Semester at Sea - fa17

Semester at Sea Fall 2017 Voyage Around the World

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Travel Tips For Your Next Voyage

How Studying Abroad Changes your Life

Students use Music to Transcend Barriers

OH SHIP!

Life on a floating campus

Inside the issue Spain..................................................................................... 1 Through Different Eyes............................................ 2 The Voyage of a Lifetime.......................................... 7 Ghana................................................................................... 8 Men are from Mars Women are from Venus........ 9 Got Clubs?................................................................. 10

South Africa........................................................................ 11 More than Meets the Eye......................................... 12

Nowhere to Run........................................................ 13

Sunny Skies and Stormy Seas.................................. 14 India..................................................................................... 15 The Core of the World Odyssey.............................. 16

Myanmar.............................................................................. 17

Not Enough Water at Sea......................................... 18 Potatoes, Bread Rolls and Pasta, Oh my! .............. 19 One Man’s Trash, Another Man’s Duty................... 20

Vietnam................................................................................ 21 The Sound of Music.................................................. 22 A Piece of Home at Sea............................................ 23 On Board Traditions................................................ 24

China.................................................................................... 25

Perceptions of SAS.................................................... 26

How in the World?.................................................... 27

Japan..................................................................................... 28 Travel Tips................................................................. 29 Hawaii / Synchronicity....................................................... 30

Note from the Editor Feature Writing, with Professor Pamela Hollie, a former New York Times foreign correspondent, was a course that taught a basic understanding of foreign correspondence and guided students toward a mastery of journalistic feature writing skills. We found that throughout the course we also gained an appreciation for the responsibility journalists have not only to their readers, but also to history.

In the final days of the voyage, we began to see the need for a project that would document our time abroad and at sea. We set out to commemorate our voyage and to produce this magazine.

The collection of articles range from life on the ship to tips on navigating new countries. There was so much we could have written about, but it was impossible to cover the dozens of clubs, the scores of activities, the weeks of classes or to properly thank the staff, the faculty, the crew and the SAS executive team. Our floating campus, the MV World Odyssey, was a community and a family, which when it tragically lost a member, mourned in unison.

We hope this publication will serve as a reminder for Fall 2017 voyagers of the adventures had and the memories made. And perhaps, it will give insight to prospective voyagers.

This project was a collaborative effort. We pooled our individual talents and ideas to produce an end result that we could all be proud of. We would like to thank all the Semester at Sea voyagers who contributed to this publication in the form of photographs, interviews, or stories and we would especially like to thank our knowledgeable guide, Professor Hollie.

Riley Lewis

Riley Lewis Editor in Chief

Acknowledgements

Top row (left to right): Sophia Busse, Sophia Elghanayan, Eva Pearson, Arielle Taramasco, Nikola Boskovic, Lexi Schupbach, Samantha Long, Victoria Bartelt Middle row: Morgan Shearer, Katja Tunkkari, Xinlu Li, Pamela Hollie, Ruoyi Song Bottom row: Olivia Hume, Mary Boynton, Bailey Blanton, Genamarie Rosado, Riley Lewis, Teshu Agarwal

Professor: Pamela Hollie Editor in Chief: Riley Lewis Coeditors: Katja Tunkkari, Mary Boynton, Sophia Busse, Sophia Elghanayan Design Editor Sophia Busse Coeditor: Sophia Elghanayan Photography Editor: Arielle Taramasco Photographers: Arielle Taramasco, Sophia Elghanayan, Sophia Busse, Mary Boynton, Eva Pearson, Genamarie Rosado, Xinlu Li Journalists: Sophia Busse, Sophia Elghanayan, Eva Pearson, Arielle Taramasco, Nikola Boskovic, Lexi Schupbach, Samantha Long, Victoria Bartelt, Morgan Shearer, Katja Tunkkari, Xinlu Li, Ruoyi Song, Olivia Hume, Mary Boynton, Bailey Blanton, Genamarie Rosado, Riley Lewis, Teshu Agarwal Contributors: Steven Edwards, DeontĂŠ Lee, Margaret Devlin, Jeff Kurnick, Melanie Grosso, Tanner Ralls, Noni Abdur-Razzaq, Kathleen Egan

Dear Diary,

Spain

Upon arriving in Spain I was met with an influx of new feelings. Looking back on it now, Barcelona seems like a lifetime ago. It was the first stop in my crazy four-month voyage, and it was filled with new and unexpected experiences. Spain was the only country I visited where I had predetermined plans. Three of my friends from school were studying abroad in Madrid , and we made arrangements for them to fly into Barcelona and for us to stay at the same hostel for a few nights. Upon seeing them, I was ecstatic. After eight straight days of meeting strangers, playing icebreakers, and forgetting names, it was a welcomed sight to have some familiarity and stability. This voyage is all about new experiences, and I was concerned that maybe I had made the wrong move by stepping back into my comfort zone by meeting up with my friends.

However, it didn’t take long for us to realize that staring at the beauty of La Sagrada Familia was a lot different from watching Netflix in our dorm rooms. During our stay together, my friends and I kept repeating things like “Can you believe we’re actually in Spain right now?” and “I would’ve never thought two years ago the four of us would be trying tapas together in Barcelona.” My experience with my friends from home in a foreign country really reminded me of how small the world is. My fears of not stepping out of my comfort zone were replaced with thankfulness and a wonderful sense of being close to those who matter.

Steven Edwards

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Semester at Sea Through Different Eyes...

J

ames Bratt, a U.S. history professor at Calvin College, was not planning to be on the Fall 2017 voyage. But while teaching in China, he was contacted by a friend who was the religion teacher on the spring voyage. He asked Bratt whether Semester at Sea would be something that he would be interested in doing in the fall. After speaking with his wife, Tina, they decided to go for it.

Bratt values the tight knit community, his relationships with his students, and the opportunity that Semester at Sea allows for fostering informal communication between professors and students.

“In a way it’s a stronger community, because we are all enclosed in this small space. At the same time we know it’s very temporary, so it’s kind of like a time-out, and the relationships are more informal,” Bratt said.

On the ship, Bratt teaches three classes designed to compliment the voyage and prepare students for the on-shore portion. One of his favorite parts of Semester at Sea is the opportunity to travel on shore with students, both on field classes and field programs.

“I think going on these on-shore trips together, especially the field classes, creates a better bond than just the usual Monday, Wednesday, Friday drop-in for 50 minutes, drop-out sort of thing,” he said.

Overall, Bratt is overjoyed to have come across the opportunity to travel with Semester at Sea. He and Tina plan to sign up for a second voyage!

Story by Sophia Elghanayan

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Lifelong Learners Carol B Tom and

eeler

(left to right) Jack, Andrew, William, Megan, and Henry Gaillard

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emester at Sea’s community is comprised of people from around the world, including university students, gap-year students, crew, faculty and accompanying family members. On the Fall 2017 Semester at Sea voyage, individuals of all ages seeking an academic travel experience attend, and ten of them were known as Lifelong Learners.

Traveling with Semester at Sea, the Gaillard family of five, saw the experience from different perspectives. The parents, Megan and Andrew, considered Lifelong Learners, attended classes every day.

Their three children, Jack, Henry and William, had their own special schedules as Ship Kids. Megan and Andrew believed participating in Semester at Sea would be a good opportunity for them to learn something new, spend more time together as a family, and for their boys, ages 13, 9 and 7, to see the world.

the programs offered to all voyagers onboard. It aims to enhance the relationship between community members and make people feel at home. The Gaillards had the largest “extended family” on the ship, with 13 members total, and regularly plan game nights and family dinners to strengthen their bonds with the students.

