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West Point Offers More Than Military Courses

Posted on: Sunday, 11 June 2006, 15:00 CDT

By Lauren Roberson, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

Jun. 11--Cadet Sgt. Shawn Goodin of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., visited the Panama City area recently. But he wasn't here to recruit.

Goodin was here to inform the public about West Point. "We actually volunteer to do this," he said. "It gives people who are interested in the academy and opportunity to find out more.

West Point is a top military academy, but the school doesn't offer only military courses. It has academic, leadership and physical aspects, Goodin said.

He said students must pass a medical review and physical exams consisting of push-ups, sit-ups, running and basketball drills.

"A nomination can be from a local representative, House (member) or state senator," he said. "They may also be nominated by the vice president or president."

"The intention of going to West Point is to develop you into a leader and to develop you into a leader of the Army," said Goodin.

For students interested in other fields of study at West Point, there are other classes available.

"Just within the last two years they instituted majors," said Goodin. "West Point was the first engineering school in the nation. There's a lot of variants of social sciences, and psychology just like any other school for the most part."

Goodin is a 2004 graduate of Pampa High School in Pampa, Texas. While in the Panama City area, he was on Kat Country radio, and he spoke with students at Port St. Joe High and members of the MAPPS program at Mosley High School.

"West Point is designed to be a leadership school. We have some kids coming out of the (military) force," said Goodin.

"You might branch into engineering or you might branch into military intelligence, but it all goes back to everybody being a soldier."

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Copyright (c) 2006, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The News Herald

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