The Scholar Ship - Hononga - September 2007 Voyage Book

Hononga

Copyright Š 2007 The Scholar Ship All images contained in this work are the property of their respective contributors. Full permission has been granted to publish all images in this book. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission of both the publisher and the photographers.

All rights reserved.

Editor-in-Chief: Elizabeth Huebner Art Director: Emma Roll Copy Editor: Lindsay Shields Layout: Christopher Gordon,Vikki Nathalie Walle-Hansen Selections: Daniella Cagol, Eglantina Di Mase, Ashley Dotz, Elizabeth Huebner, Emma Roll,Vikki Nathalie Walle-Hansen, Summer Wood Cover Artwork: Erik Wong Project Supervisors: Ty Clancey and Erik Wong Printed and manufactured in Hong Kong.

For more information about The Scholar Ship please visit www.thescholarship.com Considering applying?

Americas: The Scholar Ship Attn: Admission Services 1030 Hull Street, Suite 101 Baltimore, Maryland 21230 USA Tel: + 1 410 962 7344 Fax: +1 443 378 7456 Americas@TheScholarShip.com

Asia Pacific: The Scholar Ship International Vision Education 1B/85 Curzon Street North Melbourne,Victoria 3051Australia Tel: +61 3 9329 9199 Fax: +61 3 9329 5722 AsiaPacific@TheScholarShip.com

Europe/Middle East/ Africa: The Scholar Ship iE&D Solutions BVVerlengde Statenlaan 111-113 5223 LD ‘s Hertogenbosch The Netherlands Tel: +31 73 627 3605 Fax: + 31 84 737 3752 EMEA@TheScholarShip.com

Dedicated to the Students and Staff of the September 2007 Inaugural Voyage of The Scholar olar Ship

hononga (noun) Maori word meaning union, connection, relationship.

Forward I’ve come across literally thousands of people in this journey called The Scholar Ship. It’s not surprising that generating excitement about this ambitious endeavor has come rather easily. And just perhaps, it has been this excitement that has fueled the launch of this extraordinary program.

Nothing seems to motivate individuals more than genuine excitement. Excitement is powerful. Excitement is the mother of hope, the facet of life on which we most commonly depend to keep dreams alive. Excitement, while appreciated, is considerably underestimated.

Most every organization can trace its origin to a defining moment. And while this point in time is paramount to the existence of each organization, none could be successful without individuals committed and dedicated to its mission.

I am eternally thankful for each and every individual who has contributed to the success of The Scholar Ship. But I am especially indebted to the students and staff of this inaugural voyage, all of whom took a risk to play a defining role in the program’s history.

I am deeply proud that The Scholar Ship has shaped a new type of global citizen, and that it has served as a backdrop for the creation of so many new friendships that span the far corners of the earth. No one can be more excited about this than me.

Ronald J. Zighelboim Founder December 2007

Introduction A photograph is more than a simple visual documentation of a moment in time. A photograph has the power to mold and color memories, encapsulate the essence of an experience, and alter our perceptions of what we believe. A photograph is our hononga, or connection, to our journey.

The photographs in the following pages represent the vision and talent of 68 photographers who were among the participants of the inaugural voyage of The Scholar Ship. The photographs contained in this volume reflect the unique perspectives of their creators. As a whole, the book offers a fleeting and overwhelmingly incomplete depiction of the connective experience of The Scholar Ship’s students and staff as they journeyed through nine countries and over 25,000 nautical miles of ocean in 109 days.

In choosing which images to display in this work, the selections team was faced with the challenge of distilling over twelve hundred photographs submitted from over 100 artists down to the 193 images that have been included in this book. An overwhelming number of stunning images were not printed that could have been. The omission of those images from this book is in no way an indication of their lack of merit.

We are extremely thankful to all of the photographers who submitted images for this work and to everyone who contributed to its creation. We would especially like to thank all the students, faculty, staff and crew of the inaugural voyage of The Scholar Ship for shaping the entirety of the experience.

Elizabeth Huebner Erik Wong Vikki Walle-Hansen Emma Roll Lindsay Shields

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Greece A city built from the roots of an ancient civilization, Athens, Greece remains a striking landmark in the backdrop of the Mediterranean. Architectural marvels carved from stone loom over the city from sandy hilltops and rocky cliffs. Down below, a bustling modern city of shopping, entertainment, and nightlife invites visitors for a stroll. The smells of baklava and roasted lamb waft out of bakeries and restaurants onto the streets, tempting pedestrians for another taste of Greece.

