MAF to sustain these programs. We are pleased to share highlights from the 2023–2024 Academic Year:
MIDSHIPMAN ACTIVITIES FUND SPONSORED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES
The Naval Academy features 15 club sports that compete on the intercollegiate stage. This year’s club sports achievements impacted more than 350 midshipmen and included:
• USNA BOXING CLUB: men’s boxing won the NCBA National Championship, with women’s boxing tying for second place. Four midshipmen (two men and two women) won individual titles in the National Championship.
• MEN’S CLUB LACROSSE: Played an undefeated season and ranked #1 going into the National College Lacrosse League D1 Championship. Ended the series as National Semifinalists.
• NAVY CLUB CYCLING: Won the Atlantic Coast Cycling Championship for the seventh straight season and sent four cyclists to the USA Cycling Nationals.
• FENCING: Overall team finished 14th of 40 at Nationals; women’s fencing placed 15th and men’s fencing placed 19th.
• PISTOL: Placed second at Nationals.
• WOMEN’S SOFTBALL: Placed third at the National Club Softball Association World Series.
• CLUB TRIATHLON: Overall team placed fourth at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Club Nationals; women’s triathlon placed fourth and men’s triathlon placed sixth. The overall team won the Armed Forces Division.
• WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Team won Delaware Valley College Hockey Conference and advanced to ACHA Nationals.
“My time on the marathon team was by far the best developmental experience I had while at USNA. As president, I was ultimately responsible for the successful execution of more than 200 hours of movement orders. The marathon team provided myself and my staff on the team an unparalleled opportunity to refine management, planning and budgeting skills that will certainly be used in our professional careers. Outside of the great leadership experience, the team provided me with a supportive community that provided relief from the stresses of Academy life. My mentors and peers on the team pushed me to achieve so much more in all mission areas than I ever would have thought possible. I am forever grateful for my time with the marathon team and will seek to create communities that emulate it wherever I go throughout my career.”
—SECOND LIEUTENANT DOMANI OCCANSEY ’24, USMC
The Midshipman Activities Fund supported sending 250 midshipmen, including the Drum & Bugle Corps, to Ireland for the Navy-Notre Dame football game. Additionally, 200 midshipmen, Navy Spirit and the Drum & Bugle Corps were sent to West Point for men’s and women’s basketball games in January. The fund also facilitated sending 35 midshipmen to Charlotte, NC, and 28 to Philadelphia, PA, to cheer on Navy football against UNC Charlotte and Temple University; an additional 50 midshipmen were sent to Chester, PA, to support Navy soccer against Army. In addition to these efforts, Brigade support of varsity athletics included Navy Spirit attendance at all away football games and assistance in Brigade transit to Boston, MA, for the Army-Navy football game.
MUSICAL ACTIVITIES
USNA Musical Activities had an exceptional year, offering midshipmen a vital outlet for creative and artistic expression and fostering essential skills such as command presence through teamwork and meticulous attention to detail. These opportunities allowed the midshipmen to serve as ambassadors for the Naval Academy and the U.S. Armed Forces, showcasing their talents in high-visibility performances across the domestic and international stage, including three major concert tours across 24 cities in seven U.S. states, and seven cities in four foreign nations. Performances reached approximately one million in-person attendees; two million through online presence; and more than 15 million through televised performances.
Of note was the Glee Club’s banner year, marked by a wildly successful collaboration with the Minnesota Orchestra and an international tour throughout Japan. They presented their 76th annual Handel’s Messiah concerts and performed Britten’s War Requiem at Strathmore Concert Hall, a once-in-a-generation event filmed for future broadcast. Additionally, the Glee Club led a combined service academy choir, accompanying 68 WWII veterans on a 10-day journey to Paris and Normandy to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.
Further highlights from the year include:
• Record audience attendance at the 2023 Halloween concerts.
• Drum & Bugle Corps performances at the Navy-Notre Dame football game in Dublin, Ireland; the Pentagon; and a nationally televised NASCAR event.
• USNA Gospel Choir appearances, including a concert with recording artist Jonathan Nelson and a featured performance on a televised Christmas special.
• Pipes and Drums traveled to the Royal Military College of Canada for a joint performance and marched in the New York City Tartan Day Parade.
• Mariachi Marineros represented USNA at a diversity conference at West Point and provided music for the event.
• The Winter Musical performed Mamma Mia! for three sold-out audiences.
MIDSHIPMAN ACTION GROUP (MAG)
The MAG’s community outreach and engagements by USNA midshipmen are emblematic of their selfless service and contribute to their professional development as future leaders. Through these activities midshipmen enhance their ability
to communicate effectively and sensitively across diverse communities; coordinate both internal and external stakeholder requests; and refine and develop crucial project management skills. These experiences reinforce the important concept that even as a midshipman fourth class, they represent both USNA and the Navy at all times. Highlights from the year include:
• Mids for Kids: MAG’s flagship youth outreach program volunteered at eight elementary and middle schools in the local Anne Arundel County area.
• Boys & Girls Clubs: MAG provided weekly outreach to mentor and tutor local youth, with many opting to spend their spring break with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Everett and the greater Snohomish County in the state of Washington. These efforts included support of local indigenous organizations focused on migrant workers and their families learning English as a second language.
• Local Food Banks: MAG supported Harvest for the Hungry, donating tens of thousands of pounds of food to the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and volunteering for the inaugural mobile food bank. Additionally, MAG’s volunteer corps assisted the Capital Food Bank in the Baltimore County-Washington corridor.
In addition, MAG celebrated the success of a decade or more of service across the following programs:
• Honor Salute: Established by MAG in collaboration with the Hospice of the Chesapeake in 2014, this program honors veterans and their families, with MAG midshipmen paying tribute to those who have served before them.
• Honor Flight: MAG continued to support veterans travel by air to visit DC monuments, greeting them at the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport entry point.
• Local ESL Program: MAG and USNA’s Latin American Studies Club continued their participation as tutors in this unique all-volunteer engagement that is free to the public.
BRIGADE QUALITY OF LIFE
MAF initiatives have a significant impact on Brigade Quality of Life (QOL). This year their efforts were concentrated in funding the installment of the new USNA Outdoor Fitness Facility behind Bancroft Hall. This state-of-the-art training facility provides an assortment of outdoor training equipment including an exceptionally challenging obstacle course to enhance the Brigade’s fitness goals.
In addition, MAF supported the following annual QOL initiatives:
• Subsidizing tickets to local attractions.
• Providing cable television to the company wardroom.
• “Mid of the Month” gift cards.
• The Weekend Movie Program in Mitscher Hall.
• Sending the Plebe Regiment to a Bowie Baysox game.
• Providing an Annapolis shuttle to community points of interest.
• The Brigade’s most anticipated annual December event, “Goat on the Boat.”
• Beat the Dark Ages hot cocoa bar.
New QOL initiatives included the addition of pickleball racquets to the midshipmen lawn game inventory and Stribling Walk décor and photo opportunities throughout the first week of classes.
THANK YOU
Support for club sports, musical activities, Brigade support of varsity athletics and other quality-of-life Brigade activities relies heavily on the generosity of donors to the Midshipman Activities Fund and profits generated by the Naval Academy Business Services Division (NABSD). This vital support profoundly impacts the personal and professional development of midshipmen, greatly enhancing their overall quality of life. Your gift makes a significant difference in nurturing growth and well-being of the entire Brigade. THANK YOU.
