Mystic Seaport Magazine, Spring/Summer 2012 by Mystic Seaport Museum

SPRING | SUMMER 2012

CONTENTS

Voyage with us not only on land and sea, but wherever your curiosity takes you. The Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport is designed to lead you on a path of discovery. Whether it’s studying marine biodiversity off the coast of Florida, the impact of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, or the depths of our humanity in Literature of the Sea— Williams-Mystic students embark on the exploration of a lifetime. Biology students bond with filmmakers, mathematicians with anthropologists, English majors with chemists. We take to the open sea for ten days, hit the road on the West Coast, travel to Louisiana, and explore the wonders of Mystic Seaport. We examine geological history, maritime skills, environmental law, marine biology, and more. We also learn about ourselves, bringing everything into sharper focus. It’s one life-changing semester.

IN THIS ISSUE TM

Seascapes . ..................................… 4

Mystic Seaport magazine is a publication of Mystic Seaport

Advancement News................... 5-7 President STEPHEN C. WHITE

Museum Education History . ..... 8

executive vice presidents SUSAN FUNK MARCY WITHINGTON

Museum Education Briefs . .. 9-12

Editor Göran R BUCKHORN editor@mysticseaport.org

Participatory Museum . ....... 14-15

PRODUCTION Susan HEATH

contributors ALEXANDER AMES NAT ARATA INGRID H. BUCKHORN SARAH CAHILL JAMES T. CARLTON Katie Clark DANIELLE DIUGUID ELYSA ENGELMAN Chelle Farrand

JOHN FRASER SUSAN FUNK Brian Koehler KATHARINE MEAD NATHANIEL PHILBRICK ERIC ROORDA Krystal Kornegay Rose DAHL TAYLOR

The Morgan in Education ........ 16 Online Learning Community . .. 17 Williams-Mystic .................... 18-20 Munson Institute ...................... 21 Q&A ................................................ 22

Design Karen WARD THE DAY PRINTING COMPANY Photography Elysa Engelman DAN MCFADDEN DENNIS MURPHY HALLIE PAYNE ANDY PRICE Krystal Kornegay Rose

Museum Internship .................. 13

By the Numbers ......................... 23 On Books ...................................... 24

SUSANNAH SNOWDEN Mystic Seaport Photography Archives WILLIAMS-MYSTIC ARCHIVES

Editor's Picks ............................. 25 Kids’ Stuff..................................... 26

2012

Spring / SummER

On the Cover: Art by Pamela Zagarenski, a Stonington based painter and children’s book illustrator. For more information go to pzagarenski.com or visit the store WHYEVERNOT in Mystic, Connecticut.

For one semester explore the history, science, environmental policy, and literature of the world’s oceans. Live at Mystic Seaport in the coastal town of Mystic, CT. You’ll earn a semester’s worth of credit and transcript from Williams College. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors from ALL majors and ALL colleges are welcome to apply. Financial aid is available. The Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport 860-572-5359

ADMINISTRATION: 860.572.0711 MEMBERSHIP: 860.572.5339 PROGRAM RESERVATION: 860.572.5322 MUSEUM STORE: 860.572.5385 MARITIME GALLERY: 860.572.5388 VOLUNTEER SERVICES: 860.572.5378

DURING SPRING AND SUMMER THE MUSEUM WILL BE OPEN DAILY 9AM – 5PM ADDRESS: 75 GREENMANVILLE AVE. P.O. BOX 6000 MYSTIC, CT 06355 -0990 WWW.MYSTICSEAPORT.ORG

admission@williamsmystic.org www.williams.edu/williamsmystic

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A D VA N C E M E N T N E W S

Special Events at Mystic Seaport

S E As c a p es Mystic Seaport: The School of America and the Sea

has long been the mission of Mystic Seaport to attend to the broad education of its visitors and members, both young and old. Today our educational programs span kindergarten to

post-graduate levels in our effort “to inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” We provide both formal and interactive educational opportunities to expose our students to elements of our maritime heritage that have helped to define what America was, is, and will become. Museums in general are particularly good at expanding learning opportunities, but Mystic Seaport is especially well equipped to provide students with programs that are participatory, immersive, and multidisciplinary and which capitalize on both the depth and breadth of collections, museum educators, and campus assets. Further, primary source material (rare these days!) is considered in context to foster deeper understanding, and thus we can broadly complement the work that is done in more traditional academic settings. Mystic Seaport President Stephen C. White

In the 1980s, Howard Gardner presented his theory of multiple intelligences which evolved over time to include seven (and potentially two more) discernible intelligences or preferred modes for learning and expres-

sion, including spatial, linguistic, logical-mathematical, and bodily-kinesthetic. While each of us possesses all these intelligences to varying degrees, we generally prefer and find greatest success through one or two of these cognitive abilities. How fortunate we are that author H. Melville, painter J. E. Buttersworth, and yacht designer O. Stephens each found his preferred mode. But I propose for the sake of this issue (if not for the Museum itself), that Gardner omitted an important intelligence: sea intelligence. While he suggests that “naturalistic” is a potential eighth intelligence, I submit that our staff, members, and volunteers understand from personal experience the unique and powerful call of the sea, respond favorably to the motion of a vessel and the smell of the sea, and identify with that certain longing for what is over the maritime horizon. At Mystic Seaport we expose students to this sea intelligence and some take to it…. well, as a duck to water. Quite simply, Gardner’s philosophy stresses the importance of providing individuals with opportunities to explore and learn within their preferred or dominant modality. To that end, educators and parents should work towards getting students out of the traditional classroom setting and giving them the chance to connect to their own preferred manner in which to ex-

MAY 12-13 19-20 26-28 28 June 7-10 12-16 29 to July 1 29 to July 1 JULY 4 28 28-29 28 30 to Sep 16 31 to Aug 1 AUGUST 9-12 18-19 24-25 september 8 16 21 23 23 to Dec 31

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PILOTS Weekend S.O.S.S. - Safety on Sea & Shore Lobster Days Decoration Day

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Sea Music Festival Plein Air Painters of the Maritime Gallery WoodenBoat Show Small Craft Weekend

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Independence Day Dixieland Cruise aboard Sabino Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous Rum Runners’ Rendezvous Art of the Great Transatlantic Ocean Liners Moby-Dick Marathon

— Model Yacht Regatta — Antique Engine Show — HMS Pinafore Performance — Dixieland Cruise aboard Sabino — Coastweeks Regatta — Annual Members’ Meeting & Recognition Day — Antique Vehicle Show — International Marine Art Exhibition

Save the Date!

Mystic Seaport Annual Meeting and Recognition Day

 Friday, September 21, 2012 

ANNUAL MEMBERS’ MEETING & AFTERNOON TEA 3 -4:30 p.m. River Room State of the Museum Reports• Board of Trustees Elections Milestone Member Recognition • Memorial Tribute

perience the world, by exposing them to physical activities, drama, music groups, engineering

Special Member Activities 4:30-5:30 p.m.

activities, and, yes, maritime museums. Those who have been fortunate enough to come to

Tours & Programs

the Museum to experience Ship to Shore, Williams-Mystic, apprenticeships and internships,

For More Information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org or call 860.572.5322.

Brilliant, Ocean Classroom Foundation programs, and Conrad Camp (to name just a few) know what I mean. Without exposure to immersive sea experiences, some might never discover a latent potential or the possibility of linking their sea intelligence with spatial intelligence and becoming a shipwright, for example.



Enjoy this education issue, and feel welcome to give us a call to sign up for a program to connect with your sea intelligence.

