9th Company, known as Team Tecumseh, transforms the statue with paint and props. USNA photo by MCNS Tramaine Wilkes.

No, they don’t all possess super-human abilities. They have all been painted on the statue of Tecumseh.

For as far back as most people on the yard can remember, members of 9th Company, known as Team Tecumseh, have transformed the statue with paint and props. Sometimes the theme is controversial, while other times it is family-friendly, but it is always well thought out.

''When we are planning out our themes, we look at a number of factors,'' said Midn. 1⁄C Lauren E. Eanes, Team Tecumseh’s leading Midshipman. ''We look at the opposing team’s mascot, the weather forecast, and the number of personnel available for that week.''

Because Team Tecumseh uses washable paint, weather is one of the most important factors for the Midshipmen. If the weather is supposed to be poor during the week, the team has to choose a simpler, more basic theme in order to finish in the allotted time.

Before the team can begin transforming the statue it must first be cleaned and scaffolding erected. This is all handled by a team of Academy Facility Management workers.

''Without those guys we would be nowhere,'' said Eanes. ''They work so hard to get this stuff ready for us so that we can just come out here and paint.''

Efficiency and timing are vitally important to Team Tecumseh. They must design, sketch, paint and build all of the props in one short week, and do so while still making time for academics, athletics, and other mandatory events and training.

''The time used for painting is normally a personal workout period or early study period for the rest of the Brigade,'' said Eanes. ''We sacrifice a lot of our personal time. It is pretty much the only unscheduled time in our day with the new schedule.''

Eanes has participated in Team Tecumseh since her plebe year, and said that it gives her an outlet for her more creative side.

''I was in art club in high school and really enjoy painting, but being that the Academy is an engineering school there aren’t a lot of opportunities to participate in art,'' Eanes said.

Volunteers are recruited from the incoming plebe class and typically have some artistic skill. In addition to artistic ability, members have to be academically and physically satisfactory in order to participate.

Team Tecumseh is always looking for the next great theme and encourages anyone with an idea to contact Eanes at m081902@usna.edu.