“Getting to interact with students daily is part of the gift that Semester at Sea gives Lifelong Learners.”

“Getting to interact with students daily is part of the gift that Semester at Sea gives Lifelong Learners. Learning about their lives and trips is enriching for us,” Megan said.

“This is an amazing period of time that we can get offline and out of our hectic schedules back home to experience other people and cultures together. Hopefully, our kids will look back at this as a formative and leading period of their lives,” Megan said.

Tom and Carol Beeler, two other Lifelong Learners on the fall voyage, decided to apply for Semester at Sea after traveling to 132 countries together. After encountering Semester at Sea students and faculty in ports over the years and hearing the enthusiasm for the program, it seemed like a natural fit.

The Gaillard family decided to sign up for the Extended Family program, one of

The couple is also involved in the Extended Family program. Additionally, Carol

Kathlee n Egan and

husban d Bill

participates in the Lifelong Learner’s book club.

“I am pleased with Semester at Sea largely because of the interaction with students, faculty, staff and also the learning and insights that classes provide. Sometimes the number of sea days get to us, but overall, the trip has been excellent,” Carol said.

For Lifelong Learner Kathleen Egan and her husband Bill, Semester at Sea was a way to combine traveling around the world, education and the ability to get in touch with younger generations. The Egans are already promoting Semester at Sea to their granddaughter, seeing the study abroad program as an exciting possibility.

Kathleen expressed that their perspective differs from other students on the voyage due to the historical associations in some of the places Semester at Sea travels to, such as Vietnam, and the resonance having lived through different periods of time. “[Semester at Sea] takes us back to our own college days, realizing how similar we were to how you are now in some ways, as in your enthusiasm and love for music, and how different in others,” Kathleen said.

Story by Sophia Busse & Xinlu Li

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The Ship Kids “Never let your age exceed the number of countries you have been to,” Global Studies professor Don Gogniat said.

This is the goal for the majority of the students, but for 20 of the passengers on the Fall 2017 voyage, this dream is already a reality. The 20 ship kids, ranging from 2 to 16 years old, have already visited more countries than their number of years.

Just like the college students, the ‘ship kids’ spend their ship days in class. The children are homeschooled by their parents with the help of the larger community of teachers to make sure that they do not fall behind.

“It is very difficult for kids to let their parents teach them, but we are lucky to have committed tutors that come to volunteer everyday,” said Megan Gaillard, a mother of three.

Their schoolwork is based on the curriculum at their home schools, and the parents work with their kids to make sure they stay on track. College students with special skills, such as foreign language, provide tutoring sessions for the kids. Their school day is from 9 to 11:30 a.m. with structured play time from 2 to 4 p.m.

Some of their favorite activities are ‘SASopoly’, a Semester at Sea version of Monopoly.. A ship kid is never seen alone. Gaillard also emphasized just how enthusiastic and generous the college students are with the kids. Whether it was sharing the ball on the sports court or just saying a simple hello in the hallways, they are always making an effort to include the kids.

Semester at Sea does its best to provide activities for the kids throughout the voyage. This includes lectures from Captain Kostas and faculty members on the ship. A spelling and geography bee challeneged the kids. They also learned calligraphy, sign language, dance and different languages from students on the ship.

During their time in country, the kids can travel independently with their families or participate in Semester at Sea field programs. According to Gaillard, the kids enjoy traveling and spending time with the college students and their extended Semester at Sea family.

Like the college students, for the ship kids the MV Odyssey has become a home away from home.

Story by Samantha Long

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Fish out of Water

How International Students Adapt to a New Campus Culture

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ot understanding what the Super Bowl is doesn’t stop international students aboard the MV World Odyssey from battling ethnocentrism and integrating into the ship community.

Although they are small in number, international Semester at Sea students make sure to leave a mark on the ship community through meaningful conversations and friendships.

“I find it impressive how they deal with academics while speaking their second or third language,” said P. F. Kluge, Kenyon College’s writer-in-residence and a professor on board. “They surely don’t need a special provision on the ship, or to be catered to,” Kluge added.

In the eyes of international students, being international has a lot of benefits. Christina Brook is the only student from New Zealand and attends Middlebury College in the U.S. She considers her experience of living in different countries

Fall 2017 Davis Scholars

a huge advantage when it comes to integrating into a new culture at each port the ship visits. Other international students, however, consider the lack of knowledge about United States’ culture the largest obstacle when trying to integrate into the shipboard community.

“I’m from Georgia and I have never been to the States before. It’s hard to engage in conversations about United States’ college life for me, so I’m still learning,” said gap-year student Nanka Gotidze.

The United States’ culture is not the only problem international students face. Sara Sepic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina noticed that meetings meant to teach students about the upcoming ports needed to better incorporate the perspectives of international students. For example, comparing a country’s size to the size of various U.S. states doesn’t help international students comprehend the size of the country. There are many ways to deal

with the issues of intercultural insensitivity on the ship. International students found that the best way to do so is through friendly conversations, rather than stage presentations.

“I would like to show people on the ship how to contribute to the African countries meaningfully, instead of just donating money and thinking ‘I’m a philanthropist’,” said Nozipho Nstebeza, student from South Africa.

The learning process is not one-sided. International students look forward to using their time on the Odyssey for learning about all the cultures they immersed themselves into.

For some it’s about obtaining new contacts, while for others it’s all about learning American efficiency and how to prepare to operate in a U.S. centered corporate world.

Story by Nikola Boskovic

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Interport Student Lecturers Kaisersaal- My Anh Le, the

interport student from Vietnam, is crying over the goodbye presents that she received after pre-port. During her time on ship, she gave eight presentations and seminars and made dozens of friends.

To be selected for Semester at Sea as an interport student, she survived a tough competition at the school and city level. After succeeding in the first round, the next hurdle was a Skype interviewing with Semester at Sea. The SAS team was very interested in her background as a journalism major student, despite other candidates with better English skills.

Dean John confirmed that when the Institute of Shipboard Education office chooses interport lecturers and students, their background is one of the most important factors. It helps to determines the topics that the lecturer or student can talk about. When looking for interport students, SAS looks to local universities. The ISE office has been building relationships with people from each port for many years and has collected a list of contacts for lecturers.

For example, Akosua Busia, who specializes in theater, politics and literature, was the

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lecturer from Ghana through her connection to Dr. Busia, who is her sister and is currently teaching on the ship.

In Japan, ISE invited officer Colin Fishwick from the Kobe consulate, who is working as a political counselor. He gave several presentations about history, politics, and Japanese culture.

Seeing this, Dean John decided to “take a shot with Myo” and invited him to sail with SAS. He thought it important to have a Burmese interport lecturer since there would be no other Burmese influence on this ship.

Dean John then sent out a list of potential topics that Myo could talk about to faculty and students.

His schedule was packed with more than ten classes and even Captain Kostas scheduled private meetings with him twice. “The topics ranged from everyday life in Myanmar to biodiversity and deforestation,” Myo said. He also did a lot of research on the ethnical conflicts in the Arakan state to prepare for pointy questions.

The case for Myanmar is different. Since Myanmar is relatively new to SAS, the ISE office had trouble finding someone for Myanmar. Meanwhile Professor Sue Hine was researching for her field class in Myanmar and she found Myo Kyaw Thu, whose background is in entrepreneurship and finance, on Linkedin. She introduced SAS to Myo and coordinated her field class to see Myo’s bank.

However, other situations did not work out as well. As a consequence of missing Mauritius, the two prepared Indian interport students were not able to make it to the ship.

Additionally, the Chinese interport lecturer was unable to participate. Chinese students on the ship made up for a lack of a Chinese lecturer by volunteering as the “interport students”.