Stephen C. White President

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The image used in Stephen White’s “Seascapes” is by CINDY BARON, Coastal Pilot 13 ½” x 34 ½” OIL For more information on this artist, please contact: The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, 860.572.5388

John F. Lehman Receives the Sixth America and the Sea Award

n October 18, 2011, Mystic Seaport held its sixth annual America and the Sea Award Gala to celebrate the Honorable John F. Lehman, Former Secretary of the Navy, for his commitment to America’s maritime past, present, and future. More than 200 people attended the gala, which featured special bottles of Mount Gay Rum provided by Remy Cointreau and a silver platter award created by Tiffany & Co. The evening festivities began with a patriotic performance by the USO Liberty Bells, followed by a Mount Gay Rum toast. The keynote speaker for the evening was Admiral Michael Miller, Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. Honored guests included David Rockefeller, Jr., Thomas Kean, former Governor of New Jersey, and Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State, who appeared via video. The evening con-

cluded with the presentation of the America and the Sea Award to Secretary Lehman. For over 30 years, Secretary Lehman has been at the forefront of American naval policy. He served 25 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve and attained the rank of captain. From 1981 to 1987, he served as Secretary of the Navy under President Ronald Reagan. A champion of the “600-ship Navy,” Lehman greatly expanded and refocused the role of the Navy in national defense strategy and developed the “Lehman Doctrine,” a two-front response to a Soviet invasion of Europe. A noted author, Lehman has written several books on naval history and strategy, including Command of the Seas (1988), a memoir of his tenure as Navy Secretary, and On Seas of Glory (2001), an account of key battles and events in the history of the U.S. Navy. Lehman served as

a staff member to Dr. Henry Kissinger on the National Security Council, as a delegate to the Force Reductions Negotiations in Vienna, and as deputy director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. He was a member of the National Commission on Terrorism Attacks on the United States, commonly known as the 9/11 Commission. The America and the Sea Award recognizes an individual or organization whose contributions to the history, arts, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American spirit and character. Prior recipients include Olin Stephens II, David McCullough, Thomas J. Crowley, Jr., William Koch, and Dr. Sylvia Earle. Mystic Seaport is grateful to honor their accomplishments and induct Secretary Lehman to this esteemed honor roll.

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ADv ANCEMENT NEWS

Nathaniel Philbrick

On November 5, 2011, Mystic Seaport celebrated

Charles W. Morgan’s 70 years in Mystic. famous historian and author Nathaniel Philbrick, who was one of the speakers on After the performance of Prince of Whalers, from left to right: Rick Spencer, David Littlefield, Geoff Kaufman, Linda Hart, Stephen White, George White, Richard Vietor, Maria Tucci, Joe Grifasi, and Brian Dennehy.

Celebrating the Charles W. Morgan’s 70 Years in Mystic

uring the week of October 28 to November 5, 2011, Mystic Seaport opened its doors to the public especially to celebrate 70 years of the Charles W. Morgan in Mystic. November 5 was a free admission day at Mystic Seaport, as it was the culmination of a year-long collaboration between the Museum and business and civic leaders in the Mystic area. The local Sail the Morgan 2014 committee, led by Melinda Carlisle and trustee Searle Field, brought a number of Mystic residents and business people together to join in the festivities and create events to honor this historic vessel. This dedicated group worked extremely hard over many months, and Mystic Seaport appreciates what they achieved on behalf of our institution. The celebration began on October 28 with a tremendous fireworks display sponsored by Mohegan Sun and culminated on November 5 in the keynote addresses in the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard with President Stephen C. White officiating. Noted historian and author Nathaniel Philbrick, who just had published his latest book, Why Read Moby-Dick?, was joined by Senator Richard Blumenthal, local volunteer Melinda Carlisle, and Museum trustee William Forster. All spoke eloquently about the importance of the Charles W. Morgan to the citizens of Mystic, to the people of New England, and to America. Philbrick made special note of his own personal connection to Mystic Seaport and the Morgan, retelling a story about how his father still cherishes a harpoon head inscribed with the initials C.W.M., which he purchased at a Mystic-area antique store on their way home from a visit to Mystic Seaport almost 50 years ago. It still hangs in his father’s

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study today, a token of his family’s respect for maritime tradition. Mystic Seaport was glad to host special guest Bob Lane, who as a sea scout, served as a member of the crew onboard the Morgan, on November 8, 1941, the day she arrived in Mystic. It was a particular honor to acknowledge Bob as one of the last surviving “crew members” of this remarkable whaleship. You can watch Bob’s address, along with those of the other honored guest speakers, on Mystic Seaport's website: www.mysticseaport.org This special day ended with the world premiere benefit performance of Prince of Whalers featuring noted performers Brian Dennehy, Joe Grifasi, Linda Hart, and Maria Tucci. The show, written and directed by George C. White, Chairman of the Mystic Seaport International Council, and sponsored by the Sea Research Foundation, was a remarkable success. Mystic Seaport chanteymen Geoff Kaufman, Rick Spencer, and David Littlefield provided musical accompaniment for the various dramatic readings that described whaling and the lives of those who set out on the sea, as well as the lives of their loved ones who stayed home. It was a one-of-a-kind/one-night-only-show, and the audience response was overwhelmingly positive. (To support the Charles W. Morgan project, a soundtrack from the show is available to purchase at www.mysticseaport.org/princeofwhalers) In all, the week-long celebration served as a wonderful way to launch the public phase of the $10 million campaign to restore and sail the Charles W. Morgan. With the sustained assistance of many in the local community, and the skilled staff in the Museum’s shipyard, the Morgan will sail again in 2014. Nat Arata is Vice President for Advancement.

this historic day, opened his speech by saying: “It is a great pleasure to be here today at Mystic Seaport, one of my favorite patches of earth on the planet. This is where history meets the water, where wood, cotton, tar, and iron are something more than artifacts; they are living-breathing components of a past that is as vital and relevant to us in the 21st century as it was 150 years ago when ships were what trucks, trains, jets, and even space ships are today: utilitarian and yet miraculous craft capable of venturing into unknown worlds. There are many beautiful and important vessels at Mystic Seaport, but the star of the show is why we are here today: the Charles W. Morgan, the only surviving American whaleship: a thing of salt-soaked wood, of ribs and planks, a floating factory that also happens to be a kind of magic carpet that has transported people of many ages, nationalities and ethnicities around the world and back. The Charles W. Morgan is a historic ship, but thanks to the courageous and wise folks at Mystic Seaport this most venerable of vessels is about to make history once again. After more than a century as a revered object, the Morgan is about to be imbued with the gift of life; she is going to sail once again…”

Scan the QR code with your smartphone to visit our “Charles W. Morgan 70th Anniversary Celebration” on YouTube.

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M useum E ducation H istor y

2 0 1 1 orion award winner Left: Mystic Seaport staff in 1949, from left: Carl Cutler, Curator; Lois Chesebrough, office; Charles Brooks, business manager; Marion Dickerman, education director; B. MacDonald Steers, assistant curator; Virginia Allen, office; Joe Herman, operations; and Clarence Beauchamp, operations. Not in the photograph, Doris Dewhurst, membership. Below left: In 1946, Marion Dickerman, friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, was appointed the first director of education at the Marine Historical Association, which later would be named Mystic Seaport. Below: In a photograph from 1953, two school boys are looking at what a sailor haD in his sea chest.

Above, The 2011 Orion Award winners: The West Broad Street Street School together with Mystic Seaport staff, Susan Funk, Sarah Cahill, Barbara Jarnigan, and Martha Stackpole.

Mystic Seaport – 66 Years of Educational Excellence Mystic Seaport has a long, proud tradition of using museum resources to enliven traditional classroom subjects. In 1946, the then Marine Historical Association established an education department, leading the way at a time when few museums fully embraced education as a core function. Led by the skill and vision of Marion Dickerman, friend and confidant of Eleanor Roosevelt and nationally known proponent of progressive education, the Museum immediately set a high standard of interactive, engaging museum teaching that continues to define Mystic Seaport. Far from stiff and formal, Miss Dickerman’s programs were vital and lively, reflecting the founders’ intent of creating a museum that was educational in nature, national in scope, and an inspiring force for the future. In an issue of Connecticut Teacher magazine, Miss Dickerman invited teachers to discover the benefits of bringing their students to Mystic Seaport. “Every school child needs a live Museum, for you can’t learn anything without experiencing it. Words, of course, are an experience, but unless they are backed by real, substantial, concrete happenings, they are not very enlightening … A child likes to see, handle and feel the things about which he has learned,” she wrote. In 1948, more than one thousand school children visited Mystic Seaport. Many others

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Top left, Evan, a fourth grader, wrote a movie about going back to 1840 in a time machine and filmed it at Mystic Seaport. Left, Aurora, a fourth grader, was interested in learning more about examples of art of the Charles W. Morgan. After researching, she couldn’t pick one painting to recreate so she created her own depiction of the Morgan based on many great examples!

