Following in the footsteps of Ferdinand Magellan and others who have circumnavigated the globe, Brendon Woodworth ’08, too, came full circle while studying with the Semester at Sea program last fall. The semester-long classes, run through the Institute for Shipboard Education and affiliated with the University of Virginia, allowed Woodworth to travel the world and experience many different cultures. He visited Hawaii, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Egypt, Turkey, Croatia, and Spain in just a few short months.
“The program was run on a cruise ship that had been converted into a floating institute,” Woodworth explained. The seven-deck boat held over 600 students as well as 70 faculty and staff. While students attended classes, the boat traveled between ports. Woodworth mentioned that being seasick in class was certainly a new experience. When the boat was in port, there were no classes for the duration of the stay, typically around five days.
An EMAC major, Woodworth took courses that fulfilled elective requirements at RPI. These courses explored gender, children, and family relations through a broad cultural lens. There was also a mandatory class for all students called Global Studies, a class that looked at the history, politics, and physical environment of each of the countries visited.
While in port, students were free to do what they wanted. This included traveling to other cities, as long as they did not leave the country. Through a field office on board, students could enroll in prearranged excursions while visiting each country. For example, students signed up to experience traditional shows, and to visit orphanages and rural slums. Students were allowed to travel independently and book their own excursions.
The students had luck when it came to communicating in Hong Kong and India, both former British Colonies, where English is still widely used today. In other countries, however, Woodworth commented that it was a bit awkward expecting people to speak English over a native language. He found that he developed body language skills that allowed him to communicate with people with whom he could not converse.
Woodworth came away from Semester at Sea with some powerful memories. While in Vietnam, he encountered the pains associated with discrimination. The feeling of being “unwanted” allowed him to understand what it feels like to be disliked because of a stereotype. He also learned that some cultures have different beliefs about how men and women should act toward each other in public. Woodworth found that it was assumed in Egypt that if you were with a woman, you were married, and “if you were with more than one woman, then they all were your wives.”
Learning about Thailand’s population of transgendered individuals was also eye-opening. Though Woodworth thought at first that it was encouraging to witness a culture that was so accepting of differences, he learned that many poor families in Thailand “raise their young sons as girls since they are worth more to the family in the sex industry than boys.” When these young men grow older, they develop complex gender issues.
Woodworth’s travels heightened his interest in how America is viewed by the world. He mentioned that it was “hard” to be an American sometimes because he met people who had strong opinions about the policies and actions of our country. He also found that many people around the world were very interested in talking about the upcoming presidential election in the United States.
One downfall of the Semester at Sea program was the price. In Woodworth’s opinion, the students had to pay for too many “extras” that should have been included in the tuition. Still, if asked if he would do the program again, he said that he definitely would, noting that his memories of traveling are irreplaceable and his knowledge of the differences between cultures has enhanced his education. “I have become more aware of the world,” Woodworth says, and adds that he now has a greater interest in global politics.
Woodworth also found that studying with Semester at Sea has influenced his career goals. He would like to pursue higher education administration in graduate school next year and work in a university study-abroad office. His ultimate goal, he said, is to become the executive dean of Semester at Sea.
If interested in Semester at Sea, Woodworth recommends doing a fair amount of research on the countries that the ship will visit. Talking to alumni is also a great resource. Though he strongly recommends Semester at Sea, Woodworth feels “any study abroad program would be worthwhile because it allows you to step outside your comfort zone.”
What is it like for Woodworth being back at RPI? “I still look out the window of class thinking that I will see the ocean roll by or that in the next few days I will be plunged into yet another culture with new food, customs, and smells.” To family and friends, he said, he might be the same person he was when he left, but he knows that the experiences he had changed his views about what truly matters in life.