Story By Ruoyi Song

The Voyage of a Lifetime The MV World Odyssey is its own world, a floating university. For three and a half months, students,

professors, university staff, crew members, children and life long learners embark on a voyage of a lifetime. Semester at Sea is a study abroad opportunity unlike any other in the world. It welcomes students and faculty into an exclusive and unique group that not many in the world have the opportunity to be a part of. Since 1963, students from over 1,500 universities have embarked on Semester at Sea voyages.

For many passengers onboard the Fall 2017 voyage, it was their first time living on a ship. For some passengers, it was their first time stepping foot on any ship or the first time traveling overseas and their first time in another country.

Life onboard the MV World Odyssey is unique.There are no weekends. Life on the ship is divided into school days and study days. Study days serve as days for catching up on homework.

Nearly every day onboard is a school day, but there are no classes when docked in a country. Students were free to explore.

The MV World Odyssey travels the world. The Fall 2017 voyage embarked in Bremerhaven, Germany in September and after stopping in ten countries, disembarked in San Diego, California just two days before Christmas. It traveled through the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. It passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Strait of Malacca. It sailed down the Prime Meridian and over the Equator, running straight through the center of the Earth. The MV World Odyssey sails into some of the most breathtaking ports in the world including Cape Town and Shanghai. It even makes a short pitstop in Hawaii.

The experience is an experience like no other. We sailed for education. We sailed for new experiences. We sailed to meet the people of the world. We sailed to experience the world. We sailed to better ourselves.

Story by Olivia Hume

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Ghana Dear Diary,

As I lay in my bed exhausted from the six-hour ride back to the ship, all I can think about is the savageness of my long night.

After deciding to go to the strip club with my friend s from home, Chiamaka and Ishani, I remember thinking as I approa ched the double doors obscuring loud African beats, shouts, and club lights, ‘wow I’m about to have my first stripper experie nce and in Ghana!’ Before reaching the doors, the bouncer, a bald man with bulging muscles asked, ”are you sure you’re ready for what you’re about to see?”

Unsure of what he meant, Ishani and Chiamaka walked passed him dismissively. I followed them inside. The first image I saw was two female performers, one in a red bra and the other with a lion tattoo on her shoulder, engaged in a sexy battle in a chain cage. We stood in the doorway shrouded in blue and red lights, stuck as if stunned by their sexual energy. The next performer however, made them seem as if they were newly acquainted with the trade. She came in with a beautiful afro, gray crop top, and black panties. She walked into the space scanning the room and began to perform acrobatics on the pole as she disrobed. After a few moments, she came over to the entrance of the cage and grabbed a cigarette and a glass of dark liquor from the woman who was her boss. After she downed the liquor, she inhaled the cigarette a couple of times before walking over to climb the pole while keeping it in her mouth. Once at the top she spread her legs in a straddle and elegantly made her way down the pole.

Later that night as I danced with my friends to the afro-beats in the club, the woman came up to me smoking a fresh cigarette. She pulled me to the stage, nudged me towards the pole, said, “Now you.” and

Deonté Lee

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Men are from Mars Women are from Venus...

Why Semester at Sea’s curriculum draws in more women than men

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ny college kid trying to get into a fraternity party knows it’s all about the male to female ratio. Two women per guy almost guarantees entrance, but aboard the MV World Odyssey, the roles are reversed. With a seven to three ratio, there’s an excessive number of women on board Semester at Sea’s floating campus. And while this might be considered a “refreshing break from the far-reaching patriarchy,” according to one female student, it seems others disagree.

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15 : 5

Women frequently outnumber men in spaces of higher education, but the difference is especially noticeable aboard the MV World Odyssey as the gender gap impacts every aspect of ship life. At dinner, a group of eight students sitting around a table will only feature one guy. The class attendance sheets read daily by professors will hold more Sarah’s, Melanie’s, and Mary’s than Will’s. Even in the gym, one will be surrounded by brightly colored running shoes and bobbing blonde pony tails.

This unusual disparity sets Semester at Sea apart from traditional universities. A threeyear average of shipboard demographics from 2013 to 2016 highlights that racial and ethnic diversity aboard the World Odyssey is typical when compared to private institutions around the nation. However, in the past three years the percentage of male students has never reached 30 percent. There are a few speculations as to why this is the case.

Leaving one’s home university and embarking on a journey around the world isn’t the easiest thing to do. Submitting tons of required paperwork, understanding which classes will transfer back as credited courses, and convincing the financial aid office to offset the costs of your ‘semester of a lifetime’ are all obstacles that face a student considering Semester at Sea. To make matters worse, many universities will not accept all of the ship’s classes due to the unusual class schedule and limited days at sea.

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As a result, certain majors are more likely to work well with Semester at Sea than others.

For example, a communication studies major will find at least a few classes to fill core requirements or major requirements at their home university. An engineering major, on the other hand, will not find any courses in their major aboard the MV World Odyssey.

In general, liberal art majors have more freedom when it comes to studying abroad because their classes are more flexible than STEM related majors and because women are more likely to study liberal arts, it is understandable why so many women attend Semester at Sea. STEM fields are heavily male populated, which in turn means these male students have less opportunities to study abroad, especially when it comes to an untraditional program such as Semester at Sea.

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The lack of male students attending Semester at Sea may reflect the gender disparity of students entering STEM related fields. Thus, the abundance of women aboard the MV World Odyssey is just another sign of the ‘ever-present patriarchy.’

Story by Riley Lewis

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Got Clubs?

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ife on a ship can be slow and sometimes confining. Luckily, there are clubs. The clubs vary between academics, athletics, service opportunities, and religious groups. Clubs start as a long sign up sheet full of interested student’s emails and became a way to connect with one’s shipmates.

Aboard the Odyssey students are encouraged to try new things. Shingo Kise, a student from University of Oregon said on the voyage he had the opportunity to try yoga for the first time.

“The meditation aspect can be useful and powerful because life can be stressful. It is a place to comfortably reflect, relax, and appreciate life without judgement,” Kise said.

Not only are there clubs that involve physical activity, but there are also groups who explore creative writing and poetry. Jeff Kurnick, a student from University of Tampa, started the poetry club to further explore his passion.

“Poetry Club makes me feel happy that other people have the same passion. You get to learn a lot about people. This comes hand in hand with

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the growth of people in the club making them expand their minds in ways some may have not even known they are capable of,” Kurnick said.

Camilla Dolabijan, a student from the University of Buenos Aires, is a member of the Bibles Without Borders club, a space where individuals can explore and share their feelings about God. “Bibles Without Borders is a place to find other perspectives of my faith and grow through that,” Dolabijan said.

“Each club is totally different but it contributes to a larger sense of belonging. No matter the person, everyone can find a home.”

Grace O’Brien, a student at the University of San Diego, expresses her passion through the music club.

O’Brien said music has always played a big role in her life and was worried that it would be difficult to find people to play with on the ship.

After going to one of the Music Mak-

ers meetings, O’Brien felt fulfilled and excited. She found a space to share her passion with others.

Nozipho Ntsebeza, a gap-year student, found her place discussing and learning about filmmaking aboard the ship.

Ntsebeza appreciates The Production Club because group members learn how to better their skills as filmmakers.

The clubs on the ship are all created by students and welcome people of varying levels of expertise.

“It is so awesome that Semester at Sea gives us a platform to create any club we want,” said Jace Goforth, a student from the University of San Diego and co-founder of the club The Conversation.

Goforth started The Conversation with Josh Ross and Lamar Butler to spark cultural awareness and conversation among the ship community.

