Log 21

We are currently on the ship, making our way to India. Between now and South Africa, things are going to be very hectic on the ship. We have Sea Olympics coming up, where the seas battle it out in multiple events around the ship. The events range from sports to mathletes. After that we have Neptune Day coming up. This is a sort of holiday on a ship. When you cross the equator, anyone who is crossing the equator for the first time is supposed to do all this stuff. From what I am hearing, you are supposed to shave your head, kiss a fish, and jump over board. Now I don’t mean to be the downer in the group, but I don’t not, under any circumstance, plan on shaving my head. I will kiss the fish, and I will gladly jump over board, but my hair stays where it is. Now, I am not exactly sure if we will be jumping over board as I am not sure how well that would go over with the captain, but if we do, I am willing.

It is crazy to think though that our journey is already halfway over. We are two months in and we have two to go. 51 days to be exact. Time has been flying, but the experiences have been great.

The main reason I am writing tonight though is to tell you about a program I have gotten involved in. There is a group of us on board that have gotten together to create modules for teachers back in the states to use, in order to teach their students about the ocean. We will be creating a website that will act as a sort of library with tons of information and interactive tools. Part of this will be interviews of the students and their experience on the ship. Another part will be academic, giving teachers information about the ocean, the life, and some challenges the world is facing. The other part of the program is that we need to make modules that can be used from K to 12. This means that we will be creating at least six versions of the information, tuned to the specific age group that will be using it. We just had our first meeting tonight and have brainstormed some awesome ideas. It is going to be a long and tiresome process, but I hopeful that it will be a great and useful way to spread the word about Semester At Sea and the oceans.