The faculty, most of whom take sabbaticals to participate in the program, is drawn from colleges across the country. They are extremely accessible and interesting, said Mintz, who still corresponds with a professor from MIT whom she met aboard the Universe
Students may receive four elective credits for courses taken on the ship it they get permission from their department of concentration, said Margot Gill, associate director of the Office of Career Services and Off-Campus Learning.
Courses run from Monday to Saturday, so students have Sundays for their own activities, said Mintz. There is a student newspaper, student council, drama club and yearbook. to stay in shape, voyagers can participate in aerobics classes or play volleyball or shuffleboard.
"There is a pool, but it's too small to do laps in," Said Ott.
Students can also attend lectures given by special "native" professors. Presentations range from, "how to give Egyptian backrubs" to an "intense debate between an Arab and an Israeli," said Ott.
Another stimulating aspect of being on the boat, said Mintz, was talking with the 150 member Taiwanese crew. The crew is Taiwanese because Tung's family operates the fleet out of Taiwan.
"My daughter is learning Japanese and Chinese for free," said Delahanty.
The crew cooked excellent Chinese food every day, according to Ott. She added that she most enjoyed Chinese rice.
Cost
The cost of this excursion is higher than that of a Harvard semester. The program costs about $9000 but additional spending for outside trips brings the total to about $15,000, said Ott.
Financial aid is given to 10 percent of the students and covers one half the cost.
To keep costs down, students can sleep or take meals on the ship while in port, but most prefer to explore the ports and sleep in hostels, hotels or homes, said Mintz.
"We slept in the Tulip Hotel in 'beautiful' downtown Cairo for $1 a night," she quipped.
A trip to mainland China is optional and at additional cost but is educational and amusing for both the Chinese and Americans said Ott.
"The Chinese had never seen anyone with blond hair or green eyes before and thought was the funniest thing in the world," she added.
Student Body
The S. S. Universe has room for about 500 students who come from all over the U. S. and foreign countries, said Tymitz.
Because few people apply to the program almost everyone who applies is accepted, Ott said. The minimum requirement is a 2.5 GPA after one semester of college