Staff and students from over fifty countries assembled in Greece to build a third culture. Our newly forming community arrived shortly after fires had started to sweep the countryside. The air was heavy with smoke from the blazes and waves of dust from the city. Students and staff who arrived early had their first intercultural experience on a scavenger hunt through ancient and modern Athens. People were eager to find their new roommates, their way around the city, and common interests their shipmates shared.

Our entire community boarded the ship on a clear, sunny day. Students and staff wandered the hallways and rooms that were to be home for the next four months. In the evening, students and staff gathered on the ship’s decks to wave goodbye to Greece and greet the vast, open waters that were to carry us safely to our first port of call.

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Portugal Cobbled streets and winding alleyways lead visitors to Lisbon, Portugal through a maze of history. Storefronts and houses boast traditional glazed tiles of intricate patterns. Views of the city’s cafÊ-dotted squares can be had from the top of any of the numerous hills surrounding the city.

Excitement at reaching our first port-of-call spread through our community. After our ship docked in Portuguese waters, staff and students scrambled down the gangway, some taking time to kiss the ground in gratitude. We kicked off the first stop on our journey with a visit to Universidad de Lisboa, the host of our week-long exploration of Portugal.

Our community was met by a proud, strong people who openly shared their history. Staff and students scattered to their various Academic Field Programs in jeeps, buses, vans, and taxis. Groups experienced all facets of a growing Portugal, from visits to the largest mall in Europe and the Benfica football stadium to Coimbra, home of the oldest university in Western Europe. Our visit ended with a community celebration at our host university, complete with Fado music, wine, and dancing.

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Panama Panama is the maritime gateway between the Atlantic and Pacific. In Panama City, people gather from all over the world, adding to the city’s flavor. Streets are lined with food stalls, fruit stands, and artisan markets. Indigenous peoples of the Kuna and Embera tribes sell wares from their villages. The jungle envelops each city, beckoning visitors to explore its hidden secrets.

Our ship entered the Panama Canal at daybreak. After what was to be one of our longest water crossings, the sight of land was both eerie and welcoming. Carved out of the jungle just shy of 100 years ago, the canal was a sight to behold.

As we were guided through the locks, our ship was dwarfed by freighters and container ships bringing goods to other parts of the world. When we docked, our community was met by the sounds of a bustling city and the waters of the Pacific.

Students and staff explored Panama through both the eyes of the long-standing Canal Authority and the indigenous peoples. Academic Field Programs watched heavy machinery tear apart mountains and hills for the expansion of the Canal. Shore Excursions bundled into dugout canoes to visit Embera tribes living in villages along riverbanks. Others of us wandered through the barren streets of the Old City and the moist grounds of the cloud forest. We re-boarded the ship exhausted, awaiting the short voyage to South America.

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Ecuador Ecuador is a land of contrast, from arid mountain roads to damp Amazonian jungle. Ancient Incan ways of life are woven into modern society. Ecuador’s people thrive in crowded cities and sparsely populated villages. A setting for a proper adventure, much of the country is untouched and uncharted.

Our community set out to explore the entirety of Ecuador, dispersing to the jungle for homestays with indigenous peoples, to banana plantations of the Dole conglomerate, and into cities for a taste of Ecuadorian nightlife. Some people traveled to Ecuadorian schools, finding themselves surrounded by giggling, chattering children eager to share their stories with us. Other students and staff engaged in epic train and bus rides over and through mountains that seemed impassible, somehow conquered by human innovation. Some members in our community even journeyed to the center of the earth, straddling both hemispheres at latitude 0º-0’-0º. Almost half of our shipmates flew to the Galapagos to swim with dolphins, spot blue-footed boobies, crawl along the beach with giant tortoises, and immerse themselves in an island chain of wildlife frozen in time. Our week in Ecuador came to a close with a cultural celebration at our host university, Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, at which several Academic Field Program participants shared their array of experiences on film.

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Tahiti An island covered in white flowers, where the sounds of ukuleles filter through the din of everyday traffic to greet visitors’ ears, Tahiti seems like a true paradise. The most populous of its neighboring islands, it is common to see lush rainforests run into dense traffic zones and deserted beaches meet posh and luxurious hotel backyards. From the mountains to the beaches, Tahiti provides food for the eyes and the body, as sun and sand embrace each newcomer and taste buds sample exotic juices.

