First-year Naval Academy “plebes” are relentlessly sprayed with cold water as they work to build a human pyramid around the vegetable shortening-covered Herndon Monument with the goal of knocking off a “dixie cup” hat and replacing it with an upperclassman’s hat at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Members of the 2027 midshipmen’s class took two hours and 19 minutes to scale the 21-foot greased monument and replace the hats, signifying the end of their “plebe” or first year at the academy. I May 15, 2024 I 📸: somophoto, 🎥: alexwongcw I #GettImagesNews #GettyImages #USNavalAcademy #Herndon #annapolis