WELCOME SPRING! - Fork Union Military Academy

Volume 12, Issue 3 The Middle School Newspaper March, 2007
WELCOME SPRING!
Spring Schedule
March 10 ….. Spring Leave
March 18 ….. Return by 7:00 p.m.
March 23 ….. Country “Hoe Down”
April 6-9 ….. Easter Weekend
April 20 ….. Spring Dance
April 29 ….. Corps Parade
A Message From the President
May 11-13 ….. Mother’s Day Weekend
May 23 ….. Parent/Faculty/Cadet
Games, Picnic, Parade,
Careby Hall Reception and
Awards
May 24 ….. Middle School Graduation
As the end of the year approaches, we all begin to get excited
about the upcoming summer. The temperature warms and our
minds begin to expand beyond the buildings we are sitting in. We
long to take those daydreams and turn them into a reality.
However, the reality remains that we still have a race to run, a goal
to accomplish. The only way to get to the end is to work hard and
finish strong. I encourage each one of you to take advantage of
your spring break and come back with a renewed spirit.
I know winter still dominates the horizon, but I would like to offer
you a word of encouragement. I am proud of each one of you, our
cadets, for the hard work you have put in thus far. The long hours
are paying off and you are learning skills that will help you
throughout your life. Stay the course. Keep on charging. The
goal is in sight!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
John E. Jackson, Jr.
Lt. Gen., USAF (Ret.)
President

The Bayonet 2 March, 2007
Headmaster’s Message
Academic Honors
4th Grading Period
President’s List
8 th Grade: Nik Westmoreland
7 th Grade: K.C. Nwosu
As the year winds down, I offer my encouragement to
the Middle School Cadet Corps to press on, full steam
ahead, as the race for the finish line continues. Along
with the rest of the faculty and staff, I am proud of the
effort shown by so many of our cadets as the year has
progressed. I have enjoyed watching our boys slowly
evolve into young men, able to handle greater
responsibility and able to make more mature
decisions. I am aware, however, that the cadets with
whom we spend so much time are human and thus
prone to mistakes. I take pride in each one who has
learned from his mistakes, vowing to do better. I
believe that this learning process defines maturity and
builds character, and I believe, is what defines this
year’s Corps of Cadets. Keep up the good work.
The Bayonet is the newspaper of the
Fork Union Military Academy Middle School.
It is published by cadets, for cadets, their parents and friends.
Advisor:
Editors:
Photographers:
Technology Consultants:
LTC Robert Feathers
Headmaster
Middle School
Mrs. Melissa Barber
Mrs. Lynn Armstrong
LTC Rob Feathers
Mrs. Melissa Barber
CPT Dan Thompson
CPT Brian Garriss
LTC Rob Feathers
Mrs. Nancy Burkhart
CPT Dan Thompson
6 th Grade: Jesse Jacobson
Headmaster’s List
8 th Grade: Samuel Hwang
Nathan Moneymaker
Thomas O’Connell
7 th Grade: Davey Brackett
David Frezzell
Adam Van Alstyne
Honor Roll
8 th Grade: John Burkhart
Michael Colonna
Kyle Cross
Pierce Firth
Alex Florence
Mike Gaylor
Jack Gustafson
Marcus Hampton-Gayle
Brandon Hinners
Josh Kelly
Suk Ju Kim
John Long
Adam Manning
Atta Nasir
Tanner Pedersen