Two days simply wasn’t enough for our community to absorb Tahiti’s full flavor. Staff and students took a break from mid-term exams, sleeping in breezy bungalows on the water, swimming with stingrays, and snorkeling in reefs. Some people ventured out past the shelter of the island’s crystal clear lagoons to take advantage of some of the best surf in the world. Our community absorbed as much as we could from the picturesque beaches and towering volcanoes on our Polynesian mid-semester rest stop.

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New Zealand A backpacker’s dream, New Zealand’s terrain is enough to keep a global nomad busy, taking would-be adventurers over mountains and glaciers, through petrified forests and farmers’ fields, and into craters of volcanoes and crevices of caves.

In the cities, high-end fashion and gourmet culinary cuisine await eager customers. In the countryside, herds of sheep and cattle roam emerald green meadows. New Zealand’s diversity offers an experience for everyone.

Our ship landed in Auckland on a brisk spring day. Our community’s first taste of cold after nearly two and a half months at sea, people scrambled for jackets and sweaters to keep warm. Students and staff alike took to the sands, hills, and skies, taking advantage of New Zealand’s numerous adventure sports and nature reserves. After seven days of Zorbing and caving, trekking and bungee jumping, the adrenaline rush subsided and our community gathered once again to continue our voyage.

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Australia Sydney is a bustling cosmopolitan city in the heart of New South Wales. It boasts fine dining as well as a premier arts and entertainment scene. Sydney is young and vibrant, teeming with innovation and change. Flanking this landmark city are the Blue Mountains to the west and rocky beaches to the east. Each provides a glimpse into Australia’s serene native beauty, a refuge just a short jaunt from hurried city life.

Sydney was a welcome sight for our community, as we had just experienced the roughest seas of our voyage on the four short days after leaving New Zealand. As the sun was rising, our ship sailed past the Sydney Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge, two of Australia’s largest landmarks.

Members of our community who weren’t up at daybreak were roused for a 7:30 a.m. inspection by the Australian Port Authority. Energetic officers were eager to stamp the passports of sleepy-eyed, pajama-clad passengers. Once off the boat, students and staff set out to explore pockets of Australian culture.

Some people chose to spend their days and nights in throngs of cosmopolitan city life, donning elegant attire for the ballet and opera and dining at five-star restaurants. Others took trains and buses to the Blue Mountains, taking in picturesque views of the Three Sisters and the Grand Canyon. As our time in Sydney came to a close, our community reluctantly boarded the ship, toting boomerangs, stuffed koalas, and sun-drenched smiles. We scrambled up to the deck, watching people wave from Sydney’s shores as we passed once more under the Bridge and by the Opera House on the way to our final destination.

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At Sea Surrounded by sea, The Scholar Ship is only a small dot on the map, yet the vessel is filled with a world of opportunities.

Academics and learning on the ship itself are explored through classes and workshops taught by both academic staff and fellow students. Different cultures and countries in the learning environment create opportunities for dialogue where borders are broken, feelings are shared, and new thoughts and ideas are welcome. Differences emerge that challenge and excite us, testing our flexibility and driving some of our deepest experiences. We face the challenges together, solving them as a community where everybody’s voice is equally heard.

The ship is a hive of constant activity. Whether it is participating in a football league, getting ready for a cultural cafĂŠ, going to a pilates or yoga class, debating politics, vacuuming, attending language classes or enjoying the pool, there is always something going on. Every activity is a little piece of the growing Scholar Ship community, an innovative place, based on creative initiative.

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Street Art Wandering in new cities, streets become a vibrant canvas. Walls, lampposts, signs and walkways are fair game. Amongst official signs and advertisements, street art of various forms, shapes and colors emerges. Some is hidden, undiscovered at first glance, other art shines so bright that passersby immediately stop in awe.

No matter where members of our community wandered, we kept stumbling across thought-provoking illustrations we couldn’t ignore. The messages of the art were political, abstract, religious and narrative; the interpretation only restricted by individual imagination.

The artists’ identities remained a mystery, recognized only through a particular graphic style or concept. These artists have chosen their own paths, focusing on the art forms themselves, offering their work to the public at large. The canvas is never-ending and the art form continuously evolves. Urban art is rapidly spreading across the globe, similar to our ship’s journey, as an outlet for freethinking artists with innovative, creative approaches to their craft.

