Japan to San Diego Happenings

Well, we’re less than 10 hours out of San Diego. In fact, we’re back in the same time zone as California and Arizona. After traveling around the world, THAT’s hard to believe. I’m not too excited about that, but I am trying to keep a stiff upper lip. But before I get all sappy and reflective (too late) I am going to do an entry updating on all the big ship activities since we left Japan.

The first big event was the Day of Silence. My Diversity Programming Committee led this shipwide event. It was related to Days of Silence that are held on campuses across the country, but we broadened the definition. Normally, the event is held in solidarity with the LGBT community in order to shed light on those whose voices are silenced because they cannot be open about their sexuality. However, we changed things and asked people to be socially silent in respect to the people we have seen around the world whose voices have been silenced by political and social oppression. We specifically referenced people of color in Brazil and South Africa, Women in India and other Ssian nations, and religious minorities and LGBT people in various nations all over the world. When I proposed toe idea, there were many people, especially faculty, who did not think that it was a good idea to have a program that prohibited people from talking or engaging socially. A few of them feared this would be another divisive program like the Apartheid Day Simulation, even though I discussed with many people that this was about reflection, and not division. I tried a different tactic and recruited faculty input, asked them to participate, suggested ways they could discuss it in their classes… etc. Ultimately, the program was a success. We had hundreds of people take information, and at least 300 people took the badges to wear on the day itself, though many fewer were actually silent for the day. I think it was a visible success since many of the more public people in our community took part. So while many people chose not to participate, they still felt the impact of the silence of their peers. Go team!

Next was the Ambassador’s Ball. For those of you who don’t know, this is sort of like our end of voyage Prom, only the money goes to charity. The whole ship gets decked out in their new suits and dresses from Vietnam, or haute couture from Japan (for those who could afford it – not me). They meal served is exquisite and very gourmet, there are lavish decorations, and photographs everywhere, and amazing desserts served on the 7th deck. We also had live music, and a champagne toast at midnight. It was a heavenly evening. I was especially glad b/c there were a group of three tables right near each other with all my staff friends and RD colleagues. So we had a grand old time, and got to enjoy a little pre partying and post partying without students in the staff area of the ship. I do so love being able to escape and have some “adult” time. Part of the fun of the ball, is that I felt like a bit of a celebrity. The students kept asking to take pictures with me, and with some of the other RD’s and staff members, like Dia the Registrar. I think people are trying to get a record of as many people as they can before the voyage comes to an end. I was always willing to pose and flash my pearly whites. I made corsages out of paper for each of the women on the Student Life Team. Mrs. Rigoli would be so proud that I remembered how to do it some 20 years after being in her elementary school Spanish class.

The next big event was a series that the LGBT group on the ship facilitated. We had “Sea The Pride!” LGB Days at Sea. It was a three day series on the days around Honolulu where we worked to educate the community on issues that face LGBT people, and gave folks tips on how to be effective allies. My LGBTA group is full of well meaning, and enthusiastic people, but they are also big idea people and not always big follow through folks. A couple days before the series was supposed to start, they wanted to scrap major sections of it. In the end, all the elements remained and were incredibly successful. It was a real testament to our community and made the LBG folks on board very proud. The first day had a Gender Bender theme, and folks were invited to play with gender stereotypes with their dress. We even had a gender bender theme with the AFTer Hours alcohol service and a number of people attended in drag. It got quite a laugh. At the same time we had tables near the dining rooms where folks were invited to take and wear rainbow ribbons to identify themselves as allies, and to fill out colorful cards giving their definitions of love. Finally, on that first day, we had a “Speak Out” panel with out gays and lesbians from the student body, staff, and faculty, and allies and family members answering questions and sharing their lives with the community. I was really glad to be a part of that panel, and got a lot of great feedback about what I said and how it affected people. The LGBTA folks were so pleased with the panel b/c when it started there were only about 6 or so people in the Union to participate, but after about 15 minutes we had about 40 people present, and by the time 30 minutes had gone by, there were a good 100+ people in the audience really listening. I was so proud of them, and it made them all feel really supported. The second day of the series had a Same-Sex Hand Holding theme. We invited folks on board to display affection with people of the same sex, be they friends, family members, or loved ones. Not many people engaged in this activity, however some of the faculty members did, and it definitely had the community talking. We continued with the table programs, and finished the evening with a big Drag Show Blowout in the evening directly after the Cultural and Logistical Pre-Port for Hawaii. Everyone was worried about this event, b/c as dinner started 2 hours earlier we had only 1 act for the show. However, everything just came together, and the show was a HUGE success. I’ve heard that on past voyages, men in drag is a big theme running through out the voyage. The Sea Olympics, AFTer Hours events, Talent Shows. Supposedly, these are all events that normally have the men n board dressing in drag, for fun, on a regular basis. But that was not the case with our voyage. We hadn’t seen that kind of fun gender bending in our community before our event, and that worried us about the prospects of finding acts outside of the LGB people planning the event. In the end, we had plenty of acts to fill a 2 hour performance. I don’t think the Union has ever been as packed before, and what’s more, everyone was SO into the show. They cheered on their friends and sang along, or got up and danced in the aisles. The acts were a great collection of gay and lesbian students, straight allies (including some of our most eligible male bachelor students). We even had one of our faculty member’s go in drag with her entire family, husband and two daughters included. Dan Cristie, our Global Studies Professor, was in drag for the show… it was a remarkable event. I was particularly pleased with our two student emcees. I wasn’t very excited about the prospect of hosting, and I didn’t really want to “do” drag. I ended up going about half way and wore a sarong and a flower in my hair (as an homage to Hawaii) but that was it. Prof. Biana Cody Murphy and I set up the show and then passed it off to the emcees. Bianca did a great job framing the show and explaining to everyone present that drag is not about gay men seeing themselves as women, or lesbians seeing themselves as men. It’s really about playing with gender stereotypes. We mess with social norms every day as a function of loving people of the same sex, so this is a way to do it in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. It was great to be able to point to our straight allies in the show as examples of that very fact. The highlight of the entire show was one of our work study students, Roberto. Roberto is a great dancer, who joins us from Puerto Rico. He did a number dressed as Chakira, and he was the prettiest man anyone has seen in a while, and when he started to dance and move his hips, the crowd went wild. He was an amazing (and provocative) dancer. His girlfriend, Mary, was also in drag and dressed like the rapper who sings on the track. The two of them did this whole routine that ended in a very passionate kiss. I gotta tell you, after seeing a handful of drag shows in my day, this number would have put them all to shame. The Drag Show turned out to be such a huge success, and so big in the scheme of the voyage, that when we had our end of voyage slide show, it was given its own category and a fair amount of coverage. The final day of the series had an Ally Development theme, and saw more tabling. We took all the “definitions of love” and posted them in Purser’s Square in a giant rainbow under the banner “Love is not just 1 man + 1 woman – What’s Your Definition of Love?” It was pretty powerful, and a lot of people spent time looking it over. We ended the whole series with a showing of the movie The Laramie Project with a discussion following. Every event was well attended by people who were involved and invested. I have to admit, I didn’t think the entire community would get behind the events, but they did. I was so proud of the folks in the LGBTA @ Sea. Many of them come from campuses that are religiously affiliated and they are the only out people on campus, or from places that are just so conservative that they are not able to find a community. Finding one on Semester at Sea has helped many of them feel more confident about themselves. The opposite was often true for our People of Color, who mainly came from campuses where there were significantly larger populations of people of color. I’m still proud of the community that they built here on the MV Explorer. Can you tell that I am feeling reflective? Geez… I’m such a sap.