The Bayonet 3 March, 2007
A Message from the Commandant
The light at the end of the tunnel seems to be burning much brighter as we near the coveted day of May 24 th . Once you
return from Spring Break, you will be amazed at how fast the rest of the school year goes by. I would like to take this
opportunity to compliment our Cadet Corps on their personal growth and development. I have seen you mature, accept
responsibility, show compassion, uphold school rules, and learn to like short hair cuts in the course of just six short months.
You are an amazing group of young men who have been thrust into a whole new way of life, and you have handle it
magnificently. As the year draws to a close, remember to keep your demerits low and your grades high!
Major Bill Blanchetti
Commandant, Middle School
EXCELLENT CONDUCT
The following cadets were awarded Excellent Conduct for the 4th grading period.
Congratulations!
Brad Baker
Tyler Baldwin
Nicholas Borgstedte
Hunter Bowman
Joseph Buoniello
John Burkhart
Anthony Burnes
Michael Colonna
Chris Covington
Mason Covington
Kyle Cross
Connor Delaney
Tyler Eckenroth
Daniel Fannon
Robby Foley
David Frezzell
Jack Gustafson
Brandon Hairston
Marcus Hampton-Gayle
Tré Hardaway
Brandon Hinners
Grant Holmes
Sam Hwang
Jesse Jacobson
Josh Kelly
Suk Ju Kim
Evan Lindquist
John Long
Gavin Marks
Merric Mercer
Nathan Moneymaker
John Nash
Atta Nasir
K.C. Nwosu
Thomas O’Connell
Brent Olsen
Tanner Pedersen
Ben Piermarini
Randy Reynolds
Yuvraj Taneja
Hunter Thomasson
Adam Van Alstyne
Nik Westmoreland

The Bayonet 4 March, 2007
By Joseph Kotapish
Luray Caverns Field Trip
Our trip to Luray Caverns was a blast. First, we had to wait in a line
so they could make sure we were all there. That took about three to
five minutes. Then we started to go in the cave where we met our
tour guide named Paul. He first told us some history about the cave
and how the first people discovered it. He told us the rules that we
were not to touch anything because it was against the law to do so.
Then we started our tour of the cave. He pointed out many different
types of minerals and how long each took to form a stalactite or
stalagmite. As we went further into the cave, he showed us a pool
of water that reflected what was on the ceiling so it looked as if the
pool was at least ten feet deep even though it was only a couple of
inches. Paul then showed us a column which is a stalagmite and
stalactite formed together to make one big column. It is also called
Pluto’s ghost because the men who first explored the cave thought
that it was a ghost following them. The guide then took us to an
organ that had no pipes. It used the stalactite as pipes because a
man figured out that you could make different notes with different
lengths of stalactites. We then took our last stop at the wishing
well, where we could throw money into a pool of water and make a
wish. After the end of the tour, we got to look around through the
gift shop at all the different rocks and toys. Before we left, we
looked around the car museum and saw many different types of
amazing cars from old Rolls Royces to Mercedes Benzes. The
whole trip was a blast. I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
By Josiah Wines
There have been a lot of trips this year, but I think the most fun and
fascinating trip was when the seventh grade got to go to Luray
Caverns in Virginia. When we got there, it didn’t look like there
were any caves around but that was until we went downstairs into
the caves. At first it was dark, wet, and a little scary. Once we got
down to the main level, it was really cool. We were told not to
touch the stalactites and stalagmites because they might break or
we would stop them from growing. At first I thought it was going to
be boring, but once we got deeper into the caves, I figured out this
is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Some places we went
to inside the cave were the wishing well and Pluto’s Ghost.
Although my wish didn’t come true, it was still very cool. At the end
of the tour, there was an organ and we were shown that the
stalactites could actually be played with a stick that had a rubber
tip. After we got out of the cave, we went to the gift shop and car
museum which had over 120 cars in it. The whole trip was very
cool and I would like to thank CPT Garriss, CPT Miller, CPT
Balhoff, and Mrs. Barber for taking us. It was a good time.