“The Conversation allows me to be more aware of other people and their perspectives. Each club is totally different but contributes to a larger sense of belonging,” Goforth said. “No matter the person, everyone can find a home.”

Story by Bailey Blanton

South Africa

Dear Diary, A defining moment I had in South Africa was at the end of my safari when I realized I hadn’t seen the one animal I was looking forward to the most: the elephant.

We were nearing the end of the drive and I could see the entrance gate. This is when I saw the majestic, gentle giants. They were grazing in the grass by the exit as if they knew that they were the finale I was waiting for.

The elephants began to walk closer to our vehicle and they were a truly beautiful sight. I could not stop smiling, and quite frankly, being that close to an elephant is something I never thought I would be able to experience. They are unfathomably big while still being so gentle and caring. The two elephants were in a hugging position as we pulled away and it just reminded me how important the little moments are and how those are the things you should live for. These are the things that matter most; the memories, however brief, that you will cherish for the rest of your life.

Margaret Devlin

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More Than Meets the Eye

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aintings and sculptures decorate the MV World Odyssey in every room and the hallways. For many, the artwork is the first thing one sees when boarding the ship. Complemented by gold-accented railings and plush furniture, voyagers and art enthusiasts are made to feel as though they are living in luxury.

As the voyage continues, most students rush to class, barely acknowledging the art. Little do they know, each piece is strategically placed to give a room a certain feel and a story.

Doctor Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Moseman, a faculty member and associate professor of Art History from Colorado State University, used her passion and experience in art and art history to conduct shipboard ‘art walks’.

While some paintings are replications and prints, many of the larger pieces are original and a part of the personal collection of the owner of the ship. On the seventh deck port side, one such piece is a colorful lithograph of a woman by artist Marie Laurencin. Laurencin was a friend of Picasso.

According to Moseman, the placement of the artwork isn’t just for aesthetic purposes, but also for the care of the art. Some rooms get a lot of light, which can damage watercolor and canvas works such as that of Laurencin. Some art is more suitable in covered hallways and indoor cabins. One such painting hangs on the staircase between the sixth and the seventh decks. This piece, displaying an unknown aristocrat in the 19th century, is of German origin.

Although there is no immediate way of identifying the subject of the painting, Moseman points out his importance based on his dress, hairstyle and the small part of furniture that is shown. Half of a plush chair and large gold mirror indicate the man’s wealth, “because it’s just not something you see in a working class home,” she says.

In the short art walks Moseman gives around the ship, she enables those who live in an understated shipboard art gallery to see more than just the surface. Rather, students, faculty and lifelong learners alike can gain a stronger appreciation for the artist, like the artist’s purpose, and the use of small details that illustrate a subject’s life.

Story By Arielle Taramasco

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Nowhere to Run ...

“The opportunity to take your fitness to the next level is available on the ship even though the equipment is lacking, you just have to be willing to put in the effort to get there.”

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eing stuck on a ship for days at a time with minimal exercise equipment is some voyagers’ worst nightmare. The World Odyssey has both an indoor and outdoor gym facility. But for some workout fanatics that just is not enough. So, they get creative.

Bruce Jansa, Elon University student and leader of the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) class onboard, took it upon himself to make sure students and faculty got the workout they wanted.

“HIIT is beneficial because it gets your heart beating fast in a short period of time, leading to a quicker increase in metabolism than slow jogging. Plus there’s the mental side of feeling good after finishing a tough workout, which is hard to get on this ship,” Jansa said.

There are usually around 15-20 HIIT participants, and some days Jansa has up to 25 people participating.

It’s been really successful in getting people of all fitness levels together.

Jansa, like many others on this ship, thinks a few simple changes in the gym facilities could go a long way.

“I would say the deck 6 gym wastes space with the chest fly and shoulder press machines. Both of those can be done with dumbbells. I would replace those with a rowing machine and a leg extension machine.

It would also be great if they could expand the fitness center area to add more machines and options for people. Second, a good idea would be to hire an experienced and certified personal trainer.”

Jansa and others like him teach fitness classes in their spare time. Classes on the ship include zumba, ‘butts and guts’, HIIT, yoga, and more.

“If you want to take the extra step, the stairs are a great way to increase your cardio. I run the stairs 50-100 times a day and it gets my heart rate going before I teach HIIT,” he said. “The opportunity to take your fitness to the next level is available on the ship. You just have to be willing to put in the effort to get there.”

Story By Morgan Shearer

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Sunny Skies & Stormy Seas Just like the weather, the mood onboard the MV World Odyssey fluctuates

Restlessness, excitement, and anticipation.

These are words that describe the shipboard community before disembarking to explore a new country. Weariness, boredom, and agitation sometimes describe the mood at sea.

There are different factors that influence the shipboard community before the arrival to a new country. Weather is one factor.

Many of the students want to go outside and play volleyball or basketball. When it’s raining or the ship is passing through sweltering heat, it affects the ability for passengers to go outside and release energy or get some vitamin D. “We get into the same routine while at sea, volleyball and basketball are one huge part of my day that breaks up studying and my everyday routine that becomes so regular. I become restless when I have to stay inside and watch a movie or find something else to do with my day,” Matt Chasman, a student from UC Berkeley said.

Voyagers especially became restless and ready to get off the ship during the stretch from South Africa to India. The plan was to stop in Mauritius to break the eleven day stretch, but unexpected winds and high

waves disrupted the ship’s plan. The captain calculated that if the ship stopped in Mauritius, it would arrive in India a day later than expected. So, the executive dean made the decision that the ship would not stop in Mauritius.

With an eleven day stretch the ship students struggled. According to Gabriella Kuraitis, a student from University of Oregon, it’s easy to become restless during the long stretches between stops in port.

“When there are long days at sea, I find myself walking aimlessly around the ship, trying to find an activity. This usually results in playing cards or finding anything that will occupy my time. Sometimes I end up back in my room,” said Kuraitis.

Story By Olivia Hume

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India

Dear Diary, India has been one of my favorite ports to date. We docked in Kochi and I spent the first day exploring the area near the ship. I went to Kochi Fort and walked around for a while. It was amazing to see everything and experience such a different culture. On day two we drove to the airport early morning to catch our flight to Delhi, which was drastically different from Kochi. We checked into our hotel and then made a quick turn around to go explore some markets, and get a general feel of the city. We were amazed by how colorful and vibrant all the clothes were — especially the saris, and decided that we needed some of our own! So we all went and bought different colored saris which we planned to wear to dinner later that evening. Of course it came time to put them on and none of us knew how to wear them correctly… we probably looked completely absurd walking through the hotel lobby— but still very fun.

The next day we made the three hour trek to Agra, where we would see the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Both were absolutely amazing to see. We went to the Taj first and spent a solid three hours wandering around, taking photos, and enjoying the pure beauty of it all. Once we left, we went straight to Agra Fort and were amazed to learn the history of it. The architecture was beautiful and like nothing I’ve ever seen in the States. Also can’t say I’ve ever seen monkeys freely roaming around in the States, so that was pretty cool.

On day four we explored Old Delhi, which felt like a completely different world to me. We rode in two seat rickshaws and consequentially felt as though we were smack in the middle of everything. The bustle of the city was crazy! So many foreign smells and sounds, and probably one of my favorite experiences on all of Semester at Sea. Sophia Elghanayan

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The Core of the MV World Odyssey

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y the time Semester at Sea students wake up, the crew members have been awake for hours. Students, faculty, and families head to Berlin or Lido Restaurants where breakfast is served at 7:00am. They are greeted by crew in tucked-in red shirts with gold name tags. They already know what this sleepy group wants to eat and drink.

