Introduction to Semester at Sea

So here's how it all began. I have been teaching at Shenandoah University for over twenty years. My colleague there in the Department of Religion and Philosophy is John Copenhaver. A couple of years ago, John met a man on the Appalachian Trail whose wife was to be Dean on a Semester at Sea voyage and needed a Religion professor. John applied and listed me as a reference.

I was interviewed by the Dean as she discerned whether or not to hire John. In the process, she asked me about my interest in ever being part of the SAS faculty and I, without thinking for a second, said, "Sure."

In investigating it further, I decided that if I ever were to do it, it would have to be on a summer voyage. I was thinking that Jayne wouldn't be able to take a semester off from her job at Madison County High School and that I surely wasn't going to go without her. So, I was looking for a summer opportunity.

(John was accepted onto the faculty for an around the world voyage for the Spring of 2011.  He had an incredible experience and his positive and enthusiastic reviews only increased my interest.)

In July, 2011, I got an email from LaVahn Hoh, asking about my interest for the Fall of 2012. LaVahn is Professor in the Drama Department at the University of Virginia and is Dean of the Fall, 2012 voyage. Based on what I'd been thinking, I almost said, "No." Then I read the email to Jayne and she looked at the Fall, 2012 voyage. When she saw it was an Atlantic voyage and that one of the ports of call was Buenos Aires, Argentina she said, "We've got to make that happen!"

(We were married in Buenos Aires in March of 1981. I had gone there as part of a Mission Intern Program through the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. We were engaged just before I left thinking we'd be married when I returned in fifteen months. That immediately seemed silly and so after five months she joined me there and we were married. Semester at Sea provided the first serious opportunity we had to return there.)

Jayne quickly found provisions for an unpaid sabbatical in the Madison County public schools employee manual and realized that she is qualified. I applied and then spent a couple of weeks in anxious waiting. LaVahn told me at one point that he had another person he was considering for the Religion position and he would make a decision in a few days. One Saturday in early August, a friend and I went up to the Skyline Drive for a bicycle ride. When we got back to my house, I had a message on voice mail. I'll never forget LaVahn's words: "Pack your bags; you're going to be on the faculty for Semester at Sea in the fall of 2012."

Check out the Semester at Sea, Fall 2012 here:

http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/upcoming-voyages/fall-2012.php

This is also pretty cool.  It's a video made by the Fall, 2011 students on Semester at Sea.

http://vimeo.com/33061823