I volunteered to facilitate a day in honor of those who died in the tragedy at Virginia Tech, which was held after we left Hawaii. We asked people to wear orange or maroon, Va Tech’s school colors, or black and I posted the names of the victims in Purser’s Square. I regularly saw people stopping and staring at the long list of names… it was a solemn day indeed.

As we moved towards the end of the voyage we’ve has a long string of happy events as well. We held a final Pre-Port meeting where we discussed disembarkation in San Diego. My friend RD Mindy and I created a humorous presentation orienting everyone to the U.S. (“or as we call it in our homeland ‘A-MER-i-ca’”). We taught them how to use regular western toilets, what food they should try out, and what etiquette they should use to fit in (none at all!). The funniest part was teaching them common phrases we use in A-MER-i-ca. We had Ron, “the Voice” saying the phrases for them to learn. The man is SO deadpan, and got this intense expression on his face as he said expressions like “fo shizzle,” and “I’m down with that,” and my favorite “peace out, my brother.” People were crying they were laughing so hard, but Ron never cracked a smile. It was perfect. The strangest part for all of us was when we did a “Pop Culture Catch-Up” where RDs Stephanie Sue and Lesley let us know about what has been happening back in the US while we’ve been gone. The weirdest parts were hearing the top movies and songs right now, especially since none of us have heard of any of them. Disturbia? Fracture? These are movies? Sheesh!

Tonight was the last event of the voyage, Convocation. The staff and faculty led the graduates into the Union. They all wore conical rice hats from Vietnam and looked quite proud of themselves (as they should be). We toasted our accomplishments, and our graduates. We laughed at our collective foibles. We mused over how far we’ve traveled, and how much we’ve grown. I reaffirmed that I am an emotional sap as I was on the verge of tears almost the entire time, but I did manage to avoid a full on cry. It’s scary to realize that this voyage really is almost done. I spent 200 days applying, and interviewing, and anticipating this voyage. I spent 100 days enjoying, and participating on the voyage. What comes next? What happens after 300 days of focus? I wish I had an answer to that question. I know it will all be weighing heavily on my mind as I bid my residents a farewell when they step off the gangway tomorrow morning. Since they won the Sea Olympics, they have the honor of disembarking first. I’m not ready for them to go… hell, I’M not ready to go. But nonetheless, we will leave tomorrow.

Like I said at the start, I’ll save my reflections for later. Right now, the students are downstairs in the Union having their last dance. I doubt any of them will sleep tonight. The faculty and staff are here in the F/S Lounge sharing all open bottles of beverage and open packages of food we can’t off load, enjoying one another’s company. I doubt any of us will sleep tonight either. But for now, I’m going to enjoy my last few hours, and make start processing when I am home in my Irvine bed tomorrow.

Until then,
XOXO
-Drew