SPICE: An eye opening and humbling journey through the islands of Polynesia. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Since it was the first time this program had been available, there were some aspects that were not completely made clear to us students at the beginning. Grading was not decided until about 3 weeks into the shore component, and the assignments were a bit overwhelming. We had 4 projects to complete within the four weeks we were in Woods Hole. I understand that the program was worth a total of 17 credits, but I would rather have a test in a couple of the courses and projects in the others instead of four projects.

On-site administration of your program

The teachers were often available after classes to help us with the project which was very helpful. There was not a lot of preparation in class as to what to expect in the countries we visited, instead it was left to us students to learn about the countries through our research projects. This caused there to be gaps in information between students, some knew about one island, other knew about them all. It just depended on which projects the students had. I suggest that instead there be some class time devoted to teaching us about the islands as a class rather than something that is less important, such as the history of whaling.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

On shore, we were in cabins that had 8 students each. This was nice since we began forming bonds with the students we lived with. On the ship, we were in individual bunks that were in groups of 4-6 per area on board. This made it easy to find people when waking others for watch, but caused it to be difficult to work when you were not on watch, because someone was always sleeping, so you had to mind your volume constantly.

The food in both components was fantastic.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The cultural exposure that the entire crew got on this voyage is indescribable. I have made friends and contacts all throughout the Pacific ocean, and I have had my eyes open to a beautiful part of the world that I hope to return to, time and time again. We had such an impact on the people that we met, just by telling them that we care about their cultures, and their islands, and the people themselves. I will never forget the generosity and kindness that we encountered along our journey.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Other

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• Americans
• International Students