The Bayonet 5 March, 2007
Off Campus Trips
The Last Ski Trip
By Adam Manning
On Sunday, the fourth of March, we went to
Wintergreen Ski Resort for the last time with FUMA.
Mrs. Barber, CPT Sparks, and Mrs. Kilpatrick took us
on the trip. Cadets Jack Gustafson, Daniel Fannon,
and I rode with Mrs. Kilpatrick in the car. We all
listened to some crazy tunes and had a fun ride.
When we got there, Jack and I decided to go with
Tanner Pedersen onto the Devil’s Eyebrow slope. We
had a lot of fun and ended up running into a FUMA
alumnus who was the Battalion Commander of the
Upper School years ago. He talked to us and told us
about different ways to stay on the right path while we
are at FUMA. I then ran into one of my good friends
and we hung out with her which was also a lot of fun.
On the way back, we were all very tired and ready to
return to school and hit the bed.
Amazing Grace Movie Trip
By Adam Manning
On Friday, March 2 nd , CPT Garriss took some of the
FUMA boys on a trip to see the movie Amazing Grace.
I happened to be walking by just as they needed a
replacement and got to take the empty seat! We
drove to Short Pump in Richmond to see the movie.
Cadet Daniel Fannon and I sat next to each other
along with John Burkhart and Kyle Cross. The movie
was very good and made me feel sad for all the
slaves. After the movie, we went to Short Pump mall
where we went to the food court and ate and talked to
some of the other people around us. We all ate some
good food and then CPT Garriss was kind enough to
let us walk through the mall with him and go looking
around. The trip was a lot of fun and probably one of
the favorite ones that I’ve been on in my two years
attending the school.
Cadets of Quality
This year the Cadets of Quality trip was great. The
trip was a “thank you” from MAJ Blanchetti and LTC
Feathers for exceeding the expectations set by
FUMA. On the trip we were able to enjoy a peaceful
afternoon at CiCi’s pizza restaurant. Just to be able
to kick back, relax and enjoy time away from school
was enjoyable but to also have great food on top of
it was even better. Although we did not see a movie
like last year’s Cadets of Quality trip, this year’s trip
still seemed to be just as enjoyable.

The Bayonet 6 March, 2007
Sports News
Lacrosse Conditioning
By Connor Delaney
When lacrosse tryouts started, a lot of people signed
up hoping they would make the team. The head
coach, CPT Vanmoerkerque, decided for the four days
of tryouts he would test our running and strength
ability. Monday and Wednesday were strength days
which meant that we did a lot of physical training. We
did things like bear crawls, Army crawls and a lot of situps.
On Tuesday and Thursday, CPT Vanmoerkerque
ran everyone in different drills for as long as he wanted
to! Overall the lacrosse tryouts weren’t too hard, just
because you eventually got used to it. Most of the
people who tried out for lacrosse made it, but those
who did not, don’t give up yet. You always have next
year.
By Daniel Duncan-Williams
Killer Tryouts
During tryouts we did different things throughout the
week. On the first day of lacrosse tryouts, we mainly
focused on strength training. Our coach, CPT
Vanmoerkerque made us do two laps around the field.
Then we got into four lines and did exercises like
mountain climbers and push-ups. On the second day
of tryouts, we did agility training and ran all day. On
the third day, we did strength training again and did a
lot of strength building routines. It was a very tiring
day for us and, thankfully, the last day. It was also fun,
but we ran more than ever and that sums up what
lacrosse tryouts were like.
By Yuvraj Taneja
Spring sports have started! This was exciting to
everyone who tried out. For those in lacrosse, our
hearts were filled with joy and sorrow due to the image
in our heads of tryouts. The reason we were sad was
because of how difficult they ended up being.
Although we didn’t want to try out, we did because we
love the sport. On the first day we did some strength
training which helps test our ability of working together
and how strong we are physically and mentally. The
following day consisted of a day of agility which tests
our ability to run for long periods of time and also how
we push our teammates to keep going. Everyone who
went through tryouts can say that we got stronger and
we began to form a trust with our teammates just by
surviving tryouts.

The Bayonet 7 March, 2007
Sports Continued….
By Adam Manning
A couple of weeks ago, the winter indoor sports
ended, opening the opportunity to move onward to the
warm spring outdoor sports. The baseball tryouts
consisted of twenty people. At first, due to having
minimal space, a few people had to get cut. We
practiced running, hitting, throwing, and pitching.
CPT Cox, LTC Washington, and MAJ Friski are the
coaches. Coach Friski is new to the Middle School
baseball staff this year and is working with the
pitchers. Cuts went up last Monday and fifteen guys
made the team. Our first week of practice came as a
surprise to me. It looks like we have a very good
team, and I think we will be having a great season.
Baseball
By Morgan Gillette
Currently at Fork Union Military Academy, baseball
tryouts are being held. CPT Cox is the team’s coach
and he is tough when it comes to trying out. Tryouts
consist mostly of running for the first couple of days .
This is followed up with some hitting and throwing
toward the end of the week. The cut list will be
posted on February 28 th and the team will consist of
about fifteen players, including myself. I think Fork
Union’s Middle School baseball team will be tough to
beat.
By Michael Colonna
Baseball tryouts were really fun this year. The
coaches are CPT Cox, LTC Washington, and MAJ
Friski. About 18 people tried out for the team. The first
two days were the hardest because we did a lot of
conditioning. We ran around the football field, we ran
sprints, we ran hills, we ran the bleachers, and did 300
crunches. During the rest of the tryouts, we worked on
hitting, pitching, and fielding in the infield and the
outfield. One time when I wasn't paying attention, the
ball hit me on the head and I fell down. It hurt, but it
was also funny. All in all, we thought baseball tryouts
were fun.

