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On October 2nd, fellow senior scholar, Mallory Slucher, and I embarked on our journey
to the United States Military Academy to attend the seventy-fifth annual Student Conference on
U.S. Affairs (also known as SCUSA). SCUSA began in 1949 as an opportunity for civilians and
members of the military to discuss pressing Cold War foreign policy issues. The conference has
evolved over the decades, and each year hundreds of U.S. civilian students convene alongside
cadets from the U.S. as well as other nations to examine the critical foreign policy issues
impacting their generation. The theme of SCUSA ‘75 was “Securing the Blessings of Liberty:
American Foreign Policy in an Increasing Multipolar World.” With wars in Ukraine and
Palestine raging on, and the growing threats of China and Russia, the discussions at SCUSA
were sure to be engaging.
The bus from the Newark Airport to West Point was teeming with chatter among the
civilian delegates, meeting each other for the first time. Everyone was eager to share where they
were from and their foreign policy interests; Mallory and I were lucky enough to be seated by the
plebe (the West Point term for freshman) who was describing life at the Military Academy.
Listening to him speak, I realized that I did not truly comprehend all that the Military Academy
lifestyle entails, and this was a feeling that remained with me all four days of the conference.
Stepping onto the campus, I was struck by the beautiful stone buildings and the scenic views of
the Hudson River Valley where the trees had started to reveal their fall colors. Throughout the
four days of the conference, we were able to see most of the historic campus, including Trophy
Point, Washington Hall, and the Firstie Club.
After listening to the opening panel of distinguished guests, I settled into the barracks
with my two host cadets and quickly fell asleep in the top bunk they had generously offered me.
The next day, one of my hosts explained to me morning formation as I observed the daily ritual,
and then she graciously guided me through the expansive mess hall to breakfast. I spent the rest
of the day with my roundtable group—a mixture of West Point cadets, other civilian delegates, a
Canadian cadet, and a Polish cadet. Our roundtable topic was “Managing Conflict and
Cooperation in the Arctic.” This topic was one I had briefly learned about in a globalization
course, but I was grateful for the two subject-matter experts assigned to our roundtable. They
explained the national security risks and economic opportunities that are developing as sea ice
melts—creating new trade routes and complicating global power dynamics. Over the next two
days, there was much discussion of climate change, the Arctic Council, Russian and Chinese
motives, and the United States’ role in Arctic Policy. On the last day of the conference we
presented to all the civilian and cadet delegates our policy memo, which included our policy
recommendation to the U.S. National Security Council.
While I learned a significant amount about the Arctic and foreign policy, I think the
experience of being on West Point’s campus, staying in the barracks, and interacting with the
cadets proved to be an equally interesting learning experience. Every cadet I met was
welcoming, generous, and humble. They were all willing to answer my countless questions,
serve as an escort around campus, or merely take a moment from their busy day to talk to a
civilian. Even though they average six hours of sleep per night, they engage in rigorous
coursework, play a sport, and participate in various clubs and organizations. I remain impressed
by the level of discipline, resilience, and respect that I witnessed while at West Point. Now, when
my busy schedule feels overwhelming, I remind myself of the West Point cadets who are doing
the same amount of school and extracurricular work in addition to their physical fitness and
leadership requirements. I am grateful to have been able to attend SCUSA, and it has become
one of the best experiences I have had while in college.
Piper Coleman is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2025. She is studying geography, political science, and philosophy.