SCHOOL ON THE HIGH SEAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19502, 4 December 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

SCHOOL ON THE HIGH SEAS.

A FLOATING UNIVERSITY. FIVE HUNDRED STUDENTS. VISIT TO FIFTY-FOUR PORTS. NOVEL AMERICAN EXPERIMENT. The first floating university, which recently has been ploughing its way around tlii! world, has had to face its share of those difficulties which always arise whenever a novol experiment is given the fir;,t trial. There is no doubt, however, in the minds of 500 students and 50 faculty . members oil board that those problems, as they appear, are being solved successfully, writes Mr. Edwin B. Longh, in the New York Herald-Tribune of October 24 Since leaving New- York on September 18 the Ryndam, proudly displaying on hoi' sides tho words " University World Cruise," had, at the-date mentioned, poked her nose into the harbours of Havanna, Colon and Los Angsles, and had made tho interesting journey through tho Panama Canal. She was then approaching Hawaii, and before sighting tho skyline of New York again she will haro visited 54 different ports. Tho organisers of the floating university had expected that various problems, which could not be foreseen, would arise once the ship got under way. Consequently all arrangements had been made as flo.tible as possible. The first matter to require attention was, naturally, that of studies. After the students had enrolled in the courses offered, a tentative schedule of classes was worked out and later changed to meet the conflicts that were discovered. .And, to avoid as much as possible the heat of the tropics, classrooms were rigged up on the promenade deck by means of canvas partitions. There, in the open a,ir, overlooking the sea, the voice of the professor mingles with the swish of the oce.in. One day, while sailing through the light green, transparent waters of the Gulf Stream off the coast of Florida, a j professor illustrated his lecture on sharks by a live specimen which sported out 20yis. from the rail. Honour System installed. In addition to the classrooms and library, certain decks and sections of the boat have been set aside as study zones, and there a student, may prepare his work unhampered by t.he activities of others. Before the Ryndam had reached Havana a complete, well functioning college had been set up on board. Bulletins announced where the various de- „ partments, officers and professors might be found. All matters confused or not understood by the students were, thus straightened out in an orderly manner. ,• Ihe question of rooms proved perhaps the most difficult to adjust. All staterooms had been provided with electric fans, but when the temperature increased as tho ship proceeded into the tropics add itional means of ventilation were sought Outside rooms were equipped with wind scoops, which carried a continual stream of sea air into those.cabins, j Students with' inside rooms, however, | were not so fortunate. Finally some brilliant person conceived the idea of sleeping on deck. The university officers quickly fell in with the plan, and every night then found hundreds of students stretched out under the tropical heavens in hammocks or upon mattresses. Life on the floating university is much the same as that at the average land institution. However, the lack of those outside distractions which are the bane of existence to college deans has had at least two important results: the students display more interest in and earnestness toward their work, and an honour system more complete and unrestricted than any land university could attempt has been installed. When students and faculty are in such close, constant contact a spirit of friendliness and * co-operation necessarily develops. Many Athletic Activities. . Every morning at 6.30 a bugle sounds on deck, and woe betide the person who, sleeping outside, fails to hear it, for a few minutes later he will be enveloped in n stream of water as the crew scrubs down tho deck. Then at 8 o'clock classes commence, and until the middle of the afternoon, with the exception of the lunch hours, the boat is given over almost entirely to study. With the cessation of classes, however, a change comes over the vessel; until the lights are dimmed at 10.30 the various activities going on remind one of a threering circus. Athletic equipment is unlimfcered, and while some students engage in calisthenic exercises., others may be seen playing basketball and baseball in places on deck • closed off by netting. Boxing, wrestling and fencing bouts take place. Golfing and archery facilities have been provided, as well as rowing machines. But by far -the most popular sport is swimming, for the two saltwater tanks on the forward deck are filled at all times of the day with those seeking relief from heat and study. Whenever the Ryndam visits a port near which is situated a land university athletic contests are held between the two schools. At Los Anereles the University of Southern California was met in several sports. The travellers in Octoher were eagerly looking forward to a baseball game to be plavecl against a Japanese university. In the cveninp-s there may he a meeting ii»f the student body, a dramatic presentation by the Planet Players, simr■incr by the Club, or dnncine with musii: provided bv the shin's orchestra. The interest which the.students display in tbpir honour system of government is significant. Loss of self-respect has been voted the only oenaltv for violation of the code of gentlemanly,conduct. Four-Page Newspaper. One of the most interesting es well as successful activities carried on by the travellers is the B'nnade, a d->ilv fourpage newspaper conducted by the members of the courses in journalism. Mr Henry J. Allen, ex-Governor of Kansas, ho'dj, the position of editor-in-chief. Beint? a honorary member of the Associated Press the Binnacle contained the laWi news flashes from the outside world as well 'as items gathered by its own staff. Whenever a port is called at by .the Ryndam these amateur reporters may be seen dashing about collecting enough material for articles to last until a fresh supply can be gathered at the next stopping place. During a two days' visit +£ « p ? nama Canal Zone, for instance, ne President, and Vice-President of the Fa uic of Panama were interviewed, and ahnii? B i ? n,ount of first hand information erabhw. K . B , ani . tar y> educational, goowa'i noterl » 0?lcal anc] social conditions AhLiS fOT USO on tho l °«S to Los small part' fi ot & tho Ul ? a ' lSla form Qnl V a fin ! tUV comi" so . _ members who merited ,by act-al °" slss ? board suppleNeiver before haW r per . ,cnce on shore. W9 «uch Lark blo rnerk:an collp Kians frE° r \ Uni ! ,ioS of |. pledge .from real M e a^ 3 their professor the