2011 Orion Award Winner: West Broad Street School as we explore exciting new and contemporary teaching tools and techniques that meet the needs of 21st-century students. As you will see in this issue of Mystic Sea-

“Every school child needs a live Museum, for you can’t learn anything without experiencing it. “ – Marion Dickerman enjoyed an educational maritime experience through the traveling “Sea Chest Program” by which a replica sailor’s sea chest packed with books, pictures, an album of sea chanteys, scrimshaw, and a half model was shipped to students as far away as Michigan, Colorado, and Vermont. Although these early efforts might now seem quaint, their enduring goals of active engagement with important ideas

port Magazine, the Museum continues to be a noted leader in museum education, featuring innovative collaborations with teachers, schools, and other educational institutions. Today, we reach more than 30,000 students a year on the Museum campus and in classrooms. Countless others from around the world access the institution’s resources digitally. From half-day field trips to the full-semester Williams-Mystic residential college program, Mystic Seaport has a full scope of multidisciplinary offerings that inspire students of all ages to learn more about the maritime world as they experience it for themselves. Join us in the adventure!

and real artifacts through inquiry and discov-

Susan Funk is Executive Vice President of

ery continue to guide the Museum’s strategy

Mystic Seaport.

This past fall, Mystic Seaport presented the 2011 Orion Award to the entire staff and faculty of West Broad Street School in Pawcatuck, CT. The Orion Award recognizes educators for their commitment to utilizing the Museum’s collections, programs, and learning resources to create meaningful and innovative learning experiences for their students. Terry Jordan, the principal of West Broad Street School, and her entire team were awarded the Orion Award because of their creativity and initiative in integrating the Museum’s educational resources into their classrooms. They have a vision of creating a “seaport school” as a Center of Excellence, in which the curriculum is fully intertwined with and supported by the Museum’s education department. As part of this vision, all students at West Broad Street School have the opportunity to experience Mystic Seaport in a way that is connected to and a part of their curriculum. It becomes more than “just a field trip,” and develops into an extension of the classroom. “Students have been able to immerse

themselves in learning about Mystic Seaport, which has made history come alive for them. They have expanded their questioning skills and developed probing thoughts to learn more about the relationship between the past, present, and future of southeastern Connecticut. There is an excitement build-up for our students every time we had a Museum educator visit our classrooms or we were able to visit the Museum grounds,” said fourth grade teachers Emily Noyes and Allyson Lubs. Throughout the school year, Museum educators have visited the school for experiential programming, and students have come to Mystic Seaport for immersive hands-on experiences that complement and solidify what they are learning in the classroom. Noyes and Lubs continued, “Students were presented with the opportunity to complete a performance task using multi-media based on their work with Mystic Seaport, and delved into books, online resources, and their personal experiences to develop their projects. They created skits, posters, Pow-

erpoints, movies, scrapbooks, timelines, and even artistic representations. The first semester of their project culminated with a showcase of their work just before Christmas.” The 2011 Orion Award winners, Terry Jordan and her staff, are passionate, exuberant, and communicate the joy of learning to their students in a way that is inspiring. We are honored to have them as partners. Sarah Cahill is Director of Education at Mystic Seaport. The Orion Award was introduced in 2005 to pay tribute to the Museum's 75th Anniversary. It is named for one of the most familiar constellations–the Hunter Orion, son of the sea god Poseidon–which has often marked the course for many seagoing vessels. For more information about the Orion Award, and to nominate teachers to receive this award, go to www.mysticseaport.org/orionaward

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M useum E ducation B riefs

Nicholas Alley New Captain of Brilliant One of the truly remarkable learning tools at Mystic Seaport is our schooner, Brilliant. Designed by the young Olin Stephens and launched in 1932, she is now a New England legend. Mystic Seaport has been taking youth and adults to sea aboard her since 1953, making Brilliant the longest continuously running sail training program in the country. In that time, she has logged over 170,000 nautical miles and carried more than 11,000 teens and adults to sea. The value of sail training lies deeper than just teaching participants how to sail. It teaches the qualities of stewardship, resourcefulness, pride, humility, courage, strength, and grace. Leadership skills are taught by learning the necessity of taking direction and becoming part of a team that is absolutely responsible for the safety and well being of the vessel and the crew. Brilliant has been fortunate to have had exceptional captains throughout her life. Biff Bowker, her captain from 1962 to 1983 and George Moffett, captain from 1984 to 2006 were both recipients of Tall Ships America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is granted to an individual who has dedicated his life’s work to getting people to sea under sail and who has worked to preserve the traditions and skills of sail training. Additionally, Brilliant was awarded Tall Ship America’s Sail Training Program of the Year for a program

The Todd Wilkins Scholarship Fund

that significantly contributes to the development of seamanship, teamwork, leadership and navigation skills. “Being captain of the Brilliant requires someone who is not just an outstanding mariner, but someone who understands the special role the schooner plays in history of Mystic Seaport,” said Mystic Seaport president Stephen C. White. We are pleased to introduce Nicholas Alley as her new captain, starting in the 2012 season. Captain Alley has been a licensed captain for over 25 years, sailing aboard traditional vessels and brings extensive experience in sail training and education. If you are interested in the adventure of sailing aboard this “American classic” please visit our website or call 860.572.5322 for more information.

The Ship to Shore Program: A One-of-a-kind Maritime Experience The Ship to Shore program at Mystic Seaport offers school groups the opportunity to immerse themselves in history. Through exploration of the Museum’s 19th-century village by day, spending nights aboard the training vessel Joseph Conrad, and a series of educational tours, authentic demonstrations, and hands-on activities, the Ship to Shore program is a one-of-a-kind experience. The Museum welcomes a diverse range of schools, both public and private, from near and far. We pride ourselves in doing all that we can to ensure that any school with the enthusiasm to participate in this program is able to do so. Last month, March 2012, Ship to Shore again welcomed a group of underprivileged children from Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico, ME. Over a three-year span from 2005 to 2007, Ship to Shore was an annual highlight for the Mountain Valley Middle School students. The school’s teachers have maintained that, were it not

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the National Recreation Foundation. We are honored to continue the Foundation’s mission of striving to develop leadership, social skills, and proactive healthy lifestyles for at-risk youths. Thanks to the assistance of the NRF’s grant, students from the school in Maine had the opportunity to spend three days and two nights on the grounds of Mystic Seaport. While here, they learned first-hand about the cultural history of New England’s for the Museum’s program, their students would rarely travel beyond the borders of their remote hometown. In recent years, financial troubles have befallen the school, preventing the students and teachers from enjoying their annual adventure in Mystic. After a four-year absence, we were pleased to welcome back Mountain Valley Middle School to the bunks aboard the Joseph Conrad. Their return was made possible thanks to a generous grant from

coastal communities. They experienced a lot, from stargazing in our Planetarium, singing songs of the sea with a chanteyman, and interacting with an 1876 roleplayer. They also created handmade keepsakes using traditional sailor’s tools, explored historic vessels both on- and below-deck, and even ventured aloft by climbing the rigging on the Joseph Conrad! Brian Koehler is the Assistant Manager of the Ship To Shore Overnight Program.

At last year’s fundraising sail with the Mystic Whaler on Fishers Island Sound, close to $10,000 was raised. From left to right, John Eginton, Captain of the Mystic Whaler; Todd’s sister, Kellie Kulick; his niece, Emily Kulick; and his mother, Jane Wilkins.

The Todd Wilkins Scholarship Fund at Mystic Seaport was established in 2003 by Jane and Richard Wilkins in memory of their son, Todd, who had died the same year. Todd Wilkins was a passionate sailor and instructor in the Museum’s sailing programs. As a young boy, for several seasons, Todd was one of the crew aboard the Mystic Whaler, which then had Mystic as her homeport. The income from the endowment supports scholarships that are available for youths and teens taking the following Museum programs: Teen Brilliant Program, Youth Community Sailing, and Joseph Conrad Summer Camp. For more information about this scholarship, please go to www.mysticseaport.org/ financialaid

Sing with me way, hey, hey, yah! It has been said that a true sailor would not handle a line without raising a song. And sailors from the age of sail underwent laborious tasks aboard ship in all kinds of weather and locations. To ease the burden and even boredom, the chantey rose up to cheer the soul and celebrate good company (and sometimes to poke fun at the ship’s captain and officers). The powerful cries and delights of the chanteymen still echo across the watery shore at Mystic Seaport. It is a rousing and heartfelt tradition being brought to this year’s Summer Day Camp lineup. At this camp, we will study the origins of In "Songs & Lore of the Sea" the campers will sing together with the Museum's chantey group. chantey music and incorporate hauling a line or other tasks. I can’t think of a better place or way Kaufman will be among musicians working with youngsters as to spend a week learning music. These work songs were developed a part of the “Songs & Lore of the Sea” camp at Mystic Seaport. with rhythms that fit the requirements of each shipboard job. Chelle Farrand is the Director of Summer Day Camp. When the work was done and it was time for rest, leisure songs, or “forebitters,” and dance music were popular. For more information about “Song & Lore of the Sea,” which is “I have been amazed over the years at how young people are offered July 30 - August 3, and other summer day camps, visit captivated by sailors’ songs, are willing and eager to sing along www.mysticseaport.org/summerdaycamp or call 860.572.5322. and then learn all these songs can teach,” says Geoff Kaufman, world-renowned musician and chanteyman at the Museum.

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M useum I nternship

M useum E ducation B riefs

Joseph Conrad Camp: A Camp that Brings Out the Best in You!

New Supervisor for the Treworgy Planetarium The Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport is distinctive because of its unique connection to marine navigation and maritime history. Last year over 22,500 people enjoyed Planetarium shows. In addition, the Museum brought the experience of the Planetarium to thousands of underserved students in New London, Groton, and other surrounding towns in Connecticut. As exemplified by these statistics, many people know and appreciate the value of the Planetarium, but we believe it is an underutilized gem, and that it has the potential to reach many more people. As part of our effort to elevate the prominence and scope of the Treworgy Planetarium, we are pleased to announce the hiring of Jeffrey J. Dunn as the Jeffrey J. Dunn new Supervisor of the Planetarium. While it will be impossible to replace the incomparable Don Treworgy (former head of the Planetarium for 44 years and for whom the Planetarium is named), his legacy inspired us to find a dedicated and passionate leader who will guide the Treworgy Planetarium into its next phase and to expand and enhance its reach and programming; a leader who will sustain and build upon Don’s vision. We believe Jeff Dunn has the skills and talents to accomplish this. Jeff, who has a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Masters degree in Geography, has done research in education and Geographic Information Systems as a doctoral candidate at UConn. He has experience in hands-on workshops for educators, and creating innovative educational resources for use by professionals as well as the general public. He has a wide range of technical skills in his field. Jeff has a passion for astronomy that is apparent from the minute you meet him. He is also a member of the Gamma Theta Upsilon International Honors Society. Sarah Cahill is Director of Education at Mystic Seaport.

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For over half a century, the Joseph Conrad Summer Sailing Camp at Mystic Seaport has given thousands of young men and women the opportunity to learn how to sail in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. The Museum grounds provide the perfect setting for a weeklong camp experience that has been the summer highlight for many youths over the years. Campers between the ages of 10 and 15 bunk overnight aboard the Conrad, and learn to sail on the Mystic River using the Museum’s fleet of Dyer Dhows. Daily sailing instruction begins in the classroom, and is followed by dual sailing sessions in the morning and afternoon. Evenings are filled with maritime-related activities such as a visit to the Planetarium, a chantey show, and a downriver cruise on the steamboat Sabino. Many campers choose to return year after year to reunite with friends and fine-tune their sailing skills. Alumni of the program often return between the ages of 16 and 18 as sailing assistant volunteers, and a few have continued on as instructors. One camper who exemplifies the spirit of Conrad Camp is 2011 scholarship recipient Sara H. She returned to Mystic this past year for her fifth year as a camper. Like her previous visits, she began the week without the distinction of most skilled sailor, but her progress over the course of the week was exceptional. It was a windy week of Conrad Camp for our intermediate sailors, and Sara first caught the attention of our instructors as her signature black and orange sail #28 tipped over far more frequently than the other Dyers. While many campers would grow frustrated with so many capsizes, Sara was always eager to climb back into her boat and continue to improve herself as a sailor. Her persistence in the face of difficult odds illustrates what Conrad Camp is all about. In Sara’s words: “Not only does the Conrad Camp teach and instruct you on how to sail, but it also helps build self-esteem, mental and physical strength, and friendships.” Speaking on the transformation that is possible at this camp, Sara adds, “I used to be shy at school, and at all my other camps, but the Conrad program brought out the best in me.” Now that Sara is 16 years old, she will be joining the Conrad Camp staff this summer as a sailing assistant. For more information about this camp please visit www.mysticseaport. org/conradcamp or call 860-572-5322. Brian Koehler is the Alternate Director of the Joseph Conrad Summer Sailing Camp.

Katharine Mead on a Project Oceanology cruise

2011 summer interns, left to right, Maggie Stack, Claire Keller-Scholz, Erica Whyte, Alex Ames, Amber Lea Clark, and Katharine Mead

Alex Ames sailing on the Mystic River

Program Summers by the Sea: The Museum Studies Internship

hat could be better than spending an entire summer at Mystic Seaport? Each summer for the past 30 years, graduate students and upper-level undergraduates have headed to Mystic to complete an internship in museum studies. They spend ten intense but fun weeks learning all parts of museum work, from interpreting exhibits to working behind the scenes with staff on new exhibits, programs, or collections projects. Summer interns also spend one day a week exploring other exemplary museums such as Plimoth Plantation or the New Bedford Whaling Museum, plus they discuss readings in museum theory, maritime history, and public history. To get the full Mystic Seaport experience, interns climb the rigging, row a whaleboat, learn to drive remote-control model tugs, or help with the all-night Moby-Dick Marathon. Interns receive a modest stipend to cover living expenses and can elect to receive college or graduate credit. Former interns have gone on to work at museums, universities, and schools in this country and abroad. Last year, more than 60 applicants applied for six spots, some of which were co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities or by the University of Connecticut. The 2011 interns came from diverse educational and life backgrounds, with a broad geographic reach from Connecticut to Louisiana. Two have stayed involved with Mystic Seaport since their internships ended, and they tell their stories here. Elysa Engelman

“From Minnesota to Mystic Seaport,” by Alexander Ames My home state of Minnesota may be “the land of 10,000 lakes,” but it’s just about as far away from the ocean as possible in this country. I am a graduate student in the public history program at St. Cloud State University, and my summer 2011 Mystic Seaport internship helped me focus my professional interests within the diverse realm of public history. Spending ten weeks at the Museum also exposed me to aspects of American history with which I had previously been unfamiliar. Now back in Minnesota, I am working on a project with Mystic Seaport based on new perspectives I gained during my internship. While at Mystic Seaport, I particularly enjoyed work related to museum education and outreach. I am now collaborating with the Museum’s education department to bring Museum resources to Minnesota K-12 classrooms through virtual field trips and primary source-based curriculum materials. The project is a two-year collaboration of Mystic Seaport, the Pine City, Minnesota School District, and Resource Training & Solutions, an educational services

cooperative in St. Cloud, Minnesota (also see page 16). We hope to study effective ways for the Museum to reach classrooms across the country with it whaling material. I am thankful for the opportunities with which Mystic Seaport has provided me. My summer internship helped me hone my career interests and inspired me to reconsider how to teach history in interesting ways. My current project allows me to put my new ideas into action.

“A Dana Descendant Goes Digital,” by Katharine Mead It’s true: before last summer, I rarely visited the beach and had never been sailing. I arrived in Mystic with no maritime knowledge and left in August with a budding passion for the sea that may have been dormant all along – my dad recently remarked that I’m probably the first in my family to climb aloft on a square rigger since my great-great-great-grandfather Richard Henry Dana, Jr., spent his two years before the mast. I started with just one excellent summer, but once I returned to nearby Brown University I knew, like many others, that I couldn’t stay away from Mystic for long. I’m currently working on a senior year capstone project that weaves together my work at college and as a museum intern, bringing our summer project to completion. The Greenmanville iPad Tour will provide visitors, specifically students and families, with an in-depth guide to the Mystic Seaport grounds as the Greenman brothers used them in the 19th century. Using this mobile technology brings the archives to life by putting historic photographs, original documents, and objects from the collection into visitors’ hands as they explore the grounds. Students can further develop their analytical skills by learning how we research the local story of the Greenmans and discussing what the historical record can and cannot provide. My work on the project will continue throughout the spring 2012, and I’m looking forward to seeing what this year’s Museum interns will do in such an educational, challenging, and fun program.

Are you interested in becoming a museum-studies intern? The 2012 interns have already been selected, but you can find more information for next year at: www.mysticseaport.org/summerinternship Are you an internship alum who wants to connect with other former interns to reminisce, catch up, or network? If so, contact summer internship coordinator Elysa Engelman (Summer 1992 Intern) at: elysa.engelman@mysticseaport.org to reconnect. SPRING/SUMMER 2012

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Participator y M useum

Participator y M useum By John Fraser

“Do-ing” History Together

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ne mother said, “When we do history together, we can have a discussion at the dinner table about what we learned.” That mother summarized what will allow us to remain a great nation: the ability to think together as families. My parents made dinner conversations a chance to make sense of what we learned each day, punctuated by my dad’s jokes and puns that kept everyone laughing together, even as the milk spilled. Some 40 years later, my sisters are retiring after 35 years as teachers while I continue my work as a learning researcher trying to uncover what drives people to want to learn. My parents still have the tomato-sauce stained dictionary that sat on the kitchen table, but it wasn’t the book that made us learners. My parents were quiet adventurers who thought experience is the best teacher in ways that closely parallel the thoughts of that mom who is quoted at the beginning of this article. “We do history together,” is

poetic recognition that we don’t gain knowledge alone, we learn together, and make history when we put the parts together. We DO history. But more importantly, we DO history TOGETHER. One of the things researchers have been learning from the study of the museum experience is that DOING makes the learning stay with us. It’s about experiencing something real, honest, authentic, and figuring out something new. Museums have amazing real stuff, but that stuff is given life when it is useful for our futures. Dr. Louise Chawla, one of the leading researchers in youth experiences at University of Colorado, has shown that significant life experiences aren’t one-time events, they are built on a lot of previous experience developing trust with the adults who share these experiences with us. Life-

changing moments happen when attentive caregivers validate a child’s epiphany and reinforce their beliefs that they have the capacity to think in new ways. Back in the 1960s, my parents spent a lot of time taking us to places where history was unfolding; we did history together in ways that Louise Chawla describes in her studies. Today, however, the challenges we face as a society seem more technical, the stripmall and chain store sameness has created a placeless landscape, and security concerns prevent parents from allowing their children free-range exploration. The teachers I’ve interviewed from across the country lament the loss of authentic opportunities to make abstract theory real. We hear about nature deficit disorder, but it’s not just nature deficit, it’s a deficit of the real. Kids are missing the opportunity to experience the uniqueness of their place in America and to do something about making that place better. But most museums are not schools. When we ask parents or teachers what’s unique about learning in museums, they start with things, but quickly turn to the people who make the experience real. They chat about that special guide or expert who opens new doors. One dad who visited Mystic Seaport said, “In the past, it was just some cool things to see, but it didn’t have as much impact. [The experience] helped them realize they are making a connection with the past.” That’s what makes museums special. It’s not the racks of stuff, but the people who bring that stuff to life in collaboration with visitors. As academics, we’ve started to use a lot of jargon to describe this phenomenon of DO-ing history together. We’ve called it the participatory museum, or co-creation of experience. We’re finally starting to study how learning together in places is satisfying, enjoyable and important. I’ve seen joy in parents’ eyes as they reason together about how a harpoon might work, or shudder at the

thought of whale oil lubricating a car engine. That’s doing history together. Museums matter because they connect learners to things that matter close to home; they discover their internal passion as learners because the museum is tangible and a real place that knows they are there. If they can collaborate with others to use these resources to make a change in their community, people realize what it means to be a contributor in our democracy. And being a valued contributor helps learners build skills that are important to our future. As a nation, we’re short on people who can think creatively, who can think through complex problems, and who can collaborate to implement solutions. Effective collaboration is what we learn when we DO history together, when we construct shared meaning and connect our now to the “then” in a museum. That's what we learn when we co-create. When America was founded, Congress

passed the Army Act to create a standing army to defend our fledgling democracy. In that act, they included a clause that defined museums in ways that we have yet to embrace. The act required every army base to have a museum to teach the principles of democracy and to help soldiers feel the passion to lay down their lives to protect those principles. Since then, there have been few if any museums that have experimented with how to use a museum to teach principles of democracy. But today, over 200 years later, we’re finally seeing some experiments that are trying to embrace the participatory, democratic experience in museums. We academics have our eyes on places like Mystic Seaport, because it’s time to rewrite the rules on how we use museums and museum resources in our lives. Being useful means inventing seamless new experiences that take resources out to users, on the web, in boxes and kits, and inviting users to contribute to this knowledge world. The Mystic Seaport’s experiments with co-creation are important to the museum community because they are redefining how to be a knowledge partner. They are showing museums a new way to be at the kitchen table like my parents’ tomatostained dictionary. The museum community is watching Mystic Seaport to see how its co-creation experiments with families can help us to rewrite the rules about how museums can be used so we can all be better at “doing” history together.

John Fraser, Ph.D. AIA, is a conservation psychologist, an architect and educator currently serving as President and CEO of the New Knowledge Organization, which is an entrepreneurial non-profit think tank dedicated to the study of how society comes to terms with the grand challenges of our time. Dr. Fraser holds adjunct faculty positions at Hunter College of CUNY and Columbia University.

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T he M organ in E ducation

O nline L earning C ommunit y The whale eyeball, a favorite with Online Learning Participants.

he cargo of the Charles W. Morgan in the 21st century is education. Over the course of the 70 years that the Morgan has been at Mystic Seaport, one million students have walked on her decks and explored down below. What is it about this vessel that has captivated these students over the years? This whaleship is a portal into the past and a living, breathing artifact that enables students to imagine what it was like to sail on her in the 19th century. She is an exciting and versatile resource at the center of the Education Department’s new and innovative programming with schools. The Morgan serves as a tool for contemplation of more sophisticated educational themes. For instance, through transnational contacts and exchanges, American mariners established and sustained international commercial relations and cross-pollinated

Adventures in the Museum: Opening Up Collections with the Online Learning Community Project

“I am so excited to utilize

The Charles W. Morgan: Centerpiece of Mystic Seaport’s Education Programs distinctive cultures: specifically art, music, literature, and foodways. Furthermore, the volatile high-risk, high-profit maritime industry served as an important economic engine throughout the 19th century. Finally, through our changing perceptions of our acceptable stance toward whales and whaling, Americans have shown a dramatic shift in their understanding of humans’ place in the natural world. Education staff translate these themes to fit the age and grade level of students, and then engage students in hands-on learning that relates to the themes. In addition to conveying content knowledge related to state standards in social studies and science, our educational programming plays a critical role in helping students build historical thinking skills. Historical thinking is defined as the process that leads students to “raise questions and marshal solid evidence in support of their answers; to go beyond the facts presented in their textbooks and examine the historical record for themselves;

