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Arctic Expedition 2008
By Students On Ice's Youth Contributors
Our Students On Ice's Youth Contributors share with us their Arctic experience!
By Cori Eide, Student
 What a day in the Arctic. No yoga for me today. I decided to sleep in and rest up for our last hike and most especially for the Arctic swim.
I was actually excited for breakfast today because yesterday I woke up feeling seasick and only got worse throughout the day. After today’s breakfast everyone geared up for the next expedition hike and landing with the zodiacs. It was a fun ride for most because we actually had to hold on. I don’t think anyone managed to keep dry, as it was very windy.
On shore we had free time to reflect or to explore. Others and I sat by the waterfall and realized that we have 4 days left, but only 3 of those days on the ship. As time went by the sun shone more and layers of clothing were coming off. It was a bit odd being in the Arctic in shirts and shorts, especially coming from Alaska.
In the past couple days we have formed “Pod” groups but to me they are really like “Family” groups: people you can talk and share opinions or problems with. Today in our family group we talked about ideas and things we can do to give back to our communities, because some of us received a scholarship for this expedition. We also want to promote knowledge of global climate changes and its effects.
I gave a lot of thought of how I can do my part. In conclusion, I want to start the recycle center back up back in Nome. I would like to continue in the Future Teachers of Alaska club to teach a couple of classes about Global Warming. Also, I would like to give a presentation and workshop to the state of Alaska in October during the state-wide conference known as AFN. But most of all I have personal goals that I hope will catch on with the people around me. Just three days left on board of the Lyubov Orlova and I hope the good weather stays around.
By Alexandra Polasko, Student  Life is not measured by the amount of breaths you take, but rather the moments that take your breath away, and today my breath was taken away more than just once. Today we raced the wind in our zodiacs as we made our way over to Canso Channel to do a team building activity, hike, and go for our Arctic swim! When we got to the island and stuck on our hiking boots we separated into our pod groups which are small groups of about 10 people with a staff member that helps us get to know each other and talk about climate issues. We discussed what we can, and are, doing to help slow global warming. About an hour later we went on a hike up the mountain and around the waterfall. At the top, the wind was blowing fiercely as I sat on the ledge of a huge rock and looked out into the peaceful horizon. On the rock, for a moment, the world stood still; my heart forgot how to beat, my lungs were stuck in time, and my eyes were lost in the sky; I was at a loss for words and breath.
The next time my breath was taken away, it was definitely not as numinous, but just as memorable. We headed over to a sandy part of the island, and went into the 40ْF water for our Arctic swim! Nora, Oopick, Dakota, and I all flopped in, drenching ourselves from head to toe. After I came out every part of my body was tingling and my breath was, for the second time today, taken away. However, this was a different kind of feeling; I felt exhilarated and fresh, and after a warm cup of tea, some throat lozenges, and oil painting with Linda, we headed to dinner, and then to bed. As Edward R. Murrow would say, “Good night and good luck [to tomorrow and the rest of the S.O.I adventures].”
By Leah Pengelly, Student
Today was yet another incredible day in the Arctic. We have to come up with new words to describe how amazing our trip is. Ann Hanson gave us a word in Inuktitut for something that is more than breathtaking; wakalunga. Today was definitely wakalunga! We landed on a beach where we hiked up to a lake. We basked in the warm sunlight, ate blueberries and took many group photos. After going for a short hike around the lake we got back in the zodiacs and prepared for our Arctic Swim. We stripped down quickly and ran into the water. We were in a protected bay so the water wasn’t absolutely freezing but still fairly cold. When we got back and were warmed up we went to our workshops and had some amazing discussions about the environment. We have made “pod” groups to discuss things we can change in our lives, our community and the world. I am really excited to get back to my community and share the knowledge I have gained these last two weeks
By Mabel Lee, Student
Today was one of the best days ever! I stumbled out of bed and enjoyed another beautiful day. Starting the day off, we had another great breakfast. Today we went on one of our last hikes of the expedition. As I hiked I took in the gorgeous landscape all around me. The hike was really refreshing. I felt as if I was a part of nature. The mountains, the water, the sky-- it was all so amazing and so fascinating. Later, we went on our first ever Arctic swim of the expedition. I quickly dove into the water and when I came out, I was freezing cold. It was a first time experience for me and it was awesome.  By Rohit Mehta, Student
Our Climate Future
I am going to talk about my high, low, wow, and now moments. This is a concept we used in our breakout groups that formed two days back, where we had small discussions about ideas we could focus on after our expedition.
My high today has definitely been swimming in the arctic waters. If it wasn’t for the Mountains in the background, I could have been convinced that we were on a beach along the Atlantic. After we stepped off the zodiac, we held each other and ran into the water at full force. As I dove into the water, screamed, and ran back; I realized that the water wasn’t as cold as I had imagined. What’s more, the sun was unusually warm and quickly brought our bodies to room temperature. Laughing and screaming with the rest of the group, I dried off in the cool breeze and headed back to the ship for lunch.
My low today was seeing a few of our brothers and sisters recovering from being sick lately. We have had a few coughs and colds on board, and plenty of sea sickness yesterday – myself included! As I write this journal, there are few coughs and ill expedition members on board, but the majority of us are doing great.
My wow moment was when Rachel Eisner had a brilliant idea before lunch. It was announced that we are all supposed to bring our plates to the front of the lunch room after we ate. When I asked Rachel what she was up to, she said she had an idea, but wouldn’t say any more. I quickly realized that all of our food waste was being collected, and I understood that she was doing a waste audit. What blew me away was later in the day, when she sent the staff out during our nightly recap and they each came back holding a plate full of our food waste. She talked about how we must set a great example by not wasting, and why it’s so important for us to only.
Image credits (from top): 1) Student picking blueberries.; 2) Student playing violin at sunset on the deck.; 3) Group picture Students On Ice 2008.
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posted by Admin ACblog on Friday, August 15 2008
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