Havana, and at the Canal Zono they made another special side trip. And many a student of Spanish passed several exciting hours in Cuba and Panama trying to make himself understood by the natives; as often as not, too, he finally fell back on the reliable broken English, hut not before he had received a new insight into the foreign tongue. Visits to Historic Places. Thoso taking history fairly revelled in the midst of such famous spots as the Columbus Cathedral, the monument to the battleship Maine and old Morro Castle in Havana, and in the ruins of old Panama City, sacked by the English pirate Morgan 300 jears ago. The 'students of government, economics, geography and foreign trade also found much of special interest to them in the ports called at. Two dooartmentfi there are on the T?vndam flint scorn the necessity of short trips. Daily at sea tho study of navigation goes on, although it may be that the Rvndam, during these sessions, does not. And each night finds the classes in astronomy on the hurricane deck peering at the heavens despite the steady flashing of tronical heat lightning. A department of 70ology was needed badly when the Ryndam put to sea following her stop at the Canal Zone; for the students, having brought on board an extensive collection of monkeys, marmosets, parakeets and parrots, suddenly

discovered that the animals required some cars. For days the Panaman pets i howled and screeched. Then, his patience fixhj,usted, the captain ordered that all of );he animals were to bo disembarked for ever at Los Angeles. Pets Vanish In - Sleep. Possibly he did not know, of the quarantine law there- for all entering animals; but certainly be realised that he would encounter some difficulty in landing if they were still on board. So a conference between the owners and the management was held. Noxt day the pets had disappeared, leaving naught but a faint odour of chloroform behind. The social side of life on the floating university has been beneficial to all. The student body is a far more cosmopolitan one than the usual college can boast of, and the result of an exchanging of ideas is already noticeable. The character of the travelling students is evidenced most clearly in their desire to establish an unrestricted honour system on the Ryndam, and to bear the responsibilities as well as the privileges that thug result. Arguments for and against such a system are discussed at open meetings held three and four times a week. Dean Albert K Heckel is allowing the students to give the experiment a thorough trial. Thus far he has expressed satisfaction with the result.