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Students from the Morgan School in Clinton, CT, on board the Morgan.

to consult documents, journals, diaries, artifacts, historic sites, works of art, quantitative data, and other evidence from the past…” (from the website of National Center for History in Schools, December 14, 2011 at www.nchs.ucla.edu/Standards/ historical-thinking-standards-1). The Charles W. Morgan is an ideal artifact to help students hone their historical thinking skills. For example, this past December, Advanced Placement high school history students from the Morgan School (no relation, but quite a fitting name!) in Clinton, CT, used her as the focal point for a research project designed to enhance their historical thinking skills by becoming “historian detectives.” Students

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were presented with four interconnected themes that are crucial to the story of the Morgan: the whale, the ship, the people, and the money. Students then determined essential questions about each of the themes and developed a research strategy for uncovering clues about those themes through primary sources. Another example of how the Morgan is used involves teachers in Minnesota. Mystic Seaport, Resource Training and Solutions (an educational cooperative in Minnesota), and the Pine City MN School District have partnered to expand the Museum’s educational outreach to the Midwest. This past fall and winter, Pine City teachers implemented curriculum materials that ad-

dressed themes in maritime culture, with a focus on whaling and the Morgan, while meeting standards and preparing students for testing. The Pine City School District launched different student activities. Seventh-graders read an abridged version of Moby-Dick on their iPads with maritime artwork and historical information from Mystic Seaport, and history students read a journal kept by a sailor onboard a whaleship from 1855 to 1858. Fifthgrade students read letters by a young girl, Maud Maxson, to her mother in 1870. Maud was traveling around Cape Horn to San Francisco without her parents. Art students critiqued paintings, figureheads, and other pieces from the collections of Mystic Seaport. In short, the Charles W. Morgan is a versatile platform from which sophisticated and engaging learning can take place. Sarah Cahill is Director of Education at Mystic Seaport.

Mystic Seaport even more than I already do. I had my eyes opened to all of the great artifacts that were ‘hidden’ in the back room.”

- Bill Furgueson, Williams School, New London, CT

Front and back of a hornbook from Voluntown, CT. Participants associated this hornbook from colonial times to today’s iPad. 1963.267.

eachers, parents, students, and homeschoolers were not too sure what they were signing up for in the winter of 2011 when they agreed to be participants in the Online Learning Community Project at Mystic Seaport. Luckily for them, it was an adventure that would lead them into “nooks and crannies” of the Museum that are rarely seen by the outside world. They were surprised when we lowered the barrier ropes below decks on the Charles W. Morgan, so they could get a close look at the captain’s quarters and see his gimbaled bunk. They were excited when they were set loose in the Museum village to explore and propose ideas for online activities. They eagerly flexed muscles as they turned the cranks in the collections vault, exposing thousands of maritime treasures, and their jaws dropped when a delicate whale eyeball was placed in their hands. The adventure started in the summer of 2010, when Mystic Seaport received funds from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to create an online learning community. The focus of the project was to create a strong community of educators, students, and families who would learn to use the Museum resouces in new and exciting ways: online, on site, at home, and in the classroom. The project literally opened locked doors to more than 140 project participants, also known as “co-creators.” These cocreators were divided into 14 teams, each team meeting for four three-hour workshop sessions at the Museum. The participants included elementary, middle, and high school teachers from 29 local schools, traditional school families, home school families, and high school students. The teams explored important themes within the Museum, with the world-class collections at the heart of every workshop. They learned all about the life and current restoration of our star vessel in “The Magnificent Morgan” workshop; explored exhibits and shared “online concepts” in “Visit the Village”; and opened drawers and chatted with curators in “Connect with Collections.” In the final workshop, participants were invited to help us sift through and find a focus from the massive amounts of data collected in all of the workshops. Thanks to the hard work of all of the participants, the project now has a clear direction. We will continue to work with teachers and families to create special programming that meets their needs and brings our artifacts to life in classrooms and in homes. We will also work to create a website where the community will have access to collection records, and where educators and Museum staff will have the opportunity to express ideas on how to use the collections. We look forward to expanding the community in the coming years and sharing the treasures of Mystic Seaport through the Online Learning Community project! Krystal Kornegay Rose is the Project Manager of the Online Learning Community.

Sawfish bill from the collection, inscribed “Venezuela 1909.” 1949.2739

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W illiams - m y stic

Why Williams-Mystic? By Danielle Diuguid

The feeling that overwhelmed me most was how small I am. Whether it was on the ship, when our world shrunk to one small dot in a vast ocean, or standing in the redwood forest, surrounded by tremendous beings of another time, or the whale watch, visited by some of the largest mammals on earth, I was just continually struck by how much the world holds. And along with this feeling came a sense of urgency. This is only the beginning of the adventures I want to have in my life. This semester showed me how much is out here, and I want more. Lydia Brussiere (Fall 2010) It’s quite likely that Williams-Mystic will change you. Since the program’s creation in 1977, the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport has transformed the lives of 1,478 students. Simply mentioning “Williams-Mystic” triggers feelings of warmth and gratitude among alumni, as they reminisce about their undergraduate experiences. The name prompts stories from their 17-week adventure, where 20 students come together for a semester of immersion, exploration, and growth. The range of stories and experiences that Williams-Mystic alumni boast are as varied as the places travelled throughout the year. A program on the move, Williams-Mystic voyages ten days on the open sea and for weeks along the Pacific and Gulf Coasts to experience the diversity of sea life—and salty lives. As students experience life as sailors, they too are drawn to the ocean’s mystery. Spring 2011 student Herrick Sullivan captures one of these moments aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer:

semester, as the students undertake a comprehensive curriculum that blends and breaks traditional academic boundaries. Williams-Mystic’s educational philosophy, grounded in interdisciplinary, experiential learning, embraces the essence of a liberal arts education. The program uses four lenses—history, policy, literature, and science—as the basis for understanding the ocean, and rediscovering the world. Through these perspectives, students learn the complexity of environmental issues, recognizing that every viewpoint matters in order to grasp the entire picture. Meredith Mendelson (Fall 1999) conveys her appreciation for the holistic education at Williams-Mystic: The faculty wanted to see us completely engaged in our studies, getting our hands dirty so that we really saw a 360-degree view of every issue. While I may have learned in law school that you need to understand the opposing argument in order to strengthen your own, it was at Williams-Mystic that I learned to listen to a person’s story to understand what matters to them. Understanding interests, rather than simply hearing positions, is the key to creating effective, durable solutions to complicated policy issues. Students analyze John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row on Cannery Row in Monterey Bay, California, the original setting that inspired the novel. On another trip, they appreciate the fragility and resilience of the Gulf’s environment, collecting core samples along the Louisiana coastline. Home in Mystic, students conduct primary research in a variety of disciplines, often forging paths for their futures. Natalie Stephens (Fall 2001) remembers how WilliamsMystic helped solidify her professional direction: Nights spent wielding plankton nets in the Mystic River and maneuvering slippery docks at 2 AM made field research seem more like fun-filled escapades rather than simply data collection. Afternoons spent in meticulous classification of microplankton samples provided my first lessons in patience and diligence that became essential years later . . . My experiences played a significant role in my decision to pursue graduate studies and were also fundamental to my preparation for graduate level research. My time in Mystic broadened my perspective on what it meant to be a scientist and sparked an enduring fascination and appreciation for research and discovery.

