Directorate of Cadet Activities
Directorate of Cadet Activities
About
All for the Corps!
The Directorate of Cadet Activities (DCA) is the primary advisor to the Commandant on all matters pertaining to the extracurricular and social activities of the Corps of Cadets. DCA provides and supports a wide array of extracurricular social, cultural, and recreational programs and services that enhance the leader development of the Corps of Cadets.
DCA oversees the operation of a host of auxiliary services that financially support cadet activities, such as the Academy Store, Eisenhower Hall Theatre shows and various auxiliary food service facilities throughout the campus.
100% of the proceeds from the following services, provided by the Directorate of Cadet Activities, go towards the funding, organizing, and hosting of the Corps of Cadets events and activities.
The Academy Store
The Academy Store (formerly the Cadet Store and Bookstore) offers quality products tailored to cadets’ everyday needs in a convenient, central location at Thayer Hall. Products include school supplies, military inspection supplies, rank and replacement issue items, field training supplies, health and beauty items, books, snacks, and beverages. The Academy Store also offers West Point apparel, gifts, and specialty gift items including sabers, frames, and cadet busts. Guests of cadets are welcome.
Dining and Catering
The Corps of Cadets have available to them DCA auxiliary food service operations, such as Grant Hall, the First-Class Club, and the Library Coffee Café.
Ike’s Catering takes pride in delivering exceptional cuisine and service to the cadets, staff, faculty, and guests of the United States Military Academy.
Grant Hall, a central social venue at West Point for over a century, offers casual dining and a relaxed ambiance for West Point cadets taking a break from the mess hall. Grant Hall offers quality choices including pizza, burritos, sandwiches, soups, coffee, and more.
Hours:
7 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday
7 a.m.- 2 p.m. Thursday
7 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday
11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Phone: (845) 916-4958
Upperclassman cadets and their guests are welcome for bar service and snacks, live music, and special events. Amenities include a full bar with large-screen televisions, game tables, outdoor seating, and a private conference/event room.
Hours:
6-11:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday
6 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Saturday
Looking for a boost while studying or visiting West Point? Stop by our convenient location on the ground floor of Jefferson Library, where we proudly serve freshly brewed Starbucks coffee!
Hours:
7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Closed Saturday-Sunday
Ike’s Catering provides year-round service for events ranging from intimate gatherings to large-scale functions. Located at the iconic Eisenhower Hall, Ike’s Catering delivers a wide variety of delectable meals for both on-site and off-site occasions.
Phone: (845) 938-4456
Fax: (845) 446-5863
Eisenhower Hall
DCA offers cadets, West Point, and local communities first-class cultural arts and entertainment through the offerings of Eisenhower Hall Theatre, also known as Ike Hall, where the excitement of Broadway plays and musicals are standard fare. Opera, dance, symphony orchestras, comedians, staged spectaculars, country, and rock are all on the menu.
Events and Milestones
DCA supervises cadet officers for each Class Committee, the Ring and Crest Committee, and the Cadet Brigade Activities Officer. The Directorate plans and executes major Class Weekend traditions—such as Ring Weekend, Plebe-Parent Weekend, 500th Night, 100th Night, and Graduation—while also providing commemorative mementos for these milestones. DCA additionally supports special events, social activities, and recreational programming throughout the cadet experience.
Cadet Publications
DCA’s Cadet Publications Branch produces the award-winning Howitzer Yearbook, the West Point Bugle Notes, (known as the Plebe “Book of Knowledge”), the Mortar Magazine, (Camp Buckner Mini-Yearbook), the West Point Planner, the West Point Wall Calendar, and an arts/literary exhibit. All publications are available for purchase.
Social Development
The Directorate promotes cadet social development through a robust cultural arts program that offers entertainment, artistic appreciation, and academic enrichment. The Cadet Social Development Coordinator (“Cadet Hostess”) mentors cadets on professional social norms and expectations for junior officers. DCA also supports Corps traditions, class weekends, and formal and informal events that strengthen cohesion and enrich the cadet experience.