The Bayonet 8 March, 2007
Pennies for Patients
By Brandon Hinners
My Christmas Trip
By Joseph Kotapish
My trip to India was probably the best trip I will ever
go on in my life. It was truly a splendid time. The
trip started out in New Delhi, the capital. The city
was probably the most crowded because of all the
business and commuters there. We stayed in New
Delhi for three days and then we flew to Agra. This
is where we saw the Taj Mahal. This is one of the
Seven Wonders of the World. It was a really fun
time. We then flew back to New Delhi and stayed
there for two days and then took a train to Jaipur.
This is where we got to ride elephants. I loved riding
the elephants because it was much better than
walking and it is always fun to ride an elephant!
This city was also called the Pink City because most
of the buildings and houses were made out of a pink
colored brick. The best part of the whole trip was
when we flew down south to Cochin. This was an
amazing sight. We stayed in a hotel right on the bay
so we could see all the boats coming in and out of
the harbor. I got to see huge oil tankers and freight
ships coming in also. My family and I got to go on a
nice boat made out of wood and straw. That was a
boat that I will never forget. Goa is where my
grandfather is from, so we got to visit some of his
relatives and have a fun time with them. At a
beachside restaurant, we just went in the water and
then walked right up and ate our food. The water
was very calm and also very shallow. Goa was
probably my favorite place of all.
On Tuesday, February 20, 2007, Jennifer Stout from
the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society introduced a
fundraising event to the Middle School cadets. The
name of the fund is Pennies for Patients. Many kids
are diagnosed with these types of cancers all over
the United States. The Pennies for Patients program
is used to help find a cure and to financially help
families who have a child with leukemia or
lymphoma that might need it. The Middle School
cadets were taught about these cancers and how
they are formed. The cadets also watched a video
about a girl their age who has Leukemia and how
she has been coping with it. Each teacher was
issued a box to put in their classroom so the cadets
can donate change they may have to help these
unfortunate children. LTC Feathers made it a
competition between each advisee group to see
which group could raise the most money. The
winner gets a pizza party. It is great that FUMA can
be a part of a thing like this.
By Hunter Bowman
Paintball
Every other Friday, some of the Middle School cadets
get to play paintball. It’s a fun trip and we have the
opportunity to use the new course set up near the
pond right here at FUMA. There is one bad thing
about going to play paintball, we have to play with the
Upper School team! They have all of the newest and
best guns made and they are good. Fortunately it
doesn’t hurt that badly, only if you get hit over and
over. We had a lot of fun, so if you have the chance to
play, you should definitely take it.

