Students chuck traditional study abroad programs in lieu of a cruise ship
By Lauren Seynhaeve
Around 8 a.m., announcements sound throughout an old cruise ship and 750 students from all over the United States awaken to get ready for their day in a new country.
The University of Virginia hosts a Semester at Sea program, which takes students around the world. While the ship is at sea, classes are taught by professors from all over the country. While the ship is in port, field studies and other excursions are available.
"It was the coolest thing I've ever done in my entire life," said University of Portland senior Barto Barto, who took the trip last spring.
Barto decided that the study abroad programs offered by UP weren't for her, and while she was researching her other options, she came across Semester at Sea.
While on her cruise, Barto visited the Bahamas, Spain, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Japan, Hawaii, Guatemala and Florida.
"It gave me a whole new look at the world," she said. "You can't really explain your experience with people who weren't with you because the things you see are so profound and moving that words can't describe it."
Barto said picking a favorite country would be difficult, since each one she visited is individually extraordinary. But she does remember a favorite excursion she went on while in India. Her group flew from their port in Chennai to the oldest living city in the world, Varanasi.
"I was raised Catholic but felt a vibration and sense of clarity in Varanasi that I have never experienced anywhere else in the world," she said.
For over 2,000 years, Varanasi's citizens have practiced ceremonial cremation of the dead along the river. The act is meant to help the souls move on peacefully into their next life.
"At dusk I participated in a ceremony celebrating the Goddess of the River, the Mother Ganges," she said. "It was extremely moving to see with my own eyes one of the oldest funeral rites in human history."
In addition to this emotionally moving excursion, Barto was able to dive off the coast of South Africa with great white sharks, walk along the Great Wall of China and tour the Taj Mahal, amongst other things.
"It's just incredible," she said.
In addition to seeing important sights, Barto made sure to try the local delicacies.
"In every country I ate as much food as possible, I'm a big fan of trying different foods," she said.
Senior Tyler Tate also participated in Semester at Sea during spring semester of 2008. Two of his cousins had gone earlier and had spoken highly of the program causing Tate to decide to go himself.
"I thought it was really cool," he said. "You see a lot of stuff and you meet a lot of people. It was kind of surreal."
Tate described the days in port as different each time.
"How much fun you have in port is up to you," he said. "There are planned tours, but if you were on a tour and you found something cool you couldn't stop to explore, so going out on your own was more interesting."
Another drawback of the tours is that they cost a bit extra. Tate also said that it was hard to pick tours because they must be chosen in advance of the semester, when students haven't yet had time or opportunity to get to know each other.
Tate said with research and good planning, individual excursions with friends were always more fun than the tours.
"There's so many people and so many things to do, you will meet with people you mesh with," he said.
Tate and a few friends decided to fly to Singapore while the ship was in a Malaysian port.
On a very popular excursion in Vietnam, Tate got the opportunity to work in an orphanage.
"You get a survey of the world" he said. "I think everyone should travel."
Both Barto and Tate made many friends from all over the U.S.
"You really bond with people from around the country," Barto said. "There was a group of about 20 of us, and I still keep in contact with all of them."
Tate agreed that bonding is a lot easier when you travel with other people.
"Figuring out where you are in a different country with other people really helps," he said.
When the ship is at sea, the days are a bit less exotic, as classes are in session. Students are allowed to take a maximum of five classes. Both Barto and Tate felt the material was manageable and, at times, even easy.
Once classes were finished, most people went to the upper deck to sunbathe by the pool. Other amenities are available, such as massages and a sauna, but extra services are not included in the price of the program.
Tate said that he would generally play basketball with friends around three in the afternoon and hang out for the rest of his time.
"We would relax on the deck and sun tan," he said. "We would also watch movies - we could get cheap $.50 knockoffs in China."
Junior Elle Hoxworth will spend next semester at sea. She'll start in San Diego, and go to Hawaii, China, Japan, Vietnam, India, South Africa, Ghana, Brazil and end in up Florida.
"I've always known that I wanted to study abroad," she said. "I have the opportunity to go to countries I never would on my own."
In order to participate in this program, students need to take a leave of absence from UP. In other words, students need to drop out of UP and reapply once the semester is over. As with any other non-UP credits, transferring must be discussed on an individual basis with the student's college.
Tate described the process as annoying, but doable.
"I'm so excited," Hoxworth said with a smile. "I think everyone should have the opportunity to see cultures that are really different than their own and to come into contact with people from all over the world to help them become global citizens."
Hoxworth said that each semester there is a theme onboard the ship. For example last summer, the theme was "Social Justice in the Mediterranean." She is happy the theme for her semester is "Sustainability."
Throughout the semester there is a focus on the ship's theme and speakers from around the world are invited to talk onboard.
Additionally, the classes available onboard are relevant to the countries the students visit. Although everything is taught in English, the program manages to immerse students in other cultures.
"It's probably the biggest thing that has impacted my life," Barto said. "I would recommend the program to anyone."
