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75 Semester at Sea Students Protest!
by Brandon Cohen
Saturday, Mar. 20, 2004 at 6:19 AM
brandonatsea@yahoo.com
75 university students from all over the country participated in a protest against George Bush in the middle of the ocean. Sailing on the University of Pittsburgh's Semester at Sea program, a large portion of the ship stood in solidarity against the war in Iraq.
Hello!
As today is the one year mark of the war in Iraq, about 75 students and faculty from all over the United States and Canada, travelling on the Semester at Sea program, joined in the worldwide protest against George Bush. The ship carrys about 600 students and circumnavigates the world twice a year. Almost 10% of the ships passengers are seen standing in solidarity against the war in Iraq. The ship's program is run by the University of Pittsbrugh.
These pictures are of a protest that was held at 5:15[m
boat time (5:15 est). At the time, they were at 7 degrees and four minutes north, 107 degrees and 7 minutes east of the equator, heading due north. That is not too far from Viet Nam.
http://www.pitt.edu/~asd20/boat1.jpg
http://www.pitt.edu/~asd20/boat2.jpg
http://www.pitt.edu/~asd20/boat3.jpg
Brandon Cohen
wow!
by matt b
Saturday, Mar. 20, 2004 at 12:41 PM
wow, very cool!!! if you know alok, give him a shout-out for me!! we were arrested together last year, let him know that the protests went well here at pitt, and that i'm psyched that you all got to do something cool too!!
Did they send you to Sea because you have trouble with math?
by Enron's Accountants
Saturday, Mar. 20, 2004 at 4:37 PM
"The ship carrys about 600 students and circumnavigates the world twice a year. Almost 10% of the ships passengers are seen standing in solidarity against the war in Iraq."
75 is not "almost" 10% .. it is, in fact, MORE than 10%. If we assume that the ship carries 600 passengers, then 75 passengers would represent almost 12.55% (or it would represent exactly 12.5%) of all passengers on the ship. This is determined by the mathematical expression of 75/600.
If we assume that the ship carries more than 600 passengers but less than 700 passengers, then 75 passengers represents, at a minimum, ALMOST 10.73% (or more precisely, 10.72691%)of all passengers on the ship. This is represented by the mathematical expression of 75/699.
Now, if the ship carried 751 passengers, then 75 passengers would represent ALMOST 10% of the passnegers on the ship.
Thus, the 75 passengers at the protest in the middle of the largest expanse of open water on earth, miles from anyone to notice, and outside of the territorial waters of the USA, represent somewhere between 10.72% and 12.5% of a group of college students and faculty and other people who are floating around in the middle of the ocean with little else to do, but somewhere between 89.28% and 87.5% of those people in the middle of the ocean could find more important things to do than to even pose for a photo-op on the deck to demonstrate protest of the liberation of the Iraqi people.
My suggestion is that you sign up for the remedial math course on the Lido Deck.
The point...
by Hami
Saturday, Mar. 20, 2004 at 5:48 PM
Enron's Accountants,
First of all, what's your point? Second of all, it seems to me like you have nothing to do, either. Why would you even sit there and mathematically analyze a statement like the one you criticize. Put your math prowess to better work. Despite what you think, a display of peace anywhere by any number of people is important in this hostile world.
I am a peace activist
by Enron's Accountants
Saturday, Mar. 20, 2004 at 6:18 PM
That is precisely why I whole heartedly support the military liberation of Iraq.
I am also a math activist. That is why I whole heartedly support math done well and math done right.
Math eh?
by Brandon
Sunday, Mar. 21, 2004 at 7:05 AM
10% - 12%? I think you missed the coolness factor of a bunch of people in the middle of the ocean protesting a war. We think of history in terms of world wars, well, when you have millions demanding peace all over the world (including on a floating vessel), it is time to begin to think about world peace. Sorry about the "math error" - I was sent these pictures from a friend on the ship (some may know him - Ross- also a pgh122) and had to respond quickly. I wasnt sure of the exact student population (around 600 students) - so I estimated it to be around 10%. Nevertheless, numbers aside, just be interested that seperated from other humans, floating in the middle of nothingness, there remain people who care about humanity.
math and semantics
by blankbooks
Sunday, Mar. 21, 2004 at 8:14 AM
Ah, but here's where language and story problems comes in. The post says the boat carries about 600 students and that the picture comprises 75 students AND faculty. In a semester at sea program, how are faculty figured? Are they passengers or are they part of the crew? Also, when calculating a ship's capacity is the crew counted separately or not? Does the ship hold 600 passengers plus crew or does it have a limit of 600 individuals? The problem with the initial post isn't the 10% figure but rather the use of the word "almost." Almost means the number approached but did not reach 10%. The better word would have been "about" or "around." These words imply closeness without binding themselves to a specific type of accuracy.
And since we're focusing on semantics and the specificity of language-the Iraqi people are not liberated. They just aren't being ruled by Saddam Hussein anymore. There's a difference. They are not a "free" people in any sense of the word that Westerners would describe and that distinction needs to be made very clear.
Finally, as to the rest of the ship having better things to do, you imply that this is an act of futility, that there's no risk. That means when it's perfectly safe to dissent we shouldn't dissent. However the message has also been coming down (not from your post) that these are difficult times and that it's inappropriate to dissent. So which is it? If we're not allowed to say the Emperor has no clothes either when times are dire or when things are good, when are we supposed to say it? When may we ask questions, when may we speak our truth?
You may object to the term "truth" there, but let's be honest. The peace movement said no connection to terrorism, no WMD's, no threat to the US and a quagmire as soon as we go in. So far, no connection to terrorism, no WMD's, no threat to the US and we're stuck in a quagmire. Batting a thousand in the grimmest game imaginable. So when may we stand up and be heard? When are we allowed to speak? How right do we have to be for us to exercise our right to free speech and to redress our government with grievances?
Interesting Question
by Plutarch
Sunday, Mar. 21, 2004 at 12:54 PM
If a protester rants in the woods, and no one is there to hear, does it really amount to a protest?
On the ship
by A. Gall (one of the students)
Wednesday, Apr. 07, 2004 at 5:26 AM
The ship has about 650 students on it. There are another 100 or so faculty and staff. Then, there are about 250 crew members. Does it really matter? There was a protest onboard. That's the point.
You're Right A. Gall
by Protest Gorilla
Wednesday, Apr. 07, 2004 at 6:05 AM
What does it matter if your protest is insignificant, just so there was a protest. The purpose is the protest. Everything else is secondary. I had a protest on the crapper just this morning. That's all that matters.
A. Gall(ing)
by Still Can't Add
Wednesday, Apr. 07, 2004 at 7:37 AM
Now that is significant. that means that the numbers of people at the protest were GROSSLY overstated. Of about 1,000 people on board in the middle of the ocean, LESS THAN 10% (infact, less than 8.0%, or even less than 7.6%) showed up for the protest. It looks like 7.5% showed up to protest. Not only can you people not do math, YOU LIED. THE PROTESTERS LIED. THEY DECEIVED US FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH POLITICAL PURPOSES> THE PROPTEST MOVEMENT LIED.
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