Every day the rooms are cleaned by cabin stewards dressed in blue.

As students head to class, crew members in white jump suits are busy washing windows and repairing equipment.

Inside, crew in white uniforms with stripes on their shoulders work silently.

The reception desk is a compilation of crew members, student assistants, and Semester at Sea faculty working to complete the tasks needed for the next port while taking care of student questions and concerns.

Heading to deck nine, lounge chairs marked ‘Semester at Sea’ are filled by students. Music from the pool bar meets the sound of laughter from those enjoying the freshly-filled sea water pool. On the pool deck, students form a line for smoothies, snacks, and items fresh off the grill.

The crew staffed in white at the Campus Store sell Semester at Sea gear. Later some students enjoy The Wellness Spa and Salon, which is staffed by crew in tan tunics and provides a variety of amenities. In the Lili Marleen Library the crew in peach colored shirts stand behind the bar.

As dinner is served at round tables in the Berlin Restaurant one occasionally catches sight of the crew in checkered pants and chef hats who prepare our meals.

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At the beginning of class, a crew member dressed in white with stripes on the shoulders checks cord connections and classroom set up. Outside, crew members in blue scrub hand rails and clean furniture.

This is the domain of the crew in peach colored shirts.

Crew members make their way past students as they carry hot pans of food to replenish the main line.

Pre-ordered cakes and cookies are delivered to the tables on special occasions.

The Four Seasons dining room is occupied by people who have chosen formal dining. Waiters dressed in white serve course after course - six in all - and will snap pictures for their guests upon request.

As day turns into night, students fill Kaisersaal Union to listen to the nightly seminars. At 22:00 Lido Restaurant takes its last shift for the day as students hurry to grab a quick late night snack. The crew changes shifts and begins prepping the ship for the next day.

At the end of the day, students prepare for bed. However, for the night crew, the day has just begun.

Story By Lexi Schupbach

Myanmar

Dear Diary,

While on a Semester at Sea field program most of the time is structured. With this structure it’s difficult to find little things that make you truly happy; instead you are often limited to the normal things any tourist coming into the country can see.

However, being a good traveler enables you to find beauty even when put into these situations. In the meditation and mindfulness field program in Myanmar we took a ferry to a small village off the coast. As I boarded the boat, I saw all of the students sitting and talking while our tour guide was sitting atop the boat with some of the ferry workers. I joined them up on top and we talked about the fisherman we saw working around us. Besides having the best view of the scenery, this was a new conversation with people with different perspectives. For example, they do not need a flashy house to be happy — spending their days on the water with their family more than suffices. We sang Adele.

More and more students joined us. Seeing the conversations and camaraderie among the Burmese and the students made me realize that no matter where you’re from, as long as you can enjoy yourself with the people around you, you can call anyone a friend.

Jeff Kurnick

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Not Enough Water at Sea “The World Odyssey is surrounded by water, but this does not mean that the ship has an unlimited supply”

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he World Odyssey is surrounded by water, but this does not mean that the ship has an unlimited supply.

Water conservation is an important aspect of living on a ship.

Every evening, the shipboard community is told how many gallons have been used each day and are encouraged to use around 35 gallons per person, though sometimes the numbers are as a high as 60 gallons. “Keep the water usage to a minimum, good people!” Dean Lisa said daily over the ship’s PA system.

The World Odyssey can hold 800 cubic meters of fresh water. This is equivalent to 211,340 US gallons. On ship, he Reverse Osmosis Plant produces this water. This fancy machine is used for converting salt water to fresh water through a series of eleven complex steps. One of the eleven steps, is in fact, adding chlorine to the freshwater production and distribution system. The chlorine, along with the eleven other steps, ensures that it is safe for the passengers onboard.

Just as there is a holding tank for the fresh water on board, there is a holding tank for the other types of water.

This water is called grey and black water. Grey water comes from sinks, showers, and the salon, while black water comes from the toilets. The passengers aboard are encouraged to conserve water because the holding tank can only hold so much water. If the tank gets too full, the ship captains will be forced to pay for a barge to take the grey and black water.

Not all water used on the ship goes into the holding tanks. The water used to wash the decks goes straight into the ocean. For that reason, environmentally friendly soap is used while washing the ship to ensure that no harm is being done to the environment.

Water conservation is extremely important onboard the MV World Odyssey. It was just one more lesson we learned.

Story By Olivia Hume

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Potatoes, Bread Rolls, and Pasta, Oh My! S

ince 1963, provisioning the MV World Odyssey’s kitchen is the first hurdle for ship operations.

The planning and ordering is done months prior to the ship’s departure. And when it arrives the food is inspected and must be in compliance.

Supplies are stored on ship at various temperatures. A storeroom for ice cream is set at minus -0.4 degrees Fahrenheit, while a separate room holds meat at a more appropriate temperature. In one week the MV World Odyssey will go through 10,000 pounds of meat and about 72,000 eggs.

On ship, storage preparation and cooking are done in separate rooms to prevent cross-contamination. For example, the commissary kitchens handle food preparation. This includes slicing tomatoes, cubing melons and marinating pieces of beef.

If the ship runs out of fresh fish, vegetables or fruit a local supplier will deliver the produce to the ship while in port. This is important for health reasons as well as for quality control. The food meets standards associated with the United States and the current country. Once the ship docks, the kitchen crew will inspect, clean, reload and restock before it is time to set sail.

Executive chef Kannan Chidambaram and his crew design the menus, giving special consideration to taste and appearance.

Chefs on board the vessel are trained to prepare the meals to set specifications. Recipes are followed precisely and pictures of how each dish should look are posted above their preparation station.

“My role is to oversee ship operations and make sure food preparation, cooking and serving are efficient as possible,” hotel director Siegfried Schober said. “In order for a successful voyage these requirements must be met.”

There is limited space aboard the ship for kitchen procedures. The MV World Odyssey kitchen produces more than one meal per square foot of kitchen space per day. If applied to land-based operations, a restaurant open for lunch and dinner would have its kitchen shrunk to about the size of a cabin on deck four.

In order to increase efficiency, this ship uses the Berlin’s kitchen twenty to twenty-four hours a day. Food is cooked in the main kitchen located behind the Berlin dining hall. Then an even amount is transported from Berlin to Lido restaurant via the staff elevator. Each worker has a specific shift to fulfill on a workday. They prepare and bake the breads in the early morning hours and work around the clock until midnight. This includes food preparation, cooking, cleaning the dishes and restocking for the next day.

A major topic of concern is food safety. To prevent food borne disease outbreaks, all cruises departing from a U.S. port are required to comply with the Center for Disease Controls Vessel Sanitation Program. Regular sanitation inspections and training to the cruise ship food staff are a must.

All food prepared aboard the ship have ideal temperatures to be stored and cooked at in order to be safe. Additionally, the crew closely monitors buffet food temperatures. Anything that falls short of food safety standards is not served.

Food waste gets turned into ‘fish food.’ All approved foods are liquefied and dispersed into the ocean. The liquefied food product serves as a rich source of nutrients for a variety of marine life.

Story By Victoria Bartelt

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O

One Man’s Trash, Another Man’s Duty

dyssey Staff Captain Leonidas Patrinos, second in command, is a presence around the ship, walking the halls, sitting by the pool drinking a smoothie or celebrating Diwali, an Indian holiday. In his perfectly pressed white uniform with gold epaulettes and matching marble white loafers, Patrinos balances his role in the ship community with his duties as Staff Captain.

His numerous responsibilities to ensure safety for the ship community include ship maintenance, the clearance process, crew discipline, public health and sanitation, security, safety, and environmental matters.

