Life on the Ship

What we were spending time preparing for final happened! The students arrived and were soooo excited to be here. The day they arrived is the day we headed on our way to Hawaii. They started their evening with an Orientation meeting and though we (Student Life Staff) were all supposed to be there we spent a good portion of the meeting running water, crackers and vomit bags to students who were gettng very sick. With in the matter of an hour I witnessed at least 10 students heading to the bathroom (some not making it) to be sick. Needless to say there were quite a few students who were questioning their motives for comng. We tried to reassure them that 10 years from now they would not remember there first night of vomiting but all of the great memories to come. I am not sure everyone bought it! Especially since Thursday night was probably the worst seas I have experienced. I am pretty sure no one slept more then a couple hours total. Things were falling all around me, drawers were slamming all night, my chair flew across the room a couple of times and though I had felt quezzy a couple of times this was the 1st time I really thought I was going to get sick. I did not, thank goodness!!! After getting through that night the seas have certainly started to calm down.
Here is a picture of the rough seas from my window:

Things move at warp speed on the ship a day is like a week. So the students have been on the ship for one week today, we have had an involvement fair which resulted in about a dozen new organizations and I have already met with my programming board who has produced 2 amazing programs. We had speed meeting where about 150 students showed up to really participate in one large ice breaker. (For those of you who are my higher ed friends you should feel a little envious now) Everything is cool here, it is kind of amazing, on a land campus trying to get students to come to a program like this (even freshman) would be challenging but there is this want to connect that is felt throughout the community. Last night we had our first Coffee House program and again about 150 students showed up...there is so much talent on this ship!!! Let me also note that both of these programs happened at the same time that alcohol service began and the drinking age is 18 on the ship!

So far it has been some sort of idealistic campus life environment, everyone (with the exception of a small handful) is respectful, participatory and really wants to be here. We still have not arrived to our first destination and I am having a wonderful time. I am working pretty hard but I think I would rather be working hard here then anywhere else.  Cindy (my supervisor and friend) says that your worst day on the ship is better then your best day at land.  I am not sure that I am total agreement yet, but I am coming close!

We arrive to Hilo, Hawai'i tomorrow and I am pretty planless.  I think some of us will go to Volcano National Park and also try to hit up a Target to to pick up some things that we all realized that we forgot.  For example I never realized how dependent I was on Fabreeze!

OK so I was able to add a few pictures to my previous entry.  At some point I will add a photo albulm but that may take some time.