WPAOG sends warm wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving! During this season of gratitude, we wish to express our sincere thanks for all that you do for West Point.

Blustery, chilly, frozen conditions with snowflakes occasionally falling from the sky welcomed the cadet teams preparing for the onslaught of tasks that came with earning the right to get to the spring Sandhurst Competition. The Fall Sandhurst Competition October 30-31 was a battle among 39 teams, including all 36 cadet companies, two brigade teams and one U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School team around West Point and the USMA training areas. The competition determined which 12 teams would earn the USMA spots in the annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition that takes place at West Point in the spring. Full story. Photos. RESULTS.

What better way to hand in your end-of-semester research paper than dressing in a costume? On November 5, cadets continued the tradition of the SOSH Run, rushing to deliver their final papers to the Department of Social Sciences by 4:30pm. Costumed cadets dashed, walked, carted, strolled or were carried in a parade of amusement before a cheering crowd of cadets through Central Area to their final destination at Lincoln Hall to meet the deadline. The SOSH paper, which is the signature writing assignment in the required “Introduction to International Relations” course, is a rite of passage for cadets in their third year at USMA. Photos. Story.

On December 1, the West Point Association of Graduates is pleased to be taking part in Giving Tuesday—a global day of celebrating and encouraging philanthropy. During this season we are reminded that every generous act is significant, and each gift in support of West Point truly matters for our cadets, alumni, the Academy, and the nation. Please consider joining us in celebrating this day of giving through a gift to West Point. Donations are essential to support Margin of Excellence programs for our cadets and keep the Long Gray Line strong. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that day, and tell us how you support West Point! #GivingTuesdayUSMA

As West Point continues to produce multiple research projects to advance the Army warfighter, cadets at USMA are constantly at work reaching technological breakthroughs that make those advancements possible. Class of 2021 Cadet Thomas Aldhizer is one of many cadets using his passion for physics to develop contingency measures to potentially safeguard the lives of Soldiers on the battlefield. Aldhizer has spent most of his tenure at West Point defining theories related to lessening the variability of swinging when a casualty is being hoisted up into a Medevac helicopter. This year, the fruits of his labor finally came with the Thomas Young Award for outstanding research in physics. Full story.

“Like None Before,” the Class of 2024 arrived at West Point in July for R-Day 2020 in the middle of a global pandemic ready to train, study and serve. “USMA 2024 Joins the Corps” in the Fall issue of West Point magazine recalls their first few months at the Academy. Check out the story and our new R-Day video to see how West Point prepared for R-Day, keeping time-honored traditions with new safety protocols in place. Story. Watch the VIDEO (featuring the Superintendent).

Start the Days until winter holiday leave with our West Point Countdown Calendar. Each window features a winter scene or event at West Point. Impress your cadet with your Plebe knowledge by matching the windows to the fun facts on the back of the calendar. Available to ship immediately. Order at WPAOGGiftShop.com or call us at 800.426.4725, M-F, 10am-5pm.

We are pleased to announce Monica Sweatt, parent of a Firstie, as the winner of the 2nd WPAOG Army-Navy Spirit Button Design Contest. Monica was thrilled to learn her design was selected, and wanted the design to be simple so that every member of the Long Gray Line and Army could appreciate and wear it proudly. Read more about the inspiration behind her design! Don’t forget to register for our first virtual Beat Navy Tailgate which begins at 1:30pm EST on Saturday, December 12. The first 1500 registrants to register by November 19 will receive two Army-Navy Spirit Buttons per household.

For one who wishes to become an officer in the Army, the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), USMA or Officer Candidate School are the usual options to consider. However, how does one become inspired to make that life-changing decision? "The LEADS program was the only influence I had in joining West Point," Class of 2021 Cadet Lawrence Shepherd said as he explained his role as the cadet-in-charge of the event. During the event, 23 cadets interacted with Junior ROTC high school students for the virtual Leadership, Ethics and Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (LEADS) workshop on Friday. Out of the 23 cadets, 15 local Michigan cadets took part in coordinating the event. Full story.

In the “Top 25 Universities According to Alumni Rankings” published in Forbes this week, West Point ranks seventh on the list, ahead of universities such as Cornell, Harvard, Stanford and Berkeley. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs entitled “Assessing The Validity of Consumer Ratings for Higher Education” analyzes data collected from the Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey, a large-scale, representative survey of U.S. adults. Data analyzed come from 146,345 college graduates from 2,989 colleges and universities, of which there were enough respondents from 496 institutions to provide reliable alumni ratings. Dr. Jonathan Rothwell, the lead author and a Senior Economist at Gallup, created an index of alumni ratings. Unlike the highest-profile rankings today, Rothwell’s ratings were comprised 100% of these alumni ratings. Full story.

On Thursday, November 12, more than 300 donors attended WPAOG's Virtual West Point Donor Thanksgiving event. Taking the place of the usual in-person Superintendent’s Circle and Homecoming receptions and dinners, the festive live-streamed celebration included remarks by the Superintendent, LTG Darryl Williams '83 and Cadet First Captain Reilly McGinnis ’21, and was hosted by WPAOG President Todd Browne '85 and WPAOG VP of Development Kristin Sorenson. Read more.

WPAOG is proud to announce that we have been selected as a “Best of 2020” nonprofit by GreatNonprofits! Every year GreatNonprofits, the leading platform for aggregating stakeholder/user reviews of nonprofits, publishes a list of the best nonprofit organizations. This year, WPAOG came out on top with an average of at least 4 out 5 star reviews. GreatNonprofits, a review site like TripAdvisor or Yelp, has been honoring nonprofit organizations with their Awards since 2010 and recipients include organizations such as Vet Tix, Soldier’s Angels, and Operation Troop Appreciation. WPAOG would not have won this award without all of the great reviews that our graduates submitted, and we continue to be successful because of our volunteer leaders who we aim to support. If you haven’t already, submit your experience with WPAOG and spread awareness for all of our hard-working employees who serve West Point and the Long Gray Line each and every day. Thank You.

In an all-new update of WPAOG’s most historic publication, the 2020 Register of Graduates & Former Cadets contains more than 77,000 individual entries recording the names, classes and careers of every West Point graduate from 1802 to 2020. The 2020 Edition features a premium “Red Sash” red cloth binding embossed with gold foil, suitable for display in your office or home library. Early Bird pricing is $115 (plus tax for applicable states). After March 31, 2021 the price will increase to $150! So order now online or call us Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm at 800.426.4725.

Reserve your space in the Spring 2021 West Point Authors Bookshelf, a specially-priced advertising section in West Point magazine showcasing books by West Point affiliated authors. Check out the latest West Point Bookshelf in the Fall 2020 issue to discover and support these books. Learn more about this and other WPAOG advertising and sponsorship opportunities.