FINAL BLOG from Dean Low

This morning’s sunrise, while standing on bow watch with the 4-8am shift was breathtaking in many ways. The big red ball emerging from the east welcomed a beautiful, sunny Saturday. The sunlight also marked the final leg of our trip as we headed for Boston and the Courthouse Dock. Reflecting on the past four days, I realize what a privilege I have enjoyed – the chance to meet and observe and learn and chat with 15 members of the Colgate Class of 2013. I rarely have the opportunity to spend concentrated blocks of time with members of each incoming class as a small group – this was truly a special treat. The Spirit of South Carolina will now carry a small slice of Colgate with her as she ventures out to sea on future journeys and adventures. In turn, the students will hold all that they have absorbed from the schooner and its crew..

Personally, this trip has reinforced my love of working with college students, especially in what can be considered a challenging, active, and focused environment. There is really no place to hide on a 90-foot deck! Spending time in such close proximity forced us to cooperate, communicate, and collaborate while supporting each other through some occasional “rough seas.” The pure sense of teamwork shined through very brightly, even through the densest of fog and regardless if it was 2pm or 2am.

The crew has been generous, patient, and kind while maintaining clear goals and ensuring a safe journey around the Massachusetts coastline. I have found their professionalism and commitment balanced with good humor and warm personalities. Each officer and deck hand expressed genuine interest in creating a unique learning experience for the students. I was impressed with the ease in which they responded to multiple and often repeated questions. It was particularly enjoyable and memorable for me to become reacquainted with First Mate Emily Harwood ’06 and Program Director Matt “Bear” McDonnell ’06. I am in awe of their expertise – they have certainly inspired these newest students and welcomed them heartily into the Colgate family. I have tremendous respect and admiration for Emily and Matt and I thoroughly enjoyed our early morning chats!

And our Wilderness Adventure (WA) trip leaders, Caroline Callahan ’11, Mike Chamberlain ’12, and Chelsea Hoffman ’11 have been truly outstanding. I have always been a strong advocate for adventure-based learning experiences and recognize the value of pre-orientation programs in helping new student transition to college. The skills, knowledge, creativity, energy, enthusiasm, and heart that our WA team exhibited at the core of the program cannot be matched – each of them is wonderful – we should be very, very pleased and proud to know that they represent Colgate in such a positive and professional manner. They have ensured that each first-year student on board is now better prepared for Colgate and beyond.

Personally, this trip has allowed me to “unplug” and deeply reflect on my profession and my own personal experiences as they might relate to the challenges involved in adjusting and transitioning to a new environment. It also allowed me to view the cities and towns of my childhood from a completely different perspective – from the ocean, rather than the land. The quote by Jan Adkins that Matt shared with us on the very first day of the trip rings true, “Our fragile voyages on its restless surface have only deepened the sea’s mystery, and the open water is still an adventure. It is a strange world holding much to learn about joy, about caution, and about reliance on your own will and cunning. That world’s greatest advantage is its distance from our dry land world, giving us the opportunity to look astern and view our lives ashore in perspective” I know that 15 members of the Colgate Class of 2013 have embraced these words. They are becoming self-reliant. They are “ready on the jib sheet!” They are off to a very great beginning.

BAL