Environmental responsibilities on the World Odyssey revolve heavily on fulfilling the requirements of the international convention Marpol, established in 1973 by the International Maritime Organization to eliminate pollution from spillage of oil and other harmful substances.

Today 154 countries are part of the convention, and any ship flagged under these countries must follow Marpol’s requirements, including the World Odyssey.

eliminate pollution from oil, noxious liquid substances, harmful substances, sewage, garbage and air pollution.

Captain Patrinos explained Marpol is the core establishment of rules needed to be followed while at sea. “The Odyssey takes these rules very seriously”.

Captain Patrinos is responsible for contacting a ship agent who works for each port the ship visits. The agent plans the ship’s arrangements to fulfill tasks while in the port that follow the city and Marpol’s systems and regulations.

“Each port has a garbage facility which is one of Marpol’s regulation policies,” Captain Patrinos said.

Marpol is comprised of six annexes, each having a set of regulations regarding a specific category of pollutant for countries to comply with, in efforts to preserve marine environments. One of Marpol’s regulations requires ports to acquire a garbage facility, however some ports are more or less organized in their process of collecting trash.

“Each port has different ways of receiving the waste,” Captain Patrinos said. “Generally, India was the most challenging.”

On board the Odyssey the forms of waste accumulated include glass, paper, plastic, cleaning materials, food waste, toxic waste, cooking oil, and then some. According to Captain Patrinos, there are bins organized for each kind of waste.

The dry garbage accumulated on board, including food waste, has its own dry storage place for sanitation purposes and is located on deck three.

There is also an incinerator, which is only allowed to be used to burn paper.

The International Maritime Organization’s main goal with Marpol is to

Captain Patrinos explained various types of waste accumulated on the

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Odyssey, and emphasized a “special” category of waste. This special category consists of all the waste besides food and must be disposed of while on land. Some of the special waste include toxic waste and oils, plastic, glass and the ashes from paper burned in the incinerator. “Only food can be dumped into sea,” Captain Patrinos said.

“The ship is alive with you.”

Annex Six of the Marpol convention, named “Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships” describes the appropriate distance from land where a vessel can dispose of waste and the types of waste allowed to be dumped into the ocean.

There are specific oceanic areas where the requirements are much stricter than others, according to Captain Patrinos.

A large amount of food waste is accumulated on board the World Odyssey, but according to Captain Patrinos plastic and glass account for most of the waste collected on the ship.

The Captain said his job entails a lot of responsibility. “The ship is alive with you,” Captain Patrinos said.

Story by Mary Boynton

Vietnam Dear Diary, I expected to feel animosity from the Vietnamese people because of the war that occurred there. I was apprehensive about the appropriateness of my presence after hearing about the atrocities and the damage America had done to their people. Yet all I witnessed was a society which made it an initiative to forgive the past and move together as a united force. Even though the repercussions of war still affect the Vietnamese people, they were willing to educate Americans on their view of how the war was played out and how we could release the tension in order to create a more peaceful future. I never imagined that a country could have the impact it did on me. Vietnam taught me the importance of forgiveness and acceptance. During my visit to self-immolation memorial I prayed. I prayed for forgiveness for all the harm I had ever caused anyone. I prayed for the ability to move forward with my life and to not let the trauma I have endured to be the indicator of my success. Vietnam gave me optimism to maintain a connection with my spirituality. That connection is what I believe will keep me open-minded and willing to nurture future relationships. The openness of the Vietnamese people to not continue their lives with resentment and pent up frustration inspired me to open myself up as well to those who have hurt me. In the moment we left Ho Chi Minh city, I felt peace and clarity for my future, which I now believe I have control over.

Melanie Grosso

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The Sound of Music

(left to right) Unnur Sigurgeirsdottir, Anthony Porter and Glenn Mcdonnell

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On board and on Land, Music becomes a Force of Unification

nnur Sigurgeirsdottir, a student from University of Mary Washington, was frequently referred to as the piano or ukulele girl by those that had yet to learn her name, because she spent those first nights playing the ukulele in the hallway in effort to distract the students from their seasickness. It worked out well - that is up until they were reprimanded for causing a fire hazard.

Sigurgeirsdottir was soon found in Lido Terrace on most nights, a room decorated with white wicker chairs and roman style columns, complete with a glossy, ivory-white grand piano. As Sigurgeirsdottr’s fingers danced across the keys, a group of students surround the piano, singing along or simply enjoying the music and company of others.

Music is widely acknowledged for its universality and its ability to break down social and linguistic barriers. On land as well as onboard the MS World Odyssey, music acts as a powerful force of unification.

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Melanie Grosso, a junior from University of San Diego, was another student who often played the piano in Lido Terrace. Music not only acts as a coping mechanism and source of happiness for Grosso, but has also helped her form relationships with fellow SASers.

“I didn’t expect people to be so willing to jump in and get involved, but everyone can relate to music,” Grosso said.

Anthony Porter, a senior from Northern Arizona University, has discovered that music can serve as an important source of community and emotional relief onboard the ship.

Porter described his near nightly music sessions as providers of a symbiotic relationship for himself and other students; he gains support and recognition, and others benefit from the entertainment and comfort that music provides.

Sigurgeirsdottir has had her own journey with music and the way that it fits into her life. In Yangon, she spotted a Burmese man wearing a Bob Marley hat. She pointed towards it, vocalizing her fellow admiration of the musician. The man was unable to understand English and began to hand the hat to Sigurgeirsdottir, thinking that she was asking for it. Sigurgeirsdottir then began to sing the words to a song that has become known all over the world.

“One love... one heart,” she sang, again pointing at the Bob Marley Burmese man grinned from ear to ear. He completed the line.

“Let’s get together and feel alright,” the man sang.

“Ever since I got on the ship, I realized how much I need music,” Porter said.

Story by Katjia Tunkkari

A Piece of Home at Sea R egardless of country, religion, or family traditions, celebrations are important.

Because this may be the first time students are away from family and friends during a birthday or holiday, staff and students took it upon themselves to encourage old traditions and create new ones.

Semester at Sea represents numerous cultures and religions, so there is always something to celebrate.

In mid-October the traditional Indian holiday, Diwali, was honored, which involved a student led seminar explaining the history and significance of the holiday, followed by a pool deck party that featured Bollywood music and dance.

Aaron Salot, gap year student from India, said that gathering together with all of the Indian students to prepare the holiday festivities brought him a sense of community.

Celebrations on board the Odyssey included Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Diwali and Carnival. Halloween fell right after India and students like Bella Brickle, from The University of Miami, created costumes.

“Having the kids come around to our rooms to go trick-or-treating made me so happy because it reminded me of home and it was just nice to see the kids so happy,” Brickel said. “Halloween on the ship turned out to be a lot more fun than I had expected.”

Thanksgiving is a day that may be controversial for some people, but one thing everyone on the MV World Odyssey can agree on was how much there was to be thankful for.

“Thanksgiving on the ship was definitely different from how I typically celebrate at home, but it was also similar because I got to celebrate it with my Semester at Sea family, my friends, and the whole shipboard community,” Elon University student Lindsey Mygatt said. Mygatt explained the good and bad aspects about being far from home during a holiday that is typically very family oriented.

“The idea that people were interested and curious to know about Diwali was really important to us”, said Salot.

“The idea that people were interested and curious to know about Diwali was really important to us.”

The cooking staff also prepared a traditional meal for the entire community in celebration of Diwali. Salot thought the crew did a great job preparing the meal and said the touch of Indian spice really added to the experience of celebrating the holiday.

