Taking a Semester at Sea

Ingrid L. Ott '83 was exploring a mainland China village with a 6-ft., 2-in, red-haired friend. Her friend found a pair of shorts with a design similar to Hawaiian tourist shorts in a small shop for 25 cents, and liked them so much that he put them on immediately. When they left the shop and started walking down the street, a huge crowd of Chinese people followed them, laughing uncontrollably. Ott said that she had no idea if she or her friend was the object of ridicule.

Later, they met a friend who had lived in China for several years. He informed them that the "Hawaiian shorts" were actually womens' underwear.

Ott said that experiences like this are typical during the 100-day "Semester at Sea" program. Ten Harvard students, including four this semester, have participated in this program, which sends students steambosting around the world, learning about foreign cultures.

While it may seem that the program is just an easy pleaure cruise for students who want a semester off, Ott stressed that there is work involved along the way. Students take four courses, write papers, and study for exams, just as they would at Harvard. The difference is that their classroom, unlike the hopelessly immobile Emerson or Sever Halls, moves around the world, allowing them to experience the cultures they learn about from textbooks.

Ott says that Semester at sea was "the four most amazing months of my life," adding, "I could never have experienced this at Harvard."

The program, run by the University of Pittsburgh and the Institute for Shipboard Education (a private, non-profit organisation), has existed for 13 years, but only six Harvard students had participated before this year.

According to John T. Tymitz, executive director for the Institute, the increased interest at Harvard is due to border advertising by the Institute and a more liberal credit awarding policy at Harvard.

Jackie M. Mintz '85, who participated in the program, agreed with Tymitz, saying, "I saw an ad in the Crimson and thought 'this is a better than reasonable way to see' the world.

The program features a 567-foot ship, the S.S. Universe, which shipping magnate C. Y. Tung first rented at cost to Semester at Sea in 1971. While Tung died in 1982, his family continues to offer the Institute use of the ship.

Tymitz said that the program would have been run on the Queen Elizabeth II, one of Tung's possessions, but it burned in Japan before it could be used. The Universe is less than half the Queen's size.

The voyage of the Universestates in Seattle, once in the fall and once in the spring. From there, the ship visits Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, India, Egypt, Turkey, Greece and Spain. This year, however, it avoided India because of the political troubles there, said Helen M. Delahanty, mother of Jean L. Delahanty '85, who is now on the boat.

When the ship is between ports--50 out of the 100 days--classes are held. Students take a required core course and three others, ranging from Anthropology to Theatre Arts.

The professors teach general concepts, as they would in a land-based classroom, but they also focus the discussion on subjects relavant to the next port of call, according to Tymitz.

"The courses are not as challenging as Harvard's, but were interesting in that they were geared around what we were seeing in port," said Mintz.

"Everything I learned came to life," said Ott, now a freshman proctor in Matthews.

The faculty, most of whom take sabbaticals to participate in the program, is drawn from colleges across the country. They are extremely accessible and interesting, said Mintz, who still corresponds with a professor from MIT whom she met aboard the Universe

Students may receive four elective credits for courses taken on the ship it they get permission from their department of concentration, said Margot Gill, associate director of the Office of Career Services and Off-Campus Learning.

Courses run from Monday to Saturday, so students have Sundays for their own activities, said Mintz. There is a student newspaper, student council, drama club and yearbook. to stay in shape, voyagers can participate in aerobics classes or play volleyball or shuffleboard.

"There is a pool, but it's too small to do laps in," Said Ott.

Students can also attend lectures given by special "native" professors. Presentations range from, "how to give Egyptian backrubs" to an "intense debate between an Arab and an Israeli," said Ott.

Another stimulating aspect of being on the boat, said Mintz, was talking with the 150 member Taiwanese crew. The crew is Taiwanese because Tung's family operates the fleet out of Taiwan.

"My daughter is learning Japanese and Chinese for free," said Delahanty.

The crew cooked excellent Chinese food every day, according to Ott. She added that she most enjoyed Chinese rice.

Cost

The cost of this excursion is higher than that of a Harvard semester. The program costs about $9000 but additional spending for outside trips brings the total to about $15,000, said Ott.

Financial aid is given to 10 percent of the students and covers one half the cost.

To keep costs down, students can sleep or take meals on the ship while in port, but most prefer to explore the ports and sleep in hostels, hotels or homes, said Mintz.

"We slept in the Tulip Hotel in 'beautiful' downtown Cairo for $1 a night," she quipped.

A trip to mainland China is optional and at additional cost but is educational and amusing for both the Chinese and Americans said Ott.

"The Chinese had never seen anyone with blond hair or green eyes before and thought was the funniest thing in the world," she added.

Student Body

The S. S. Universe has room for about 500 students who come from all over the U. S. and foreign countries, said Tymitz.

Because few people apply to the program almost everyone who applies is accepted, Ott said. The minimum requirement is a 2.5 GPA after one semester of college