Traditions

Everyone would agree that the one thing that makes West Point so special is not the facilities or the resources, but the people who work here. West Point is very rich in culture and history, but it is the people—the cadets, civilians, and officers—that make everything come alive and come together. As a cadet, your life is literally built around traditions.

Plebes have a rotating responsibility to announce ten, five, four, three, two, and one minute before formation, in a strictly formatted ritual known as “minutes.” This is a tough challenge when you have a class the period before noon meal formation. One young lad was hurrying back to do his duty when one of the tourii (the Latin plural of tourist, of course) asked him if he would pose with them for a picture. In a somewhat agitated state, he looked at her and said, “No lady, I got minutes!” Supposedly, she noted his name from his nametag and reported him to Main Office.

The typical daily schedule is as follows:

6 a.m.–6:30 a.m. PT

6:55 a.m.–7:30 a.m. Breakfast

7:35 a.m.–11:45 a.m. Class or study

12:05 p.m.–12:40 p.m. Lunch

12:45 p.m.–1:40 p.m. Commandant/dean time

1:50 p.m.–3:50 p.m. Class or study

4:10 p.m.–5:45 p.m. Intramural, club or intercollegiate athletics; parades; extracurricular activities; or free time

6:30 p.m.–7:15 p.m. Supper (optional, except Thursday)

7:15 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Cadet duties

7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Study conditions/extracurricular activities

8:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m. Study time

11:30 p.m. Taps

12 a.m. Lights out

All cadets receive Christmas, spring, and summer leave, along with the four-day Thanksgiving break. Christmas leave is normally two weeks in length, following the completion of first semester final examinations. Spring leave is about 10 days, including the weekends. Summer leave is about three or four weeks, depending on a cadet's military leadership training assignment. When academics begin, first classmen (seniors) get twice as many weekend leaves as second classmen (juniors). A plebe (freshman) will have only a few weekend passes. Plebes also may leave West Point for extracurricular, cultural, and athletic trips. There is also the traditional Plebe-Parent Weekend scheduled each fall. During Cadet Basic Training (six weeks long), new cadets do not have privilege periods because of the requirements of the intensive military training activities. There is a day set aside for a military family visitation, allowing new cadets a short time of relaxation. New cadets are also given time to call home on the weekend.