Hanukkah began on December 12th, and was a day that brought a piece of home to Jewish members of the community. Tulane University student Steven Edwards explained how the ability to celebrate this important holiday brought him gratitude and joy.

“It makes me feel as if my family would be proud that I’m carrying on a tradition that has been passed down by my parents, and their parents and so forth”, Edwards said.

“It makes me feel as if my family would be proud that I’m carrying on a tradition that has been passed down” The festive season, Carnival, native of Caribbean countries, was celebrated towards the end of the voyage. According to Riley Lewis, Carnival season begins with the new year and it is an important part of the Caribbean culture. The other students that helped share their culture with the ship community were Lorina Morton, Lauren Tomlinson, Noni Abdur-Razzaq, and Mariah Cook.

On an evening in December the group shared a presentation explaining the roots of Carnival and the various ways it is celebrated around the Caribbean. Afterwards, they shared dance and music from their culture with the group of students who attended.

Becoming global citizens did not just happen in port. Celebrating old and new traditions with people from all over the world contributed and made us a family.

Story By Morgan Shearer & Mary Boynton

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On Board Traditions

Since Semester at Sea was founded in 1963, many traditions have been established. Students wait patiently, anticipating the events that they’ve heard stories about, but they are never exactly what one would expect.

Once students embarked after Takoradi, Ghana, the World Odyssey headed south towards the equator. Thanks to some strategic planning on Captain Kostas and Professor Robert Smith’s part, students were lucky to become one of the few mariners in the world who have passed the equator and the point 0°,0° at the same time. “We only directed our route about 1.2 miles west to hit that point.” Professor Robert Smith told his cultural geography class. Students were scattered all over the outside decks prior to hitting 0°,0°, and when Captain Kostas hit the horn, signaling the ship had reached its mark, the crowd went crazy. The World Odyssey was positioned at the center of the world. The Captain did one quick loop around the buoy that marks 0°,0°, and while it may have been a short celebration, it was one of the sweetest.

Once the ship intersected the equator, everyone on the vessel celebrates the maritime line-crossing, also known as, Neptune Day. The morning begins with the crew, life-long learners, faculty, and staff beating on drums and whatever they can to make noise right outside your door. The 8 o’clock wake-up may be annoying, but you will soon forget about your sleep once you head up to Deck 9 and see Dean Tom completely covered in green paint, dressed as King Neptune. After some slime-pouring, quick swimming, fish kissing, and (optional) head-shaving, the students are promoted from “pollywogs” to “emerald shellbacks.” Naturally, the ceremony is concluded with dancing, blasting music, and awaiting the next big event.

There is nothing quite like hearing the Olympic anthem ringing throughout cabins at 8:00 in the morning. Depending on cabin and deck locations, students are divided into their “seas” and then their skills are put to the test in a challenging array of competitions, known as the Sea Olympics. The seas compete against each other in hopes to come in first and win the opportunity to pick the order in which they would like to disembark from the ship at its final stop. The first day of Sea Olympics were the indoor “winter” events, which included trivia, a lip-sync battle, balloon-ankle pop, and musical chairs. Once the weather cleared, the outdoor “summer” Olympics were held. The match-ups between seas were insane, and after games of volleyball, dodgeball, basketball, and other events, tensions arose. The tension cleared after some indoor synchronized swimming due to weather conditions and closing ceremonies, when the winning sea was announced and students accepted that Professor Don Gogniat would most likely destroy the majority of them in a cross-fit battle.

Story By Eva Pearson

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China Dear Diary, China was a country with a culture much different from my expereince back home. I think what stood out the most was how dependent people were on their phones. In China, there is no need for anything else. Everything is at your disposal and an answer is just at your fingertips.

The Chinese, “WeChat app” makes everything simple. Through this app you are able to text friends, pay at stores or restaurants, post to social media, pay your bills, access your metro pass, see what friends are nearby, and much more. The app has made a huge impact on the lives of the Chinese and even on travelers.

In the United States you may be able to leave the house without anything except your phone; but, you would not make it very far. We have only recently offered different forms of mobile payment, but they are not widely accepted. Transportation was also another large part of it. For those of us who live in major cities with public transportation we typically need a metro pass or a card of some sort to access these lines. In China, you are able to access these with your phone. This may be for the better or for the worse when it comes to social settings where phones are considered rude. Traveling in China, I saw how convenient “WeChat” was.

Although it was extremely convenient for the Chinese, it made traveling more challenging especially when paying for certain things when “WeChat” was the normal form of payment.

Tanner Ralls

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Perceptions

The World Odyssey docking in Shanghai, China.

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Known Internationally, for Better or for Worse

fter 54 years, Semester at Sea’s ‘floating campus’ has a reputation.

Vendors in Tema and Takoradi, Ghana, and Kochi, India, anticipated the business that comes from the students. Vendors waited at the dock.

On the contrary, Barcelona, Spain, and Cape Town, South Africa, are large ports with passenger cruises stopping by regularly. The local people are used to incoming tourists and Semester at Sea’s students blend right in.

Yangon, Myanmar, is a country that opened its doors to tourism just six years ago, and the industry is still in its infancy.

“I am so happy that SAS brings in so many students in our country each year and helps boost not only tourism but also the economy,” claimed a Burmese university student studying tourism at Yangon University.

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Of SAS

Semester at Sea’s executive dean for the Fall 2017 voyage, Thomas Jelke, agreed that most people in ports are intrigued and curious about the ship and the program.

Shraddha Agarwal, a student, experienced something similar in her home country of India. A security officer at the port of Kochi was curious about the program and spoke with Agarwal in Hindi, their native language.

“We chatted about Semester at Sea for almost an hour,” Agarwal said.

Though Semester at Sea is perceived positively in most ports, according to Jelke, there are some incidents that harm the program’s reputation.

The Fall 2017 voyage witnessed a few major incidents including damaged property of a Best Western Hotel in Ghana and rowdy behaviour at a Flume concert in Osaka, Japan.

“Incidents like the Best Western and the Flume concert damage the reputation of American people. Similar incidents in the past are some of the reasons why we don’t dock in Mauritius for more than a day, because some students cannot stay on a beautiful island without turning it into a spring break,” Jelke commented.

Over the years, unfortunate events have occurred in ports including deaths and assaults. Despite the negative publicity, Semester at Sea has managed to overcome and make agreements with the port authorities to let the program continue its course smoothly. Minor deflections in the itinerary such as spending only a day in Mauritius and Hawaii, help to keep students in check.

Story by Teshu Agarwal

How in the World?

How Semester at Sea plans, prepares, and communicates for a successful voyage

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isas are bought, vaccines obtained, voyagers brag and do research to plan for their next college semester to be the best four months of their life. On a student vessel cruising around the world, we take advantage of the experiences that we have in the 10-12 countries we visit over the course of four months, watch marine life in its natural habitat as we float over the seas, and gain an entirely new perspective.

Semester at Sea would not be possible without the dedication and planning that occurs back on land.

During the Fall 2017 voyage, the Fall 2019 voyage had already been planned and finalized. Spring and Fall 2020 voyages follow close behind, as they are being planned well before the embarkation date. It takes two years time, at least, to plan and coordinate the ports Semester at Sea will pull into on the voyages to come. The voyage that we are currently on was already prepared for us years ago.

During the preparation period, Semester at

Sea CEO, Vice Presidents, Ship Captain, and Academic staff met together to create the best experience for voyagers. In preparation of these meetings, research is done and a tentative itinerary is composed. Academic relevance, field program opportunities, visa needs and port operations are all taken into consideration during this initial research. Considering many other factors such as security, health concerns, geopolitical climate, quality and cost of ports, and weather.

The final decisions are made by the committee of VP’s and the President of the program.

Choosing which countries to place in the itinerary is a “real puzzle to put together with lots of options,” according to Bruce Middleton, Vice President of Risk Management and Operations, Institute of Shipboard Education/Semester at Sea. In-country communication begins immediately, starting with the US Embassies who discuss everything from requirements to potential concerns including visa implications, local demonstrations, large public events (like the Olympics), etc.

The field programs begin to come together once the tour providers are contacted and contracts start getting developed. The port contracts are the layout of everything in-port that students don’t typically see for themselves, including the disposal of garbage and sewage, refueling, transportation within the port, immigration and customs, crew changes and the agreed cost of occupying the berth.

Every year or so, contracts expire and need to be renegotiated. Once this initial planning is complete, there is constant communication on land and on sea to ensure transparency and accuracy.

Pilots come aboard the ship in order to aid the Captain in navigating the waters around the berth for a successful and proper docking of the ship.

Every country requires a pilot as either part of simple maritime tradition or the intentional lack of route updates obstructing any ship captain from docking in their country without one. Nonetheless, the Captain and deck department are the people getting voyagers safely to every country after all is said and done.

From Germany to Hawaii and all of the countries in between, it is the people behind the scenes that reWhile on board, the Captain ally stitch Semester at Sea together. From in-depth is in charge of this communication. While we pack our preparation, to debriefover-night travel bags or get ing after each country, to providing academically last-minute clothes washed, engaging programs and the captain is hard at work making sure the port authori- keeping real-time conties and ship commanders are stant communication, on the same page. The ship’s all strings are pulled in arrival at the berth is a factor a sequence insuring the success of each and every that is updated frequently voyage in it’s entirety. and the arrival of the country’s pilot aboard the ship is a crucial stamp in this commuStory By Genamarie Rosado nication.

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Dear Diary,

Japan

My first night in Tokyo was overwhelming, yet rewarding. I missed my flight from Osaka and had to pay for an entirely new flight. I knew Japan was going to make me broke but wasting my money unnecessarily wasn’t what I had in mind.

From my train ride to the airport, through my flight all the way to Tokyo, all I could think about was eating gyoza- Japanese dumplings. I looked for them in Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka but every restaurant I went to didn’t have them.

By the time I got to the hotel all I could think about was food. It was 11:30 pm and every restaurant in walking distance was showing up as closed. Ugh, I had thought Tokyo was a city that never sleeps just like New York City, but everything seemed to stop around midnight. I was so frustrated. I decided to walk around the neighborhood toward the location my GPS directed me to. It was freezing and I wanted to just go back inside and go to bed but my stomach was not going to let me sleep. I walked about half a mile and found a set of backstreets and alleyways. It was really seedy and suspect but the people standing on the streets gave me hope that something was open. My GPS led me to a completely unimaginative place… It didn’t exist. The name of the restaurant on my phone and the name of the restaurant on the street were completely different. I couldn’t believe I walked out of my way to a place that didn’t even exist. I decided to keep walking even more determined I would find food. I turned a corner and found a whole in the wall restaurant that had a sign with gyoza on it. The universe was looking out for me *snaps fingers*. They had all kinds of dumplings in different flavors and themes. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it again. The waiter, who didn’t know a lick of English, gave me some dumplings on the house. I couldn’t have imagined a better, or cheaper, place for my gyoza craving. A day of wrong turns, literally and figuratively, ended up leading me in the right direction. I’m a lucky girl.

Noni Abdur-Razzaq

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25 Travel Tips

For your next voyage...

1. Switch to T-Mobile.

2. Research — The more you know, the better your trip will be!

3. Don’t be afraid to explore alone.

4. Have conversations with residents.

5. Don’t use the term “locals” (resident, citizen and inhabitant are acceptable alternatives).

6. Keep a journal!

7. Step outside of your comfort zone.

8. Always enter new experiences with an open mind.

9. Leave space in your suitcase/bring an empty suitcase for in-country purchases.

10. You don’t need to spend money in order to experience a country.

11. Toilet paper is your best friend.

12. Get to know at least one new person everyday.

13. Download VPN before your arrival in China 14. SAVE UP!!!

15. Befriend long life learners, faculty/staff, crew and ship kids.

16. Bring snacks!

17. Bring a hard drive to trade movies with others (you’ll need it).

18. Bring a pillow from home.

19. Exchange money beforehand if possible.

20. Get emails from friends and family prior to embarkation.

21. Sea sickness is very real (Dramamine is your friend).

22. Bring laundry detergent 23. Make sure to get your drink voucher before 5pm (you’ll understand later).

24. Make sure to download Venmo.

25. Remember that this is a once in a lifetime opportuntiy -- make every moment count!

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HAWAII

After exactly 15 weeks since I left home on my little island, I’m arriving back on a ship. A little poetic, as my own ancestors once arrived to the same island by way of the sea and stars on their own ships and canoes. I’m forever grateful that all the years of surfing and paddling have kept seasickness at bay. I can’t say the same about homesickness, though.

There are no other visible ships in the ocean anymore. No little islands dotting the voyage across the Pacific, we’re back to the most isolated land mass on the planet, the place I most feel like home.

This voyage was more than I could ever hope for, I visited countries that I’ve wanted to see since I was little and countries that I had no previous intention of visiting, and all of them have left an impact on me. I look forward to watching my own homeland leave an impact on those around me.

In all honesty, I can’t wait to eat all the foods I’ve been missing for 4 months. How Hawaii became this diverse and yet so isolated amazes me. I miss running to my local Hawaiian bakery for breakfast before my school bus picked me up, packing bentos for lunch between classes, fresh fish and rice for dinner and all the asian snacks and candies in between. The diversity on SAS has been marked by the three different ways they can cook potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Give me Spam and give me non-microwave rice and let me eat real food in peace, please!

All in all, I miss home like I miss the food, and I’m so sick of potatoes that I’m ready to eat the first thing Downtown Honolulu has to offer.

Get ready, get set, I’m home.

Arielle Taramasco

Synchronicity

Breakfast from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.; lunch from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.; dinner from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m, and class in between, is the set routine... An announcement from Dean Lisa to set clocks forward, again, losing another hour of sleep triggers a sigh throughout the ship... On study days, a wave of relaxation sets in... No classes... Pre-port lectures inspire to discourage our worst tendencies... “Don’t get lit, don’t get hit, don’t get bit, don’t do it, don’t eat shh..,” is the motto we try to follow... When we return, the ship is filled with, “I want to hear about your trip. I missed you,” and, “I’ll never forget that,” after in-country adventures... That excitement is matched by the thrill of chicken nuggets for lunch... The early rough days at sea are forgotten on the good ones when the pool is open... We’re almost embarrassed by how lucky we are, disconnected from the outer world, but entirely connected to the people surrounding us... We laugh at the same things...

One look can convey our likes and dislikes... Gradually, throughout the Semester at Sea voyage, we fell into biorhythmic synchronicity... We mourned missing Mauritius together... We laid under the stars, in awe of their brightness at sea, together... We danced, drew, sang, discussed, watched sea life, cried, smiled, shaved our heads, performed, were slimed, and even kissed a fish together... As Don Gogniat says, we were “lucky little bunnies traveling the world” together... After 106 days, 10 countries, multiple cities and countless memories, the Fall 2017 Semester at Sea’s shipboard community turned into a family.

By Sophia Busse

30

To Thank and To Remember Dean Dwight

Dean Lisa

Dean Tom

Dean John

Dean Jill

Dean Wade

In Loving Memory

Kassandra “Kassie” Arielle Braun December 19, 1996 - November 7, 2017