The Bayonet 9 March, 2007
By Zach Garrett
Rank
My First Impression
of FUMA
There are two ways to get rank at FUMA Middle School. The
first way is by making Excellent Conduct. Making this
conduct status for one grading period will get you to the
status of Private First Class. Making Excellent Conduct again
will get the rank of Corporal. This first rank is of a noncommissioned
officer.
The second way to gain rank is through position. There are
many positions that receive rank. Laundry usually gets Buck
Sergeant by the end of the year. Color Guard has three
positions. Rifleman gets Sergeant First Class or Master
Sergeant by the end of the year. That decision all depends
on the conduct of the Color Guard members. Flag Bearers
get Master Sergeant or, if they are the best Color Guard of
that year, possibly First Sergeant. The last position is Color
Guard Commander. This position is an officer position and
will receive Captain by the end of the year, depending on
conduct status and the whole Color Guard.
Platoon positions are a little bit easier to acquire than Color
Guard. Assistant Squad Leader gets Buck Sergeant at the
end of the year. Squad Leader achieves the rank of Staff
Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant gets 2 nd Lieutenant. There
are other positions that can become open throughout the
year if you have been here for about a year or two and are
the best cadet you can be.
By Tyler Cox
Most cadets entering Fork Union are nervous that school
here is more like a boot camp. Fork Union is not like
that. Actually it’s very fun to join the Academy. It is a
school with high-spirited students. It’s only my first week
too! The food is delicious and not as bad as they
complain about. Another great thing is that the field trips
are great. They are not normal field trips either.
Wouldn’t it be fun to go to the Florida Keys for scuba
diving! Teachers here are also great. They help you
with everything you need. Here’s a tip: read the
regulation book before coming to the school. It helps,
big time! This is a must go to school.
New Faces
Parades
By Zach Garrett
When parade season rolls around, things will be pretty
different at Fork Union Military Academy. The parades will
occur every Sunday in May. Moving in a parade makes the
whole brigade of FUMA cadets look terrible if we don’t
practice and get our steps right. If you look down at your
shoes when you are marching, your white cap looks like a
spotlight that tells everyone “Look at me!” Parade season is
also when our trousers change from blue with a black seam
to white. The white pants are very nice and are only used in
parades and during the Middle School graduation. Parade
season is just around the corner, so be ready. Better yet
“Brigade, attention!”

The Bayonet 10 March, 2007
Classroom News
Spanish Class
By John Burkhart
History
By Zach Garrett
Spanish class is very interesting. This class counts
as our activity period which means the students
taking a foreign language do not have art, drama, or
computers. Students who do well in Spanish receive
a high school credit. The Spanish culture is very
interesting. There are many different traditions in
the Spanish culture versus America. The Spanish
language is very fast and many Spanish Americans
speak about three to four words per second.
Spanish politics is also almost totally different than
American politics. I have enjoyed my time in
Spanish class and look forward to learning even
more. It’s a fun and interesting class, thanks to Ms.
Page and the students.
The FUMA eighth grade history class is doing a
PowerPoint presentation on one weapon of our
choice that was used in World War I. The project is
due on the 22nd of February and we have had a lot
of time to work on it. This presentation has to be at
least 5 slides long and must last about two to three
minutes. I am doing my presentation on the Lee
Enfield rifle. It was a very common rifle used mainly
by the British. Some of the other presentations
include weapons like mustard gas, the Vickers
Machine Gun, the Tommy Gun, and many more
interesting weapons. Luckily for us, this presentation
is going to take the place of the final test for this
grading period. I think a lot of students will do well,
including me!
By Tyler Baldwin
Band
Every Friday morning, cadets have advisor-advisee
meetings and then an exploratory class of his
choice. Lacrosse stringing, cooking, band, and
German are just a few examples. I chose band as
my exploratory. It is taught by Chief Warrant Officer
Patterson. He knows how to play pretty much any
instrument that he picks up. Usually, he only accepts
people who know how to play instruments into band.
This year all of the cadets in the band have played
before with the exception of some of the sixth
graders. Practice begins with him meeting us in the
academic building and then marching over to Band
Hall. Atta Nasir, who is learning to become the
Middle School drum major, marches us over to the
hall. When we get there, we pick up our instruments
and prepare to play. Once Chief P. sees that we are
ready, he gives us the music that we will be playing
that day. We go through it as many times as we can
before it’s time for us to leave. We put away all our
instruments, stands, and chairs and wait for Chief
Patterson to say that we can go.

