Even after her ship was hit by a storm, took on water and lost electricity, Laurel Dauphin still remembers her Semester at Sea fondly.
"Our boat was ridiculous," Dauphin said. "The ship had used its entire stock of seasick medicine in the first two weeks because of the storm."
Dauphin, a senior in international studies, said she decided to do SAS in the spring of 2005. Shortly after the ship began its voyage, Dauphin said her ship was hit with a 60 foot wave, causing the ship to take on water.
"It was kind of scary,"she said. "The atmosphere was a calm panic because everyone knew they couldn't do anything."
After being shipwrecked in Hawaii, she said the ship needed to be repaired. The SAS program flew the 700 students to China, where their ship would join them later. The storm cost the SAS program millions of dollars, Dauphin said.
Though her trip had a rough beginning, she said the rest was amazing.
"It's like classes on a cruise ship," Dauphin said. On the ship, she said she took four classes for 20 credit hours.
Dauphin said her favorite part the trip was seeing the different countries, which included Vietnam, Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, Venezuela, China, India and South Africa.
"My favorite country was Tanzania because I got to go on a safari," Dauphin said. "Once you get off the ship, you can do anything you want."
Another highlight of Dauphin's trip was Brazil, where she said she took a houseboat down the Amazon for three days, saw rainforests and went great white shark diving.
"Study time" for Dauphin was enjoyable because it involved lying out by the pool on the deck of the ship, where she said ice cream was always available.
"I would suggest it to anybody who wants to go because it's a great experience," Dauphin said.
Jeff McKibben, a coordinator of study abroad at the Office of International Affairs, said he strongly recommends the program and has never received bad feedback from participants. He said there are benefits to traveling all around the world rather than just studying abroad in one location.
"It's not what we would call an immersion program," McKibben said. "It allows brief exposure to very different cultures and allows students to compare them."
Because students are able to see more of the world in SAS, McKibben said he believes students are offered a wider perspective of global affairs and begin to think of themselves as global citizens.
During the year, three SAS voyages are offered. They take place for 100 days in the fall, 100 days in the spring and 65 days during the summer, McKibben said. Although fall and spring voyages travel around the world, he said summer voyages are concentrated in particular areas.
McKibben said the cost for SAS varies with the seasons. For fall and spring, the program costs about $20,000 with an additional $5,000 spending money recommended, and summer costs about $11,000 with an additional $3,000 recommended for spending.
During the fall or spring, students can choose from about 40 different courses, but are required to take a class in global perspectives, along with three other courses. Because the summer program is shorter, students are only required to take three courses, with an option of taking four.
"To see how students become so invested and engaged in the learning process is really rewarding," McKibben said. "They will ... know that they have done something quite special in their lives."
McKibben said there are few SAS students at OSU during the year. During the 2006-2007 academic year, 10 students participated, which is higher than the average of six per year, McKibben said.
This summer, only two students from OSU will be participating in SAS. One is Lindsay Snyder, a senior in meteorology.
Snyder said she looks forward to SAS because she will be able to experience different climates and see different economic, cultural and political diversity.
"I'm really excited about it because I wanted to have a different experience and be able to travel before I have to go into the real world," Snyder said.
Snyder and 650 students from around the United States will depart on June 17 for 65 days. She said she is going to visit eight countries around South America.
"I'm most looking forward to getting to experience a different culture," Snyder said. "I think it will be the experience of a lifetime."
Ashley Bass can be reached at bass.77@osu.edu.
2008 Woodie Awards
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