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Photo Credits Chris Gordon

Stephanie Polsky

Fabian Selg

Chris Gordon

Amanda Cook

Jon Seltin

Chris Gordon

Rebecca F. Wood

James Jack LaRusso

Vikki Nathalie Walle-Hansen

David Reynoso

Albert Wang

Emma Roll

Jon DeVries

Vikki Nathalie Walle-Hansen

Davis Hammer

Erik Wong

Greece

Davis Hammer

Portugal

Emma Roll

Amy Wielkoszewski

Kristin Johnson

Jill Anderson

Amanda Cook

Daniella Cagol

Jon Seltin

Melanie Hanvey

James Jack LaRusso

Lucia GastĂŠlum Dourritzague

Jon Seltin

Kristin Johnson

Randi Anderson

Ken Hammer

Yas Djadali

Panama

Michal Bachman

Elizabeth Huebner

Mark Rifaat Morsi

Emma Roll

Jonathan Wenck

Mario Schilling

Jessica Shindo

Daniela Merglova

Davis Hammer

Basma Ibrahim DeVries

Emma Roll

Basma Ibrahim DeVries

Vikki Nathalie Walle-Hansen

Shirani Morales Garro

Bonita D. Walker

Basma Ibrahim DeVries

Kala Brgant

Franziska Wigger

Ricky Alexander

Basma Ibrahim DeVries

Vikki Nathalie Walle-Hansen

David Grethen

Laura Calo

Amy Wielkoszewski

Ricky Alexander

Hanna-Liina Linnasm채e

Kai Pong Law

Dana Vukajlovich

Martin Michalek

Jon DeVries

Erik Wong

Matthew Amato

Elizabeth Huebner

Jonathan Wenck

Shirani Morales Garro

Ecuador

Chris Gordon

George Gogolev

Chris Gordon

Fabian Selg

Shannon McDowell

Michal Bachman

Erik Wong

Gioel Gioacchino

Daniela Merglova

Daniela Merglova

Malin Christina Lehnbom

Emma Roll

Daniela Merglova

Jon Seltin

Karoline Tidemand-Fossum

Emma Roll

Karoline Tidemand-Fossum

Emma Roll

Mark Rifaat Morsi

Lars Toghill

Summer LeAnn Wood

Lucia Zaragoza

Jon Seltin

Adrian Tuerklitz

Kristin Johnson

Daniela Merglova

Karoline Tidemand-Fossum

Lucia Zaragoza

Sheila O’Toole-Widjaja

Thomas Larson

Elizabeth Huebner

David Reynoso

Hanna-Liina Linnasmäe

Tahiti

New Zealand

Chris Fisher

Hanna-Liina Linnasmäe

Emma Roll

Kai Pong Law

Emma Roll

Laurence Taylor

Mark Rifaat Morsi

Melanie Hanvey

Hanna-Liina Linnasm채e

Kristin Johnson

Davis Hammer

Daniela Merglova

Shirani Morales Garro

Michal Bachman

Chris Gordon

Daniela Merglova

Elizabeth Huebner

Wilson Wan

Amy Wielkoszewski

Elizabeth Huebner

Albert Wang

Fabian Selg

Mariam Mitry

Erin McWilliams

Shirani Morales Garro

Yas Djadali

Erik Wong

Chris Gordon

Anthony Stewart

Yas Djadali

Eng Tze Ng

Albert Wang

Daniela Merglova

Diana Rodriguez

Davis Hammer

Federico Montealegre

Daniela Merglova

Shirani Morales Garro

Ken Hammer

Basma Ibrahim DeVries

Shirani Morales Garro

Ashley Deiser

Kristin Johnson

Shannon McDowell

James Jack LaRusso

Erik Wong

Australia

Shirani Morales Garro

Daniela Merglova

Daniela Merglova

Rebecca F. Wood

At Sea

Shirani Morales Garro

Amy Wielkoszewski

Vikki Nathalie Walle-Hansen

Kristin Johnson

Bonita D. Walker

Emma Roll

Jon Seltin

George Gogolev

Daniela Merglova

Jonathan Wenck

Kristin Johnson

Erik Wong

Judith Korth

Katrin Kaun

Malin Christina Lehnbom

Daniela Merglova

Judith Korth

Chris Gordon

Shannon McDowell

Erik Wong

Judith Korth

Erik Wong

Eliana Velez

Kristin Johnson

Ashley Deiser

Vikki Nathalie Walle-Hansen

George Gogolev

Joshua Ballinger

David Reynoso

Daniela Merglova

Lynn Domeier

Erik Wong

Daniel Kieran Shun

Erik Wong

George Gogolev

Street Art Emma Roll

Ricky Alexander

Taylor S. Carney

Emma Roll

Daniella Cagol

Amanda Cook

Amanda Cook