Final Science Day Leg 1

Friday, August 06, 2010
Martha James' Presentation

"Bosun's" Poetry Night

Sam's Presentation On Sentry and Currents

Sam Monk gives his student presentation during the last night of Leg 1 of the Enlighten'10 Expedition.

Sam's Presentation On Sentry and Currents

Science Operation Schedule on Expedition Board

Planned schedule of operations for July 31-August 1.
 

Science Operation Schedule on Expedition Board

Following recovery of Jason and the transponders used to help navigate Sentry, the students focused on finalizing their projects and preparing for their presentations on the work they have been conducting while onboard. In addition, many members of the science team used some quiet time to write poetry for the "Bosun's" Poetry night, a time-honored tradition on our cruises. Poems ranged from serious to playful, from those created onboard to those of Robert Frost, and from brief haikus to a Dylan piece several minutes in length. One playful one, particularly relevant to the ever-evolving rhythm of the cruise, is below:

An Ode to the Plans of TN252

She is ever present,
Yet elusive, remaining just out of reach.
Like a ship in dense fog,
Melting away and reappearing before your eyes.

As She reemerges Her figure changes,
As you realize Her nature is fluid,
Never confined or conforming, constantly flowing
Like the ebbing of tide,
But there is no lunar control that pins Her down.

Her ways seem mysterious,
And Her complex design is not set in stone,
As it is ever evolving,
Yet you can trust that She will see you though,
Delivering you to your goals, because She is The Plan for Cruise TN252


Sam Monk August 2010
 

Below are also some reflections by Sam on his time aboard the Thompson

Reflections

As I reach the end of my time here onboard the R/V Thompson and look back over all that I have experienced in my 2 short, short, weeks spent 60 nmi off the coast of Oregon, I feel reflective. I remember my first visit to the website, and I know now what I should tell you – don’t become an oceanographer - unless you want to spend time out at sea with an incredible bunch of people who love their jobs and enjoy a serious amount of banter, and who get to play with some incredible toys and call all of that work! In the last 2 weeks I have learnt so much, just from being fully immersed in carrying out research. I have met so many incredible people, and feel I have a much greater understanding about the stresses and trials (and sleep deprivation) of leading and being involved in an oceanographic cruise (even if it was just a small peek through a port hole). I have also worked with instruments I studied as an undergrad and never imagined seeing, such as Sentry, Jason and Alvin. As sad as is it may sound to an outsider, I was starstruck at the thought of working with these vehicles, but now that I have worked with them I will be trying to do everything I can to make sure that I can continue working with these instruments and people, as this has been a truly awesome experience for me. When I return to England I will be taking back not just some data but also fantastic memories, and a strong motivation to end up with a job that I can love waking up to everyday.