Trip Start Jan 17, 2006
Trip End Apr 28, 2006

Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines

Flag of Brazil  ,
Thursday, January 26, 2006


I just got out of my Biology 101 class, a gen ed requirement for Olivet, and I really feel incredibly privileged right now. Our professor has done work all over the world studying endangered species and reintroducing them into their natural habitats. She has worked with Grizzly Bears, White tailed Deer, and most recently with Beavers reintroducing them into their habitat in Russia which had been destroyed due to industrialization. She is one of the only profs here who was actually recommended instead of applying. Amazingly enough it is harder to teach on SAS than to be a student on SAS. There are hundreds of applicants for all the positions including resident directors. The chair originally sorted through 680 applicants to fill 12 positions. Each of the RD's specializes in something such as fitness or psychology. They are called upon to give lectures or teach classes on subjects that pertain to the upcoming ports. The lecture I attended on gangs was headed up by Dr. Nikki Adams an RD who frequently works with the NYPD and is the consultant for many schools in NY who are dealing with gang related problems. She is amazing. She has so much experience actually working with these gangs and talking to them and there families, researching why they are in a gang and how it can be prevented. After the lecture on gangs several of us decided to stay and watch City of God which is a movie (documentary?) on the gangs in Brazil. (our next port) It was an amazing movie and I highly recommend it. It does however contain a lot of graphic scenes and a lot of nudity. That was what about ten of us decided to do instead of attending pub night on the 7th deck. Today was our B2 day which unfortunately starts early for me. I have an 8am class on Tourism (the English prof). Today we did a lot of research on the G.A.P. Adventures which is a Canadian based company that sells low end adventure tourism. It actually is quite amazing and has definitely made me consider new options for my major. I actually am amazed at how quickly time is flying in these courses. It only seems like we have just started and the hour and a half is up. The only class that does seem to drag is my global studies class which is required by all. It seems to take forever. I've never really been one for geography and that is what it is mostly about right now. I am hoping that we will begin to dive into more of the political issues of these countries as the voyage goes on. I would much rather study world hunger issues or the social injustice of women than the Andes mountains. My other B class is my sea literature class which has also proven more difficult. We found out today that she wants two pages of journaling per prompt and port. Not too bad but its all suppose to be about how the sea is affecting us. Its actually a rather interesting concept of whether the sea really does drive people insane. We also are reading a book right now called Sea Change: a message of the oceans. It sucks. Its basically about how we should be exploring the oceans instead of outer space. Its not that I disagree with this concept its that it is written by a biologist so its incredibly stuffed with facts and random quotes that don't flow or sometimes even make sense.
Report as Spam

Use this image in your site

Copy and paste this html: