First Night of "Aft"er Hours

Day #8
I’m trying to get in the habit of writing a little bit after Global Studies when I’m wide awake and in a reflective mode. Right now I’m sitting in a little nook up in the Faculty/Staff Lounge just watching the ocean roll on by. I spent a bunch of time yesterday getting ready for our “Activities Fair” that is happening this evening. This is the day where all the students have a chance to sign-up for a number of different activities, including the Ambassador Program (hosting students from different countries and organizing events with them), Students of Service (students who raise funds for different organizations through different means on the ship), and many other organized activities including all of the sports, recreation, and wellness activities that I get to coordinate. I’m really excited to put together a master list of fitness and recreation activities. There are so many talented people on this ship! I’ve already been approached by 3 different yoga instructors, a tai chi instructor, pilates, abdominal workouts, step aerobics, self-defense workshops, etc. The other really cool thing about this ship is that an alumnus purchased and had built a large, enclosed netted area on the 7th deck where folks can play basketball, volleyball, badminton, or soccer without fear of the ball going overboard. So, I also have a group of students who are excited to organize all sorts of tournaments and such. I don’t think I’ll have a lack of assistance, which is GREAT for me!! J
This morning I woke up and worked out on the elliptical machine for a while, which is a bit interesting in itself because of the rocking motion of the ship. Out of the corner of my eye I could see students almost falling off the treadmill. It’s definitely an art to keep your balance. Then, I went outside and joined in on a student-led yoga class, which was amazing. Even though, again, the balance thing is a little tricky… doing yoga poses while looking out at the ocean is a pretty amazing experience. Definitely complements the inner harmony of yoga. LOVE IT.
The big issue of yesterday was the first night of “Aft”er Hours. I won’t go into the whole thing, but Nancy will appreciate the drama of the ticket sales. Long story short – ISE has instituted a policy that students must purchase a ticket for every alcoholic beverage they plan to consume (only beer or wine). There is a 4 drink maximum for the 2-hour late night service on the back deck, and a 2 drink maximum for the 1-hour pre-dinner service. So… students have to stand in line at a designated time to purchase said tickets, show their ID, have their ID # written on the back of each ticket, and choose what (and how many) drinks they would like to have. How this process came about, I do not know, but it was a total clusterf*ck. (pardon the language).
Since it was the first night that they could purchase alcohol, hundreds of students stood in line for literally 3 hours. The ticket selling even started to encroach on the designated “Community College” night which students were supposed to attend for their Global Studies class. At that point, I totally lost it and couldn’t contain my feelings of how unorganized and inappropriate it was for the ship (and us) to be selling alcohol tickets for 3 hours, wasting the students time and our time. Needless to say, this topic will be the first item on our agenda at our Student Life meeting today… we need a different system. Supposedly this system has worked for past voyages, but I don’t see how.
Thankfully, after all the drama of the ticket sales, our first “Aft”er Hours night went really well. Students had a blast, it was a beautiful evening, and there was no trouble – at least none that I saw or heard about. So, that’s all good. I think it’s hard for the students on the ship who are 22 and 23 years old because they actually have LESS privileges in terms of drinking than they normally do, while the 19 & 20 year-olds on the ship have more. All in all, the policies that are in place are very strict for two main reasons:
1. We are on a SHIP in the middle of the ocean, under international regulations, and when it comes down to it, safety is the utmost concern.
2. There are always a few (or more) students who abuse their privileges, cause a ruckus, put themselves & others in unsafe situations, and because of them, the responsible students have to deal with very strict policies.
This is why it’s a little bit difficult for me to adjust to working in residential life again. I really DO NOT enjoy being a bouncer for the “Aft”er Hours evenings, but as long as the students keep it real, I think we’ll be okay. It was actually fun last night to interact with the students while they were hanging out… most of them feel very comfortable drinking in front of us and know that we’re not there to judge them or be the police. We’re just there for safety, ultimately.
Blah, blah, blah. Okay, I’m done with that now.
Wanted to give a big SHOUT OUT to Sarah & Danny!! Congratulations on your engagement! I couldn’t think of a more amazing couple… except perhaps my PARENTS who are having an anniversary today!! Woo-hoo!
Joe & I will toast to both of you tonight.
Three more days at sea, and then we arrive in Honolulu on Saturday morning at 0700.
I would LOVE to hear from some of you… please feel free to email me, and I will email you back!