Sea Olympics aboard the Explorer

There is plenty of fun  the Explorer to give students a break from their studies. One of these was the Neptune Day and the other was the Sea Olympics, when everyone got into the competitive spirit. The Olympics are a tournament with events such as sporting events, tug-of-war and a backwards spelling bee.

As you know, there are 675 students, 43 faculty, 38 Lifelong Learners and 32 children on board the Explorer and students are divided into nine groups, organized according to the location of their cabins. Each group has a Residential Director, all experienced adults with master’s degrees. They keep the students informed and lend them a shoulder to cry on, should the need arise. These groups are named after a sea: the Adriatic, Aegean, Baltic, Bering, Caribbean, Mediterranean etc. The name of the Arabic Sea was changed to Persian Gulf after three Iranian students on that deck requested the change. For the Sea Olympics, which had nearly 50 events, each Sea had to choose a color and make a flag to carry during the opening ceremonies.

In order for Lifelong Learners, faculty and dependent children to compete in these Olympics, we had to come up with a color (gray) to wear and the name of a sea (Luna). Our sound was as howling at the moon.

Our banner was designed by the art teacher, we all cut up our version of a moon or crescent. Wrappers saved from candy bars made an illumunated border around the moon. I helped carry it throughout the ship during opening night ceremonies. We won first place in that category.

Clockwise from left: howling at the moon, Eastern-style toilet squat, Caribbean Sea pirates; the final result

We also came in first in the Eastern-Style Toilet squat. Rachel Bassett, 43, was able to stay 45 minutes in that position. She also did well howling at the moon. And 35 push-ups by Barbara Sobey, who is in her 50s, got us a blue ribbon. Her husband, Professor Ed Sobey, came in second in pull ups (23, I believe). We had a team of four doing synchronized swimming, but on land because the seas were too choppy and the pool was closed. With goggles and in swim suits the four 40-something guys were quite graceful. And very funny. 

My partner and I were a little too slow building a two-story house of cards, which had to stay upright for five long seconds, but the relay team did its best running from station to station carrying an egg in a spoon from event to event.  

The  Sea Olympics included a comedy routine by each Sea, and song and dance at the closing ceremonies that lasted the whole day with judges keeping score of all the events.  For a while Luna Sea was in first place but ultimately we finished fourth out of nine. The rowdy Caribbean Sea, dressed in black as pirates, took First Prize: an ice cream social.