Neptune Day

Neptune Day has to be the worst kept secret of Semester at Sea. It has its roots in the old Navy tradition of hazing sailors passing over the equator for the first time, but in this context is a little less hazing and a lot more fun. Set on what was scheduled as a reading day on our academic calendar we were woken up early in the morning by the crew marching through our hallways chanting, banging on drums, pots, pans or knocking on our doors. At the end of the noisemaking train the photographer and videographer were in tow to take 6am bedraggled portraits of each of us as we opened our doors.

The entire shipboard community was corralled to the pool deck later in the morning in order to make our way through the right-of-passage ceremonies which included the (optional) shaving of heads for men and women alike. We all used the opportunity to relax and blow off some steam from the surprisingly busy semester. Even the professors joined in to demonstrate the dance moves of their era.