The Bayonet 11 March, 2007
Movie Trip
Photography
Cadet Ben Piermarini
Last weekend was a excellent conduct leave. Not all
cadets were able to go on leave, so CPT Keithley and
Mr. Keithley planned a movie along with dinner at an
Indian restaurant. On Friday after class around 2:15, we
all met in the study hall. There were about thirteen of us
went on the trip. First we went to see a movie only
because we had to kill some time before our dinner
reservations. The movie that we saw was called Wild
Hogs. It was a funny movie overall but it had its ups and
downs. After the movie was over, we went straight to the
Indian restaurant. At first I thought that the food was not
going to be so good, but after we had ordered the food, I
knew it was going to be good. I could not even read the
menu but the nice waiter helped me out and the food
was delicious. In the end, I enjoyed the trip a lot.
By Marcus Hampton-Gayle
Chapel
Usually every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, all of
the cadets gather for a thirty-minute chapel service.
Chapel is held by Chaplain Miller, but, on March 7,
2007, the head Upper School Adviser, Daniel Pearre,
decided to speak to us. I was extremely surprised
because I have known cadet Pearre for two years and
I did not expect him to lead a chapel service. Having
cadet Pearre act as the Chaplain was a great change
in the routine. Cadet Pearre talked to us about how he
went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic in
the village of El Toro. It was pretty cool that he did this
when he was only thirteen years old which helped all
of us realize that we can do things to make a
difference in the world and that we are not too young
to give a hand. Pearre's chapel service was one that I
will remember. It taught that you can do anything as
long as you have the drive to try.
By Chris Covington
This is a great class to take as an exploratory class if
you like to take photos. You will learn everything about
photography. You will learn about the camera as well
as Adobe Photo Shop on the computer. I enjoy it
because you get to go outside and tour the campus
while you take photos of it. We also learn how to fix
photos with Adobe Photo Shop. You get to spend time
working with CPT Garriss. He is a great teacher of
photography. He will give you the chance to take a lot
of photos. After you take the class, you can use CPT
Garriss's camera. This is a good thing because you
can take photos of your own and, if they are good, he
puts them on the Website and then gives you merits
for it. If you write an article about the picture, he will
give you merits for it, and if it is really good, Mrs.
Barber might put it in the school newspaper and give
you merits, too!
By Nathan Moneymaker
Concert
On February 16 th , fourteen Middle and Upper School
cadets went with LTC Feathers to see Chris Tomlin,
Matt Redman, and Louie Giglio perform live at the
George Mason Patriot Center on their How Great is
Our God tour. It was an amazing experience and
everyone who went left in a sense of wonder. Chris
Tomlin opened the concert and sang a few songs.
Then Matt Redman sang a few of his own. After
that, Louie Giglio presented an awe-inspiring
message on the greatness of God. He talked about
how big God actually is, presenting some thoughtprovoking
points about the size of the universe as
opposed to how big God must be. After the
message, there was a brief fifteen-minute
intermission. Chris Tomlin came out with a bang
after the intermission and played some of his bestknown
songs. It was an amazing time for everyone
who went.

The Bayonet 12 March, 2007
By Davey Brackett
Book Review
Brian’s Winter is a wonderful book written by Gary
Paulsen. He has a gift of being able to tell a story and
make the reader believe it is factual and that they are
experiencing everything that the characters are
experiencing. The way he tells the story in third
person makes you believe that you are recounting it is
probably the most amazing talent I have ever seen.
The story is like a sequel to Paulsen’s best-selling
novel Hatchet. It is a story about what would happen if
Brian hadn’t been found. He starts off the day after he
was rescued almost as if you weren’t expected to read
the last chapter and know he was found. He faces
trials of finding a way to make new clothing and
creates a better bow and arrow for hunting larger
game. He does these things in order to have food in
case he gets snowbound in his shelter. He learns how
to make snowshoes and flint arrowheads. This story is
an even bigger challenge for Brian than the first.
Happy Birthday to
You!
January
17 ....... Hunter Bowman
18 ....... Chris Covington
18 ....... Mason Covington
28 ....... Tyler Eckenroth
28 ....... Josh Kelly
29 ....... Hunter Thomasson
February
2 ....... Nik Borgstedte
8 ....... Mrs. Haislip
9 ....... Tré Hardaway
12 ....... Patrick Smith
17 ....... Nik Borgstedte
25 ....... Grant Smith
March
9 ....... Mrs. Worley
9 ....... Morgan Gillette
10 ....... Bailey Buoniello
21 ....... K.C. Nwosu
22 ....... Pierce Firth
31 ....... Mike Gaylor
Fork Union Military Academy
Middle School
The Bayonet
P.O. Box 278
Fork Union, VA 23055