Students shape up to ship out for the summer

With 11 days until finals and the prospect of passing organic chemistry looking slim, many… With 11 days until finals and the prospect of passing organic chemistry looking slim, many Pitt students might be beginning to resign themselves to the idea of spending next summer far from the beach, here in Oakland in a dim classroom.

Lucky for you Pitt offers a class to get you away from campus and out on the water.

Students will have the opportunity to set sail aboard the U.S. Brig Niagara, the recreation of a ship Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry used to defeat the British in a key battle during the War of 1812, but only if they sign up for the course maritime history and the Great Lakes.

The four-credit course will last 12 weeks, three of which – Saturday, June 28 through Saturday, July 19 – will be spent on the Niagara.

But students won’t just spend three weeks vacationing; instead, they’ll be a part of the ship’s crew. This adds an extra dimension to the course, which focuses not only on sailing but also on the history of European colonial powers.

“I liked the fact that you could read about it, and even in the same sentence, go and do it,” sophomore Malia Mason, who previously took the course, said.

“It gives a lot more opportunity to add information and explain things when they arise,” said assistant professor of history Rebecca Shumway, who took the class alongside students last summer. “If your foot is caught in the sail and you’re a hundred feet up in the air, that’s a good time to learn what the lines do.”

As professor Timothy Walker, who teaches the course, says, maritime history and the Great Lakes isn’t for the faint of heart.

“It’s kind of like sea camping in a way,” Walker said. “You’re in sparse conditions and working with people who really know what they’re doing. Most end up loving it and embrace the intensity of it.”

This intensity is brought on by the fact that the students do carry some of the responsibility for the ship.

“People rely on you,” Walker said. “Your decisions have a real impact on the safety of other people and the direction you’re going.”

Because of this, students acquire a lot of information over the three weeks they’re onboard. They are divided into teams and each team has its own duties.

“You start to learn and by the end of the course I knew where my team was supposed to go. I started to feel like a sailor,” Mason said.

No student, however, is forced to do all the same duties all the time. The crewmembers rotate their responsibilities. They share the burdens of galley duty and the watch.

“We have watches that go on around the clock,” Walker said. “You’ll be on for three or four hours and then have a few hours to sleep.”

Students find themselves tired, but don’t always seem to mind.

“You see the most incredible sunrises and sunsets on this boat,” Mason said. “I didn’t even care that I was exhausted. I was just glad to be there.”

Many participants are also amazed by the differences in the technology, or, rather, lack thereof.

“It’s historically accurate, except for the toilet and the basic safety equipment,” Shumway said.

The ship mimics its nineteenth century predecessor – the present version of the Niagara is only a recreation of the one used in the War of 1812 – in almost every aspect.

“We have cannons aboard and we used them,” Walker said. “We have to raise and lower the anchor that weighs a ton. We have to raise and lower sails.”

The ship also has low ceilings, which its 6-foot-tall crewmembers were forced to adjust to.

“You hit your head several times,” Mason said. “It hurts for the first few days, but you get used to it. By the end I could run below decks.”

This process gives most students a new appreciation for modern technology and modern architecture.

“Learning about 19th century technology gives you a better appreciation for 21st century technology,” Walker said.

This is just one of the lessons students take away from the experience. In fact, Walker says many students undergo a sort of transformation while they’re onboard.

“When I talked to Tim after it was over, from his point of view, the best part was watching them grow, especially Katie [Burns], who came with a hair dryer,” professor of history Bill Chase said.

Chase and Walker spent a lot of time together discussing the details of the course. Both were involved in getting it started.

“[Walker] called me one day and said the people at the Brig Niagara wanted to do summer courses and they contacted him,” Chase, who then helped Walker complete the proposal for the course, said.

The people at the Brig Niagara contacted Walker because he has an extensive background in maritime history.

“I had already begun a course on the east coast,” Walker said. “I began, in 2000, a coastal course aboard the Rose, which was used in Master and Commander.”

Walker is known not only for his vast knowledge of maritime history, but also for his integrity.

“I went around the world with him on Semester at Sea,” Chase said. “He’s a pretty remarkable professor because he’s a pretty remarkable guy. That’s an important thing to know.”

Students interested in taking Walker’s course will have the opportunity to sign up for it in February, when registration begins for other summer classes. Chase will allow up to 20 students to enroll in the course and will choose them on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The cost will be anywhere from $2,500 to $3,000 depending on the number of students who participate. A $400 deposit is required at registration.

Interested students should get a passport because the ship will make stops in Canada.