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Midshipman Monument Climb Happens This Weekend At Naval Academy
Midshipmen will scale the Herndon Monument in Annapolis this weekend. The years-old Naval Academy tradition marks the end of plebe year.
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Midshipmen will climb the Herndon Monument Sunday, completing a years-old U.S. Naval Academy tradition. The event marks a right of passage for freshmen, or plebians, completing their first year.
This weekend's festivity features the class of 2023. The group was originally slated to complete the challenge during Commissioning Week in May 2020. The coronavirus pandemic forced the academy to reschedule, however.
About 1,000 midshipmen will embark on the voyage at 1 p.m. They will form a human pyramid to reach the top of the 21-foot obelisk.
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The class must then replace a "dixie cup," or plebe hat covered in vegetable shortening, with a midshipman cap. The task usually takes one to three hours.
Residents can watch all the action in downtown Annapolis on the Naval Academy campus, also known as the Yard.
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