On the way home I decided to take some shots of my classes. This first one was a course that I was TAKING rather than TEACHING. This is the Acting 1 class I audited with Professor Steve Breese (lower right). Steve was a delightful person, a highly-skilled instructor, and a great friend during the trip. It was remarkable how Steve's extensive after-hours, on-target coaching brought about vast improvements in their performances.
My e-commerce class was the largest, and here are most of the students during class. To the right of the picture were two large picture windows overlooking the sea. This room had the best view of any of mine on the ship, and perhaps in the free world!
My MIS class was held in the "Theater," which was the coldest classroom on the ship, and perhaps in the free world!
My HCI course did not attract too many students. Here is the entire class, which had perfect attendance every day, no matter how wavy the water. As you might expect, this course seemed like one of my graduate seminars, and I'll never forget Galen Hollins, Amy Andrews, Sailesh Katara, and Charisse Brogdon. All were smart and hard working, and tolerated my first teaching of Visual Basic.
Another course that most faculty participated in teaching was called "Core Geography." Here are Lori Barker-Hackett and Jack Harris presenting the last session of Core. The students are very lucky to have world experts team teaching this course, rather than sitting in a land-based classroom listening to one person try to teach about the diverse world.
Here is the entire faculty that went on the trip. Thanks, Sailesh Katara, for taking this photo for me, and thanks, Judy Duchesne-Peckham, for setting it up for the yearbook and allowing me to steal a digital shot of it. Thanks, faculty, for being excellent colleagues. I learned a lot from you!
In my acting class, I was fortunate to be paired with the highly talented Madelyn Ortiz. Here we are rehearsing our scene from Lion in Winter, and Eleanor (Madelyn) is telling the King (me) that she could peel me like a pear. We also did a reading together from an original play (to be called "End's Beginning") by Marion Hunt, a student in Steve's playwrighting class.
One other reading from original work in the playwrighting class was performed by me and another skillful Acting 1 student, Sylvia Guimaeres. We are playing a couple that is in the process of splitting up their marraige and their possessions. The complete play will be called "Splitting Heirs," by Deneen Williams.
Lauren also performed in a play. Some students were generous with their time and the result was a great performance.
Here are the child stars Elizabeth Kiger, Daniel LeBaron, and Lauren Galletta, posing with Annie Richards (left), (middle person's name forthcoming), and Emily LeBaron (right).
Lauren and the other kids also performed in the World Music show, by playing the Balinese Gamelon with quite a lot of skill for their age level!
During the World Music performance, there was some belly dancing led by student Sharon Papo (left).
Another World Music performance involved Balinese dancing by students. Shown here is the group, including Sylvia Guimaeres (left), teacher Sutiati Sumandi (3rd from left), and Lindsay Diefendorder (right).
Here are Deborah Byrnes, Carole Galletta, and Joyce Binam enjoying a spoof Miami pre-port that prepared us for American culture.
One sight that we saw every day was a duo carrying the extremely heavy water and iced tea containers back into the kitchen after the meal. My physical therapist wife says that this "human bridge" technique used to carry the heavy container helps prevent injury.
As we approached Miami, the weather again became warm. The families took a little time off and jumped roap. Here are Christy, Lauren, Elizabeth, and Deborah enjoying a welcomed break.
Christy cut hair for several people on the trip, including her mom. She was eager to donate the contributions from her clients to the Students of Service fund.
Deborah and Carole organized a kids' World Museum, where the children put on display their treasures from around the world. Here is Lauren posing next to her David statue.
Passengers were invited to browse the museum, and even the captain paid us a visit.
Here's another angle, showing you how extensive was the collection of this temporary museum.
Lauren enjoyed practicing swing dancing with her tutor, Ryan.
Meanwhile, faculty members could be seen all over the ship grading their final papers. Here are Michelle LeBaron and Larry Butler in their favorite spot for grading.
Here is the delightful Mel Thorne grading his papers right outside his outside access cabin, one of only a handful on the ship.
During one of our last days, we took our galley and engine room tours that we won in the shipboard auction. Here we are posing in the galley with our guide. Thanks, Elizabeth, for your expert photography!
Our engine tour was very instructive, but also very loud. Here are two of the workers reacting to the camcorder.
The final leg of the engine room tour was the rudder, which was the most interesting part to me. This device kept moving back and forth, presumably making routine and frequent corrections to our course.
On December 21, the night before our final full day on the ship, we were treated to the brightest moon in 133 years. Here is another moon shot, taken at full optical zoom and exposure-compensated (because the moon is as bright as the earth during mid-day).
During the final day, everyone spent their time packing. Here are Julie and Becky Hart, two sisters on the voyage, getting their stuff together for going home.
Moving around the luggage was tedious, heavy, and time-consuming work! Here is a cabin steward stuffing a load into the elevator.
Packing wasn't the only order of the day. There was lots of hugging. Here's our "adoptee" Nici Voss telling Lauren that she would keep in touch.
Elizabeth and Lauren got the most out of the last day on board. They wave with smiles, but are sad inside.
Lauren looks towards Miami with deep thoughts of rejoining old friends and separating from new friends. This was a tough day for everyone, including me.
Reality seemed to hit everyone else, too, as they look toward Miami in some very quiet, thoughtful moments.
Some of our tension was relieved by another "open mic" session. Here is one of my favorite contributors, Lorie Peck, who is an excellent writer and deliverer of thoughtful messages. She was also a student taking the Acting 1 class.

Photos copyright 1999, Dennis F. Galletta