Spring 2012
Service through the Service Industry: SAS Alumnus Starts Non-Profit in Cambodia
While the MV Explorer docked in Viet Nam, 300 students took advantage of Semester at Sea trips to visit neighboring Cambodia, experiencing recent history at the Killing Fields, exploring the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, and seeing the remarkable impact of a very recent SAS alumnus. Ben Justus, who visited Cambodia as a student on [...]
Student Photos – Viet Nam and Cambodia
Xin chào from Viet Nam and sues dei from Cambodia. The MV Explorer docked in Ho Chi Minh City for five days and students spread out to every corner of the two countries, from Hanoi in the north to Phnom Penh in the south. See the 15 top photos from the Spring 2012 port in [...]
Turning a Global Semester into a Global Career
Semester at Sea may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the effects of the program last forever. SAS began nearly 50 years ago and today there are 55,000 alumni worldwide in every possible career field. Last semester’s Fall 2011 students are already using their experiences towards their future, writing a thesis on environmental studies in Illinois, [...]
Speaking Singlish
Most folks struggle with Shakespeare, but imagine it translated into Singlish. Yes, Singlish. Much like Dominica and Mauritius, residents of Singapore also created a hybrid language in the face of a massively mixed colonial population. The language has grown into a unique twist on English—something the people love and the government hates. Students in Dr. [...]
A Week at “Home” in India
Semester at Sea has built several connections around the world over the past 49 years, taking new students to trusted locations each semester. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the relationship with the Rotary Club in Chennai, India—a link that’s provided interport students for the past 2 decades and supplied a truly unique home [...]
Spring 2012 Sea Olympics
The Summer Olympics won’t start until July, but the MV Explorer got a jump start this week with its own epic, all-encompassing tournament known as the Sea Olympics.
While the MV Explorer sliced through the flat-as-glass waters of the Bay of Bengal, the shipboard community supplied a blast of activity in an otherwise tranquil Sea. The [...]
Student Photos – India
Namaste from India. The MV Explorer docked along the southwest coast but students spread out across the country, photographing the people and places of Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Goa, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and, of course, our port city of Kochi. Take a look at 15 of the best student photos from every corner of incredible India.
Starry, Starry Nights
Back in the earlier explorer days, the stars played a huge role in navigating the seven seas. Times have changed, and thankfully the crew on the MV Explorer’s bridge has much more advanced technology. But the stars are still there.
If you enjoy star-gazing at home, just imagine the skies out on the open ocean where [...]
Religious Art and Architecture of India
The southwestern state of Kerala has been an important eastern trade hub for centuries, long before the first European explorers arrived in 1500. The crossroad culture of Kochi has impacted every facet of daily life, and Kerala, now referred to by its residents as “God’s Own Country,” boasts a plethora of religious building from the [...]
Playing Chess in Kochi
According to board game history, chess originated in India during the 6th century. Fast-forward 1500 years and chess is still king of the board games, drawing students and professors alike to the Deck 6 lounge on the MV Explorer at all hours of the day for a classic brow-furrowing study break.
Kevin Singer, from UC-Berkeley, is [...]