Like fireflies, the strands of light swerved. As I stared, I began to notice fish-like figures at the center of each splotch of light. Dolphins frolicking in the spray! The word “dolphin” can turn heads on a ship. Only one of my companions caught a fleeting glimpse that night. But within a week, each of my classmates witnessed the bioluminescent phenomenon we now call “dolphin rockets.” The offshore voyage bonds biologists with filmmakers and mathematicians with anthropologists, creating a sense of trust and commitment among one another at the start of the semester. This collaborative attitude extends throughout the

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M unson I nstitute

After Williams-Mystic, alums notice thousands of marine creatures once unseen and better absorb the story of a local shrimper making sense of his livelihood after enduring the BP oil spill. Perspective—whether about the world’s oceans or not—is the heart of the curriculum, empowering students to become keen observers and narrators of the human condition. Filmmaker Peter Coan (Fall 1982) echoed this sentiment, recognizing that Williams-Mystic not only teaches you how to listen to stories, but how to share one yourself:

The NEH and the Munson Institute

The maritime literature class was better than any course that I took as an English major. The focus on writing—and rewriting—was intense. With any script I work with now, we are constantly reworking ideas and revising language to be clearer or more dramatic. Studying the works of writers like Eugene O’Neill, Herman Melville, and Joseph Conrad really helped me learn how to tell a story. It wasn’t an easy semester, but the rewards were worth every bit of the hard work. The journey brings individuals in touch with their stories, their lives, and their intertwined paths as stewards of the future. While Williams-Mystic graduates are sprinkled throughout the world, many have chosen to return to Mystic Seaport to work for the Museum that deeply affected their lives. At Williams-Mystic in particular, six out of the ten faculty and staff members are alums of the program, with semesters spanning from 1984 to 2009. As the Admissions Counselor, and both the newest and youngest member of our team, I ask my alumni family to share their countless Williams-Mystic experiences with me. These stories have become my greatest resource, as I recount their adventures to prospective students to excite them about this life-changing opportunity. I also share why I returned to Mystic over the glamour of New York City, the power of DC, and the novelty of San Francisco. The answer was simple. WilliamsMystic was monumental in my life as a place for earnest learning and maturation. I returned to work alongside my teachers, mentors, and friends. The diverse staff here challenges and inspires me each and every day. I was compelled to give back to and continue to develop the program, while helping students actualize their goals—that transformative experience that our alumni share. I tell prospective students that every alum has a different story about how WilliamsMystic taught them to think and to live. For me, Williams-Mystic taught me to live and love every moment of today. To use the past as a tool to understand today’s reality—not as a limiting factor to get lost in, as you’ll lose out on so much of the present. The “sleep when you’re dead” philosophy permeates our program’s daily life, where every minute, and sense, is used to ask questions about the world around you. Most importantly, Williams-Mystic taught me how to ask for help. A semester here is challenging: the program takes you out of your comfort zone mentally, physically, and emotionally. You learn to make mistakes and accept them not as failure, but merely as opportunities to redefine yourself. In 17 weeks, I learned that reaching out for help is a sign of strength, tenacity, and self-awareness.

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Perhaps this is why our alumni network is so strong—Williams-Mystic alums support each other. You can feel this energy at our annual alumni weekend, where the connection to Mystic Seaport is tangible. Why Williams-Mystic? This simple, threeworded inquiry defines my life today. Every time I answer the question, I share a different tale. Yet, even with the diversity of experiences, three universal outcomes define all WilliamsMystic alumni: a passion for the ocean, for learning, and for community. This is why I’m at Williams-Mystic, and why I encourage you to come explore the magic yourself.

Danielle Diuguid, a Spring 2009 alum, is the Admissions Counselor for Williams-Mystic.

he National Endowment for the Humanities has selected the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies to host a summer institute called “The American Maritime People” at Mystic Seaport in 2012. The five-week program will bring together twenty college professors and graduate students from around the country. The Munson Institute previously hosted NEH Summer Institutes in 1996, 2006, and 2010. It is a considerable accomplishment to garner one NEH Institute, while hosting four of them is a record of particular distinction. The NEH Summer Institute group will have the same dynamic experience that Munson Institute students do at Mystic Seaport every summer. They will gather daily in the Munson Room in the Blunt White Building to discuss books with the authors themselves, including Marcus Rediker (Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea), Jeffrey Bolster (Black Jacks), Lisa Norling (Captain Ahab Had a Wife), and Daniel Vickers (Young Men and the Sea). They will conduct field seminars in Stonington, New London, and Newport, and make the most of the Col-

lections Research Center by pursuing their own research projects there. Moreover, the NEH Summer Institute will use the Museum as its campus, with its exhibits and historic vessels complementing the classroom, as the Munson Institute has been doing since 1955, when Cora Mallory Munson funded a new center for maritime studies named in memory of her husband, Frank C. Munson. Both Munsons came from salty backgrounds, Cora from the shipbuilding Mallory family of Mystic, and Frank from Munson Steamship Lines. The idea for a summer graduate program originated with Mystic Seaport Curator Edouard A. Stackpole. The first director was Robert G. Albion of Harvard University, and second was Benjamin Labaree, who established the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Program, an undergraduate offshoot of the Munson Institute, in 1977. John B. Hattendorf of the U.S. Naval War College was the third director and continues on the faculty. Glenn Gordinier, Mystic Seaport’s Robert G. Albion Historian, has shared the directorship with the author for ten years.

Accredited by the University of Connecticut, the Munson Institute faculty also includes Mary K. Bercaw Edwards and Helen Rozwadowski, both of UConn-Avery Point and the Mystic Seaport Demonstration Squad; John O. Jensen of the Sea Education Association; Roderick Mather of the University of Rhode Island; and James T. Carlton, director of the Williams-Mystic Program. The alumni of the Munson Institute, who number approximately 650, are a virtual “Who’s Who” list of maritime historians. When the North American Society for Oceanic History convened at Mystic Seaport in June 2009, Gordinier asked everyone in the crowd who had gone through the Institute to go outside for a photograph, and the banquet hall at the restaurant emptied as if he had shouted “Fire!” With maritime studies gaining greater attention and importance as an academic field, the Munson Institute is looking forward to welcoming another group of scholars for the 2012 NEH Summer Institute. As previous NEH participants have done before them, they will take what they learn at Mystic Seaport into classrooms on college campuses around the country. Eric Paul Roorda of Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky, is Munson Institute Co-Director. For more information about the Munson Institute, please visit www.mystiseaport.org/ munsoninstitute SPRING/SUMMER 2012

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Q&A

BY THE NUMBERS

arah Cahill, who has been the Director of Mystic Seaport Education and Outreach since 2010, leads the Museum’s education department in its efforts to increase educational programs both on the Museum grounds and in schools, and focuses on strengthening the partnership between the Museum and schools. In spring 1992, Sarah was a student in the WilliamsMystic program and had Jim Carlton as her marine science professor. Jim has been director of the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport since 1989 and is a professor of Marine Sciences at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. His research is focused on the conservation and environmental history of coastal marine ecosystems, including modern-day invasions and extinctions in the world’s oceans.

Jim: Williams-Mystic is the only undergraduate program in the world to offer a rigorous look at the sea from multiple perspectives, combined with original research opportunities in history, policy, literature, and the sciences, while exploring the three coasts of North America, the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific, by land and by sea, all in one semester. We ask students to seek the threads that bind seemingly disparate disciplines, and discover, in the process, that the boundaries between history and science, or literature and policy, are often diffuse. We encourage interdisciplinary thinking of both great depth and breadth, using the world’s oceans as our platform.

Mystic Seaport Magazine asked Sarah and Jim some questions:

Sarah: One of my favorite moments was seeing underserved students’ sense of wonder and pride of accomplishment as they climbed the rigging on the Joseph Conrad. Thanks to generous donors, we are able to provide experiences like these for students who would not otherwise have the opportunity. I believe strongly that all students should have access to our programming regardless of ability to pay.

Why should a child, youth or student enroll in your programs at Mystic Seaport? Sarah: Students at Mystic Seaport can truly experience engaging learning that is handson and relevant to the “real world,” where academics are woven into the fabric of project-based learning. Our education programs are experiential; which is the kind of learning that really “sticks” with students and helps to enhance and solidify the learning that happens in the classroom. We make history come alive in a memorable, fun, and engaging way.

Tell us about a memorable moment you had during an event, a class or program.

Jim: The Williams-Mystic students went to the Gulf coast soon after the huge oil spill of the summer of 2010, and listened to the ground zero stories of the shrimpers and oystermen whose lives were fundamentally changed by the largest such event in history. We spoke to many of the same people a year later, in the fall of 2011, and learned that little had improved, and heard moving stories of a way of life, generations old, whose return they could not clearly foresee. Which is your favorite place or activity on the Museum’s campus? Sarah: While of course the Charles W. Morgan has a special place in my heart because she is the first vessel I climbed the rigging on while I was a Williams-Mystic student, I have to say my favorite place is the L.A. Dunton because she reminds me of my time working on the Lettie G. Howard; both are beautiful vessels with such amazing stories associated with them. Jim: We explore the rich marine life of Mystic Seaport. Hundreds of species of spectacular invertebrates, seaweeds, and fish live along the Museum shore, and provide a superb look into the biodiversity of New England’s ocean life. And our marine creatures tell extraordinary stories of maritime history, since many of our most abundant species have been brought to us by ships from Europe or far-flung corners of the Pacific Ocean since colonial times. Our latest arrival is a 3"-long Japanese shrimp, doing well right here in the Museum’s water!

By the Numbers: Museum Education College undergraduates who have have studied with the Williams-Mystic program since the start in 1977:

1,478

K-12 students who participated in education programming in 2011:

29,076

Months without educational programming at Mystic Seaport:

Scrimshaw pieces used in education programs in 2011:

1,263

Feet of rope made with students in 2011:

4,875

Students who climbed the rigging on the Joseph Conrad in 2011:

1,357

Participants in our Online Learning Community workshops in 2011:

146

Hours spent in Online Learning Community workshops in 2011:

168

School buses at Mystic Seaport each year:

644

Seats in the Treworgy Planetarium:

School professionals who came to Educators’ Weekend in 2011:

1,984 Dyer Dhow sailboats: 52 JY15 sailboats:10

Camper socks left in the bilge of the Joseph Conrad last summer:

Gallons of water consumed by Museum summer campers last summer:

1,965

Meals consumed by overnight students last year:

7,412

Miles travelled for outreach programs last year:

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2,453

Volunteer hours in the Education Department in 2011:

2,224

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Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and

What We Can Do to Save Them

By Ted Danson with Michael D’Orso (Rodale Books, 2011, 304 pp.)

Reviewed by Dr. James T. Carlton

e are fortunate to live in an era where constantly increasing attention is being paid to the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the world’s oceans. A sea of books has appeared in the past few years, including Sylvia Earle’s The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Oceans Are One (2010), Carl Safina’s A Sea in Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout (2011), and Paul Greenberg’s Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food (2011) – among many others. To this stimulating genre we can now add Ted Danson’s new book, Oceana (also the name of the conservation organization he co-founded). Oceana focuses on several of the most pressing anthropogenic pressures on the world’s oceans, including the consequences of oil drilling, the impact of aquaculture and the vast overextraction of fish, and global climate change (including ocean acidification). Interspersed through Danson’s and D’Orso’s eloquent text are vignettes from scientists, conservationists, fishermen, politicians, industry representatives, and others, in the form of personal essays, interviews, or brief biographies. Richly illustrated with graphs, artwork, and photographs, and punctuated with word-bite call-outs, Oceana makes for superb reading and contemplation–one that is at the same time both sobering and inspiring. Oceana is not an encyclopedia of all pressures now upon the seas of the world. Topics not covered in depth include water quality, dead zones, and the bioaccumulation of toxins; habitat destruction (such as the removal of a significant portion of the world’s marshes and mangroves); marine debris; and invasive species. But we cannot ask one book to take on all of the oceans and all of their challenges in one gulp, and numerous other resources and works cover these additional stressors well. A significant aspect of Oceana is Danson’s message that you can make a difference. At the end of each chapter are lists with dozens of ideas entitled “What You Can Do,” outlining specific actions and behaviors that will make a difference. Chapter 8 (Living Blue) is a 35-page virtual manifesto of positive paths forward, including enforcing the laws that are already on the books, eliminating fisheries subsidies, reducing the size of the world’s fishing fleet, using science-based quotas to set fishing limits, eliminating destructive fishing practices, creating marine reserves, and protecting key species. Oceana concludes with a list of 10 things each of us can do to live blue: join an ocean-support group, contact your representatives and vote responsibly, eat sustainable seafood, reduce energy use, use reusable plastic products, properly dispose of hazardous materials, use less fertilizer, pick up beach litter, buy ocean-friendly products (buy the book and see what he means!), and – critically, be a teacher, and share what you’ve learned. Dr. James T. Carlton, a teacher and research scientist, is a Professor of Marine Sciences at Williams College, as well as Director of the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program. The author of a number of books on invasive species and marine life, Jim is a Pew Fellow for Marine Conservation, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, among other honors. He shares with Ted Danson and several others the honor of being one of the Smithsonian Institution’s “Ocean Heroes.”

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Mystic Seaport Magazine |

SPRING/SUMMER 2012

Books by Williams-Mystic and Munson Institute faculty

Lobster by Richard J. King In his book Lobster, Richard King takes the reader on an entertaining voyage to all kinds of different areas when it comes to the history, biology, cuisine, and culture of lobsters. King, whose first summer job was as a fishmonger, but who is now Lecturer in Literature of the Sea at the Williams-Mystic program at Mystic Seaport, knows how to boil good stories about the “bugs,” as they are called by a captain of a lobsterboat. Richly illustrated, this is the book for all lovers of the lobster, and a must-read especially for those of you who like to devour them at the Museum’s Lobster Days at the end of May every year.

Perspectives on Race, Ethnicity, and Power in Maritime America and Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Power in Maritime America, both edited by Glenn S. Gordinier

Glenn Gordinier, who is Mystic Seaport’s Robert G. Albion Historian and Co-Director of the Munson Institute, has collected and edited papers presented at two conferences held at the Museum in 2000 and 2006. Together the books contain a total of twenty-two scholarly papers showing the numerous ways in which race and ethnicity are connected to the sea.

Fishing Out of Stonington edited by Fred Calabretta, with introduction by Glenn S. Gordinier, and conclusion by John Odin Jensen

In text and photographs taken from 1993 to 1996, this book records the fishing industry in the small village of Stonington in southeastern Connecticut. The text is based on oral interviews with fishermen and their families conducted through a Mystic Seaport project documenting the commercial fishing fleet in nearby Stonington. Still to this day, the whole community of Stonington comes together at the annual tradition of the Blessing of the Fleet.

Cannibal Old Me by Mary K. Bercaw Edwards One of the country’s leading Herman Melville scholars, Mary K. Bercaw Edwards, who, among other things, is a Lecturer at the Williams-Mystic program and Foreman of the Demonstration Squad at Mystic Seaport, investigates in Cannibal Old Me the interaction between the spoken and written sources which Melville borrowed to use in his first books. The young Melville heard or came across these stories during his four years at sea. One of his voyages aboard a whaling vessel took him to the South Pacific and “cannibal islands.” This is a book for all Melville fans.

Other books by Williams-Mystic and Munson Institute Faculty James T. Carlton (Editor, Author). 2007. Intertidal Invertebrates from Central California to Oregon. University of California Press. James T. Carlton and Lucius G. Eldredge. 2009. Marine bioinvasions of Hawai'i. Bishop Museum Press. Bella S. Galil, Paul F. Clark, and James T. Carlton (Editors). 2011. In the wrong place: alien marine crustaceans – distribution, biology and impacts. Springer, (Dordrecht, Netherlands) James T. Carlton and Gregory M. Ruiz (Editors and Authors). 2011. Assessing the relationship between propagule pressure and invasion risk in ballast water. The National Academies Press. John Bryant, Mary K. Bercaw Edwards, and Timothy Marr (Editors). 2006. Ungraspable Phantom: Essays on Moby-Dick. Kent State University Press. Glenn S. Gordinier. 2012. Surfing Cold Water. Flat Hammock Press. Eric Roorda. 2006. Cuba, America and the Sea. Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc. Eric Roorda. 1998. The Dictator Next Door: The Good Neighbor Policy and the Trujillo Regime in the Dominican Republic, 1930-1945. Duke University Press.

To order these or other books, please call 860.572.5386. Don’t forget your 10% Members’ discount!

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